Number of Extended Learning Opportunities: 2

Description of the Opportunity: 

Since joining the University of Prince Edward Island in September 2024, I have actively engaged in a range of academic and professional roles that have strengthened my competencies as a Ph.D. student in Educational Studies. I began as a volunteer Teaching Assistant for the Principles and Practices of Teaching EAL course, where I provided feedback on student work and shared my own ESL teaching experience. I then worked as a Student Proctor/Scribe with Accessibility Services, developing attention to detail and a strong commitment to academic integrity. From January to April 2025, I served as a Graduate Research Assistant, supporting faculty on survey design, data analysis, and program evaluation. This fall, I will teach RS 2610: Chinese Religion and Philosophy as a sessional instructor and begin a new Graduate Research Assistant position analyzing large-scale K–12 assessment data.

My research focuses on two areas: the role of generative AI in providing emotional support for adolescents, and the use of generative AI to help ESL students overcome language barriers in mathematics learning.

The latter was presented in person at the 2025 CSSE Conference in Toronto, where I shared findings on technology integration and cognitive load reduction.

Thanks to Dr. Trexler’s invitation to serve as a mentor for one or two upcoming ITGL students, I hope to work with individuals whose research interests align with exploring generative AI in education, so that I can provide targeted feedback and meaningful guidance.

I look forward to supporting them in refining research questions, strengthening methodological approaches, and connecting their work to current scholarship in educational technology.

Extended Learning Contact Name: Xiaohan Yang

Xiaohan Yang

Sessional Instructor - RS 2610

PhD Student, Faculty of Education

University of Prince Edward Island

Extended Learning Contact Email: xyang103@alumni.jh.edu

Extended Learning Mentee(s):