Teaching
Instructor
I was featured in the 2024 UIC Communication Faculty Highlight. Click to read more about my teaching and research.
COMM 580: Qualitative Methods in Communication [graduate course], Spring 2025, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
COMM 270: Digital Influencers, Spring 2025, UIC
Co-teaching with a UIC Bridge to Faculty (B2F) postdoctoral scholar for teaching mentorship.
COMM 594: AI, Virtual Worlds, and Culture [graduate course], Fall 2024, UIC
COMM 465: Video Games and Society, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, UIC
COMM 330: Mass Media and Popular Culture, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, UIC
COMM 260: Games as Social Technology, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, UIC
Syllabus and reflections available on Pop Junctions: https://henryjenkins.org/blog/2022/12/11/games-as-social-technologya-syllabus
COMM 309: Communication and Technology, Summer 2021 [online due to COVID-19], University of Southern California (USC)
COMM 204: Public Speaking, Fall 2020 [online due to COVID-19], USC
COMM 200: Communication and Social Science, Spring 2019, USC (discussion instructor)
COMM 209: Communication and Media Economics, Fall 2018, USC (discussion instructor)
Teaching Assistant
COMM 384: Interpreting Popular Culture, Spring 2022, USC
COMM 321: Communication and Social Media, Spring 2021 [online due to COVID-19], USC
COMM 309: Communication and Technology, Fall 2019, USC
COMM 313: Communication and Mass Media, Spring 2020 [partially online due to COVID-19], Fall 2017, Spring 2017, USC
Nagoya University Senior High School Active Learning in English Program, 2013, Nagoya University
Guest Lectures
“AR K-pop Idols: Meta-authentic Cyborgs, Entertainment Media, and Participatory Culture”, Nov 29, 2023, COMM_ST 387: Critical Internet Studies, Northwestern University
“Metaverse: An Old New World”, November 3, 2022 & February 24, 2022, COMM 216: Digital Journalism, UIC
"The Future of Entertainment: Virtual Idols and Virtual Influencers", April 6, 2021, COMM 340: The Cultures of New Media, USC
"Web 3.0 Imaginaries: Cryptocurrency and NFTs", March 16, 2021, COMM 321: Communication and Social Media, USC
"Internet Studies", Nov 18, 2020, COMM 552: Qualitative Research Methods in Communication [graduate course], USC
“Virtual Influencers: Social Interactions with Nonhumans”, Nov 4, 2020, COMM 339: Communication Technology and Culture, USC
“Mediated Places: Real Versus (?) Virtual Togetherness”, Oct 19, 2020, COMM 400: Studying Internet Culture, USC
“Diffusion of Innovation and New Technology”, April 27, 2020, COMM 313: Communication and Mass Media, USC
“Diffusion of Innovation and New Technology”, April 24, 2018, COMM 313: Communication and Mass Media, USC
Professional
English conversation, reading, writing, 2012-2014, private tutor, South Korea
Teaching Toolkits and Resources
Syllabus
Game Studies (undergraduate)
“Games as Social Technology—A Syllabus.” Pop Junctions. https://henryjenkins.org/blog/2022/12/11/games-as-social-technologya-syllabus
Discussion, Teaching Prompt, In-class Activity, Media Literacy
Virtual Influencer, AI, Robot, Authenticity, Future
“Artificial Not Welcome, Real Is Better? Sus Virtual Beings Among Us.” In Media Res. MediaCommons. https://mediacommons.org/imr/content/artificial-not-welcome-real-better-sus-virtual-beings-among-us-2
"The longest-running feature of MediaCommons is In Media Res, which focuses on up-to-the minute discussion of brief excerpts from media texts in weekly thematic clusters." (In Media Res)
Super Bowl Advertisement, Civic Imagination, Popular Culture, Identity, Social Values
“What Super Bowl Advertisements Can Teach Us About the Civic Imagination.” (In collaboration with Henry Jenkins, Maximilian Brichta, Paulina Lanz, Amanda Lee, Steven Proudfoot, Sangita Shresthova, Isabel DeLano, Molly Frizzell, Alfonso Hegde, Azeb Madebo, Ioana Mischie, Christopher Persaud, Becky Pham, Marley Randazzo, Khaliah Reed, Daisy Reid, Ingvild Kvale Sørenssen, Jessica Steel, Mythily Nair, Essence Wilson) The Journal of Media Literacy, Returning to Normalcy: Exchanges and Interchanges International Media Literacy Research Symposium '22 Issue. https://ic4ml.org/journal-article/what-super-bowl-advertisements-can-teach-us-about-the-civic-imagination/
"Our goal is to make JML, The Journal of Media Literacy a more accessible resource for our readership: K-12 teachers, teacher educators, professors, community activists, media professionals, and students from around the world interested in growing the field of media literacy. We want to be a bridge which connects the professional to the lay person across the various disciplines, pedagogies, and approaches that encompass today’s literacies." (International Council for Media Literacy)
Community Activity, Teaching Toolkit
Civic Imagination, Environment, Plant, Community
“Watering the Civic Imagination” (developed in collaboration with Delano, I., Mischie, I., Persaud, C., & Quick, T.). Civic Imagination Project. https://www.civicimaginationproject.org/watering-civic-imagination
"Designed to take around 20 minutes, each of the activities described here offers a constructive and informal way through which individuals and communities reflect, observe and imagine, placing plants, nature, stories and the civic imagination at the center of the conversation. Here, plants, and the stories they inspire, become portals for us to notice, reflect, create, connect, and chart collective paths forward." (Civic Imagination Project)
Selected Student Feedback
(click to expand)Instructor
“Ms. Kim honestly killed it with this class. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this was the most well–structured class I've have this entire semester, and therefore the best class I've ever had at USC. She really did her very best to teach us, and it shows. Our classes were interesting, our assignments meaningful, and our professor attentive and involved; what more could I ask for” -anonymous student
“I simply cannot express how valuable this course was. This is the most I have ever been engaged with a class both during this semester and throughout my entire experience at USC. When signing up for a small class, I expected deep in–class discussion while also feeling more connected to fellow students. This class exceeded my expectations. I felt challenged leading up to each speech assignment (especially as the semester progressed), but I never felt hopeless or unable to ask for help. Again, I cannot stress enough how much this class improved my speaking skills, and I also cannot express enough how much I enjoyed the class as a whole.” -anonymous student
Teaching Assistant
"You've been a great TA, Donna! You've helped me hone my analysis skills and you've always been helpful when I come to see you about issues with my term paper. If I didn't understand a concept, you did a good job of further explaining until I understand." -anonymous student
"Donna was great. She helped me with papers and gave constructive feedback. She is knowledgeable in the subject and genuinely wants to interact with students." -anonymous student
"Great TA! I had her for another class last semester and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that she would be TA'ing this course. She's very sweet, helpful, understanding and wants all of her student to succeed." -anonymous student