Addressing Educational Challenges in Rural Areas

Recognizing the educational disparities prevalent in rural areas while serving as an elementary school teacher in underdeveloped town of South Korea, I witnessed firsthand the unmet needs of numerous children. After school hours, I dedicated my time to those left behind by working parents. Despite the government's provision of additional classes, the school lacked essential resources and teachers, leaving students without adequate support systems.

Oryang Elementary School, Geoje Island in South Korea.

Startup Seed Funding

In 2014, leveraging significant support from the South Korean government for aspiring young entrepreneurs, I presented a business plan for an education tool that could be implemented in public schools. After securing initial funding, I assembled a team consisting of two developers and two designers. Leading the project from conceptualization to implementation, we successfully managed a six-month timeline with a budget of $50,000.

Engaging in Physical activities while learning English Vocabularies

Addressing the educational challenges prevalent in rural areas, the project aimed to revolutionize learning by combining traditional physical activities with Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Drawing from the proven effectiveness of Total Physical Response (TPR) in English education, especially with early learners, I developed an interactive English learning program that integrates bodily movements with motion sensor technology.

Developing an Experiential Vocabulary Learning Program with Kinect and Unity

Designed for early learners, the program encourages active class participation by engaging various sensory channels and seamlessly integrating alphabet and vocabulary learning. Unlike conventional English content that relies solely on passive observation and device interaction, this program enables learners to actively experience vocabulary learning through physical movement. I developed the experiential vocabulary learning program utilizing motion-sensing technology, specifically Kinect, and used Unity to implement the software.

A to Z Alphabet Friends : The alphabet characters are designed to make learners more familiar and engaging.

Activity Modules

The program has been designed to be compatible with various display devices and offers learners an interactive learning experience that allows them to move their body freely in space. The program's theme is "Dolla at the Zoo," where the main character, Dolla, embarks on a journey to find the missing animals in the zoo. Throughout the story, learners participate in experiential activities to assist in locating the missing animals. Through these physical activities, learners complete target vocabulary as part of their mission-based learning. The learning content is structured for beginners in English, aiming to teach them the alphabet and beginner-level English words through engaging stories.

BASKETBALL

The target words include 'elephant' and 'trunk,' and learners engage by selecting basketballs labeled with letters and shooting them into the hoops in the correct sequence to spell each word. Participants initiate the activity by raising their hands, and once their hand positions are detected on the screen, they proceed to shoot the lettered basketballs into the hoops.

PINWHEEL

When participants wave their hand over the letter, the windmill spins, completing the word. The target words include 'lion' and 'tail'.

BALLOON

This is a face-mapping activity. To complete a word, participants place their hand on the balloon with the corresponding letter, causing the balloon to pop.

MAGICAL BASKET

In this activity, you fill the basket with bananas to help find monkeys. The target vocabulary is 'monkey' and 'banana'.
Participants stand in front of the screen and touch the basket, then the system recognizes their hand movements, causing the basket to move accordingly.

SPEECH RECOGNITION

This activity helps enhance listening and reading abilities. As you shout out the names of animals you've learned, the corresponding animal appears. It's a way for kids to review and summarize what they've learned through hands-on experiences together.