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2006-07 Outstanding Teaching Award Kimo Ah Yun

Kimo Ah Yun

Kimo Ah Yun is a shy student’s dream. The communication studies professor knows how hard it can be for a reticent student to ask a question in class, so he encourages his students in his large lecture course to send him their questions, via e-mail, during instruction.

“I have my computer on during class, and I can see immediately when they have a question,” Ah Yun says. “It’s important that they get their question answered then and there, because they may not bother to send it after class. Also, I may have gone wrong somewhere in my instruction but other students in the class don’t want to speak up.”

His sensitivity to various students’ needs is one of the reasons he received the 2006-07 Outstanding Teacher Award from the College of Arts and Letters. Ah Yun is praised by both peers and students for his dedication to students and high standards in the classroom.

“I’ve attended almost all of the commencements for the College of Arts and Letters since becoming a faculty member,” says Ah Yun, who has been with the Department of Communication Studies since 1996. Many nomination letters from students for the Outstanding Teaching Award indicated Ah Yun’s presence at their commencement meant as much to them as their diplomas.

He also tailors his teaching methods to the kinds of students who enroll in his classes. “As a professor, I have to adjust how I teach based on the student culture,” Ah Yun says. That culture varies from university to university, and no one’s more aware of that than he. “Typically, our students here are working a lot of hours,” he says. “I try to energize them to keep their attention up. They may be attending class after a long day at work, and it’s hard to maintain a high energy level.

“I don’t do large bits of lecturing. If possible, I’ll make the subject I’m teaching relevant to their job,” he says. “For example, I’ll ask them to conduct a survey at their place of business to improve customer service.” Ah Yun says students can practice their communication skills and show a strong commitment to their job at the same time. “Everyone wins,” he says.

Ah Yun also studies methods of instruction for the best way to teach his students. “I’m interested in finding the most effective ways to interact with the students,” he says. “I’m not here to intimidate them. I wondered if the way I dressed affected students—do I need to wear a suit and tie every day? I found that it only matters on the first day of instruction—after that, students don’t notice if you’re dressed casually or formally. What matters most is how you interact with them, how you can get through to them.”