Tom Cheng

I am currently a Master's student in Learning Design and Technology at Stanford University, working under the supervision of Prof. Dora Demszky. As a UI/UX Researcher, I apply the Design Thinking process to research and optimize user experience for web and mobile applications. This involves using data mining, analytics, user interviews, and more.

At Stanford, I developed two language-learning apps, Impromptu and Say, which are now available in App Stores. Before joining Stanford, I completed my undergraduate studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with a focus on English Education, and taught in secondary schools in Hong Kong for four years.

Email / Resume / "Who Am I?" / LinkedIn / Teaching Website

Ed-tech Projects

	Impromptu: A Generative AI-Powered Tool for Improving English Speaking Abilities Tom Cheng Mobile Application, 2023 Impromptu is a mobile application that utilizes speech recognition and generative AI to provide timely, informative feedback to secondary-school English learners on their spoken responses. Impromptu started in September 2022 when I began my Master's program at Stanford. In the initial stage, I interviewed students in Hong Kong to understand their challenges in improving their English speaking abilities. I then conducted over 10 prototype tests to understand my target users' perceptions of the app's features and interfaces. Additionally, I conducted a small-scale research study to assess the app's potential to improve the speaking abilities, confidence, and motivation of my target learners. The results showed that the app can improve Hong Kong secondary school students' English speaking abilities, enhance their motivation in speaking English, and lower their anxiety in speaking English.
	Say: Your Language Learning Gym Diego Salvatierra, Tom Cheng Mobile Application, 2023 Say is a mobile application that helps learners pick up a new language by building their own phrases and practicing pronunciation with the AI Language Buddy. I helped develop Say during my internship which started in January 2023. My internship manager, Diego, and I started with a rudimentary idea of learning a new language by building new phrases and were able to devise new features for the app, thanks to numerous design iterations in a short period of time. I conducted market research, came up with UI designs, conducted UX research with language learners, and implemented promotional campaigns. The app is now looking to raise funding.
	CodingCUSP: Contextualized, User-Focused, Structured Pathways for Learning Text-Based Coding Nathan Lin, Raycelle Garcia, Tom Cheng Browser-based web application, 2023 CodingCUSP is a browser-based web application that helps learners transition from block-based programming languages to text-based languages, such as Python, by providing a scaffolded learning environment with contextualized coding tasks and situated worked examples. CodingCUSP is the Master's project of Nathan and Raycelle. In April 2023, I joined their team for two months to help with interviewing experts and stakeholders, conducting UX research with target users, and revising UI designs based on learner studies. This resulted in the official launch of the tool in July 2023, during which the tool was tested with middle school students in the Bay Area. CodingCUSP was found to be effective in raising students' confidence, interest, and self-efficacy in coding.
	Investigating the Impact of Flip as a CSCL tool on ESL Learners’ Speaking Ability Tom Cheng Research Proposal, 2023 This research proposal explores the potential of Flip, a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) tool, to support the development of speaking ability in English as a Second Language (ESL) learners.
	Digital Wellbeing Apps as an Intervention for Mobile Phone Overuse Tom Cheng Academic Paper, 2023 This paper reviews design principles contributing to mobile phone overuse and examines how the design of popular digital wellbeing apps mitigate mobile phone use.
	Analysis of Formative Tom Cheng Report, 2022 This report analyses the strengths and weaknesses of Formative through the lens of Universal Design for Learning framework and proposes a Theory of Change for the platform.

Academic Research

	Online Language Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic – What Has and Hasn’t Worked? Tom Cheng Oral Presentation, The 19th Asia TEFL International Conference, 2021 This presentation explores the challenges and possibilities of online language teaching in the Hong Kong context during the COVID-19 pandemic.
	Language Across the Curriculum in support of English Language Education – Challenges and Possibilities in the Hong Kong context Tom Cheng Oral Presentation, The International Conference on English Language Education in the Chinese Context, 2018 This presentation discusses the theoretical advantages and practical difficulties of implementing Language across the Curriculum in Hong Kong.
	Effectiveness of Pop Songs in Enhancing ESL Learners’ Intrinsic Motivation Tom Cheng Oral Presentation, The 16th Asia TEFL International Conference, 2018 This study investigates the effectiveness of using pop songs in regular English lessons in enhancing English-as-Second-Language (ESL) learners’ intrinsic motivation in a Hong Kong classroom.
	The Online Community of Practice Co-constructed by EFL Teachers: Case Studies from Hong Kong, China and South Korea Moonyoung Park, Tom Cheng Oral Presentation, TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo, 2017 This study investigates the benefits of an online community of practice (CoP) co-constructed by English teachers in three different EFL contexts.

This page is forked from Jon Barron's home page.