By Mengyu Ma, Senior Learning Experience Designer at Center for Teaching and Learning, DKU
Junyi Li is a Lecturer of English Language at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). She teaches English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and WOC106 – Introducing Suzhou to the World: Oral Communication across Cultural Boundaries at DKU. She was nominated by students and selected by the Undergraduate Dean’s award committee as the recipient of the 2024 DKU Undergraduate Teaching Award at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. This award recognizes outstanding teaching in undergraduate courses, and Junyi is the sixth recipient of this annual award.
Junyi’s research interests and specialties include student engagement and motivation in language learning, inclusive language teaching, technology-enhanced learning, and professional development for teachers. She actively contributes to the DKU community through her membership in various committees and organizations, including but not limited to the DKU Faculty Assembly Teaching and Advising Committee and the Faculty Working Group on AI and Teaching. Junyi won first prize in DKU’s inaugural teaching competition in Chinese for the Jiangsu Province Higher Education Teachers’ Teaching Innovation Competition – Junior Faculty Track. She is also a recipient of the 2023-2024 Teaching Grant for her research on “Revitalizing the 7-Week Teaching Structure with Project-based Learning” and the 2023-2024 Community-based Learning Grant for a project in collaboration with a local high school.
Junyi is indeed an educational innovation practitioner, which is evident not only in her role as an instructor but also in her mentoring and cultivation of students’ holistic growth. This story showcases her excellence in designing 7-week courses, creating engaging and inclusive learning experiences, and guiding students to thrive in college.
Structured 7-week teaching
“Prof. Li’s organization and instructional methods were exemplary. From clear syllabi to well-structured lectures and assignments, every aspect of the course was meticulously planned, facilitating efficient learning.”
Junyi concurred that teaching 7-week courses requires faculty’s high efficiency to cover important content while motivating students. To achieve this, Junyi pointed out the key roles of deliberate course design, the first week of teaching, and the effective use of the Learning Management System (Canvas).
DKU’s 7-week course structure challenges students to take multiple courses in a short timeframe. As a result, students find it difficult to make connections among courses and apply their learning to real-world situations. Teaching transferable knowledge and skills is particularly valuable in this context. In Junyi’s WOC 106 course, students develop critical thinking skills by following Junyi’s scaffolding and guidance of the Design Thinking Framework. They also enhance their creativity by working on an authentic project for the Suzhou Museum. This project involves independent research, communication with museum partners, and collaboration and competition with classmates. This approach offers experiences that benefit students across other courses and in personal life, thereby motivating them to learn. Junyi also shared that understanding the curriculum and the core skills needed in other courses helps identify the transferable content to teach. Additionally, Junyi believes a proper learning pace helps build students’ confidence and encourages continuous learning. She always starts with relatively easy content and tasks before gradually increasing the difficulty. Her deadlines are evenly spaced throughout the semester and the final assignment is scaffolded step-by-step. In this case, students are not overwhelmed from the start and can smoothly achieve the learning outcomes within 7 weeks.
Given the tight schedule and the fast pace in 7 weeks, the first week of class is crucial for making students understand the course expectations and learning objectives. Junyi recommends sharing students the weekly plans for the 7 weeks on the first day of class and guiding them to manage their time to follow the schedule. Besides, with limited in-class time, asynchronous contact on Canvas helps students keep up and develop independent study skills. Junyi always lists weekly learning objectives, assignments, and additional resources on her Canvas sites to reinforce her organized course structure. This allows students to easily follow the course and facilitates communication with peers and the instructor, which enhances the overall efficiency of teaching and learning.
Engaging learning experiences in an inclusive environment
Junyi’s students frequently express their appreciation for her engaging and interactive teaching. One student remarked,
“She always prepares and organizes lessons thoughtfully, addressing every student’s needs both in and out of class. She includes various activities, such as Kahoot quizzes, gallery walks, and jigsaw reading, ensuring everyone has a chance to engage.”
At the beginning of each semester, Junyi surveys her students to understand their needs and preferences, tailoring classroom activities to accommodate diverse personalities. This inclusive approach provides opportunities for each student to actively participate, which in turn motivates learning.
Junyi also integrates educational technologies to enrich the learning experience. For example, she has students post their thoughts on a digital whiteboard, which makes it easier to move and categorize ideas. Additionally, she employs Wooclap to collect instant feedback, which her students also use in their group presentations. In Junyi’s class, students are actively engaged in a range of activities, such as independent writing, peer reviews, group work, and technology-enhanced interactions. Another student noted,
“She makes everyone feel like their contribution is valued. Even the quietest people are willing to speak up because of how encouraging and open Professor [Li] is. She walks around the classroom, listens to ideas, and continually encourages us.”
Junyi emphasizes the importance of after-class interactions in encouraging students’ active participation during class. She refers to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, thinking students achieve higher-level learning when they feel safe, have a sense of belonging to this group, and are respected.
To foster an engaging and inclusive learning environment, in addition to providing positive and constructive feedback and acknowledging students’ participation during class, Junyi offers additional support through one-on-one meetings, office hours, emails, and Canvas Discussions. Regardless of the timing (instant/delayed) or format (written/verbal), her responses make students feel heard and cared for. A student noted,
“Her kindness, patience, and academic prowess together deeply influence us. As a result, the atmosphere in her classroom is always positive, devoid of intense confrontation, but filled with friendly discussions and intellectual exchanges.”
In Junyi’s EAP class, all students are first-year Chinese students transitioning from high school to college. Particularly in Session 1 of the Fall semester, everything can be overwhelming for them. To ease this transition, Junyi divides her class into four study teams, each named after one of the four houses from Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School. This helps students develop friendships, share feelings within their teams, and eventually contribute to the entire class, which also facilitates their assimilation into the broader DKU community.
Commitment to fostering students’ holistic growth
To her students, Junyi is their mentor, friend, and a “star” in their college journey.
“Whenever I feel stressed in other classes, Professor Li gives me a lot of useful advice. Seeing her excellence will also encourage me to study harder.”
“She teaches how to be a human in this ever-changing society and how to interact socially and professionally with people all around us.”
Junyi’s teaching philosophy incorporates Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983), which emphasizes multiple intellectual competencies of humans. So, she always nurtures the holistic growth of students. She discusses with students about various topics, including challenges in other courses, college life, etc., and helps students alleviate academic stress and make future plans. Junyi also fosters students’ growth mindset by “guiding the students to think about the problem instead of telling you the answer directly.” Guided by this philosophy, Junyi approaches her interactions with students by focusing on three dimensions: cultivating motivation and autonomy, developing competences, and relating to real-life applications. Beyond helping students achieve learning outcomes, Junyi believes being a faculty member is more about empowering students to thrive during their four years in college.
Innovation is a two-way process
One student noted in the nomination, “Junyi’s instruction was notably innovative.” As a passionate educator and practitioner of educational innovation, Junyi thinks faculty serve as role models for students to demonstrate the importance of continuously updating knowledge and skills to become lifelong learners. Students as experts in “being a student” will be motivated to learn and participate if faculty try something new in their teaching. This enhances the mutually beneficial relationship between faculty and students.
Lastly, Junyi highlights the importance of motivating faculty to grow and innovate, advocating for faculty autonomy in advancing their teaching practices. As the ever-changing world drives innovation in teaching, faculty with a high level of autonomy are better able to respond with resilience.