I strive to create a learning environment that motivates students to be active, engaged learners. I approach course design like game design. I don’t mean gamification (i.e., assigning scores, rules of play, and competition to teaching), because that makes students think like gamers – focusing more on maximizing grades than on the learning process. Instead, I strive to create a space where students contribute to the dynamic flow of the course. To me, a successful learning environment is one where students feel empowered to experiment and participate in ways that are meaningful for the class and for themselves.
One of my favorite theories about games is Thomas Malaby’s (2007) idea of games as “domains of contrived contingency,” where the rules calibrate and create predictable and unpredictable outcomes which are then subject to interpretation by the player. As a game is played, players generate new practices and meanings which transform the game.
Like games, teaching is grounded in human practice. The teaching process generates outcomes that the students then interpret. A teacher could stick to a script, but students rarely engage when learning is prescribed to them. Involving students in the conversation about how a lesson proceeds encourages them to find new practices and meanings to class concepts which can transform their learning. Over half of my classes are devoted to student-led discussions. I have a cultural artifact for them to analyze and a list of prompts to start discussions, but some of our deepest conversations occurred when I allowed the students to expand into new inquiries beyond what I initially planned. They generate new meanings to concepts that I may not have even considered. One of my assignments (borrowed from Dr. Grant Bollmer) involves writing a reflection at the end of the week. I then take a few of the reflections and share them at the beginning of the next week to spark discussion. Not only is it a great way to get students warmed up, but it’s empowering for them to have a say in how the class proceeds. I structure the lessons so our conversations are productive, but my lesson structure isn’t set in stone. It’s up to the students to determine their own learning, and I can feel that they enjoy having that control. I have also experimented with non-traditional grading formats where students reflect on and evaluate their own performance and learning in the class. This is done to get them out of that min/max mindset to learning and focus more on their own growth.
I had the honor of my proposal for ENG/COM 395: Studies in Rhetoric and Digital Media in the communication department at NC State accepted for the Fall 2023 semester. The beginning of the course was dedicated to exploring theories about the design of virtual worlds and player behavior, while the second half was dedicated to exploring different applications of virtual worlds. I had my students vote on what applications they wanted to explore the most and suggest assigned readings. For an interdisciplinary class such as this one, it is necessary to have a diverse array of topics. By incorporating student feedback, I can tailor the course to their specific needs and help them make the most of each class period. Not only are students’ own goals advanced, but they are more engaged when doing so.
By embracing my classes as a process of becoming, I empower my students to be independent, critical thinkers who boldly explore new ideas. I calibrate the class environment and its outcomes while understanding that classes cannot be reduced to these elements, just as games cannot be reduced to their rules as Malaby states. It means being flexible with my approach and willing to embrace the diverse perspectives my students present. I want to create a ludic learning environment that’s just as enriching and fun for the students as it is for me.
DEIA Statement
My goals for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are as follows (and are adapted from Bo Ruberg’s solidarity office sign) as it relates to teaching: every student deserves to be in my class, every student deserves to learn in my class, and every student deserves to speak in my class.
Every student has a set of unique needs that need to be accommodated. It’s not fair if my pedagogy – how I teach the class – favors one class of student over another because that prevents all students from getting the same level of education. Knowledge is power, so not receiving an equitable education only reinforces the inequalities that I aim to challenge through my research.
I've welcomed students with a variety of disabilities into my classroom over the years and I always strive to support them. I take every letter I get from the Disability Resources Office at North Carolina State University very seriously and often work with students on an individual level. This often takes the form of extensions for assignments or livestreaming and recording class sessions via Zoom. But accessibility doesn’t stop at physical accommodations. I also want to make the classroom welcoming for people of all kinds of positionalities. I value conversations led by students from subaltern backgrounds and I do my best to be cognizant of how my teaching might perpetuate systems of oppression. Everyone deserves to learn and thrive, and so everyone in my classroom deserves to get what they need to learn and thrive.
I also aim to diversify what I teach my students. A single course from me can involve cultural studies, political economy, critical race theory, gender studies, and queer theory just to name a few. One of my favorite texts to revolve in-class discussions about is Anna Anthropy’s Queers in Love at the End of the World, a game where you have 10 seconds with your partner before the world is wiped away. Not only is it a fascinating game to discuss in and of itself from a design standpoint, but it’s also a great example of how a game can embody queer themes or identities beyond representation. I’ve used the game beyond classes about queer game studies not only because of its usefulness to teach game design but also because it shows students how games can encourage a sense of solidarity for a marginalized group. I also have students vote on what topics they want covered in the course to better meet their academic and professional goals.
Having a dedication to DEIA goals and initiatives means understanding how one could impact academic spaces and reproduce systems of oppression. Through my commitment to accommodation, accessibility, and equity, I do my part to create spaces in academia where everyone’s voice gets to be heard.
Here are samples of teaching evaluations