Matthew J. A. Craig

Matthew J. A. Craig

PhD candidate in Communication & Information

Kent State University

Biography

Hi! I’m Matthew, and I study how we communicate with and through machines.

Specific interests of mine pertain to how people manage their private information and make sense of personalized experiences in the context of human-machine communication and new media. AI is becoming increasingly embedded in everyday technologies without much thought as to how users’ perceptions of privacy management impact their use of new media and, in turn, its impact on them. My current work looks to unravel this.

As a Ph.D. Candidate in Communication and Information at Kent State University, I’m on track to defend my dissertation in spring 2024. I am available for interviews for the 2023–2024 job market for tenure-track academic positions, postdoctoral positions, and research opportunities.

Interests

  • Human-machine communication (HMC)
  • Privacy
  • New Media
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Social Robotics

Education

  • PhD in Communication & Information, May 2024 (Expected)

    Kent State University

  • MA in Communication, 2020

    Western Michigan University

  • BA in Organizational Communication & Gender and Women's Studies, 2017

    Western Michigan University

Publications

HMC in the educational context

Techonlogies in HMC can interrupt a lot of our pedagogical techniques and has the opportunity to change what education looks like for many. Using robots in the classroom is not a new endeavor. From social robots as stand-ins for math tutoring, working with students identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), to telepresence robots there are various uses for robots and they don’t need to be overly sophisticated either. AI can be used in the classroom as tools to facilitate individualized learning, however, in its adoption we must understand who is involved in its development and adoption and how these systems can and do harm those most often marginalized. HMC scholars need to be interdisciplinary and holistic in their research about AI in educational contexts. VR and AR systems also have great use in the classroom, especially regarding public speaking. These technologies have a great opportunity for enhancing instructor content by providing immersive experiences for students (and instructors too). Regarding HMC and instructional communication research, variables such as immediacy, credibility, and teacher clarity are important for encouraging positive interactions with machine actors in the classroom settings. This chapter provides a bird’s eye view of the use of HMC technology in the classroom and important avenues of work regarding HMC in instructional communication research. (Abstract provided is not in final published chapter and is only to provide a synopsis here)

Robots, AI, automation, and those who define them

Teaching

*denotes instructor of record

Kent State University

*EMAT 33310: Human-Computer Interaction

Spring 2024, 2023, 2022

*COMM 15000: Introduction to Human Communication

Fall 2023, 2022, 2021 Summer 2023, 2022

Western Michigan University

*COM 3000: Communication Research Methods

Spring 2024

COM 3000: Communication Research Methods

Fall 2019 Spring 2020

COM 2800: Introduction to Organizational Communication

Spring 2020

COM 2500: Introduction to Public Relations

Fall 2019

COM 1000: Communication and Community Engagement

Fall 2018 Spring 2019

Contact