Jason Tham

Dr. Jason Tham is an assistant professor of technical communication and rhetoric in the Department of English at Texas Tech University. He is co-director of the User Experience (UX) Research Lab and co-advisor to the student organization Raider UX/UI. His book, Design Thinking in Technical Communication (2021, Routledge/Taylor & Francis), applies user-centered design methodologies to pedagogy and professional practice. He has published articles and given talks about design thinking, UX, emerging technologies, digital literacy, and writing pedagogy.

Education

Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Scientific & Technical Communication, University of Minnesota

M.A. in English, St. Cloud State University

M.S. in Mass Communication, St. Cloud State University

Publications

Tham, J. (Ed.) (2022). Keywords in design thinking: A lexical primer for technical communicators and designers. WAC Clearinghouse/University Press of Colorado.

Tham, J., & Verhulsdonck, G. (2023). Smart education in smart cities: Implications for networked and pervasive learning. IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society, 4(1), 87–95. DOI: 10.1109/TTS.2023.3239586

Tham, J. (2022). Instructional design pedagogy in technical and professional communication. Technical Communication Quarterly.

Jiang, J., & Tham, J. (2022). Tracing new materialist rhetoric across physical and cultural borders: The thing-power of Ring Fit Adventure as embodied play. Computers and Composition, 65.

Das, M., & Tham, J. (2022). Tactical organizing: What can the r/wallstreetbets and GameStop frenzy teach us about technical communication in a networked age. Technical Communication, 69(2), 36–57.

Tham, J., Verhulsdonck, G., & Howard, T. (2022). Extending design thinking, content strategy, and artificial intelligence into technical communication and user experience design programs: Further pedagogical implications. Journal of Technical Writing Communication, 52(4), 428–459.

Verhulsdonck, G., & Tham, J. (2022). Tactical (dis)connection in smart cities: Postconnectivist technical communication for a datafied world. Technical Communication Quarterly, 31(4), 416–432.

Tham, J. (2022). Pasts and futures of design thinking: Implications for technical communication. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 65(2), 261–279. (Awarded the 2023 Rudolph J. Joenk Award for Best Paper in the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication. Awarded honorable mention, 2023 NCTE/CCCC Best Article Reporting Historical Research or Textual Studies in Technical and Scientific Communication.)

Tham, J., Burnham, K., Hocutt, D., Ranade, N., Misak, J., Duin, A.H., Pedersen, I., & Campbell, J.L. (2021). Metaphors, mental models, and multiplicity: Understanding student perception of digital literacy. Computers and Composition, 59. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2021.102628

Tham, J. (2020). Engaging design thinking and making in technical communication pedagogy. Technical Communication Quarterly. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/10572252.2020.1804619

Tham, J. & Grace, R. (2020). Reading born-digital scholarship: A study of webtext user experience. Computers and Composition, 58. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2020.102601

Tham, J. (2018). Interactivity in an age of immersive media: Seven dimensions for wearable technology, internet of things, and technical communication. Technical Communication, 65(1), 46-65. (Awarded the 2019 Society for Technical Communication Frank R. Smith Award for Outstanding Article)

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