I was an engineer, later a technologist, now I am a communicator. My current academic interests lie in identity construction and understanding the roles we inhabit throughout our life’s journey. In my family, I am the oldest of the generation; the first college graduate, and will be the first PhD. In my life, I play video games and, as a result, I learn from these games: navigating rules, exploring virtual leadership, understanding cultures, teamwork, etc. Similar lessons I learned in over 20 years of working for industry, academia, and my consultancy. I am currently pursuing my doctorate in Technical Communication at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

I became interested in what CMC has to bring to education while pursing my Masters. At that time, I was exploring avatar identity and MacKinnon’s model of online expression: transparency, translucency, and opaqueness. Why do we show or not show ourselves; how much do we reveal via our virtual embodiment?

Currently, I work in an allied area where I integrate new media into a myriad of areas at the university and community level. My position affords the opportunity to explore various avenues of CMC; develop curricula, provide training to faculty and staff, make presentations to outside organizations, and consult with the community on a variety of technology and curriculum-based pursuits.

My work in the non-profit arena has been particularly fulfilling, affording a clear glimpse into organizational operations and illuminating the various strata of the digital divide. How do we best bridge a gap that seems to ever widen in some areas, and collapse in others? Digital inclusion has been my passion over the years; my masters project involved constructing curricula for urban youth in experiential programs. Ultimately, I want my PhD to inform this issue, leading to better understanding of learning in the 21st century. My goal includes teaching and consulting in the field, championing worldwide the benefits of technology as a tool in education.

Joy Robinson’s Areas of Research Interest:

Computer mediated communication, MMORPGs, Web2.0, and internet culture. Check out this link for more information on my growing academic interests : http://iit.academia.edu/joyrobinson

www.joyrobinson.com