Anna Wood: Being a Housebound Digital Academic

[Cheshire]

I have been housebound with a chronic health condition (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, ME) since 2008.

Yet over the last few years I’ve published three papers and submitted a fourth, given a number of conference talks and reviewed for some top journals. I have even recently started a paid research position, 5 hours per week at the University of Edinburgh in the Centre for Digital Education Research. I’m still 90% housebound, so there have been some significant challenges. Many things have coincided to make this possible: supportive colleagues, the ability to work flexibly and from home, changing research field - I now focus on the use of technology within higher (physics) education, but the most crucial of all has been the wide range of digital tools available.

https://www.thesociologicalreview.com/blog/being-a-housebound-digital-academic.html

Edit: @Anna Wood is a member!

 

[Esther12]

Great to hear that you've been able to get a paid position that suits your health @Anna Wood - outstanding!

 

[Anna Wood]

Hello, thanks for posting - I was just going to work out how! I've been very lucky. The original version of the post had more details about ME,but they asked me to re-write focussing on digital tools. Hope someone finds it useful.

 

[Adrian]

Hello, thanks for posting - I was just going to work out how! I've been very lucky. The original version of the post had more details about ME,but they asked me to re-write focussing on digital tools. Hope someone finds it useful.

I thought the angle of looking at digital tools was great as it suggests ways that employers can be inclusive and do things to help people work and collaborate.