My general approach to teaching has been to develop future finance professionals and active learners. To achieve this objective, I bring interesting and challenging finance issues to the classroom for discussion and experimentation. Students learn by actively thinking about these issues, and I see my role as a facilitator to guide and motivate them in the learning process. When teaching financial models that involve complex financial formulae, I generally emphasise the underlying intuition rather than the mathematics of finance.

My teaching methodology is adapted to fit different student groups. When I teach small groups in sectional teaching (for undergraduate or MBA levels), I effectively use a combination of lectures and the case method: lectures are used to disseminate finance theory, while the case studies enable the students to apply theory to analyse business problems and recommend solutions.

My courses are designed to train students in their oral and written communication skills through active involvement and participation in the classroom. I have used various effective techniques to encourage active student learning, particularly among those who tend to have difficulties speaking in class. Students are pre-assigned reading materials, and challenging questions are posed during classroom lectures to stimulate thinking. The web-based IVLE platform available at NUS is used to disseminate lecture materials and current articles on relevant subjects, in addition to providing a forum for online student discussions.

Questions pre-assigned to students are first discussed in sub-groups to build their confidence before participating in the larger classroom setting. The class assignments give students hands-on experience working with real data, applying concepts introduced in class. These assignments require the students to use real-time data from listed firms (both Asian and US-listed companies) to answer the questions. I have found this helps students relate what they study in class to real-world issues. I also require them to use Excel-based programmes to process financial data and build confidence in conducting rigorous analyses.

For case discussions, I assign one or two primary student groups the responsibility of preparing the main case report. All other groups are required to submit a short critique of the case reports submitted by the primary groups, which are graded. This approach has proved effective in increasing student preparedness and improving lively classroom discussions. As can be seen from the feedback, students in my classes are constantly engaged in vibrant discussions.