teaching
In addition to my research, I have also spent three semesters in the classroom while at Michigan State. I was drawn to graduate school, in part, due to the tremendous experience I had while I as an undergraduate and the knowledge, guidance, and friendship I gained from interactions with several faculty members in my department. I see educating college students as one of the most important tasks one can have in helping prepare young adults for the sometimes harsh work environments they will face upon graduation. Therefore, I have spent a significant amount of time developing and presenting content in my classes and have tried to create an open environment, where students are encouraged to question, to interact, and to grow as critical thinkers.
Below are details from the classes I have been involved with while at MSU. I played a significant role in developing TC100/101, which was a newly merged course combining content from two introductory courses. I also overhauled TC401, which had previously been offered as a 300-level course, by completely changing the course structure to place greater weight on discussion and critical thinking.
- TC 110: Understanding Media
Position: Teaching Assistant
Date: Spring 2011
Description: This class gives students the knowledge and tools to become more thoughtful, successful, and informed consumers and producers of media messages. It focuses on media content and better understanding the processes by which messages are created and consumed. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to analyze, critique, and assess media messages and describe their impacts on individuals and society. We will learn how media effects research is conducted, and what these studies can and cannot tell us.
My role: In this class, I primarily served as the liaison between students and the instructor. I was responsible for handling all emails related to the class and all grading. In addition, I lectured four times during the semester, covering: McLuhan & Technological Determinism, Psychological Effects of Media Messages, and New Media (two lectures).
Course Syllabus: [pdf]
Student Evaluations: [pdf]
- TC 100/101: The Information Society
Position: Instructor
Date: Summer 2011
Description: This course provides an introduction to and overview of the field of telecommunication, information studies, and media. As a survey course, it addresses a wide range of topics, including: (1) critique and analysis of media, including television, radio, film, video games, social media, and the Internet; (2) media history, policy, industry structure, and ethics; and (3) technology, industry and social trends affecting the media in the information society.
My role: I assisted in developing this class, which combined two previously offered classes, TC100 and TC110. This involved selecting appropriate topics, designing a syllabus and course plan to effectively teach the content and measure students’ growth in knowledge from the class, and building new lectures to reflect the revamped course. This course consisted of 12 three-hour lectures and two exam days.
Course Syllabus [pdf]
Student Evaluations [pdf] - TC 401: Social Impacts of Media
Position: Instructor
Date: Fall 2011
Description: This course focuses on the social impacts, both practical and theoretical, of computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems. CMC includes many different types of technologies, such as social networking sites, email, forums, chat, and online games. We will focus on the analysis of CMC practices, the social processes and structures that emerge when people use these applications, and the problems and barriers that emerge from use. Key concepts such as privacy, identity, the digital divide and virtual communities will be discussed and critiqued.
My role: I redesigned this course to reflect the evolution of social media technologies, as well as its new status as a 400-level course. This involved developing a new syllabus and course plan, selecting appropriate topics and readings, building new lectures, and finding experts in various social media subareas to Skype in and speak to the class about their area of work. This is the first class that I have had full control over every aspect, from overall design to class structure, topics, and grading scheme.
Course Syllabus [pdf]
