Invited Speakers for ICEMT 2019

Prof. Hui-Fang Shang
I-Shou University, Taiwan

Hui-Fang Shang was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In 1996, she earned her ED.D. degree in Educational Leadership at University of Southern California in USA. Currently she is a Full Professor of Department of Applied English and Dean of College of Language Arts at I-Shou University. Hui-Fang Shang has already published 44 journal papers (including 10 SSCI and 7 CIJE papers), 59 conference papers, and conducted 36 research projects. Her expertise and research interests include TEFL, CALL, and curriculum design and assessment.
 

Speech Title: Exploring Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) on EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension
Abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that online asynchronous and synchronous discussions can effectively provide authentic interaction opportunities and motivate EFL students to develop depth of cognition for reading comprehension. Nevertheless, previous studies have also pointed out that applying CMC in language teaching and learning can not enhance learners’ achievement and reading performance due to their negative attitude and low motivation. Since there have been debates on the effectiveness and practicality of online discussion use to support EFL learning and teaching, few studies have been conducted to investigate what actually happens in the asynchronous and synchronous learning conditions and whether the utilization of online discussion facilitates EFL students’ reading comprehension. Thus, the present study aims to explore how variables such as asynchronous (via Moodle) and synchronous (via Facebook) discussions influence university students’ reading comprehension in a Taiwanese learning context. This study further probes into students’ perceptions toward the effectiveness and relationship of these two online discussion modes on English reading development. The research results showed that most participants accepted this CMC learning approach and received satisfactory results via using the asynchronous and synchronous discussion modes. With more frequent discussions, students felt more satisfied with the application of synchronous discussion to that of asynchronous discussion. In particular, by using more Facebook, students made better improvement in reading comprehension than that by using Moodle, although no significant difference was found between both discussion modes. The research results will provide EFL teachers and curriculum designers with insights into what actually happens in the asynchronous and synchronous learning environments.

Prof. Wei-Tsong Wang
National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

Wei-Tsong Wang is a Professor of the Department of Industrial and Information Management, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. He received his Ph.D. in Information Science from the State University of New York at Albany, USA. His current research interests include behaviors of e-commerce consumers, user acceptance on information technology, e-learning, and knowledge management. His works have appeared in journals including Decision Sciences, Decision Support Systems, Information and Management, Information and Organization, Computers and Education, Journal of Educational Technology and Society, Computers in Human Behavior, International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, Information Systems Frontiers, and Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, among others.
 

Prof. Vilmantė Kumpikaitė-Valiūnienė
Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania

Vilmantė Kumpikaitė-Valiūnienė is a professor of Human Resource Management in Digitalization Research group and a head of International Migration Research cluster at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania. She is a trainer of competence development center for university teachers Edu_Lab at Kaunas University of Technology. Her major fields of scientific research include international human resource management, especially expatriation; modern teaching methods, including case studies, distance learning and ICT usage. She is the author and coauthor of more than 80 scientific publications and textbooks, member of different societies as IEDRC, Academy of Management (AOM), European Academy of management (EURAM), European group for Organizational Studies (EGOS), member of conferences' scientific boards, a member of editorial board of scientific journals; participated in more than 50 scientific conferences in all continents, and delivered 9 keynote speeches.
 

Professor has experience creating distance courses in Management and Economics and teaching them from 2005 using WebCT and Moodle. Totally she have prepared 12 distance courses. Professor Vilmante delivered the 1st Massive open online course (MOOC) from Lithuania in 2013.

Speech Title: Tips and Tricks of teaching Generation Z at University: the role of ICT
Abstract: The typical Generation Z person is a digital native born in internet connected world and therefore “live and breathe” technology. This is also true for the higher education environment where Generation Z students rely on smart-phone or PC recordings instead of taking notes, are more tend to raise questions online, see a lecture as “come and entertain me”, are less patient and do not like waiting for a response but demand instant information and communication (Cilliers, 2017). In this speech results of students ‘preferences of study methods including ICT usage in study process will be presented and examples of means for teaching in class provided.

Assoc. Prof. Artemus G. Cruz
Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Philippines

Associate Professor 4 Artemus G. Cruz has been in the academe sector for more than 30 years. He graduated from Polytechnic University of the Philippines with a degree in Clinical Psychology. From 1987, he became part of the Guidance, Counselling and Testing Center of the said university, where he also finished his Master of Arts in Psychology major in School Psychology. Presently, he is working on his dissertation which focuses on educational psychology.
 

Assoc. Prof. Cruz is a three-license holder.  As a licensed Psychologist and Psychometrician he has established his own Psychological Services.  Alongside, he is currently connected as Director of PUP-Sta. Maria, Bulacan Campus.  Where he performs both academic and administrative functions.  He has served as research panelist, mentor, adviser to both undergraduate and graduate scholarly works.

Asst. Prof. Szu-Wei (Chris) Chen
I-Shou University, Taiwan

Szu-Wei Chen (Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia) is an Assistant Professor of New Media and Communication at National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan. Before coming back to Taiwan, Dr. Chen was an assistant professor at Purdue University, Northwest. Dr. Chen is media scholar interested in how transformation in digital technology affects human communication. Specifically, his research interests center on human interactions in the computer-mediated environment, and he explores topics such as new media psychology, gender and body image, cyberbullying and social support, and digital marketing.

Dr. Chen received the Special Talented Scholar Award from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan. His research was supported by several national grants in Taiwan and also received a Top Paper Award from the Central States Communication Association, USA. He is also an enthusiastic instructor, having taught various courses, ranging from new media and social networking, new technology and communication, mobile communication research to learning psychology, research methods, statistics, and popular culture analyses. He also received an Outstanding Teaching Award from University of Missouri-Columbia, USA.

Speech Title: Cyberbullying and New Media Psychology
Abstract: The rapid growth of technologies and electronic communication in the digital age has not only provided people with unprecedented convenience but also raised many new concerns, such as cyberbullying and other psychological problems. Cyberbullying is defined as an intentional and repetitive aggression carried out via various electronic means. Research has indicated that young people, especially adolescents, have higher possibility of being involved in the process of cyberbullying. For example, a study in Canada surveyed 2186 middle and high school students and found that 33.7% confessed that they had been cyberbullying perpetrators and 49.5% reported that they have been the victims of cyberbullying (Mishna et al., 2010). And importantly, research has demonstrated that social support could be one of the most important factors that buffer against the negative effects of cyberbullying victimization. The double-sided sword role of the Internet and new media will be discussed, including coping and intervention strategies and suggestions.
 

In addition to cyberbullying, Facebook depression, and similar new media depressive symptoms are also worth attention (e.g., Moreno et al., 2011). New media, and the correlations with suicidality, depression, anxiety, self-harm, loneliness, and so forth, have not yet sufficiently studied. In this talk, I will explain myths revolved around new media, introduce a number of important issues, and how to face them in this digital age. All types of audiences (e.g., scholars, practitioners, teachers, parents, students, etc.) can benefit from this talk.