Dr. Kailan Sindelar will discuss various research methods in digital humanities and technical communication, focusing on her research on environmental communication with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

Speaker:  Kailan Sindelar
Date: Thurs. December 1, 2022
Time: 5:15–6:30 p.m. PDT
Via Zoom: To receive the link, please register here.

Title: Approaches and Experiences in Digital Humanities Interdisciplinary Research

Abstract: 
Dr. Kailan Sindelar will discuss various research methods in digital humanities and technical communication, focusing on her research on environmental communication with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). She will discuss usability studies and crafting a theoretical lens with which to analyze various kinds of texts, including AR and VR apps. Drawing from her experience with collaborating on interdisciplinary projects with subject-matter experts in health, ecology, and psychology, Dr. Sindelar will also address how digital humanities and technical communication research intersects with other disciplines.

Anyone interested in how digital media can help solve problems (or how to address problems that exist within digital media), may be interested in digital humanities research. Digital media have varying rhetorical affordances that can help address communication challenges. For example, VR simulations can visualize environmental problems, such as hurricanes, to increase user understanding and preparedness. Although research in digital humanities and technical communication varies–from ensuring that documents are clear (such as in high-stakes medical communication) to discovering ways that multimodal communication may aid complex problems–projects often have a similar goal: to support social good and well-being for the user.

Speaker Bio:
Kailan Sindelar is an Assistant Professor of Technical Writing at the University of North Florida. Her recent publications include an article in the Journal of Environmental Media and a chapter in The Changing Face of VR. She completed her Ph.D. in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design from Clemson University. In her dissertation, she used a combination of feminist materialism and game analysis to study how care is facilitated between users and representations of wildlife in AR and VR apps. Dr. Sindelar is also an Affiliate of Clemson University’s Virtual Reality and Nature Lab where she participates in interdisciplinary research using qualitative research methods.