Teaching

I currently teach media studies and digital humanities at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Current and past classes offered are listed here. If you want to take a class, well, you have to be at IIT. In general, I offer 1-2 undergraduate classes per term with the occasional graduate class. I am also actively taking on graduate advisees, should you be interested in working on an M.S. or Ph.D. with me. If you are interested in my classes or teaching materials and aren’t at IIT, feel free to contact me.

Transnational Cinema

(IIT Summer in Stirling: Summer 2015)

Transnational Cinema is an upper-level undergraduate film studies course that asks students to consider the transnational production and circulation of film. This course integrates regular field trips to theaters in and around Stirling to watch contemporary films as well as readings and screenings of less recent films. Each student is tasked with producing a short video essay that analyzes a film of their choosing and considers its transnational context.

Theory in Technology and Humanities

(IIT: Spring 2015)

Theory in Technology and Humanities is a graduate-level course focused on reading and discussion of cultural theory from the early 20th century to the present. A recent reading list is available here. Students in this course compile an intellectual genealogy of a contemporary scholar of their choosing and produce a visualization of the identified network or tree.

Fundamentals of Game Design

(IIT: Spring 2014, Spring 2015)

Fundamentals of Game Design introduces students to non-technical approaches to key practices and methods for game design. Aided by selected readings on game design theory and methods, students complete both standard design exercises and prototype their own original games. This course is offered to junior- and senior-level undergraduate students and cross-listed for graduate students.

Critical Analysis of Video Games

(IIT: Spring 2013, Summer 2014)

Critical Analysis of Video Games is a writing-intensive undergraduate course for junior- and senior-level students. Participants in the class play a series of “great games” from various genres and historical periods, research and read scholarly responses to these games, and produce their own original analysis of the games. Some of the games covered include PONG, Myst, Doom, Ultima IV, Tomb Raider, Adventure, and Civilization.

Digital Culture

(IIT: Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Fall 2015)

Digital Culture is an interdisciplinary humanities class intended to introduce students to the methods and concerns of humanities scholarship. Covering topics such as the history of the internet, the rise of cyberpunk aesthetics, and the development of maker culture, this course asks students to consider a broad array of sources and texts. Each student will complete a multimedia research portfolio that includes an annotated bibliography, a primary source analysis, a research paper, and an audio or video component.

History of Video Gaming

(IIT: Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015)

History of Video Gaming is a lecture-based course surveying the history and development of video gaming technologies and culture. Students will complete two exams on course materials, and will also work in groups to develop exhibits using Omeka. These exhibits will draw on the collections of the Learning Games Initiative Research Archive, and will be intended for display as part of the LGIRA website. In addition to providing students an opportunity to complete hands-on work in the history of video gaming, this project asks students to cultivate skills in exhibit design while familiarizing themselves with Omeka, which is an important tool in the digital humanities. Here, have a sample syllabus.

Introduction to Digital Humanities

(IIT: Fall 2012)

Introduction to Digital Humanities is a project-based undergraduate course for upper-division students. Participantsi n the class experiment with a variety of methods for digital humanities work, ultimately completing a multimedia website on a historical Chicago novel as a group project. Techniques used included textual analysis, audio and video production, mapping, and data visualization.

Making it in America: Sex, Romance, and Reproduction

(UT-Austin: Fall 2009, Spring 2010)

Making it in America is a writing-intensive undergraduate course for lower-division students. The class is divided into four units: Marriage, Homosexuality, Birth Control, and HIV/AIDS. The class incorporated a mix of primary and secondary sources, ranging from court cases to Hollywood films. Students completed four short essays, one per unit, on specified topics.