Teaching
I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in digital media, health communication, and research methods. Listed below are courses I am currently teaching at the Singapore University of Technology and Design:
02.160TS Designing Digital Technology for Children and Teens
Undergraduate
From Netflix and YouTube Kids to TikTok and Instagram, children and adolescents are frequent users of media technologies and consumers of media content. Globally, organizations such as governmental agencies, schools, media companies, and technological firms will increasingly face challenges in catering digital media products to younger users. Understanding the impact of and complexities surrounding media for children is essential for aspiring product and software designers who want to work in the intersection between young people and media. This course provides a developmental perspective surrounding youths as media consumers. It introduces students to the major theories of child development and examines how media products can impact the lives of children across different age groups, from early childhood to adolescence. It is suitable for students with varying interests, especially those who are interested in working with technology or media content for youths.
Some questions we will tackle include: How do children grow and learn? What are important things to consider when designing digital technology and media content for children? What are the effects of media use on youths across various age groups? How can media technologies and content be shaped in a manner that is responsible to future generations?
02.230TS Health Communication and Behavior Change
Undergraduate
There is an increasing recognition of the role social and technological factors play in shaping the health and well-being of individuals. Communication, from the personal to mass and social media, have been demonstrated to have both beneficial and harmful effects on health and well-being. This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of health communication and behavior change. It will cover the definition and history of health communication, the role of media and technology, social scientific theories used in health communication and behavior change, as well as how these theories can be applied to the real-world. The course will aim to bridge theoretical knowledge with real-world examples, and is suitable for students with varying interests, especially those who are interested in harnessing communication, design, and technology for better health and well-being in society.
Understanding how and why facets of communication influence health outcomes is essential for students interested in developing effective technological and design solutions that improve health and well-being. Some questions we will tackle include: What social, environmental, and technological factors are effective in influencing people’s behavior? How should they be designed and molded? Can stories help people engage in healthier behaviors? How can technology and design help to foster better health and well-being in society?
02.145TS Surveys and Experiments in the Social Sciences
Undergraduate and Postgraduate
There is a growing demand for insights derived from social scientific research among governmental and commercial organizations around the world. Regardless of one’s choice of career, developing skills necessary to understand and evaluate survey and experimental research is essential for us as informed citizens and consumers, so that we can better understand public discourse, policy debates, and commercial activities that draw on the findings of such research studies. Furthermore, having the knowledge and skills to conduct and oversee research projects is critical in some careers, especially in policymaking, data science, product and software design, and for those who want to pursue postgraduate studies. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of quantitative social science research (focusing on surveys and experiments), including its epistemological assumptions, and the basics of surveys and experiments in research. Some questions we will tackle include: What is research? What kinds of questions can we ask? What makes good survey and experimental research? This course does not require an in-depth understanding of statistics, although some basic statistical principles and concepts relevant to social science research will be introduced. Participants who take this course will be expected to complete a small research project, which is demanding in terms of workload, but an extremely enriching experience.
02.003 Theorizing Society, Self and Culture
Undergraduate
This course is an introduction to the social sciences that provides students with the conceptual tools necessary to make sense of the complex problems that they face in the modern world. The course aims to cultivate an understanding of core issues, fundamental theories, and philosophical stances in the social sciences, and explores the manner in which social scientists formulate questions about society that can be addressed with empirical research. Canonical social science texts and methodologies are explored in lecture, discussion and group exercises.