Academic Papers

7

Selected Papers

From UBC Master of Educational Technology Work

Research Proposal: Academia Meets Real Life

While working on one of my master’s courses (ETEC 500 – Research Methodologies in Education), I was blessed with the opportunity to base my final assignment on a real life project that I had recently undertaken while employed at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea.

The project involved redesigning and co-teaching a Basic Academic English (BAE) course. The final assignment was a research proposal that focused on the challenges and implications of converting in-person classroom courses into Blended Learning models. It proposed some specific research methodologies and included a sample Screening Questionnaire for faculty and students.

A Silent AI Animation of Still Screenshot: Basic Academic English – Online

Essay 1:  Pedagogy in the Age of Web 2.0

This paper discusses the impact of Web 2.0 technology and internet memes on learning design and learning. 

Key takeaways:

  1. Imitation is a fundamental part of language acquisition and human development. ​
  2. Memes are units of cultural transmission or imitation that can be replicated and spread through imitation. ​
  3. Internet memes are memes that have evolved and mutated in the digital age, and can be deliberately altered and spread through human creativity. ​
  4. Web 2.0 technologies, such as social media and online communities, have had a significant impact on culture, society, politics, and education. ​
  5. Digital literacy is crucial in the age of Web 2.0, as it allows individuals to navigate and understand the power and potential dangers of internet memes and online communication. ​

Essay 2:  From Objectivism to Constructivism

This paper is about the evolution of a blended multimedia writing course from traditional design to constructivist learning design.

Key takeaways:

  1. Impact of Web 2.0: Web 2.0 technologies have significantly influenced all aspects of life, including education, by enabling rapid cultural transmission.
  2. Evolution of Memes: Internet memes, evolving from Dawkins’ original concept, are powerful cultural transmitters shaped by human creativity.
  3. Cultural Inversion: Web 2.0 technologies enable deep connections despite physical distances, leading to significant societal changes.
  4. Digital Literacy Challenges: Integrating digital literacy into education is essential to help students navigate online risks and develop critical thinking skills.
  5. Technological Competence in Education: Re-educating reluctant teachers in digital literacy is crucial for helping students understand and use digital tools constructively.

Essay 4: Lesson Plan Critique

This AI-generated deep dive explores the core arguments of my lesson plan critique, highlighting the shift from traditional, behaviorist instruction to a dynamic, socially constructed learning environment. It illustrates how strategic “architecting”—from leveraging peer expertise to fostering linguistic flexibility—transforms a standard university course into a thriving community of practice.

Key takeaways:

  • Reframing Diversity: Diverse student backgrounds should be treated as a primary classroom asset rather than a logistical liability that hinders instruction.

  • Strategic Scaffolding: Intentionally placing “More Knowledgeable Others” (MKOs) within heterogeneous groups helps peers navigate their “Zones of Proximal Development”.

  • Linguistic Flexibility: Allowing EFL learners to use their native language for “inner speech” facilitates the high-level critical thinking required for complex analysis and evaluation.

  • Distributed Cognition: Collaborative digital tools, such as shared film glossaries, extend learners’ cognitive powers by creating environments where knowledge is collectively built and stored.

  • Pedagogical Architecture: Effective teaching is less about the top-down delivery of content and more about the deliberate engineering of a social environment where learning can thrive.

  • Reflective Growth: Engaging in peer assessment allows students to use their minds to “observe their own operations,” effectively advancing their operative knowledge.

Three Thought Papers on Objectivism, Empowerment, and Constructivism

Classroom Management Effectiveness

Are behaviourist classroom management techniques effective for higher level learning?

Can Neuroscience Empower Teachers?

Does a basic understanding of neuroscience really increase the potential for empowering teachers?

Truth, Knowledge, and Constructivism

Do good test scores that result from behaviourist pedagogy relate more to training or learning?

Bridging Theory and Practice

The scholarship represented on this page reflects a sustained commitment to pedagogy that places the person before the platform — learning architecture grounded in the belief that academic excellence, personal healing, and spiritual formation belong together, not in competition.

Whether examining the cultural currents of digital media or designing collaborative curriculum, the animating question is the same: How does this serve the whole person? For those called to redemptive education, that question is never merely pedagogical — it is missional.

I welcome conversation with colleagues exploring how these frameworks might address the organizational and curricular challenges facing SDA higher education today.