Teaching

My teaching philosophy. I have a self-made quote to inspire my teaching success: I strive to make my students an improved copy of myself. A commendable student, in my view, is the one whom I can acquire valuable knowledge and insights. Coming from a middle-class background and being the first in my family to pursue higher education, I grew up in remote region of Esfahan in Iran, where educational resources such as library and science lab were not accessible. Despite these limitations, many of my peers achieved remarkable success in their careers, challenging the notion that traditional classrooms are solely reliant on such resources. Reflecting on my own academic journey, I have learned how life-changing potential of education is a compassionate educator who respects students and provides a foundation to cultivate elite and upper-class citizens. This transformative experience has shaped my teaching philosophy to build meaningful connections with my students. I like research and teaching and I believe it is one of the best things about being an academic.

My teaching approach aims at motivating and challenging students to become lifelong learners, critical-thinker, and sceptical who positively contribute to people’s lives, communities, and workplace. My teaching approach constitutes three components of (i) industry driven teaching and learning, (ii) navigating emerging technologies through core research fundamentals, and (iii) cyclical learning development.

(i) Industry-driven teaching and learning. The first component of my teaching approach, grounded in Borrell-Damian’s framework, is to promote practical skills development and prepare students for real-world challenges in future careers. Drawing from my 8 years of software industry experience, I share my real-world scenarios to enhance student learning, engagement, and help them see the relevance of the concepts to practice. This allows students to connect theory with real-life situations and inspire them to apply their knowledge and develop innovative ideas.

(ii) Navigating emerging technologies through core research fundamentals. The second component of my teaching approach, inspired by Webster’s theory, highlights the importance of understanding the fundamental principles that underpin advancements in information technologies field and how this knowledge enables students to navigate and adapt to emerging technologies. The component roots in the belief that although information technologies are continuously evolving, the underlying technical foundation remains relatively constant. Through providing students with a deep understanding of key foundations of information technologies operating on the binary logic of 0 & 1 digits, they can effectively comprehend and apply emerging technologies. I often employ the analogy that knowledge of the English alphabets is akin to understanding the fundamental concepts of IT. As one can construct words, sentences, and a book with letters, students who equipped with a solid foundation of information technologies can navigate new technologies with ease. I strive to instil in my students the ability to connect the dots between different fundamental concepts, enabling them to effectively analyse and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. In this spirit, I often leverage my research data to equip my students with the necessary skills to thrive in an ever-evolving technological landscape and to continually expand their expertise throughout their professional careers.

(iii) Cyclical learning development. My third component of my teaching approach, based on Arjomandi’s framework, emphasizes actively support student progression at all stages of their program. I believe it is essential for educators to employ repeated practice aiding in their learning development improving skill acquisition through regular engagement and practice. I operationalise this by providing both formative and summative assignments and feedback. These assure my students get better understanding about course material.

Through these three components my students have inspired to continue their study program by taking additional courses or pursuing a HDR program under my supervision. This reflects the quality of my teaching and its impact on improving students' enthusiasm and commitment to further their knowledge and expertise.


My teaching experience. I have been fortunate enough to be a lecturer in several undergrad and post-grad subjects at University of Southern Queensland (USQ), University of Wollongong (UOW), University of New South Wales (UNSW), University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and Western Sydney University, among others, each with an invaluable insight into different teaching styles and assessment strategies. 

Following the guidelines and principles in VELS (Victorian Essential Learning Standards) framework, I use innovative teaching methods such as online delivery of course materials, flipped classroom, problem-based learning, and constructivism approach to course delivery, which enabled me to teach students with mixed abilities.

University of Southern Queensland (July 2021 - present)

As senior lecturer in cyber security, I tough:

University of Wollongong (April 2019 -July 2021)

As lecturer in information technology, I tough:

University of Technology Sydney (March 2017 -November 2018)

As a tutor, I tough:

University of Western Sydney (March - June 2018)

As a lecturer, I tough (one semester):

University of New South Wales (July - October 2016)

As a tutor, I tough:

Asia Pacific International College (APIC), Sydney (March-July 2017)

As a lecturer, I tough (two semesters):

MIT Sydney (August - November 2017)


 

Still, there are lots to learn and improve my teaching!