Teaching with Technology: Faculty Spotlight on Woojin Paik

By Sara Baron

While you might expect a computer science faculty member to use computers in teaching, Woojin Paik exceeds this expectation by truly incorporating instructional technology into his teaching and student learning. Many of his methods are applicable to academic fields throughout campus.

Paik uses technology in several ways in his computer programming and artificial intelligence classes. He presents content and theory in a traditional classroom using PowerPoint slides, Internet web sites, and software downloads. He then holds the following session in a computer lab, working with students to “play and practice” and immediately apply the content and theories discussed in the previous class. He uses ample web animations of concepts, online quizzes and testing, and practical activities and exercises in these lab sessions. By using existing web resources, Paik is able to illustrate a concept and then have students re-create the theory. For example, in his artificial intelligence class, Paik shows the students a final product of a software program. He then gives the students an incomplete product and they spend the time in lab filling in the gaps. Students solve problems individually and also in small groups, which allows the students to work in various settings. Paik believes that this process enhances student learning.

In addition, Paik supplements his classes with e-mail communication, discussion boards, course web sites, software on the department server, and online exams. He notes that students are much more interactive through e-mail and discussion boards than they are in a traditional classroom, with 90 percent of his communication with students over e-mail. The online exams are “open book” in the sense that they encourage students to use their textbooks, notes, and web resources to complete the exam by a certain date. “The questions are about thinking and solving problems. They require creativity and reference skills from the students,” says Paik.

Paik also offers one-on-one assistance with students in his office, which is set up as a minicomputer lab. This all-access approach has proven effective for both his students and Paik. He believes that the computer is an intermediary among the students, teaching assistants, and the professor, resulting in better communication, increased knowledge transfer, and heightened learning.

Paik presented information about his experiences at the spring 2002 Teaching with Media conference sponsored by the Instructional Technology Center and Center for Improvement of Teaching. An abstract of this presentation is available at www.itc.umb.edu/teachmedia/paik.htm.

Woojin Paik, assistant professor of computer science. (Photo by Harry Brett)

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