TEACHING

Teaching Philosophy

My philosophy for teaching is based on educating the whole person through theory and practice, on developing in students a spirit of service to the community, and on educating critical thinkers.

I believe in the importance of theoretical foundations for knowledge construction. I therefore focus in my teaching on epistemological and ontological assumptions about knowledge production and how these influence theorizing and looking at reality. I am also a strong believer in connecting theory, practice, and experiential learning. Therefore, I usually relate theoretical approaches to hands-on exercises. The goals of these exercises are to enable students recognize problems and needs in societies, reflect critically about these needs and find solutions, and become aware of their own positioning with regard to economic, social, and cultural capital.

So far, students of mine have worked with gay groups in Shenzhen, China to explore the intersections between economic growth in China, freedom of expression, and the development of co-cultures, researched cultural diversity in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, or examined communication styles within gang cultures in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The latter project resulted in the invitation of former gang members into the classroom and a lively dialogue about ethnicity, whiteness, and racism. These projects are examples of how students produced knowledge that helped marginalized communities gain a voice and reflected critically about their own cultural and ideological positions.

My teaching approach can be described as interactive and dialogic. For me, this means creating a space for students in which they feel secure and free to express themselves under the premise of respecting each others' opinions. Discussions happen in small groups, which assist those students who are shy expressing their ideas in front of a large audience. Instead of me lecturing on all the course contents, students also teach each other, which provides them with the opportunity to engage with the materials and their peers.

Overall, the goals of my teaching are to excite students about the study of culture, identity, power, and communication, to reflect about their own positions in society, and to respect differing worldviews.

COURSES I HAVE TAUGHT

Graduate Seminars:

COMM 6220:	Globalization and Communication
COMM 6120A:	Advanced Qualitative Research, CUHK (Fall 2008)
COMM 5590:	Intercultural Communication, CUHK (Spring 2006-2008)
COMM 5710:	Communication Theories, CUHK (Fall 2005-2008)
COMM 5550:	Corporate Communication, CUHK (Fall 2005)
SLW 8005:	International Economic Law Skills, Law School, CUHK, Public Speaking Section (Spring 2007 & 2008)

Undergraduate Seminars and Lectures:

COMM 2190:	Critical Communication Theories
COMM 3133:	Interpersonal Communication, CUHK (Spring 2006-2008)
GEU 0411S:	Senior Seminar for General Education Program at United College, CUHK (Fall, 2006)
SPCMU 103:	Interpersonal Communication, UW Seattle (Spring & Fall 2002)
COMM 478:	Intercultural Communication, UW Seattle (Summer & Spring 2003)
SPCMU 499:	Undergraduate Research Supervisor (Spring 2003)
SPCMU 499:	Undergraduate Research Supervisor (Spring 2002)
SPCMU 102:	TA for lecture Speech, the Individual, and Society (Fall 2001 & 2002)
SPCMU 220:	Introduction to Public Speaking (Fall 2000 & 2001)

Supervision of M.Phil. theses and graduation projects for M.A. in Global Communication

Supervisor and Lecturer for Graduate Interest Group in Cross-cultural communication, University of Mannheim/Germany (Spring 1998)

OTHER RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCES

Assistance in Cross-Cultural Communication Workshops for Boeing,
Safeco, Alaska Airlines, and KeyBank (Fall 1999 to Summer 2000)

I assisted renowned researchers and trainers such as Dr. Thomas Kochman and Dr. S. Ting-Toomey with in-class group assignments and the coordination of the workshops.

Research Assistant and Trainer for Moderation and Presentation Skills at the University of Mannheim, Germany (Spring to Summer 1998)