Teaching
Teaching
Android App Development, Instructor (Spring Semester)
Digital Signal Processing, Instructor (Fall Semester)
Master Research Projects, Supervisor (Sprint & Fall Semester)
PhD Research Projects, Supervisor (Sprint & Fall Semester)
Undergraduate Capstone Project, Co-Instructor (Spring & Fall Semester)
Undergraduate Pre-Capstone Project, Co-Instructor (Spring & Fall Semester)
Advanced Mechanical Electrical System Engineering, Co-Instructor (Spring & Fall Semester)
Future Seminar, Co-Instructor (Fall Semester)
Introduction to Communication Engineering, Supporting Instructor (Spring Semester)
Introduction to Information and Communication Networks, Supporting Instructor (Fall Semester)
System Programming with C Language, Supporting Instructor (Spring Semester)
Information Literacy, Supporting Instructor (Fall Semester)
Start-up Seminar A/B, Supporting Instructor (Spring & Fall Semester)
Undergraduate Cornerstone Projects, Mentor (Spring & Fall Semester)
Teaching is a family business for me. Growing up in a family of teachers, my teaching philosophy is profoundly influenced by my father, who taught with boundless compassion and dedicated his entire life to helping students grow not just academically, but as individuals.
I hold a teaching certificate from the University of Melbourne and an English Medium Instruction (EMI) certification from the University of Tokyo. My teaching aligns with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standard. My mission is to prepare students to thrive in the Innovation Age by teaching them to think at three levels:
WHAT: what is the basic concept?
SO WHAT: what is its relevance and what is it related to?
NOW WHAT: what can I do with what I have learned to find solutions to unmet needs?
I use app development process as a framework to help students develop the key competences for 21st-century learners, i.e., the ”Four Cs”: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration. I also engage in educational research that explores learning design for technology integration and development of these core skills. My classrooms are living labs where digital tools meet pedagogical purpose, aiming to elevate both experience and outcome.
I’m endlessly fascinated by learning science. There’s something elegant—even poetic—about how theories of learning explain the messy, wonderful way humans make sense of the world. Here are a few thought-provoking ideas in computing education research that never fail to get my neurons firing:
“In every introduction to programming course, 20% of the students just get it effortlessly — you could lock them in a dimly lit closet with a reference manual, and they’d still figure out how to program. 20% of the class never seems to get it.” -- Prof Mark Guzdial
“It is not easy to find the right language to explain how I think I am different from the 'touchy feely ... make it fun make it easy' approaches to education... I have no doubt that this kid called the work fun because it was hard rather than in spite of being hard...Doing this requires concentration and discipline. It requires learning to deal with things going wrong by finding out how to fix the problem rather than by giving up in frustration...We are talking here about a special kind of fun ... 'hard fun'."-- Prof Seymour Papert (Co-inventor of Lego programming language )
“Nervous systems do not form representations of the world, they can only form representations of interactions with the world." -- Prof Edwin Hutchins, Cognition in the Wild.
Here are a couple of brilliant resources for theory lovers:
[1] The Cambridge Handbook of Computing Education Research. Edited by Sally A Fincher and Anthony V. Robins, 2019.
[2] The Cognitive Load Theory. Edited by Jan L Plass, Roxana Moreno, Roland Brunken, 2010.
Indexed Publications
[Q2] Liang Z. (2024) More Haste, Less Speed?: Relationship between Response Time and Response Accuracy in Gamified Online Quizzes in an Undergraduate Engineering Course. Front. Educ. - Higher Education, 9. Doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1412954. SCI Scopus
Liang Z. (2023) Enhancing Learning Experience in University Engineering Classes with Kahoot! Quiz Games. In Proceedings of the 31st International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE 2023), Takamatsu, Japan. SCI Scopus
Liang Z. (2023) Comparing Attitudes Towards Mobile App Development between International Students and Domestic Japanese Students. In Proceedings of the 2023 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (TALE 2023), Auckland, New Zealand. SCI Scopus
Liang Z, Piumarta I. (2023) An Experience Report on English Medium Instruction (EMI) based Computing Education in a Faculty of Engineering in Japan. In Proceedings of the 35th IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T 2023), Tokyo, Japan. SCI Scopus
Liang Z. (2022) Contextualizing introductory app development course for first-year engineering students. In Proceedings of the 2021 IEEE Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE 2022), Hong Kong. SCI Scopus
Liang Z, Nishi M, Kishida I. (2021) Teaching Android app development to first year undergraduates: textual programming or visual programming? In Proceedings of the 2021 IEEE Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE 2021), Wuhan, China. SCI Scopus
Liang Z, da Costa Junior MG, Piumarta I (2020) Opportunities for improving the learning/teaching experience in a virtual online environment. In Proceedings of In Proceedings of the 2020 IEEE Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE 2020), Takamatsu, Japan. SCI Scopus
Liang Z (2020) Student research competition (TALE SRC). In Proceedings of the 2020 IEEE Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE 2020), Takamatsu, Japan. SCI Scopus
Liang Z. (2019) Enhancing active learning in web development classes using pairwise pre-and-post lecture quizzes. In Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Scopus
Liang Z. (2019) Design of a web development attitudes survey. In Proceedings of IEEE TALE 2019, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Scopus
Liang Z, Chapa-Martell MA. (2018) A top down approach for teaching web development on cloud. In Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering, Wollongong, Australia. SCI Scopus
International Conference Presentations
Liang Z. (2022) Changes in attitude towards mobile app development: a preliminary comparison between MIT App Inventor and Android Studio. In Proceedings of the 2022 IFIP World Conference on Computers in Education, Hiroshima, Japan. (reviewed)
Liang, Z., Nishimura, S., Nishimura, T, Chapa-Martell, M. A. (2018) LessonSpectrum: visualizing teaching and learning activities in English conversation lessons. Orchestrating Learning Analytics (OrLA) workshop, Sydney, Australia.
Liang Z, Nishimura S, Nishimura T, Chapa-Martell MA. (2017) Understanding Teachers' Time Management in English Conversation Classes using Experience Sampling Method and Data Visualization. International Workshop on Knowledge Explication for Industry, Tokyo, Japan.
Liang, Z., Nishimura, S., Nishimura, T., Iino, N. (2017) Gaining insights from English Conversation classes using thematic analysis: a pilot study. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education, Singapore.
Liang Z, Morimura K, Hernandez YA. (2017) Empowering globalization of engineering education with open-source e-learning platform and cloud computing technology. JSEE Annual Conference International Session Proceedings 2017.
Hernandez YA, Liang Z, Morimura K. (2017) International communication through Skype for engineering education. JSEE Annual Conference International Session Proceedings 2017. 【JSEE International Session Award】
Morimura K, Hernandez YA, Liang Z. (2017) M-Skype as a COIL program: collaborative online international learning. JSEE Annual Conference International Session Proceedings 2017.
Domestic Conference Presentations
Liang Z (2021) Teaching Android app development with MIT App Inventor in an English-medium instruction context. In Proceedings of the Annual Autumn Meeting of Japanese Society for Educational Technology, Kumamoto, Japan.
Liang Z (2021) Reflection on an English-medium app development course. In Proceedings of the Annual Spring Meeting of Japanese Society for Educational Technology, Kobe, Japan.
Liang Z (2020) Leveraging ubiquitous learning technologies for collaborative online learning. In Proceedings of the 45th Annual Conf of Japanese Society for Information and Systems in Education, Hiroshima, Japan.
Liang Z (2020) Engaging students in online virtual classroom using web application Sutori. The 19th IPSJ Forum of Information Technology, Hokkaido, Japan.
Liang Z, Chapa-Martell MA. (2020) Towards the visualization of classroom orchestration. Annual Meeting of The Japanese Society for Educational Technology (JSET), Nagano, Japan.
Yun S, Moekoe C, Sirithummarak P, Liang Z. (2020) Leveraging cloud-based learning technologies for developing professional communication skills in a collaborative learning environment. In Proceedings of the 2020 IEICE Society Conference, Tokushima, Japan. 【First authors are undergraduate students】
Moekoe C, Yun S, Sirithummarak P, Liang Z. (2020) Building Technical Communication Skills of Engineering Students using Authentic Materials and Tasks. In Proceedings of the 2020 IEICE Society Conference, Tokushima, Japan. 【First authors are undergraduate students】
Smith M, Liang Z, Piumarta I, Tabata O, Takeda K. (2020) Design of faculty development training program for English medium instruction in engineering. Annual Meeting of The Japanese Society for Educational Technology (JSET), Nagano, Japan.
Liang Z, Chapa-Martell MA. (2019) Mitigating resource constraints in web development education using commercial cloud services. The 18th Forum on Information Technology, Okayama, Japan.
Liang Z, Nishimura S, Nishimura T, Chapa-Martell MA. (2017) Understanding Teachers' Time Management in English Conversation Classes using Experience Sampling Method and Data Visualization. International Workshop on Knowledge Explication for Industry, Tokyo, Japan.
Liang, Z., Nishimura, S., Nishimura, T., Iino, N. (2017) Understanding effective teaching in advanced English conversation classes through thematic analysis. The 16th Forum on Information Technology, Tokyo.
I am a reviewer of the IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies.
I have been serving as a program committee member and reviewer for top-notch conferences on engineering and computing education, including IEEE TALE (2018~), ACM SIGCSE (2019~), ACM CompEd (2019~), ACM ITiCSE (2021~), IEEE EduCon (2021~), and IEEE CSEE&T (2023~).
I served on the program committee of the IEEE EDUCON 2024 special session "Insights Through Learner Engagement Analytics (ILEA)". Submission closed.
I served on the program committee of the IEEE EDUCON 2023 special session "Learner Engagement Analytics Informed Pedagogy (LEAP)". Submission closed.
I served on the program committee of the IEEE EDUCON 2022 special session 'The Evolution of Pedagogic Practices in a Post-Pandemic Higher Education Landscape (P4HE)'. Submission closed.
I served as a guest associate editor for the special issue "Educational Technologies for Sustainable and Expansive Learning" under the journal IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems. Submission closed.
I joined KUASE Dean Prof Tabata to present the progress of our following project in the Higher Education DX Symposium 2021 in July 2021, which is part of the Scheem-D Initiative launched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT).
I joined KUASE Dean Prof Tabata to present our following proposal in the Scheem-D Initiative launched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) in February 2021: BrAIn: Assist, Activate, and Amplify Brain Storming using AI. We are one of the 10 teams selected from 104 submissions.
I received a Certificate of Appreciation from the IEEE Education Society for serving as a member of the IEEE TALE 2020 Local Organizing Committee. Looking forward to being involved in future IEEE TALE conferences.
We successfully organized a special track on “Preparing the Workforce for Industry 4.0: Robotics, Automation, and Ubiquitous Smart Technologies in Education”, in the IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (TALE) 2020. A summary of the track can be found here. I also served as on the Local Committee and Technical Program Committee of TALE 2020.
16 Mar 2025. We provided Capstone-Mini program to visitors in Open Campus event.
9 Dec 2024. I provided a demo lecture on engineering in daily life for high school students from Notre-Dame High School.
19 Sep 2024. We provided 2 sessions of Capstone-Mini program to middle school students from Ikuei Nishi High School.
20 July 2024. I provided a demo lecture on app development based on OpenAI in an webinar for Indian students, co-organized by KUAS and Education Japan.
July 2024-Jan 2025. We hosted 3 open lab events for visitors from our industrial collaborators.
April 2024- Jan 2025. We held open lab events for visitors from Thailand (high school students and teachers), Indonesia (high school students and teachers), Vietnam (high school students and teachers), US (undergraduate students from Ohio State University), Brazil (members of SEMESP), and The Philippines (high school students and teachers).
March - Sep 2024. We provided Capstone-Mini program to visitors in 7 Open Campus events.
14 March 2024. I provided a lecture "薬ではない“薬”～デジタル健康の最前線～(“Medicine” that is not a medicine ~frontiers of digital health~ )" on YumeNavi video stream platform to promote our research among high school students.
18 Jan 2024. Our research was featured in the 2025 university guidebook.
15 Jan 2024. I gave a lecture on data analytics for wearable technology in the MS&AD Digital College from Kyoto, a customized employee training and development program for the MS&AD Insurance Group.
13 Jan 2024. I provided a demo lecture on app development based on OpenAI in an webinar for Indian students, co-organized by KUAS and Education Japan.
10 Jan 2024. We hosted an open lab event for visitors from our industrial collaborators.
29 Aug 2023. I provided a demo lecture on engineering in daily to high school girls from the Notre Dame Jogakuin High School.
23 Aug 2023. I provided a demo lecture on sleep sensing to high school students from the Hyogo Prefectural Ichikawa High School.
6 Aug 2023. I provided a demo lecture on app development based on ChatGPT in KUAS Open Campus.
9 July 2023. I provided a demo lecture on app development based on ChatGPT in an webinar for Indian students, co-organized by KUAS and Education Japan.
13 March 2023. I provided a demo lecture to high school girls from the Notre Dame High School.
22 Aug 2022. I provided demo lecture to high school girls from the Kyoto Koka Women's High School.
29 July 2022. I provided a demo lecture to junior high school students at the Shinagawa Shouei Junior High School in Tokyo.
28 July 2022. I provided a demo lecture to senior high school students at the Shinagawa Shouei Senior High School in Tokyo.
7 July 2022. I provided a demo lecture to senior high school students from the Kamiichi High School of Toyama Prefecture. .
Research Seminar on Ubiquitous Computing, Instructor (Spring & Fall Semester) / Apr 2020 - Mar 2022
Technical Communications in English, Co-Instructor (Spring & Fall Semester) / Apr 2020 - Mar 2022
Web Development in Cloud: Hands-on Lecture for Personal Informatics, Instructor / Sep 2017 - Mar 2019
Engineering Computation (C Language Programming) @ University of Melbourne, Jul - Nov 2015
Data Visualization @ The University of Tokyo, Oct 2014 –Mar 2015
Mathematics @ The University of Tokyo, Apr 2010 –Sep 2013
English for Engineers and Scientists @The University of Tokyo, Oct 2010 –Mar 2011
Special English Lecture @The University of Tokyo, Oct 2009 –Mar 2010