Office: Education 270

Sungwon Shin, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Instructional Technology whose research focuses on instructional design principles, diverse instructional strategies, and the integration of technology to support the learning of complex phenomena. Her work explores inquiry-based, project-based, case-based, and collaborative learning models, with a particular emphasis on how technology can facilitate social knowledge construction during challenging and authentic learning processes. Since joining TTU, Dr. Shin has led and collaborated on numerous externally funded grants and contracts that investigate student-centered instructional approaches. These include the Personalized Learning Video Case Library project (2016–2018), the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Case Library project (2022–present), NSF EAGER (2023–present), NSF IUSE (2024–present), and the Wise Practice Case Database (2022–present), among others. Through these projects, she has advanced research on innovative instructional models while also building sustainable digital learning resources for educators and researchers.

Driven by a passion for broadening participation in STEM and integrating social issues into STEM education, Dr. Shin develops student-centered programs that use socio-scientific inquiry models as powerful educational interventions. She has worked extensively with K–12 teachers and students through professional development programs and STEM camps, creating integrated STEM learning pathways that cultivate critical, social, and ethical mindsets. At the higher education level, Dr. Shin examines how to advance discipline-specific knowledge while simultaneously fostering ethical and social awareness among engineering students. Her recent NSF projects reflect this focus, particularly in the emerging field of cyber-aerial computing, where she investigates the intersection of drone technologies, artificial intelligence, privacy, and security. Building on this foundation, she also serves on the leadership team of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (NSF ERC CASFER), where she contributes to the center’s education, outreach, and workforce development initiatives.

Dr. Shin primarily identifies as an instructional designer and consultant who values collaboration with subject-matter experts to enhance teaching, learning, and performance across educational and training contexts. Her prior experience includes four years in e-learning companies focused on online education and corporate training, which led her to develop a framework for quality-assured online courses in the College of Education and to design micro-credential training programs for Texas educators through the TEA’s Digital Teaching Micro-credential initiative (2025-present).