Journey to the west: from Singapore to Canada – My discoveries about teaching mathematics, OER and more

Two-stage testing for a second year math course

I have been researching two-stage testing for several years and finally had the opportunity to introduce it to one of the courses I teach this semester: MATH 2720 (Multivariable Calculus). We had our first test last Friday, and it went really well!

For those unfamiliar with two-stage testing, here’s a definition from SALTISE: Two-Stage Exam. A two-stage assessment is an instructional strategy where students complete an assessment (exam, test, or quiz) in two stages. First, they work individually and submit their answers. Then, in the second stage, they collaborate in groups to answer either the most challenging questions from the individual portion or new, more conceptual or open-ended questions.

My second letter to Thomas

Hi Thomas! Now that you have been in university for almost a month, I’d like to share a few tips with you about how to learn effectively.

Study with a group: whenever you can, find a group of peers to study together. If you are struggling with certain topics, learning from your peers is a great way for you to catch up; if you have mastered the course materials perfectly, explaining problems to your peers is going to help you deepen your understanding of those topics and help you retain the knowledge well.

Letter to Thomas, my nephew who’s about to start his university study in Canada

First of all, big congratulations! I’m really proud of you and happy for you. Now that you are about to start a brand new chapter of your life in Canada, I’m going to share some advice and tips so you can enjoy your university life to the fullest.

Some random thoughts about cultural knowledge and English learning

I read a post recently explaining subtle meaning behind a few expressions that people use in their email exchanges, and I’m wondering how many people whose mother tongue is not English are aware of these, or worse, use these on a daily basis without knowing their actual meaning. Here are a few examples:

Stepping into photography

I recently purchased a second-hand NIKON 800 camera with an AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens from the university auction site and have been taking photos, mostly landscape. I will share some of my recent work here. If you are interested in using/printing any of them, you can reach me via email for the original file.

Should I take attendance for my large enrollment courses?

Today’s reflection stems from a comment I received in my recent SRI (Student Reflections on Instruction) at my current institution. The comment expressed how much the student appreciated all the iClicker activities that were built in as my weekly lecture sessions and they would really love to earn some credit while participating. They also expressed frustration due to how few responses there were in average.

Pedagogy Learning Science (PALS) Book Club

I started this book club in 2020 fall semester when I joined my current institution, hoping I could get to know people who are also passionate about teaching. We have read 7 books so far:

How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching
Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes
Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education: Equity and Social Justice in Education
Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education
Design for How People Learn
Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students
Distracted

Why did I stop travelling to conferences?

My most recent conference trip was to AERA in Chicago, one of the most popular conferences for people in the educational research field. Over the past 10 years, the average number of attendees at AERA Annual Meetings has been 14,967. Consider this: a three-day event hosting 10,000+ people. One might think, “Wow, that’s a great opportunity to meet others,” but in reality, it’s often the opposite. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to get to the next session. Unless you already know some other attendees, there isn’t much opportunity to make meaningful connections.

Happy 7th anniversary of moving to Canada!

Today marks the 7th anniversary of our move from Singapore to Canada. What a journey it has been! Little did I know our bold move on April 28th 2016 would change our lives so much. I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on what I went through, what’s happening and what’s lying ahead.

Bye bye 2022 Fall semester

This is the very last week of 2022 fall semester so it’s a good time for me to do a short reflection about how it went. From the frequency of my posts in the past half a year, you can probably guess this is a very hectic semester for me. It’s my first semester going back to teach in-person since I joined the math department here in 2020 August. Many adjustments and way-finding (in literal sense) had to be done before I’m finally comfortable with equipment in lecture theatres, seating arrangements in smaller classrooms, the printer and scanning machines etc. I don’t know how other new hires survived their first semester. If you went through it, you know what I’m talking about.