Scholarship on the Move - Amy Eades

Scholarship on the Move: A Rhetorical Analysis of Scholarly Activity in Digital Spaces

            As technology advances every aspect of our lives are impacted from the route we take to work to the way we interact with our family and friends. Technological changes are invasive and pervasive in our society because we have become so attached and dependent on it’s convenience and entertainment. This chapter focuses on the advancements of technology as it relates to education and scholarship for tenure and promotion. The chapter concludes that digital forms “allow for some of the same moves that define the scholarly productions long valued in English studies” and also extend and expand the definition of “scholarly” and can provide new outlets for knowledge-building work. In the analysis of digital technologies, the group found that the can afford unique possibilities for scholarly activity; these include the very impactful Prezi, a zooming presentation application which allows for an interactive type of educational experience. One form of digital learning and presentation that I have found to be very impactful as well as interesting is the infographic; this digital and graphic form of presenting information is succinct enough to keep the reader’s attention but also focuses on presenting facts in an interesting and thought-provoking way.