Laura Vazquez is a professor and Undergraduate Research Director for media studies. This fall, she taught, “Innovation, Social Equity, and Entrepreneurship in Media” with Professor Furkan Gur.
Why were you attracted to offering an Honors seminar?
“I have been at NIU for some time, and my teaching efforts are largely focused in the Department of Communication, where the vast majority of students I teach are from Communication and Journalism. I teach critical analysis of media and media production, so I spend time in editing labs and working on media projects with students… I was attracted to offering an Honors seminar because I wanted to experiment with a new course that might attract students from across the university. I think we all learn when we are a bit out of our comfort zone. This seemed like the perfect opportunity, and I was correct about the reach and appeal of the Honors courses. Our class includes students from engineering, computer science, nursing, business, and more. The students are from many levels of study, so we definitely have a diverse learning community. Our discussions, whether online or in person, are very rich and the students learn from and teach us as well as one another. They are constantly questioning and reaching out for new ideas, and we relish their engagement and enthusiasm.”
How do you teach your subject or specialty to an interdisciplinary group of Honors students?
“It is easy for me in that I teach media studies, and they are all consumers of media, from TikTok to YouTube to feature films. We have a chance to analyze what these mediated stories are really saying about a particular topic. We are focusing on social justice issues [and] using innovation and entrepreneurship as our lens. Students are realizing that there are no easy solutions to complex social issues and that creativity and innovation are very important to finding solutions. Their different disciplinary orientations make the discussions complex and engaging. {We rarely conclude the discussions within the class time. I am fortunate to be co-teaching with Furkan Gur, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Department of Management, College of Business. I have learned a good deal about entrepreneurship from working with him. I have also enhanced my teaching skills, which is wonderful.”} this part in brackets, I don’t think is necessary to include in the article, especially if we’re tight on space.
What are some of your tricks of the trade to engage students in the course materials?
“Honors students (actually all students) come to class curious about the topics that are being presented. Once you recognize this, you can use their innate interest to engage them in your materials. Yes, they want to know what you have to say but they also want to hear from one another as well. This is the best way to keep them involved in the materials. Remind them that we are a team and as such we all learn together.”
What’s the best thing about teaching Honors students?
“Honors students are very committed to mastering the materials. They do not hesitate to ask questions, which is wonderful. They like the engagement of discussions, whether online or in person. They are not shrinking violets in the classroom. I should also state that we are privileged to be in the lovely De La Vega Innovation Lab in Barsema Hall.”
