Larry Joseph Billinger II
Teaching Philosophy

Giving students a piece of a toolkit to not merely survive but also to succeed after they leave school remains my highest purpose in educating students. I believe students learn using the seven learning styles, visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, solitary and social. I aim to utilize as many of these learning styles as possible within a lesson. When I’m teaching, I set a goal to give students the information in a way that allows them to ask questions. Most importantly, I use my knowledge of technology in the classroom to come up with creative ways that benefit the students, by showing them how to use the technology they already own to learn more efficiently. For example, instead of punishing students using cell phones, I use QR codes in class that students must scan to share websites, in-class quizzes, and to collaborate on group projects and online discussion boards. Technology also allows me to give them resources that help bridge the culture and language gap in the related topics they are studying. 

I believe the most effective teaching methods depend on the size of the classroom and the subjects taught. My primary teaching experience comes from working in China. Consequently, I believe collaboration through classroom discussion, debriefing and class projects combined works best. Teaching for five years allowed me to see the effects of dominant lecturing styles in a Chinese classroom. For business courses in China, lecturing doesn’t come across as well as one would expect, due to teaching second language learners and for other reason. Many of the students attending SIAS International University have also failed to succeed in the Chinese education system which promotes dominant lecture styles. When these students come to SIAS, they are confronted with more instructors who teach using a dominant lecture style.

To overcome many of the issues in China that teachers face, such as a language barrier or cheating, I have designed my courses understanding these issues. The Chinese system typically requires that 60% of a student’s final grade come from their final exam. My first step is to redesign the point system, fairly assessing students based on projects and discussions instead of exams. The second step is to introduce project based learning, which would allow for creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. These skills will prepare my students for the 21st century.