Curriculum Development

As a seasoned Mandarin instructor with experience developing curricula for Chinese language at the high school level and as a Teaching Assistant at Carnegie Mellon University, I bring a deep understanding of effective language pedagogy to Pearl Chat. My expertise extends beyond language acquisition; as an adjunct faculty member in Educational Technology at Duquesne University, I apply principles of innovative curriculum design to create engaging and effective learning experiences. This unique blend of language teaching and educational technology, coupled with my past experience in curriculum design for computer science research, ensures that Pearl Chat offers a thoughtfully structured and user-friendly environment for your Chinese language journey.

EDLT 401 Instructional Technology IV

Starting from Fall 2020, I began to teach as an adjunct faculty at School of Education, Duquesne University. I developed the curriculum for The EDLT 401 Instructional Technology IV course for undergraduate preservice teachers (Math, ELA, Social Science, etc.).The course employed a blended learning model to optimize engagement and flexibility. The design of EDLT 401 intentionally incorporated principles of adult learning theory. Recognizing the valuable experiences and intrinsic motivation of preservice teachers, the blended format strategically combined synchronous online sessions via Zoom with asynchronous learning modules accessible through the Learning Management System (LMS). This blended structure aimed to leverage the benefits of both direct interaction and self-paced learning, catering to the varied needs and schedules of adult learners while fostering a dynamic and supportive educational environment.

Alt text: Instructional Technology IV Course Syllabus (FALL 2022)

The Blackboard(later Canvas) site served as a central hub, hosting essential technological resources such as announcements, the course syllabus, diverse learning content, the grade book, and interactive discussion forums. For example, the establishment of a discussion board focused on emerging technologies like VR and AR facilitated peer-to-peer learning and encouraged the application of new knowledge within relevant contexts.

Bloom's Taxonomy served as a framework for structuring learning activities and assessments within EDLT 401. The initial TPACK survey aimed to gauge students' foundational knowledge (remembering and understanding) of educational technology, while formative assessments like Padlet encouraged initial exploration and articulation of concepts (applying and analyzing). Throughout the semester, quizzes likely assessed comprehension and application across different technological domains. The summative final assessment was designed to challenge students to synthesize and evaluate their understanding, demonstrating higher-order cognitive skills aligned with the upper levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. This ultimately prepares them to critically engage with and implement instructional technology in their future classrooms.

Here is an another example of how I designed blended learning experience for adult learners. In designing the 3D Modeling(TinkerCAD) module for EDLT 302 Electronic Literacy course, Bloom's Taxonomy was intentionally applied to scaffold preservice teachers' learning and foster progressively higher-order thinking skills. The module began by introducing the fundamentals of TinkerCAD through YouTube videos and tutorials, focusing on the "Remembering" and "Understanding" levels of the taxonomy by familiarizing students with the interface and basic functions. Subsequent learning tasks and pair activities encouraged "Applying" these foundational skills as students began to manipulate the software and create simple 3D models. The culminating assignment, which required integrating TinkerCAD into lesson plans, pushed students to the "Analyzing," "Evaluating," and "Creating" levels, demanding that they not only understand the technology but also critically assess its pedagogical applications and synthesize it effectively within their specific content areas. This structured approach ensured a gradual development of skills and a deeper understanding of how to leverage TinkerCAD for meaningful learning experiences.