Catherine Brooks (PhD, University of California) joined the Department of Communication in January, 2012. She holds a joint appointment in the School of Information Resources and Library Science. Catherine’s primary research interest focuses on day-to-day language use in online and learning communities. She is most interested in the social uses of communication technologies and the varied opportunities for the co-construction of knowledge, self-presentations, relationships, and identities, as well as the possibilities for emotional and health-related support that can emerge and develop online. Currently, she is undergoing research on an online support group for those suffering from anxiety, examining the ways in which ‘expert’ information is translated and how supportive messages function for an international and relatively anonymous set of members. Her research works across disciplinary boundaries and draws on a variety of academic traditions and methodologies. She teaches courses that focus on social media and human encounters with information technologies. 
 

Ph.D. University of California, Riverside, Education

M.A. California State University, Long Beach, Communication Studies

B.A. California State University, Long Beach, Communication Studies/Wilderness Studies

Language, Social Interaction, and Discourse Studies

Computer-mediated Communication

Identity, Emotion, and Community

Brooks, C. F., and Bippus, A. M. (2012). Underscoring the social nature of classrooms by examining the amount of virtual talk across online and blended college courses. European Journal of Open, Distance, and E-Learning. 

Brooks, C. F. (2011). Social performance and secret ritual: Battling obsessive-compulsive disorder. Qualitative Health Research, 21 (2), 249-261.

Brooks, C. F., and Young, S. L. (2011). Are choice-making opportunities needed in the classroom? Using self-determination theory (SDT) to consider student motivation and learner empowerment. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23 (1), 48-59.

Brooks, C. F. (2011). Cross-cultural classroom conversation online: Preparing students for global citizenry. InProceedings of the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (SITE in Nashville, TN.), (pp. 174-179). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. 

Brooks, C. F. (2010). Toward hybridized faculty development for the 21st century: Blending online communities of practice and face-to-face meetings in instructional and professional support programs. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 47 (3), 261-270.

Dunbar, N. E., Brooks, C. F., and Kubicka, T. (2006). Oral communication skills in higher education: Using a performance-based evaluation rubric to assess communication skills. Innovative Higher Education, 31, 115-128. 

COMM 209: Introduction to Communication Technology

COMM 311: Communication Technology Theory

IRLS 150b: Social Media and Ourselves

IRLS 211: Collaborating in Online Communities