Yung-wei Hao
Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction 2004
M.A. in Foreign Language Education
My prior experiences before going to UT were that I was a middle school teacher and I was a scout leader. What was special about my UT experience was that I acquired knowledge and hand-on skills by being a graduate research assistant and by working at the University on different projects which solidified what I learned in the classroom. For example, I worked at the Texas Reading Center and the Learning Technology Center to build up my computer technical skills. I worked for Professor Min Liu to start exploring the effects of technology integration on curriculum and instruction. Professor Gary Borich advanced my evaluation skills and guided my deeper understanding of effective teaching.
Outside of the College of Education, I worked for the IC2 Insititute and honed my instructional design skills. Finally, I worked at the Measurement and Evaluation Center to enrich my research competency. Each experience has been significant for my academic career, and all in all, they contributed to my knowledge and skills in the field of instructional technology.
Why UT?
I chose Curriculum & Instruction at UT Austin because of its international reputation, its excellent libraries, and reasonable tuition. It also offered programs of study that were interesting to me and that built upon my background and skills.
Life after UT
My M.A. degree in Foreign Language Education and my Ph.D. degree in Instructional Technology are helping me be confident in my current role, as a teacher educator, because they provided me with a solid background of theories and practices in education.
Advice for Students
My advice for current or prospective students is to always be active, initiate your learning journey, enjoy the process at any moment, and be grateful of anyone you met or anything happening to you. Everything happens for a reason. With that attitude in mind, no matter what obstacles you may encounter, you will make your goal.
