Teaching Statement
Obtaining and delivering knowledge and skills are main roles of academic schools. In the past few decades, the act of delivering knowledge and skills has been challenged in the engineering fields. I believe practical and substantial learning experiences and constructing our knowledge that is transferrable outside the classroom are important keys in my teaching. The concepts of project-based and inquiry-based learning are central to my philosophy of teaching. As a teacher, I believe that learning can be maximized in the setting of a real-world situation, emphasizing not only content knowledge but also procedural knowledge, decision-making, and a collaborative learning situation. I believe in collaboration as opposed to competition which may hinder positive learning experiences.
In recent years, I have taught engineering upper division classes. In those classes, active learning and collaboration have served as guiding principles of class instruction, requiring students to work together for in-class projects. I assigned a group project for students to apply their RF knowledge from previous classes to design an antenna. It was difficult for me to identify an appropriate project, but it was worthwhile because the final products demonstrated that students learned self-regulated skills, how to take control and evaluate their own learning of RF knowledge, self-management, and how to set goals and manage their time. I provided sufficient support and appropriate scaffolding. Students remembered and demonstrated their knowledge on the topic much better in the real-world contexts, and students’ level of motivation was higher on the topic and their attitude toward exams was more positive than standard lecture-based classes. Thus, rather than treating the classroom as a place apart from the world, it should be a ground to students’ learning experiences and their evaluation criteria.
Moreover, I incorporate an inquiry-based learning method that emphasizes students’ critical thinking and problem solving abilities based on the content knowledge. I provide wireless communication classes’ curriculum based on a cell phone design project to help students relate the knowledge to the actual end-product, and let students inquire themselves how to utilize content knowledge and technology skills that can be used in the real industry.
In addition, I believe in a learner-oriented teaching style. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to know who my learners are, what kinds of prior knowledge and experience they bring to the group, and what they want to achieve so that I can shape a class curriculum that fits their needs and yet leaves enough room to accommodate topics that emerge from group discovery. In addition, by assessing the progress of my students with respect to our mutual learning goals, not only performance but also mastery, I can provide the scaffolding that they need to build connections between what they already know and the new understandings they seek to create. Therefore, students who were only focused on having better grades can also have interests in learning the engineering content and developing their skills as engineers. As I mentioned, I embrace real world inquiry because it stimulates intellectual camaraderie, decision-making, argumentation, and problem solving and it lays the groundwork for life-long collaborative practice. Finally, collaborating with other faculty members who are enthusiastic about developing effective instructional methods that are rooted in social constructivist principles enhance my scholarship and teaching.
I believe that we must set high standards for our students and expect them to excel in authentic ways. These beliefs and instructional strategies are the foundation of my teaching philosophy. First, they lead me to develop caring and respectful relationships with my students. Second, they lead me to design the learning experiences that are practical and substantial so that students will stay motivated. Third, they lead me to encourage my students to challenge high standards learning by asking questions and constructing own knowledge that are transferrable outside the classroom.
Resume
Current Position
Assistant Professor of Practice Aug. 2020 ~ Current
Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Engineering and Applied Science
The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Previous Academic Position
Research Assistant Professor Sept. 2019 ~ July 2020
Department of Engineering Education, College of Engineering
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, U.S.A.
Education
Ph.D. STEM Education May 2019
The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
M.S. Electrical Engineering May 2009
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago, IL
Project: measuring the baby monitor frequency spectrum in the 2.4 GHz band
B.S. Electrical Engineering (High Honor) Dec. 2006
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago, IL
Professional Affiliations
Editorial Board for SN Social Science Journal 2020-present
Reviewer for Journal of Engineering Education 2019-present
Reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Education 2019-present
Reviewer for Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 2020-present
Reviewer for Studies in Engineering Education 2020-present
Reviewer for The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 2017-present
Reviewer for American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 2018-present
Reviewer for American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2020-present
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 2015-present
American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2015-present
Eta Kappa Nu (Electrical Engineering Honor Society) 2006-present
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2006 – 2009; 2015-present
Phi Theta Kappa Society 2006- 2009