Teaching Philosophy
I am a strong proponent of active learning. One of my goals is to teach student how to learn the course materials themselves, rather than having me spoon-feed them the information. I encourage students to come up with questions themselves and discuss the questions with other students in class. I try to facilitate discussions and stimulate self-directed learning using probing questions rather than providing answers to questions right away. One important aspect of learning how to learn is being able to think critically about what we read and hear.
Besides teaching in a traditional classroom setting, I also encourage hands on research experience. I was fortunate to have an amazing mentor and I benefited a lot from my own undergraduate research experience. Therefore, I always strive to foster students’ interest in science and research by encouraging students to take ownership of their own research projects, while guiding them along the way.
I am a strong proponent of active learning. One of my goals is to teach student how to learn the course materials themselves, rather than having me spoon-feed them the information. I encourage students to come up with questions themselves and discuss the questions with other students in class. I try to facilitate discussions and stimulate self-directed learning using probing questions rather than providing answers to questions right away. One important aspect of learning how to learn is being able to think critically about what we read and hear.
Besides teaching in a traditional classroom setting, I also encourage hands on research experience. I was fortunate to have an amazing mentor and I benefited a lot from my own undergraduate research experience. Therefore, I always strive to foster students’ interest in science and research by encouraging students to take ownership of their own research projects, while guiding them along the way.
Mentoring Philosophy
The ultimate goal of the Yap Lab is to prepare the next generation of professional and educational scholars. In order to fulfill this goal, our research group seeks to instill in each trainee an understanding of and capacity for scholarship, independent critical judgment, academic rigor, and intellectual honesty.
Students in the research group may choose to work on a funded research project or come up with their own research ideas that align with the lab's general interests. Students are expected to take ownership of their own projects and be self-motivated. It is also expected that students will gain expertise in a particular area of study and seek to expand the state of knowledge in animal physiology. As an advisor, I will provide you with advice on experimental design, execution of experiments, technical training in the lab, and writing up your thesis and results for publication to the best of my ability.
My aim is to foster an interactive and supportive research group that promotes intellectual development and research excellence. I treat students as colleagues and fellow researchers and I try to maintain close professional relationships with students. I maintain an open door policy. Students can knock on my door anytime during working hours to seek advice and support.
The ultimate goal of the Yap Lab is to prepare the next generation of professional and educational scholars. In order to fulfill this goal, our research group seeks to instill in each trainee an understanding of and capacity for scholarship, independent critical judgment, academic rigor, and intellectual honesty.
Students in the research group may choose to work on a funded research project or come up with their own research ideas that align with the lab's general interests. Students are expected to take ownership of their own projects and be self-motivated. It is also expected that students will gain expertise in a particular area of study and seek to expand the state of knowledge in animal physiology. As an advisor, I will provide you with advice on experimental design, execution of experiments, technical training in the lab, and writing up your thesis and results for publication to the best of my ability.
My aim is to foster an interactive and supportive research group that promotes intellectual development and research excellence. I treat students as colleagues and fellow researchers and I try to maintain close professional relationships with students. I maintain an open door policy. Students can knock on my door anytime during working hours to seek advice and support.
Photo used under Creative Commons from AJC1
