Zixian Jiang

Development in Research

During the first year of my LDT program, I worked as ga raduate assistant and teaching assistant. I have an opportunity to join projects guided by Dr. Ai-Chu Elisha Ding, these projects are dedicated to supporting science classroom learning for elementary multilingual learners (MLs) through virtual reality, translingual, and transmodal learning design. After I attended these projects, I improved my ability to collect and analyze data, design research platforms, and prepare conference proposals and participant payments. Through my participation in student surveys and multimodal assessments, I strengthened my research skills in educational measurement, construct operationalization, and data interpretation. I primarily assisted the instructor in preparing the IRB procedure and collaborated with other classmates to design the research protocol, post-test, survey, and consent form by invovlement multimodal immersive learning research. This experience makes a clearer recognition of the procedural foundations of educational research, particularly the importance of conducting research in accordance with established institutional standards. In addition, I actively participate in the peer review for their conference proposals and presentations by offering my suggestions and insights. In my conference proposal, I actively seek others’ opinions and feedback to enhance my critical thinking and writing skills. We support each other, learning and growing together.

Development in Teaching

As part of my teaching assistant duties, I am responsible for teaching five online and in-person courses: EDIT Introduction to Digital Learning, EDIT Technology Planning cours, FYOS A First-Year Odyssey Seminar, EDIT Teaching and Learning with Technology, and EDIT Emerging Approaches in Teaching, Learning, and Technology. My responsibilities include assisting with grading assignments, providing feedback on assignments, sourcing teaching resources, replacing outdated materials, and developing eLC learning modules for the course. I create and update effective PowerPoint presentations based on my instructor’s teaching plan, transforming complex concepts such as creativity, design thinking, and gamification into content that is easily understandable for undergraduate students.

I greatly value this teaching assistant opportunity as it allows me to develop essential instructional preparation skills ahead of time. Additionally, I enrolled in GRSC 7770 during the spring semester, where I gained the knowledge and skills necessary for future teaching, thereby increasing my chances of becoming a qualified TA. 

Potential for Growth

With regard to the shortcomings in my career planning, I still need to dedicate more effort to undergraduate course instruction and instructional activities. My plan might include joining additional teaching-related courses, observing the teaching practices of different instructors, and actively finding potential teaching opportunities. At the same time, I should interact with locals as much as possible to correct my pronunciation and grammar, so as to avoid any communication issues that might hinder my dance students’ understanding during future teaching sessions. I need to participate in academic events such as AECT, AERA, and SITE as much as possible to broaden my knowledge. Additionally, I will actively seek service opportunities both on and off campus, such as participating in departmental student organizations like WEITGA/ITSA, or assisting with services for teaching courses or conferences related to pedagogy.