This line of my research develops and evaluates pedagogical frameworks that integrate diary studies and focus group discussions into computing education. A central outcome of this work is the PCAR (Plan–Collect–Analyze–Reflect) diary study framework, introduced and refined through classroom implementations and published at SIGCSE TS 2025. PCAR offers a structured process that supports students in documenting and analyzing their computing-related experiences through reflection and collaborative discussion, enables educators to systematically incorporate diary-based activities into course design and assessment, and assists researchers in planning, managing, and analyzing diary-based educational studies. I also design, build, and evaluate educational software tools (e.g., DiaryQuest, DiaryLib) that operationalize these methods and support their scalable adoption across computing curricula.

This line of my research examines how students develop metacognitive awareness—how they understand, monitor, and regulate their own learning processes—through structured reflective practices in computing education. In earlier work situated in design-oriented courses, I examined empathy as one observable learning outcome using validated instruments such as the Empathy in Design Scale. Building on these findings, I am extending this research to programming and related computing curricula, using diary studies as an instructional and analytical framework to investigate how students reflect on, evaluate, and adapt their approaches to coding tasks. This work aims to capture a broader set of cognitive and affective factors that shape students’ problem-solving, strategy selection, and critical evaluation across diverse computing learning contexts.

This branch of my research connects classroom learning to professional contexts, emphasizing how computing students develop the skills needed to succeed in industry. In addition to professional competencies such as collaboration, communication, and ethical awareness, I am also interested in how students can be better prepared to engage with the technical realities of software development in practice—for example, how large teams divide responsibilities across modules, how APIs are designed and interpreted across groups, and how organizational structures shape coding practices. Drawing on my own industry experience and ongoing exchanges with computing professionals, I am interested in exploring educational practices that integrate both technical and professional dimensions, helping students bridge theory and practice as they prepare for the complexities of real-world computing work.

Here are some additional areas I am interested in exploring:

• Games as a medium for Computing education and reflection, particularly how playful contexts can scaffold empathy, collaboration, and critical thinking.
• The integration of artificial intelligence into computing education in ways that are pedagogically meaningful, ethically responsible, and supportive of students’ learning rather than replacing it.
• Emerging modalities in immersive learning environments, such as VR with olfactory interfaces, and their potential to expand sensory dimensions of educational experiences.

• CS3604: Professionalism in Computing, Virginia Tech — Fall 2023, Fall 2024

• CS1114: Introduction to Software Design (Leading Code Lab Sessions)
• CS2114: Software Design & Data Structures (Leading Code Lab Sessions)
• CS3114: Data Structures & Algorithms
• CS3724: Introduction to HCI
• CS4094: Computer Science Capstone
• CS5714: Usability Engineering
• CS5724: Models & Theories of HCI

I have mentored undergraduate and graduate students on research projects that resulted in publications, posters, and student research competition papers at major venues.

• SIGCSE TS 2025 Student Research Competition
  DiaryQuest: A Web-Based Learning System Utilizing Diary Study
  ACM Digital Library Link
• CHI 2025 Student Research Competition
  Boosting Diary Study Outcomes with a Fine-Tuned Large Language Model
  ACM Digital Library Link