Personal Questionnaire

1. My Name

Koh, KyuHan

2. the intended topic areas for PhD:

Educational simulation, Cognitive science, and User Interface Design

3. most important reason for you personally to get a PhD
To be a professional who can contribute to society.
In other words, through Ph.D program I hope I would refine and train myself to
contribute academia and industry fields.

4. name three computer scientist which YOU consider most important for the field and what you consider their contribution

4.1. Vannevar Bush : He introduced MEMEX which became an early conceptual model for World Wide Web. Even though it was envisioned as microfilms, not computers, it was a pioneering idea at 40's.

4.2. Ivan Sutherland : He is one of the innovators in computer graphics and computer interactions. He created SKETCHPAD which changed the way people interact with computers. It showed the novel way for human computer interactions at early 60's.

4.3. Donald Norman : He is more likely a cognitive scientist nowadays. His books usually cover usability and user interface designs and inspired lots of HCI researchers.

5. name the three most important, professionally relevant books which you have read

5.1. The Design of Everyday things by Donald A. Norman
5.2. As we may think by Vannevar Bush
5.3. The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt/David Thomas

6. assuming you will collaborate with researchers and explore ideas outside of CS during your PhD studies ? which domains are the most likely candidates for this effort

6.1. Pedagogy
I'm interested in building educational simulations.

6.2. Psychology / Cognitive Science
Usability testing and user interface design are my main research areas.
Cognitive science and psychology are the essential factors for them.

6.3. Linguistics
I created a Japanese learning simulation for my master thesis.
And I'm still interested in language learning process and language acquisition.

7. briefly characterize your own digital literacy:

7.1. which programming language do you know (mention them in an order of decreasing familiarity)
C/C++, Java, HTML, PHP, SQL, XML, LISP

7.2. describe the top three projects (problem, programming language used, for what) which you have done in the past

PineHill (Japanese Learning Simulation)

Used Language : AgentSheets

In conjunction with my thesis, I have developed my own Japanese learning simulation called PineHill, which is being used by the Japanese Student Organization at Auburn University, where I have served as president and lead instructor of its Japanese language class since June 2006. This thesis project is composed of three stages, each of which is designed to offer users more effective and efficient ways of learning Japanese than those currently available in commercial software. Users will be guided through the fundamental stages of Japanese language acquisition, beginning with Hiragana, the Japanese alphabet, and advancing to basic grammar. Currently, the project is limited to teaching only Japanese, but can be modified and transposed into any other language

STARS (Students & Technology Academia Research & Service) Student Leadership

Used Language : Alice 3D, Squeak

This project is committed with 3 to 5th elementary school students in Auburn, Alabama.
We taught them how to create their own computer simulations with end user programming languages such as Alice 3D and Squeak. Through this project, we have tested the usability of those end user programming tools and observed how children cope with the limitations of those tools.

7.3. which are the top three applications that you are familiar with (e.g. Photoshop, Canvas, Dreamweaver, iMovie, ….)?

MS OFFICE,
Photoshop,
Sound Forge

8. List your three favorite topics that you would like to see discussed in this course!
8.1. How to step further than other contemporary researchers.
8.2. How to find brilliant ideas for our own research.
8.3. How to change ourselves to professional researchers.

Last modified 4 September 2007 at 7:49 am by itmonk