Abstract

This dissertation expands on scholarship that examines efforts at incorporating a social justice framework into pedagogy, specifically, the role of technical and professional communication (TPC) faculty in addressing discriminatory digital technologies within a social-justice-oriented tech ethics pedagogy. I observe that despite the thousands of computer technology students who graduate from their programs every year in the US with the latest training, there seems to be no change to the adverse tech culture that produces discriminatory and racist work environments and digital technologies. The implication is that computer technology programs may not be prioritizing a tech ethics pedagogy that supports addressing and redressing the issue of discriminatory digital technologies within a social justice framework. Therefore, this study sought to understand the values that undergraduate computer technology students learn to prioritize during their studies as it relates to digital technologies and the suitability of TPC faculty in addressing the issue of discriminatory digital technologies within their pedagogy, through surveys of UCF computer technology undergraduate students and TPC faculty within the US. I argue that due to the TPC field's longstanding and historical relationship with technology, wide-ranging knowledge of how communication flows, understanding of the power dynamics inherent in the use of language, technology, and science, and social justice focus within the last twenty years, TPC faculty are strongly positioned with knowledge, frameworks, and practices that can be used to address the discriminatory results of digital technologies in their pedagogy.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2022

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Stanfill, Mel

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Degree Program

Texts and Technology

Identifier

CFE0009145; DP0026741

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0026741

Language

English

Release Date

August 2023

Length of Campus-only Access

1 year

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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