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In Katie Oliviero's Gender, Sexuality, and Migration course at CU Boulder, studentsÌýnavigate potential situations that undocumented immigrants may encounter in their everyday lives throughÌýthe video gameÌýÌý(I Can End Deportation). ÌýThrough the eyes of undocumented immigrants, players try to avoidÌýdetention without trial. ÌýPlaying the game, Oliviero's students learn more about theÌýchallenges that undocumented immigrants or even legal permanent residents of the U.S. may face each day, including just making it to and from work safely. ÌýÂ鶹ÒùÔº in Oliviero's classes reflect on their experiences playing the game as part of a larger discussion ofÌýU.S. immigration policies, specificallyÌýthe Dream Act. ÌýUsing digital gaming to better understand a social justice concept is emblematic of Oliviero's efforts to encourage her students to consider how they encounter technology in their every day lives and the role that technology plays in how they perceive the world.

Oliviero refers to these digital games as one example of cultural 'artifacts' that she encourages her students to present in class on a regular basis. ÌýThese artifacts may also beÌýimages ofÌýhigh art orÌýstreet art relevant to ideas discussed in class, such as a 2011Ìý that humanized illegal immigration across a San Diego highway. ÌýOther artifactsÌýthat students present may beÌýmoreÌýtechnological in nature: a YouTube video of a political speech; a television commercial; or aÌýpublic service announcement. ÌýOliviero says,Ìý“Bringing in objects from the external world leads to dialogue in class." ÌýShe may even incorporate discussion questions around a commercial that precedes a YouTube video: "How does technology change the way we understand materials;" or "Why is information commercialized?" ÌýOliviero says these questions are important because, "The structure of technology shifts how information is shared."

Â鶹ÒùÔº report an enhanced learning experience from these presentations:ÌýMargaret Behm, one of Oliviero's former CU students, says:

Dr. Oliviero's use of technology in the classroom helps to connect the academic analysis of issues discussed in class to the real world ... Through documentaries, news sources, video clips of mainstream and other media, her class taught me how to better pay attention and decode the dynamic implications behind issues of gender, sexuality, race, etc. in relation to migration that we come across in our culture.Ìý

Oliviero's students enjoyed her incorporation of technology into her teaching so much that they nominated her for anÌýASSETT Outstanding Teaching with Technology AwardÌýlast year. ÌýOne student wrote in a recommendation of Oliviero:

Professor Oliviero always accesses some form of engaging and informative media to accentuate the classes' theories and themes. ÌýWhether it's a clip from YouTube, or a chart from an NGO's website, I am constantly aware of learning's real world implications.

In the Future: Using Clicker Technology to Survey Large Lecture Classes

In the future,ÌýOliviero hopes to modify the use of technology in her teaching for largerÌýlectures. ÌýShe envisionsÌýusing clicker technology with the larger number of students in aÌýlecture class toÌýtake a spontaneous general opinion survey and "consolidate lots of information quickly," she says.ÌýÌýThis way, students can immediately analyze more relevant survey results of student opinions.ÌýÌýOliviero may successively ask students similar questions with different phrasing to demonstrate how the questions we ask determine the answers we get.

Regardless, ultimately, Oliviero aims to encourage her students to think more critically about the role that technology plays in communicating information in students' own lives. ÌýShe says professors should embrace the fact that:Ìý"Â鶹ÒùÔº grew up in internet mediated world;" she believes that the professor should "UseÌýthe students’ landscape to illustrate concepts and teach core skills such as writing, critical thinking, and research." ÌýOliviero wants to encourage students to create multimedia documentaries thatÌýwould more effectively tell the untold stories that students learn about in her classes. ÌýIn doing so, students would gain valuable professional skills as they learn how to spliceÌýdifferent images and do voice overÌýofÌýrecorded interviews.

Oliviero is currently finishing her final semester of her two year fellowship here in the Women's Studies Department at CU BoulderÌýthrough theÌýACLS New Faculty Fellowship. ÌýShe will move on to teach at Dickinson College this fall.

Written by: Moira McCormick