Teachning is not only a way for me to tranfer the knowledge I acquired in the fields of computer and building sciences, but also an opprtunity to learn from others. For that reason, I highly encourage students to actively participate in class rather than passively listening to the instructor. Through active learning, I am able to evaluate student’s entry level at the early stage of the course, provide adequate feedback and guidance at each important stage of their learning curve, and ensure they will achieve their learning objectives at the end of their curriculum. At the same time, I always hope that discussions I have with students will motivate me in exploring new aspects of my research that I have not considered so far.
Teaching should not be limited to knowledge transfer or skill development. It should also offer students the chance to know more about the fields or topics in which they can be creative. The more creativity is promoted and encourage during teaching, the more students can discover research they could conduct or businesses they could lead. As an instructor and researcher, I also benefit from creative learning activities I proposed to students. They enable me to remain updated on the latest advancements in my research field and the most modern tools used in industry.
From my experience, teaching is a balance between a good organization and a sense of improvision. A course should be prepared sufficiently in advance to ensure that learning objectives will be well-defined, lectures will be comprehensive, and assignment adequately designed. However, teaching also comprises unexpected events a teacher should be able to manage instantaneously. No matter how well-defined and well-structred a course is before class, it is difficult to predict with 100% certainty how students will react to the delivery. It is then necessary to adjust lectures and assignments while a course is being delivered to offer students the best learning experience.
Teaching experience
- Co-Instructor, Autonomous Sustainable Buildings: From Theory to Practice (12-770), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Spring 2024
(Main instructor: Mario Berges) - Teaching assistant, Digital construction (PF1103), Department of Building Science, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, Spring 2019
(Instructor: Miller Clayton) - Teaching assistant, Project in software engineering (CS 13X008), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Spring 2010
(Instructor: Marchand-Maillet Stephane) - Teaching assistant, Software engineering (CS 13X003), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Fall 2009 (Instructor: Marchand-Maillet Stephane)