Research Questions
From a previous co-authored study of graduate students working with unfamiliar technologies in an observed environment (Gallagher, Meister, & Russell, 2021), I have maintained interest in how privacy in digital learning spaces influences stakeholder experiences. Adding to this interest, the complications to TPC instruction created by the pandemic has not only increased data capture and the potential for privacy infringement, but it has also necessitated increased presence in the classroom to improve engagement and retention. This is a double edged sword as both data gathering and the amount of personal presence are increasing at once. As a result, the purpose of this study has become two fold, represented by the primary research questions hereafter:
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RQ 1: What pedagogical changes have occurred as the result of making TPC more digital in response to the pandemic (especially those related to and/or affecting privacy)?
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RQ 2: How can educators balance increased privacy concerns with the greater need for human presence in TPC instruction of the pandemic era?
These research questions offer important areas of inquiry for members of the field of Technical and Professional Communication, but also to those in the Composition and Communication disciplines too. Many members of these groups have found themselves teaching in classroom environments reshaped by the pandemic. It is important to discover and share new teaching and learning practices that respond specifically to the challenging classroom situations involving privacy and presence created by the global health crisis. The knowledge gained by this study aims to offer more understanding of the currents in TPC pedagogy. Also, it offers a heuristic for balancing privacy with presence. Thereby, both faculty and students may have a safer and more effective approach to teaching and learning in digital courses.
