Wei-Chen Hung, Ph.D.

Professor and Department Chair

Department

Learning Innovation, Leadership and Technology

Honorary Appointment

Qingjing Hongdao Honorary Chair Professor, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan

Research Interests

Problem solving, HCI, Performance support system

Education

Ph.D., Instructional Systems Technology with Minor in Information Science, Indiana University-Bloomington.

National/State Grant Research Support

• Collaborative Research: Examining the Application of the IFLIP Pedagogy in STEM and Pre-service Science and Math Teacher Education by Institutional Context. National Science Foundation. IUSE- Institution and Community Transformation track: Level II. $2,000,000, 2026-2029, Role: Institution PI (NIU) and Project Collaborative Liaison Grant# G4A2500400.
• Project SEED: Research on Social Justice, Education Equity, and Diversity Through the Lens of Taiwan's National Civic Literacy and Efficacy Initiative. U.S. Department of Education, Fulbright-Hays GPA, Role: PI, $132,500 (matched), 2021-2025. Grant# G1A62788
• MSP/T-MATH: Mathematic & Science Partnership/Illinois Transitional Math online portal. US Department of Education/ISBE Role: Team Leader for the T-MATH component (March 2019 – Oct. 2019). Grant# G4B67614, $1,675,235 (The project has two components: Teacher Summer Institute and T-MATH online portal. Obligated budget forT-MATH online portal is $158,020.20)
• Online development and assessment program for educators/staff at Jubail Colleges & Institutes. Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, KSA. 2015-2017. $60,000 Role: project director. Grant# G5B70239
• Web-based Interactive Landform Simulation Model (WILSIM). National Science Foundation, TUES Phase 1. $236,041, 2013-16, Role: senior faculty expert, Grant# TUES-1140375.
• Information security awareness. Elgin Community College. $10,000, 2011–12. Role: principal investigator, Grant# G3B67469.
• Development of an intelligent tutoring system for training social and behavioral sciences students in research methods fundamentals. National Science Foundation, CCLI Phase 1. $150,000, 2008-12, Role: Co-principal Investigator, Grant# DUE-0737068.
• MARS Valley Networks Project: Martian Valley Networks Analysis: Run-off or Sapping? NASA Office of Space Science/Education Outreach. $20,000, 2005-07, Role: faculty expert, Grant# NNG04GJ71G.

Recent Papers

• Tscholl, M., Xie, Y., Smith, T. J. and Hung, W-C. (2025). The role of task designs on problem-solving and computational thinking processes in elementary school education. Education and Information Technologies, 30, 22207-22227.
• Kalota, F., Hung, W. C. and Zhou, M. (2025). User Interface Design Considerations of Competency-Based Instructional Portal for Professional Development. Journal of General Education: Concept & Practice, 13 (Special Issue), 69-109.
• Gopalan C, Halpin PA, Selvam AAA, Hung, W.-C.. (2024). Exploring educational transformations through the Innovative Flipped Learning Instruction Project Symposium. Adv Physiol Educ. 2024 Sep 1;48(3):505-511. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00027.2024.
• Luo, W., Smith, T., Whalley, K., Darling, A., Ormand, C., Hung, W.-C., Chiang, J-L, Pelletier, J. and Duffin, K..(2019) Earth surface modeling for education: How effective is it? Four semesters of classroom tests with WILSIM-GC. British Journal of Educational Technology. 50(3), 1462-1481. DOI: 10.1111/bjet.12653
• Luo, W., Pelletier, J., Duffin, K., Ormand, C., Hung, W-C., Shernoff, D., Zhai., X., Iverson, E., Whalley, K., Courtney, G. & Furness, W. (2016). Advantages of computer simulation in enhancing students' learning about landform evolution: A case study using the Grand Canyon. Journal of Geoscience Education. 64, 60–73.
• Hung, W-C., Smith, T. J., and Smith, M., C. (2015). Design and usability assessment of a dialogue-based cognitive tutoring system to model expert problem solving in research design. British Journal of Educational Technology. 46(1), 82-97. DOI: 10.1111/bjet.12125.
• Paver, J., Walker, D. and Hung, W.-C. (2014) Adjunct faculty characteristics that may predict intention to integrate technology into instruction. Community College Journal of Research and Practice. 38(10), 859-872. DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2013.819790
• Paver, J., Walker, D. and Hung, W.-C. (2014) Factors that predict the integration of technology for instruction by community college adjunct faculty. Community College Journal of Research and Practice. 38(1), 68-85. DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2013.799449
• Hung, W.-C., Kalota, F. (2013). Design and validation of MAPS for educators: A performance support system to guide media selection for lesson design. Performance Improvement Quarterly. 26(1), 81-99. DOI: 10.1002/piq.21136.
• Kalota, F., and Hung, W-C. (2013). Formative evaluation of the instructional effects on a performance support system designed to guide pre-service teachers in developing technology integration strategies. British Journal of Educational Technology. 44(3), 442-452. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01318.x
• Hung, W-C., and Jeng, I-F., (2013). Factors influencing future educational technologists' intentions to participate in online teaching. British Journal of Educational Technology.44(2), 255-272. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01294.x
• Hung, W-C., and Lockard, J. (2012). Integrating metacognitive prompts and critical inquiry process display to scaffold learners' development of problem solving skills. In S. B. Fee, and B, R. Belland (Eds.). The role of criticism in understanding problem solving: Essays in memory of John C. Belland. (pp. 115-140). New York: Springer.
• Oldenburg, N. and Hung, W-C., (2010). Problem-solving-strategies used by RN-BS students in an online PBL course. Journal of Nursing Education.49(4): 219-22.
• Hung, W-C., Smith, T. J., Harris, M. S. and Lockard, J. (2010). Development research of a teachers' educational performance support system: The practices of design, development, and evaluation. Educational Technology Research and Development (ETR and D), 58(1), 61-80.
• Chasnoff, J. I., and Hung, W-C. (2010). [Computer Software] Cause and Consequence – An interactive behavior management system. Chicago: NTI publishing. ISBN 97809845053124
• Omale, N., Hung, W-C., Luetkehans, L., and Cooke-Plagwitz, J. (2009). Learning in 3-D Multi-User Virtual Environments: Exploring the use of unique 3-D attributes for problem based learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(3), 480-495.
• Millis, K., Baker, S., Blackemore, J., Connington, F., Harper, Y., Hung, W-C., Kohn, A. and Stowell (2009). Teaching and learning in a digital world. In D. F. Halpern. (Ed.), Undergraduate education in psychology: A blueprint for the future of the discipline. Washington, DC: APA. (authorship by alphabetical order except for the first author)
• Kitts, K., Luo, W. and Hung, W-C. (2008). Did it ever rain on Mars? A professional development opportunity for teachers and an actual NASA research opportunity for middle and high school students. The Earth Scientist, 27(2), 17-20.
• Hung, W-C. and Lockard, J. (2007). The design and impact of using an advance organizer guided behavior matrix to support teachers' problem solving in classroom behavior management. Journal of Special Education Technology. 22(1). 23 – 39.
• Hung, W-C. and Chao, C-A. (2007). Integrating advance organizers and multidimensional information display in electronic performance support systems. Innovations in Education and Teaching International. 44. 181 – 198.

Conference Keynotes

• Hung, W.-C. (December 2025). Beyond the Answer: Transforming Teacher Mindsets for Thinking, Ownership, and Meaningful Learning in the Age of AI. Invited to deliver a keynote address at the 2025 Annual TAECT International Conference in Taiwan. The Taiwan Association for Educational Communications and Technology (TAECT) is the leading IT/ET organization in Taiwan. In 2025, TAECT co-sponsor the conference with National University of Tainan. Tainan, Taiwan December 5-6, 2025.
• Hung, W.-C. (November 2025). Smarter technology, smarter teaching: The roles and mindsets of teachers in the age of AI. Invited opening keynote at the 2025 International Conference on Educational Innovation - Teaching and Learning in the Super-Intelligent Era: Practices & Reflection of Interdisciplinary and Multimodal Educational through AI Collaboration, National Tsing Hua University. Online, November 21-22, 2025.
• Hung, W.-C. (October 2025). Invited panel: Reimagining Education: International Insights on Educational Communications and Technology. AECT International Convention, Las Vegas, USA (October 20-24, 2025). A cross-national panel featuring past and current presidents of both TAECT and AECT, focused on emerging educational technology trends and collaborative futures between Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the US. This session invited Dr. Marcus Childress, Dr. John Curry, Dr. Wei-Chen Hung, Dr. Chiaki Iwasaki, Dr. Noble Po Kan Lo, and Chairperson Cui Mengping.
• Hung, W.-C. (June 2025). Unpacking Young Minds: Building Computational Thinking and Resilient Problem-Solving in the Context of the AI Era. Invited opening keynote at the 2025 International Conference on General Education – SDGs, Empathy of Differences and Interdisciplinary Cooperation and Dialogue, hosted by the Taiwan Congress on College General Education. Taipei, June 6-7, 2025.
• Hung, W-C. (November 2023). Thinking, Seeing, and Doing: Eliciting Problem Solving and Computational Thinking Through an Integrated STEM Robotic Learning at the Elementary Level. Invited to be one of the three keynote speakers at 2023 International Conference: Education Competency-based Innovation in Instruction and Assessment: Adaptability, Autonomy, Interdisciplinary (ICECI), Tainan, Taiwan.
• Hung, W-C. (November 2022). Thinking and Doing: Fostering Children's Problem Solving and Computational Thinking Through an Integrated STEM Robotic Curriculum. Invited to be one of the three keynote speakers at 2022 International Conference on Genal Education, Teaching Research Practice, and STEAM Education, hosted by Taiwan Congress on College General Education. Conference, held in Taipei, Taiwan
• Hung, W.-C. (November 2019). Metacognition and STEM Learning: A glass box view of scaffolding students in learning from their failures and successes. Conference Keynote delivered at 2019 Annual Conference of Taiwan Education Research Association, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.