Currently, I am offering ARCH 30353: PLANNING 3 – Introduction to Urban and
Regional Planning at Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Please find the course materials below:
Previously, I offered CE261 Transportation Planning at California State University Sacramento. Please find the course materials below:
CE 261 Transportation Planning
Past Teaching Experience:
- Teaching Assistant, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2008-2011 |CVE 361| Traffic Engineering| Winter and Spring Quarter| |CVE 610 |Computer Methods in Transportation |Winter Quarter,
- Guest Lecturer, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2011 |CVE 676| Introductions to Sustainable Urban Engineering| Winter Quarter|
- Teaching Assistant, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China, 9/2006-7/2008 |Urban Planning Theory|Fall Semester|
- Instructor, Beijing Institute of education, Beijing, China, 9/2006-7/2007 |Computer Aided Design and Drafting|Fall Semester|
Mentoring Experience
NSF REU Site on Sustainable Engineering: Research Experiences for Undergraduate Students
- 8 weeks mentoring program mentored 8 Undergraduate students
NSF RET Site on Sustainable Engineering for Urban Needs: Research Experiences for Middle and High School Teachers
- 6 Weeks mentoring program mentored 4 High School Teachers
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is to build the “fishing skill” of the students rather than simply feeding the students with the “fish”. The role of the teacher is not only to direct the students to learn what should be learned, but also as Confucius (551-479, BC) said, “To learn and practice is to learn to know what you do not know”. In my opinion, it is to teach the students to learn what, where, why and how and to discover what you do not know.
Teaching is both art and science. It is an art because one must deliberately arrange and plan the learning process as a packaged process and product. It is a science because you have to incorporate an effective pedagogy to allow your knowledge and experiences to be passed to students. It is essential to understand the nature of the learning process, and how to achieve optimum student learning outcomes. Excellent teaching involves effective communication between instructor and students as well as recognition of cognitive, developmental and social aspects of learning. In addition, teaching is an interactive process which involves motivation, communication, technique and a shared context of mutual respect. Nevertheless, excellent teaching relies on a knowledgeable research base, effective teaching strategies, and the possible responsiveness to interact with the students under the roof of mutual understanding. Thus, a responsible teacher understands and applies effectively the pedagogy and rationale behind research. Research activities and experiences beyond the classroom provide real world examples and challenges to exemplify and illustrate the theoretical concepts and methods taught in class.
Engineering design and application provides infrastructures, which are essential to prolong civilization and provide quality living. However, the challenge for engineering education is to cultivate students with the skills and competencies necessary to design solutions for the challenges and opportunities humanity faces today and in the future. Furthermore, teaching in engineering is to fundamentally develop students’ competence in resolving multifaceted problems with innovative application of scientific and engineering principles. This specific goal requires teaching that is focused on how to continue one’s learning in a rapidly changing industrialized world, and to prepare students to conduct themselves as responsible citizens and ethical, professional engineers in today’s global environment and in the future.
My teaching incorporates two core beliefs that effective communication between instructor and student is essential, and that engineering education is an iterative process of theoretical study and practical application. I have set up my classroom goal, which is to provide an environment that allows students to take initiatives in their education; regardless of their background, students will explore skills and competencies necessary to provide solutions for the challenges they encounter. As a matter of fact, it is through these principles that I reached my teaching goal.
As a teacher, I am responsible for the clear and planned communication of course materials. This begins with a clear course goal, with respect to students’ statuses, backgrounds, and aims. Second and perhaps most important, is having well-designed course content. My teaching experience has demonstrated that careful and thorough preparation is the most significant effort I can make toward a successful class experience. This involves a progression from the careful selection of material from a broad range of resources to a well-organized lecture that emphasizes key concepts. In addition, the ability to identify the underlying nature of students’ questions is vital to effective teaching. Once an effective teacher has prepared an effective plan, he or she must carry it out with some effective tools.
My preparation of lectures and lab sessions is driven by the idea that learning in engineering is an iterative process of theoretical study and practical hands-on application. Furthermore, my own understanding of transportation engineering system originates from the looping process of expanding on theory in the literature and applying it to problems in computational applications. For instance, Travel Demand Modeling software provides an example of how this process can be applied to teaching; theoretical abstracts taught to the classroom are put into practice when students apply them to solve problems with software and other tools. I deliberately bridge my teaching and research wherever appropriate in accordance with this approach. Understanding state-of-the-art engineering ideas and how technologies are applied to solve real-world problems can boost a student’s interest in a subject. In academia, as well as in industry, students should eventually be evaluated based on their ability to solve engineering problems by using concepts learned in classroom settings. An iterative approach to teaching fosters these competencies and intensifies the fundamental skills required for engineering. Throughout my courses, I use active learning techniques that foster the education of students with different learning styles (e.g., term projects, team work, problem solving, small group and classroom discussions). These techniques allow students to reflect on the lecture material and hence understand and maximize the retention of knowledge.
In higher education, the strategies of teaching for undergraduate and graduate students must be differentiated. At the undergraduate level, the ultimate goal is to develop the student’s ability to integrate the necessary science, technology, engineering and mathematical tools. The value lies in where the students learn to recognize and apply the necessary tools and concepts freely to tackle actual problems. Furthermore, the key components in this part of education are: promoting the understanding of fundamental engineering and scientific laws and principles along with their applications in, not only abstract contexts, but real life situations; abstracting engineering systems’ complicated information into solvable mathematical equations; employing the sufficient methods to cultivate reasonable and effective engineering solutions; and applying the results with consciousness and respect for society and humanity.
In contrast, at the graduate level, extra emphasis is placed on developing the solid theoretical foundation needed to conduct effective research. Academic activities such as attending conferences, conducting seminars, and designing research projects, among others, are ways to update the knowledge within the field. Students’ participation should be emphasized and encouraged; however, the learning should be not limited to teaching and academic activities. Self-study of advanced concepts constitutes an important mechanism in the learning process of graduate students in order to foster their intellectual independence and judgment. Research projects are the key complements to putting into practice the essentials of research and to exercising critical thinking skills. Presenting research results provides an excellent opportunity to learn and practice oral and written communication skills. These tasks are excellent ways to reveal the knowledge achieved in research to foster success for any graduate student.
I am interested in teaching a broad range of transportation engineering and related courses. My specialty includes topics related to travel demand modeling and transportation sustainability issues. My teaching is a mirror of my research work in travel demand modeling, transportation planning, intelligent transportation system and geographical information system applications, emission modeling, computer aided design, and data mining in transportation. I have served as a teaching assistant for transportation engineering, computer methods in transportation and travel demand forecasting at the University of Cincinnati and have mentored undergraduate students and high school teachers for three summers under the National Science Foundation program.
To conclude, teaching is a formal process whereby society transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation to another. However, it requires constant innovative ideas as socio-technological environments evolve. Teaching is bi-directionally beneficial and a rewarding process where you can learn from the class. With enthusiasm in teaching, I would like to conclude that “Teaching is both art and science”