Education

• Incoming Ph.D student in Curriculum, Instruction, and Science of Learning, University at Buffalo (admitted for 2025 Fall)
• M.S. in Learning Design and Technology, Stanford University, 2025
• B.S. in Elementary Education, Vanderbilt University, 2024
• B.S. in Child Development, Vanderbilt University, 2024

Work experience

• Research Assistant (September 2024 – March 2025)
  • Stanford University
  • Duties included:
    • Conducted interactive sessions with approximately 40 preschool children (ages 3-5) to assess their problem-solving and creativity skills.
    • Analyzed and coded qualitative data from preschool participants to identify patterns in creative thinking and problem-solving approaches.
    • Evaluated existing assessment tools and provided evidence-based feedback to enhance measurement of children’s creativity and problem-solving abilities.
  • Supervisor: Dr. Jelena Obradović
• Research Assistant (June 2024 – September 2024)
  • The Education University of Hong Kong
  • Duties included:
    • Conducted Chinese, English, and Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices tests with 4- to 7-year-old students at a local kindergarten.
    • Utilized fNIRS devices to explore how children’s brain reacts differently to language (English) and coding-related (Chinese) videos.
    • Produced reports for parents regarding their children’s participation in the experiment.
  • Supervisor: Dr. Hui Li
• Research Assistant (July 2023 – December 2023)
  • The Education University of Hong Kong
  • Duties included:
    • Created lesson plans for college-level programs that address students’ questioning skills using ChatGPT.
    • Conducted a literature review with regard to technology use and related assessment tools.
    • Translated study participation consent forms from Chinese to English.
  • Supervisor: Dr. Dandan Wu
• Teaching Assistant (January 2023 – May 2023)
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Duties included:
    • Assisted the instructor in conducting classes and substituted during the teacher’s absence.
    • Assessed students’ writing abilities and graded their response sheets and reaction papers.
    • Created a portfolio to showcase my learnings about classroom organization and management.
  • Supervisor: Dr. Georgene Troseth
• Research Assistant (September 2022 – May 2024)
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Duties included:
    • Analyzed and coded the 3- to 4-year-old focal child’s interactions with parents and family members in the provided videos, which document 24/7 hours of daily interactions.
    • Participated in weekly discussions with research assistants to explore new findings and differences between families.
    • Analyzed how different parenting styles may impact children’s responses, as shown by parent-child food-related negotiations, through video ethnographic examination.
  • Supervisor: Dr. Joanne W. Golann

Publications

Cybersecurity matters for primary school students: A scoping review of the trends, challenges, and opportunities

Xu, Y. and Li, H. (2025). Cybersecurity matters for primary school students: A scoping review of the trends, challenges, and opportunities. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 18, 513-529. doi: 10.1109/TLT.2025.3564610.

Talks

Teacher Octopus: Supporting pre-service teachers in developing classroom management skills

May 09, 2025

at Stanford University, SWAYWO, Stanford, CA, USA

Languages

• Mandarin (native)
• English (native)
• Korean (basic)
• Spanish (basic)
• American Sign Language (basic)

Skills

• Python
• R
• Microsoft Office
• Google Applications