THATCamp Appalachia comes to RU

On Nov. 15, Radford University hosted THATCamp Appalachia 2014, an "unconference" that explored the intersection between Appalachian cultural studies and technology.

Organized in part by faculty from McConnell Library and the RU Appalachian Studies program, the event hosted scholars from Radford and schools such as Appalachian State and the University of North Carolina - Greensboro.

The first THATCamp (The Humanities and Technology Camp) was held at George Mason in 2008 as a way for scholars and humanities professionals to work, collaborate and decide for themselves what the agenda should be. Offshoots like THATCamp Appalachia have been successful at stimulating conversation about how technology has impacted certain fields of study.

"This cohort of scholars was interested in seeing how technology has changed how we can approach studying Appalachia," said Christopher Miller, event organizer and head of RU Archives and Special Collections. "These conversations are still pushing the envelope of what Appalachian schools have been doing.

Over the course of the day participants discussed a variety of tech issues from the use of podcasts and wikis in educational settings to ethical applications of technology, all through an Appalachian lens.