Selected Teaching Experience
COMM_ST 395: Interactive Museum Exhibit Design (Instructor of Record, Fall Quarter 2023 - Northwestern University)
This course is for undergraduate students interested in the design of interactive museum exhibits. Students will engage with readings about the role museums play in public education/communication, how to design museum exhibits, the role technology can play in making museums interactive, and methods for evaluating learning and engagement at museum exhibits. Readings will primarily focus on interactive exhibits for science communication, with secondary opportunities to explore other types of museum exhibits. Individual assignments will include analyzing and presenting on an existing museum exhibit and creating a design concept/plan for a novel museum exhibit. Students will work in groups towards the end of the quarter to develop an in-depth design and evaluation plan for a novel museum exhibit and, as the final project, create a paper prototype of the exhibit. No previous design or technology experience is needed for students to enroll in this course.
MTS 525: Qualitative Methods for Technology Use & Design (Instructor of Record, Fall Quarter 2023 - Northwestern University)
This course is for graduate students who will conduct qualitative research on the behavioral and social aspects of technology use and technology design. The objective of this course is to give graduate students practical, hands-on experience with observation, interviewing, and qualitative analysis techniques. The course is run as a working seminar. Students are expected to collect their own qualitative data throughout the term. Students are also responsible for selecting and leading discussion on weekly readings. Assignments throughout the term will allow students to apply the methods discussed in class. In addition to four assignments, students will submit a final course paper in which they are expected to apply the methods learned about in the course.
CMN 101: First-Year Seminar on Creative AI & Performance (Co-Instructor of Record with Dr. Thomas DeFrantz, Spring Quarter 2023 - Northwestern University)
In this course, students will explore how to use AI-generated art as inspiration and/or content for performance pieces. Students will first learn about how to create dynamic visual imagery using generative AI technologies, such as DALL-E and Stable Diffusion. They will then creatively explore how to use AI-generated art to inform storytelling through performance. Throughout the course, students will explore questions such as the role generative AI could/should play in performance, how to craft machine learning models and datasets to generate artistic outputs, and how to performatively tell stories using visual imagery. No prior technical knowledge or performance experience is needed for this course, just an interest in and enthusiasm for the content area.
MTS 525: Special Topics: Speculative Design for Human-AI Communication (Instructor of Record, Fall Quarter 2022 - Northwestern University)
In this graduate seminar, students will explore issues related to human-AI communication and collaboration through weekly readings and design prompts. Students will engage in speculative and critical design activities where they imagine future possibilities and alternate trajectories for human-AI interaction. In-class discussion of readings, design projects and critiques, and interactive lectures form the basis of this course. Students do not need to have any prerequisite technical knowledge or design experience, just an interest in the subject matter.
CS 4660: Foundations of Educational Technology (Instructor of Record, Summer 2019 - Georgia Tech)
This is a cross-listed in-person undergraduate/graduate course that introduces students to contemporary educational theories and their implications for the design of educational technology across a variety of scales and settings (e.g., schools, universities, museums, massive open online courses, online communities). Students also explore equitable and expansive learning design practices through a team design project. In-class discussion of readings, design challenges, assignments, and interactive lectures form the basis of this course.
The primary goal of this class is for students to understand the basic assumptions, concepts, and principles of different educational theories, determine the implications of each theory for the design of educational technology, and critically assess and design educational technology in order to compare and contrast theories and their usefulness across different settings. Secondary objectives include improving upon students’ ability to read and write critically, to practice their design skills, and to learn concepts related to equity and education.