My teaching philosophy is centred on key principles of social constructivism, where learning for a student is internalised in the context of what is meaningful for him/her. In the classroom, knowledge is produced and synthesised through team-based peer interactions as well as through an individual student's interactions with his/her social environment via the core concepts taught. My teaching is also informed by my background and research training in socio-technical systems - in an increasingly complex society that we now live in, it provides a critical apparatus to encourage students to actively learn about the use and role of technology in a non-binary or unidirectional manner. Students in my classroom go through a process of self-discovery, reflexive learning, and connected competence.

Self-discovery: When one is part of a module especially with a large cohort of students, it is easy to feel 'lost'. But every student is unique and has exceptional talents and experiences, and I believe that it is important to encourage them to internalise their learning with these unique talents and experiences. In the modules that I teach, students are hence asked to customise projects in a way that is meaningful to them. During lectures and tutorials, they are asked to work on problems that are relevant and current. They also reflect on their own learning styles while I ‘facilitate’ such discovery with different teaching methods and resources.

Reflexive learning: Students are encouraged to engage with their social environment through new conceptual lenses that they learn. I believe that learning is most effective when students relate through concrete experiences and active experimentation. As such, concepts cannot simply be learned in the classroom; students must be given opportunities to follow up with applications. But that alone is inadequate, as for learning to be synthesised connections should also be made between the application experiences and reflective reasoning. My approach to teaching and research supervision is therefore a process that usually begins with a deep engagement with theoretical concepts that are intertwined with application scenarios and hands-on experiences, and finally followed up with reflections to allow them to internalise and make sense of what they experienced, revisit abstract theoretical concepts, reflect on their pre-conceived assumptions and biases, and develop their own knowledge.

Connected competence: In How philosophy can save your life (2009), Marietta McCarty began a chapter on possibility with a story of a young tennis player. “The astonished looks of beginning tennis players when they hit the ball over the net for the first time and realise in an instant that it is possible for them to do it again…” (ibid, p. 261). I think about the look on this young tennis player, and aim for my students to leave my class with this look. It is about going beyond learning how to code or acquiring conceptual clarity – it is helping students to realise how their acquired competencies can impact other people and issues that they care about. Students develop themselves as engaged citizens and competent scholars, while recognising their unique talents and creatively apply them. This is what connected competence means to me, and across the modules that I teach, I write assignments, tutorial activities and lectures that provides opportunities for students to make meaningful connections between the classroom and their social environments.