TEACHING

Teaching research as a shared practice of noticing.

Teaching research as a shared practice of noticing.

In Communication Studies classrooms, I help students learn how to ask better questions, design responsible studies, interpret evidence, and make careful judgments about technology and social life.

In Communication Studies classrooms, I help students learn how to ask better questions, design responsible studies, interpret evidence, and make careful judgments about technology and social life.

the classroom is also a research community

Five years designing and assessing learning experiences.

As an Assistant Professor at California State University, Stanislaus, Dr. Ro designs, teaches, and iteratively assesses learning across nine courses, including applied and social-scientific research methods, computer-mediated communication, social media, technology and communication, and communication and society. She previously taught interpersonal and computer-mediated communication at the University of Richmond.

What students practice

Question scoping · research design · participant recruitment · data collection · statistical and qualitative analysis · evidence-based presentation · critical judgment · responsible reporting

Teaching communication in a platform-shaped world

My courses help students connect communication theory to the technologies, relationships, and institutions they encounter every day. I emphasize critical thinking, research literacy, ethical judgment, and practical digital communication skills.

Teaching approach

I design courses as guided inquiry: students move between theory, evidence, ethical reflection, and public-facing digital work so they can understand communication systems and make thoughtful choices within them.

Digital Communication

Computer-Mediated Communication

Explores how devices, platforms, and networks shape identity, relationships, communities, and everyday interaction. Students connect communication theory to messaging, social media, algorithms, video calls, online communities, and digital self-presentation through critical analysis and applied multimedia work.

Digital Communication

Computer-Mediated Communication

Explores how devices, platforms, and networks shape identity, relationships, communities, and everyday interaction. Students connect communication theory to messaging, social media, algorithms, video calls, online communities, and digital self-presentation through critical analysis and applied multimedia work.

Relationships

Online Romantic Relationships

Examines how dating apps, social media, and messaging reshape attraction, intimacy, relationship development, and maintenance. Students evaluate research and popular claims about digital romance while applying communication theory and user-experience research to real relational questions.

Relationships

Online Romantic Relationships

Examines how dating apps, social media, and messaging reshape attraction, intimacy, relationship development, and maintenance. Students evaluate research and popular claims about digital romance while applying communication theory and user-experience research to real relational questions.

Social Media

Social Media, Communication, and Society

Takes a critical and practical look at how platforms shape identity, relationships, activism, journalism, marketing, privacy, labor, and culture. Students study the forces behind platform design while building ethical content, audience analysis, and digital storytelling skills.

Social Media

Social Media, Communication, and Society

Takes a critical and practical look at how platforms shape identity, relationships, activism, journalism, marketing, privacy, labor, and culture. Students study the forces behind platform design while building ethical content, audience analysis, and digital storytelling skills.

Research Methods

Applied and Social Scientific Communication Research Methods

Introduces the full research process, from meaningful questions and study design to data collection, analysis, and presentation. Hands-on work includes surveys, interviews, experiments, quantitative analysis, research ethics, and collaborative proposal development.

Research Methods

Applied and Social Scientific Communication Research Methods

Introduces the full research process, from meaningful questions and study design to data collection, analysis, and presentation. Hands-on work includes surveys, interviews, experiments, quantitative analysis, research ethics, and collaborative proposal development.

Technology

Technology and Communication

Examines how the internet, social media, algorithms, and generative AI reshape societies, identities, relationships, workplaces, privacy, attention, and power. Students use communication theory and critical research to investigate both the possibilities and consequences of technological change.

Technology

Technology and Communication

Examines how the internet, social media, algorithms, and generative AI reshape societies, identities, relationships, workplaces, privacy, attention, and power. Students use communication theory and critical research to investigate both the possibilities and consequences of technological change.

Relationships

Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Explores research behind friendships, families, romantic partnerships, and workplace relationships. Students examine how identity, culture, technology, emotion, conflict, and communication patterns shape relational life while strengthening analytical and interpersonal skills.

Relationships

Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Explores research behind friendships, families, romantic partnerships, and workplace relationships. Students examine how identity, culture, technology, emotion, conflict, and communication patterns shape relational life while strengthening analytical and interpersonal skills.

Mentoring student researchers

Mentoring student researchers

Dr. Ro guides students and research assistants through study design, recruitment, data collection, analysis, and responsible reporting, with attention to first-generation and nontraditional students’ learning contexts.

Research ethics in practice

Research ethics in practice

Her University Institutional Review Board service informs how she teaches consent, privacy, risk, participant protection, and methodological responsibility to faculty and student investigators.