“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough, we must do." Leonardo da Vinci (1542-1519)

Becoming an educator for me was a deliberately chosen path that has passed through different knowledge domains. As a learner and an educator, my goal is to improve myself constantly to help others become better critical and creative thinkers. I take ‘learning’ as a dynamic social-activity aimed at engaging all parties in learning through critical thinking and practicing together what is learned to create new knowledge and develop new skills. The ultimate aim is to educate lifelong learners. We live in a volatile and complex world where much of what we know as true is subject to change; the borders between knowledge domains disappear; and the practices transform rapidly. In this world only a critical and creative thinker can endure without becoming perplexed. How should we change ‘teaching’ to cope with all these unforeseen changes? Traditional methods of ‘teaching’ draw a false line between the instructor and the students. They suggest delivering highly structured content in a very rigid environment. In response, the focus in education is shifting from ‘teaching’ to ‘learning’. But there is more to do.... Below is a 'dry' history of my teaching.

[Email for a copy of my teaching dossier]

Academic and Teaching Experience (with courses)

Assistant Professor of Interactive Systems and Design (September 2006 – Present)

Faculty of Communication, Art, and Technology, Simon Fraser University Surrey

IAT-403|405: Design Studio I and II, Capstone Project (3 Credits each) —Instructor, Coordinator

Fall 2012 – 15; Spring 2013 – 14

Focuses on the design, implementation and communication of a media arts, design or interactive systems project (or any combination of these) and is the senior capstone project for SIAT students. Teams of 3-4 students or individual students undertake a two-semesters long project.

IAT-846 (previously IAT-882): Interactive Systems for Design (3 Credit) — Developer, Instructor

Spring 2007 - 4; Spring 2009 – 2; Spring 2010 – 6; Fall 2011 – 11

Explores connections between use and creation of interactive design systems by bridging design and software development domains and building conceptual and practical knowledge. In the context of a project, problem-solving perspective to design as well as to systems development is applied for analyzing and formulating design problems at the task-level; and developing and evaluating systems as solutions.

IAT-337: Representation and Fabrication (3 Credit) — Developer, Instructor

Spring 2008 - 65; Spring 2009 – 94; Fall 2010 - 74; Summer 2011 - 74; Fall 2012 – 67; Spring 2013 – 60

[Spring 2013 student project won Best Poster Award in SIAT Showcase]

[Spring 2012 student project won FCAT Border Crossing Award]

[Fall 2011 student project nominated as finalist in Surrey City Awards Competition]

[Fall 2011 student projects won Best Design Project Award in Spring Showcase]

[Fall 2010 student project won Best Science and Technology Award in SIAT Showcase]

Introduces to advanced computer tools for representing designs and to the techniques needed to use such tools for accurate and precise specification. It teaches how to use data from such representations as input to computer numerical control fabrication equipment (such as laser cutters, 3D printers and n-axis mills) and combine representation and fabrication into an iterative design process. Designing family of artifacts provides a context in which issues of reuse, design rules and inter-design coherence are crucial.

IAT-452: Developing Design Tools (3 Credit) — Developer, Instructor

Fall 2007 - 36; Fall 2008 - 14; Fall 2009 – 10; Spring 2011 – 19; Spring 2012 –17

Introduces approaches to customizing and developing software applications as design-support tools to be employed in dynamic design environments comprising people, other tools, and their interactions in relation to the tasks to be performed. Discusses effective strategies for software development to find the best matching solutions for a given situation and applies the select methods in software design, prototyping, and evaluation. Makes use of software development processes, languages, and notations in representing design of the tools.

IAT-487-1: Directed Studies – Developer, Instructor

Spring 2010 – 3; Summer 2013 1

[Student Era Pagason was accepted to M. of Arch at U. of Calgary after the study]

The study aims at forming a foundational knowledge and skills for 'architectural design practice' using computational design and rapid prototyping. The students work collaboratively to explore digital design issues that govern today's architectural design practice. The spectrum of activities focuses on gathering and structuring non-spatial and spatial design information; using the structured information in design exploration; rapid prototyping for agile design; and evaluation of design outcomes. The students taking this directed study show interest for applying for architectural schools. The course will build a portfolio to support future studies.

Tech-106: Spatial Thinking and Communicating (3 Credit) — Developer, Instructor

Fall 2007 (with John Dill, Ben Youssef, Mike Sjoerdsma) - 340; Fall 2010 (with John Dill) 120

[Fall 2010 students won Best Undergrad Project Award in SIAT Spring Showcase, 2011]

Introduces spatial thinking, graphical representation and communication. As a foundations course, it aims to expose students to spatial thinking concepts and to provide them with the basic knowledge and technical skills required to envision three dimensional structures, visualize and think in three dimensions and to analyze and solve specific spatial thinking problems using sketching, digital modeling, and physical modeling.

IAT-452: Design Environments (3 Credit) — Developer, Instructor

Fall 2006 - 9

Introduces approaches to customizing and developing software applications as design- support tools to be employed in dynamic design environments comprising people, other tools, and their interactions in relation to the tasks to be performed.

Assistant Professor of Software Engineering (2003 – 2006)

College of Information Technology, UAE University

ITBP-220: Programming II — Instructor

Spring 2004 - 90

Covers abstract data types and structures as well as their applications. Presents the methods and models used in software design and development. Includes an overview of modularity, reusability, version tracking, and object-oriented design.

ITBP-320: Programming III — Coordinator, Instructor

Fall 2004 –120 enrolled; Fall 2005 – 120

Introduces tools and methods for developing and testing moderate to large size programs. Focuses on object-oriented design, specification, and implementation; data and file structures; recursion; problem solving.

SWEB-311: Software Requirements Management — Coordinator, Instructor

Spring 2004 – 18; Spring 2005 – 23

Introduces to the fundamental concepts and methods used in managing software requirements modeling in software lifecycle.

SWEB-316: Software Design II — Instructor

Spring 2006 – 28

Presents concepts and methods for modeling architectural design of large-scale software systems. Uses design concepts and notations.

SWEB-318: User Interface Design — Coordinator, Developer, Instructor

Spring 2005 – 24

Focuses on the relationship of the software system with its environment and in particular with the people who interact with the system through user interfaces, which their design is central to their success.

SWEB-446: Web-based Software — Coordinator, Developer, Instructor

Fall 2004, Fall 2005

Introduces theoretical and practical issues in the specification, design and construction of software systems that run on the web. Discusses software construction models, languages, and technologies.

SWEB-490: Senior Software Engineering Exhibition (Graduation Project) — Coordinator, Developer

Spring 2005

Aims to improve the students' knowledge, skill, and ability to complete a given project with valid theoretical and practical justifications in the Information Technology.

SWEB-XXX: Student Advisor of Software Engineering Program

Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2006

Advise students in selection their courses and help them in their career decisions.

Instructor (2000-2003)

School of Architecture Carnegie Mellon University

Object-oriented Application Development in CAD – Co-developer, Instructor

Fall 2000, Fall 2001, and Spring 2003.

Introduces graduate students to effective and innovative object-oriented design and development strategies to application development in computational design by emphasizing the importance of strategic knowledge. Students and instructor form a software development team and develop interesting research prototypes.

Teaching Assistant

School of Architecture Carnegie Mellon University

Architectural Design Studio: IV Year

Spring 1998 and Fall 2002

Instructing and guiding students to design buildings with complex programs. The project was an interdisciplinary university library with a high technology media center to be built on the campus. The program was compiled by the students under my supervision.

Computer Modeling II

Spring 1999 and Spring 2000

Teaching students how to effectively use modeling applications in design process and design presentation (MicroStation and FormZ applications were used). In addition, model manipulation concepts such as transformation, translation, rotation, reflection etc. were explained as strategic tools in different contexts.

Research Assistant

Institute of Complex Engineered Systems, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 1999 - 2001

SEED Project: “Software Environment to support the Early phases in building Design”

Conducted studies on the usability of the SEED-Pro module, and assisted in documenting experiences.

Faculty of Architecture, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir Turkey. 1994

Selected through a nation-wide exam held by Higher Education Council of Turkey.

Senior Supervisor

Co-Supervisor

Committee Member

External Examiner - SFU

External Committee-Member

Honor’s students (Undergraduate)

Supervision of Teaching Assistants
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