Research & Reflections

fulbright Taiwan online journal

Research & Reflections

fulbright Taiwan online journal

The Startup Classroom:
An Entrepreneurial Project-Based
Learning Toolkit for Tech Educators
( A Project-Based Curriculum Integrating an Entrepreneurial Mindset for Educators)

1. Abstract and Introduction

The Curriculum Guidelines of 12-Year Basic Education, implemented in Taiwan in 2019, envision “enabling every child to succeed—developing individual strengths and fostering lifelong learning” (Ministry of Education Taiwan, 2021, p. 14). The Guidelines identify three core competencies: Autonomous Action, Communication and Interaction, and Social Participation.

As a technology teacher, I have long hoped to use technology as both a medium and a tool—helping students improve their cognitive engagement by creating authentic learning contexts. With technology’s flexibility, accessibility, and diversity, I aim to support genuine personalized learning.

Research on technology-enhanced instructional design (TED) has shown that technology-integrated learning can strengthen students’ higher-order thinking, metacognition, and self-efficacy.  Teachers often seek appropriate instructional frameworks to guide curriculum design in ways that meaningfully connect cognitive processes. In practice, teachers tend to design instruction based on existing materials or personal experience. However, such instruction often limits students to the levels of remembering and understanding. Achieving the level of application—where students learn to apply knowledge in varied contexts and develop problem-solving skills—remains a significant challenge.

Authentic situations are not easy to recreate. Even with modern technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), which can replicate environments and present information instantly, learning may still lack the depth that real-world experience provides. Without opportunities to analyze real contexts, students have limited foundations for evaluation and creation. This challenge also reflects a broader issue in Taiwan’s efforts to promote critical thinking. Students spend nearly eight hours a day at school, while many urban parents are occupied with work. Although nearly every student has access to a smartphone, many lack sustained and meaningful academic interaction. Without real-life experiences integrated into texts, images, or multimedia representations, learning becomes fragmented and less connected to authentic situations.

During my participation in the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program, I had the opportunity to observe classes at Rush-Henrietta Senior High School in New York. Under the mentorship of my partner teacher, Mr. Darin Ledwith, I witnessed how courses such as Basic Engineering, Electronics, Robotics, and Woodworking—though varied in content—were all grounded in a shared philosophy: hands-on learning and project-based learning (PBL). When learning is connected to real-life experiences, students develop patience in working through complex problems. Guided by the teacher’s questioning and supported by supplemental digital media such as online videos and animations, students were able to deepen their understanding. These forms of learning, when continuous and sustained, can be far more impactful than traditional knowledge transmission.

Figure 1. The classroom guidance starts with real-life examples, allowing students to have more imaginative connections to real life in their subsequent project-based learning (Photo courtesy of Rush-Henrietta Senior High School, NY, USA)

Today, with the rapid expansion of digital tools and generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT (OpenAI, n.d.), Gemini (Google Inc., n.d.)), teaching and learning have undergone significant shifts. As an information and technology educator, my teaching has long been integrated with digital tools. Finding ways to guide students to understand that technology can support learning but cannot replace its essence—thinking—has become essential. In the 2025 school year, when I taught information technology in junior high school, AI emerged as a central force in education. In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education emphasized in the revised guidelines: “The essence of education lies in inspiring students to care about and reflect on social issues. In the past, we relied on the transmission of experience; today, with the rise of AI, we have a broader space for imagination.”

Throughout my teaching experience, I have valued hands-on learning as a way to stimulate thinking.  Project-based learning (PBL) and project-guided instruction allow students to address real-life problems. Within PBL, discussion and reflection help students deepen their understanding. When generative AI is incorporated into the design of scenarios and content, it enhances the clarity of problem contexts and supports students in constructing complete mental models. Over eight to ten class sessions, students develop a range of abilities through group collaboration—such as problem definition (What), data collection and analysis (Why), project management, and time/effort allocation. This aligns closely with OECD’s Entrepreneurship in Education (Martin, 2015), which notes that while K–12 education focuses on developing foundational skills, cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset can—and should—begin early.

In the fall of 2025, I participated in the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program at the University of Rochester. During this period, I met Dr. David Miller at the Warner School of Education and was introduced to the book Promoting Innovations in Education (Raffaella & David E., 2022), to which he contributed. His work inspired me to integrate innovation and creativity into my existing project-based curriculum, enabling middle-school students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset while learning foundational technological skills.

This project, therefore, documents how, over the course of four months of study, I integrated my existing “Arduino Project-Based Learning” curriculum with entrepreneurial thinking to develop a “Tech 2.0 Project-Based Learning Toolkit for Teachers.”  This toolkit aims to support teachers by incorporating entrepreneurial-process questioning strategies into instructional design; integrating digital tools such as Miro, Padlet, and generative AI for classroom management, team collaboration, and feedback; and helping teachers keep pace with digital teaching practices. Through this learning process, students not only develop technological and problem-solving skills but also cultivate a growth-oriented, resilient mindset—empowering them to face future challenges with confidence and curiosity, continuously improving themselves while solving real-world problems.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education and Human Development for providing an intellectually rich and supportive environment throughout my academic journey. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Dr. Hairong Shang-Butler, whose guidance as Fulbright Program Manager shaped my learning experience in profound and lasting ways. I am equally grateful to Dr. David Miller for his invaluable mentorship as my Fulbright Educator Project Advisor; his thoughtful insights consistently refined and strengthened my work. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Karen J. DeAngelis, whose teaching in policy analysis broadened my perspectives and significantly informed the development of this research.

I am also deeply appreciative of Mr. Darin Ledwith, my partner teacher at Rush Henrietta Senior High School. His openness and generosity allowed me to observe the richness of technology and computer science education in American high schools. The diverse, hands-on, and thoughtfully designed learning activities in his classroom—especially those grounded in project-based learning—were truly inspiring and have profoundly influenced my thinking as an educator.

Their collective encouragement, expertise, and unwavering support have been instrumental to the completion of this study, and I am sincerely indebted to each of them.

2. Literature Review: A Constructivist-Based Framework for Technology Projects and Experiential Learning

2.1 Constructivism: Shifting the Learning Paradigm from “Receivers” to “Creators”

In designing a “Programming and Technology Project Toolkit” for technology teachers, the foundational educational philosophy is rooted in Constructivism. Traditional instructional models often treat learning as the transmission of knowledge. In contrast, constructivism argues that learning is a process in which learners actively construct knowledge. According to Bada & Olusegun (2015), constructivism posits that humans develop knowledge and meaning through their own experiences.

This implies that in an Arduino-based project course, students should not be passive “receivers” of code or circuit diagrams. Instead, they must become creators of knowledge through hands-on operation, debugging, iterative design, and meaningful engagement with problems they encounter.

Constructivism highlights that learners are active participants in the process of acquiring knowledge. In this project’s instructional design, this is reflected in students’ engagement with processes such as identifying a problem, transforming information, and relating new information to prior experiences. For example, in your course, students are required to define the problem context (What, Who, When, Where), which is precisely the process of using existing cognitive structures to interpret new issues and construct potential solutions.

Additionally, constructivism stands in strong contrast to Objectivism. While objectivism views knowledge as an entity that exists independently (Jonassen, 1991) of human cognition and can be transmitted directly, constructivism argues that learning is deeply influenced by teaching context, student beliefs, and attitudes. This supports the emphasis in your project on contextual scenario-setting and role assignment. By allowing students to adopt roles such as team leader or technical designer, they construct an understanding of technological tools (e.g., Arduino) within meaningful social contexts rather than merely memorizing syntax.

2.2 Experiential Learning: A Spiral Process for Transforming Experience into Knowledge
2.2.1 The Experiential Learning Cycle and the Meaning of Each Stage

The core argument of this project is to “construct learning contexts through experience.” David A. Kolb (1984) defines learning as “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.” This is not merely learning by doing, but includes essential reflection and conceptualization processes.

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle consists of four stages:

  1. Concrete Experience (CE)
  2. Reflective Observation (RO)
  3. Abstract Conceptualization (AC)
  4. Active Experimentation (AE)

 

In this Arduino project-based course, these stages are clearly represented:

  • Concrete Experience (CE): Students interact with Arduino hardware or observe real-world pain-points. This aligns with William James’s idea that firsthand experience is the core of learning.
  • Reflective Observation (RO): Students analyze causes using the 5W1H framework (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) or record discussions on platforms like Miro. This is the crucial step in transforming experience into mental representations.
  • Abstract Conceptualization (AC): Students propose solutions and design MVPs (Minimum Viable Products). They convert observations into logical frameworks or design blueprints.
  • Active Experimentation (AE): Students prototype through wiring, coding, and testing. This generates new experience and initiates another learning cycle.

 

Experiential learning emphasizes that learners gain knowledge through active involvement and interaction with people, objects, and contexts. More importantly, reflection and analysis help extract meaningful insights and internalize learning. This aligns with constructivism’s emphasis on learner-centered engagement, where students actively participate and form new understandings through experience.

In Taiwan’s technology and maker-centered classrooms, the learning environment is often designed to increase hands-on experience using tools such as laser cutters or 3D printers. This represents an essential first step—hardware and environmental setup—which lays the foundation for meaningful experiential learning.

Figure 2. A typical technology classroom in a Taiwanese public school, equipped for hands-on learning. (Photo courtesy of New Taipei Municipal Banqiao High School)

Figure 2. A typical technology classroom in a Taiwanese public school, equipped for hands-on learning. (Photo courtesy of New Taipei Municipal Banqiao High School)

2.2.2 Learning as a Continuous Process

You noted in your research outline that one challenge in Taiwanese education is ensuring that experiential learning is “continuous and complete,” rather than occurring only in isolated lessons. This aligns with Dewey and Kolb’s theories. Dewey emphasized the “principle of continuity of experience,” meaning that each experience draws from prior experiences and shapes future ones. Kolb similarly asserted that learning is a continuous process, not an end result.

In this project’s toolkit design, the curriculum is envisioned as a “spiral progression,” rather than discrete hardware activities (e.g., isolated laser-cutting tasks). Kolb (1984)’s Learning Spiral explains that each iteration—from ideation to prototyping to reflection—deepens understanding and enhances the effectiveness of future action.

For learners aged 14 to 17, who are in Piaget’s (1964) Formal Operations stage, the ability to use abstract reasoning to interpret new experiences becomes crucial. This means instruction must involve high levels of abstract conceptualization and active experimentation.

2.2.3 Metacognition and Learner Identity

Kolb & Kolb, (2009) introduced the concept of metacognition, emphasizing that learners must monitor their own learning processes. In your project, tools such as peer evaluation and self-assessment help students reflect on creativity, responsibility, and collaboration. This process supports the formation of learning self-identity—shifting students away from fixed beliefs such as “I’m not good at programming,” toward viewing setbacks as natural components of learning.

A key challenge in Taiwan’s educational context is ensuring that learning experiences form a coherent trajectory—not limited to isolated lessons. Because experiential learning emphasizes process over outcome, students must be supported in constructing personal reasoning patterns across multiple learning cycles.

In the realm of ICT(Information and Communications Technology) education, computing and the internet open boundless access to knowledge, making it even more important to connect learning with personal experience. Learners aged 14–17 must develop adaptability by engaging in all four learning modes—CE, RO, AC, AE—to navigate complex environments effectively.

Within this PBL framework, integrating technology and entrepreneurial thinking, students develop essential life competencies such as problem analysis, resource gathering, teamwork, coordination, execution, and peer feedback. These learning experiences help build foundational real-world capabilities.

2.3 Situated Learning: A Progression from Peripheral Participation to Identity Formation
2.3.1 Theoretical Foundations: Legitimate Peripheral Participation in Communities of Practice

Situated Learning is not merely a teaching strategy but a theoretical perspective that views learning as a social phenomenon. Lave (1991) proposes that learning is not simply knowledge acquisition but participation in Communities of Practice (CoP). Learning becomes part of a generative social practice.

The central mechanism is Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP), where newcomers begin at the periphery, engage in meaningful activities, and gradually move toward full participation. Early contributions—such as simple wiring tasks or basic research—may be small but are authentic and thus highly motivating.

My personal experience also aligns with this theory. In entering the workforce, I narrowed the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills through volunteer participation in groups like Girls in Tech Taiwan and Women Who Code Taipei. These peripheral yet legitimate contributions built real-world collaborative and problem-solving abilities—embodying LPP in practice.

2.3.2 The Dialectic of Learning Transfer: Balancing Abstraction and Context

Applying situated learning to instructional design raises the challenge of learning transfer. Extreme contextualism risks binding knowledge too tightly to specific situations. Anderson & Reder (1996) provide a balanced view:

  • Knowledge is not fully context-bound—skills can transfer.
  • Abstract instruction remains essential—combining principles with examples improves transfer.
  • Part-task training prevents cognitive overload in complex tasks.

Thus, this project does not abandon abstract knowledge (e.g., Arduino syntax). Instead, it seeks a balance between authentic contexts and transferable computational thinking skills.

2.3.3 PBL and the Entrepreneurial Mindset: Shifting from “Doing Assignments” to “Becoming Practitioners”

Project-based Learning transforms classrooms into miniature communities of practice Lave & Wenger, (1991) emphasize that learning involves the “whole person,” meaning it shapes not only actions but identity.

This project integrates PBL with the Entrepreneurial Mindset to accelerate identity transformation:

  • Identity Reconstruction: Students act as entrepreneurs, product managers, or engineers, shifting motivation from “completing assignments” to “becoming capable practitioners.”
  • Value Creation: Entrepreneurial work emphasizes creating meaningful solutions. Students’ iterative contributions gain purpose through recognized use-value.
  • Risk-Taking and Innovation: Entrepreneurial mindset encourages resilience and experimentation—particularly relevant when facing programming or prototyping challenges.

Together, these elements transform learning from mere knowledge exchange (e.g., grades) into a meaningful trajectory where students develop competence, agency, and adaptive expertise.

3. Curriculum Design and Theoretical Practice

This section presents the curriculum design and its theoretical foundations. The “Tech 2.0 Project-Based Learning Toolkit for Teachers” integrates entrepreneurial thinking into an existing Arduino-based project curriculum. The approach is grounded in the stages of the entrepreneurial process described in Promoting Innovations In Education (Raffaella & David E., 2022):

(1)  Coming up with the idea and evaluating/refining it.

This is the most critical first step in the entrepreneurial process, and it usually requires the most time to explore. At this stage, the core objective is to refine the initial idea into a concrete and feasible innovative action through collecting additional information and perspectives, and then organizing and analyzing them strategically.

(2) Planning and gathering the necessary resources.

This stage focuses on planning and acquiring resources, both of which often occur simultaneously and influence each other. During this process, it is recommended to write an informal business plan—at least a written record—to ensure continuous review and alignment. This also helps facilitate the gathering of resources. In addition to finances, funding, and business models, it is essential to identify and ensure that the team has the correct Project Leader (or Champion). Choosing the wrong leader may cause delays or even failure of the project.

(3) Implementing and monitoring the innovation.

Once the planning and resources are in place, the question becomes how to initiate and manage every event and activity within the innovation process. This stage emphasizes examining details, especially during the launch phase, as this may determine the success or failure of the innovation activities. Creativity and perseverance are required in this stage to solve problems and overcome challenges. It is recommended to start activities on a small scale and gradually expand them as more resources become available.

(4) Ensuring long-term sustainability and/or bigger impact, when appropriate.

When an innovation effort succeeds and is worth continuing, it becomes necessary to ensure the possibility of stable and long-term development and further expand its impact.

Entrepreneurial Stage

Learning Objectives

Classroom Activities & Products

Coming up with the idea and evaluating/refining it

Team Formation

Develop students’ ability to collaborate in teams and understand the roles and responsibilities within a project.

1. Form teams of 4–5 students.
2. Assign roles: Project Leader, Researcher, Document Recorder, Hardware Designer, Presentation Designer.

Problem Definition

Develop skills in problem definition and contextual description: students use Design Challenge Cards and the 5W1H method to construct concrete scenarios, clarify the problem, and position the product.

1. Use Design Challenge Cards (Object, Character, Event, Limitation) to build a concrete scenario.
2. Use the 5W1H method to clarify What, Why, Who, and When/Where.
3. Use AI tools to support scenario description and information search.

Planning and gathering the necessary resources

Solution Proposal

Grasp the concepts of solution proposal and Minimum Viable Product (MVP): students analyze the problem, practice reverse thinking, and define MVP functions and initial concept sketches.

1. Clarify and list the real problem(s).
2. Conduct a “reverse the problem” discussion to examine feasibility and constraints.
3. Define the functions of the MVP and create concept sketches.

Implementing and monitoring the innovation

Prototype Development

Develop students’ abilities in hardware ideation, prototype sketching, programming, and hands-on construction using recycled materials.

1. The Hardware Designer plans Arduino functionality and selects components from the materials kit.
2. The Presentation/Visual Designer draws a hand-sketched prototype.
3. Begin programming and experimenting with ways to present the project.
4. Prepare necessary recycled materials for prototyping.

Feedback and Iteration

Enable students to confirm product direction and details with the Angel Investor (teacher), continuously refine the MVP, and prepare both written reports and oral presentations.

Introduce the teacher as the angel investor and what’s the role of it in the real-life situation.

1. Confirm the product direction and details with the teacher as angel investor.
2. Continuously refine and improve the MVP.
3. Begin preparing written reports and oral presentations.

Ensuring long-term sustainability and/or bigger impact, when appropriate

Final Presentation and Demonstration

Help students master the structure of an effective presentation, including team roles, problem definition, solution/product positioning, MVP functions, and prototype demonstration.

1. Deliver a 3-minute pitch.
2. Suggested presentation structure: team and roles, problem definition, solution/product positioning, MVP function explanation, and prototype demonstration.
3. Evaluation criteria include: clarity of problem explanation, creativity and feasibility of the solution, quality of MVP demonstration, overall presentation design, oral presentation and teamwork, and Q&A performance and understanding.

Assessment, Peer Review, and Reflection

Through teacher evaluation, inter-group peer review, and intra-group peer assessment, cultivate students’ creativity, sense of responsibility, initiative in helping others, collaborative listening, emotional stability, and reflective thinking.

1. Teacher evaluation and peer review among groups.
2. Intra-group peer assessment (cooperation): scoring based on five indicators—creativity, responsibility, initiative in helping others, collaboration and listening, and emotional stability.
3. Students complete a self-evaluation form to reflect on and review the entire project-based learning process.
Lesson Plan Design (using the first session as the template for format and activity structure)

The course consists of a total of 8–10 sessions, with each session planned for 45 minutes. The structure will be adjusted based on Taiwan’s “12-Year Basic Education Competency-Based Curriculum Framework”.

The following is the instructional design for the first session, integrated with the key entrepreneurial-stage goals outlined in Raffaella & Constance (2009). The related explanations are as follows:

  1. Core Competencies: Refer to Curriculum Guidelines of 12 -Year Basic Education_Genenal Guidelines (Ministry of Education Taiwan, 2021)
  2. Entrepreneurial Stages: Align with the stages outlined in Practices for Stages of Entrepreneurial Process (Raffaella & Constance, 2009) and develop corresponding learning objectives for each lesson.
  3. Cultivating Entrepreneurial Thinking: Draw on the practical elements for developing innovative thinking described in Practices for Stages of Entrepreneurial Process (Raffaella & Constance, 2009).  For each learning activity, design example entrepreneurial-oriented guiding questions for teachers, using inquiry to help students explore topics such as “building a startup and forming a team,” “proposing an innovative idea for group thinking,” and “identifying how to connect resources to solve a problem.”

This lesson plan will continue to be refined and expanded with new ideas. It is itself a process of practicing “innovation.”

Lesson Plan Template (Lesson 1): Project Initiation & Team Building

Subject Area

Technology  /ICT

Designer

Huang, Chung-Ying

Grade Level

8th Grade

Class Period

Total 10 periods; this is Period 1

Unit Title

The Startup Classroom:  An Entrepreneurial PBL Toolkit for (Tech) Educators

Lesson Title

Project Initiation & Team Building

Design Basis

Learning Focus

Learning Performance

• Build teamwork through collaborative tasks and understand the importance of role distribution.

• Use digital tools (e.g., Miro, AI assistants) to explore problems and plan projects.

Core Competencies

A1 系統思考與問題解決能力： 能以創意思維分析並定義問題。

B2 科技運用與創新實踐： 能運用資訊科技進行創意設計與製作。

C1 溝通表達與團隊合作： 能在團隊中進行角色分工與協作。

Learning Content

• Team roles: Leader, Researcher, Recorder, Hardware Designer, Presentation Designer.

• Understanding the Project-Based Learning (PBL) framework.

Integrated Issues

Essential Concepts

• Technology Education: Emphasizes technology as a tool for innovation and problem-solving.

• Career Planning: Understands workplace roles through entrepreneurial simulation and role division.

Entrepreneurial Stage

• Team Formation: Developing teamwork and understanding responsibilities within different project roles.

Teaching Materials

• Teacher-created materials: “Arduino Project-Based Learning: Key Skills for Problem-Solving and Project Design.”

• “Project-Based Learning in Technology Class – Structure.”

• Online tools: Miro, AI tools (ChatGPT / Gemini / ChatEverywhere), Google Workspace.

Equipment and Resources

Computer lab, Arduino Kit, Internet access, projector, Miro collaborative whiteboard.

Learning Objectives – Period 1

1. Understand the basic process of project-based learning (PBL).

2. Form a team of 4–5 members and clearly define each member’s role.

3. Use AI tools and online whiteboards for project planning.
               

Activity Design

Teaching Activities & Implementation

Time

Entrepreneurial Mindset Development

Motivation: The teacher introduces the task as an “entrepreneurial challenge,” explaining that students will begin the project as a startup team.

• Play the video “1 Minute to Pitch Your Startup.”

Entrepreneurial Guiding Questions:

  1. Where have you recently seen others experiencing inconvenience or problems?
  2. If you could solve one small issue in school life, what would it be?
  3. Is there something you often think: “Why has no one thought of doing this?”

 

Activity 1: Team Formation and Role Assignment

Students form teams of 4–5 people and enter member names and roles on a Miro board.

Suggested roles: Leader, Researcher, Recorder, Hardware Designer, Presentation Designer.

Entrepreneurial Guiding Questions:

  1. If your group were a startup, which role would you take? Why?
  2. What qualities are important in a strong entrepreneurial team?
  3. How is an “entrepreneurial team” different from a regular group?

 

Activity 2: Scenario Card Challenge

Each group draws a scenario card and brainstorms potential problems or themes.

Scenario card components: Object / Character / Event / Limitation.

Entrepreneurial Guiding Questions:

  1. Who is most affected by this problem? Why does it matter?
  2. How is this problem currently being solved? Is there a better way?
  3. If your solution succeeds, what changes will it bring?

 

Activity 3: Group Sharing and Feedback

Groups briefly present their team structure and problem direction. The teacher provides initial feedback.

Entrepreneurial Guiding Questions:

  1. Which team’s idea demonstrates the strongest entrepreneurial spirit? Why?
  2. Is this idea truly feasible? What support would be needed?
  3. If you were the investor, which team would you invest in?

 

Conclusion & Reflection

Each team summarizes their problem in one sentence (Elevator Pitch):

“We will design [solution] for [target users] to solve [problem].

Entrepreneurial Guiding Questions:

  1. What is the most important thing you learned today?
  2. How would you apply entrepreneurial thinking when facing future problems?

10 mins








15 mins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 mins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 mins

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 mins

 A1. Proactively seeking to understand your clients’ unmet needs

A2. Looking at what is going on in your organization to recognize unmet needs and potential  opportunities

B1.Using a specific problem/challenge experienced by your clients as stimulus for a new initiative

B2. Using a specific problem/challenge experienced in your own practice as stimulus for a new initiative

 

 

Trial teaching results: (not required items)

References: (Please list if applicable)

Slide – Arduino Project-Based Learning / Chung-Ying(Joannie), Huang

List of Practices Specific to Each Stage of the Innovation Process / Raffaella Borasi & Constance Flahive, 2009; revised in 2022

Appendix (optional)

 

4. Results and Future Prospects: From Classroom Practice to Educational Policy

4.1 Project Reflection: Reconnecting Theory and Practice

During my participation in the Fulbright DAI Program at the University of Rochester, the in-depth exploration of classical theories such as Situated Learning, Experiential Learning, and Constructivism provided a renewed theoretical perspective on the “Project-Based Learning (PBL)” and “Learning by Doing” approaches I have been implementing in Taiwan’s technology education settings.

According to Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger’s (1991) theory of situated learning, learning should not be understood merely as the transmission of abstract knowledge; rather, it is fundamentally a process of participating in a Community of Practice. Reflecting on the “Arduino Project-Based Course” I conducted last semester (see Appendix for instructional materials), students progressed from defining the problem (e.g., power-outage survival), brainstorming solutions, to developing MVPs (Minimum Viable Products). This sequence exemplifies how learners gradually move from Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) toward more central forms of practice.

However, translating these theories into concrete curriculum design often presents challenges. In Taiwan, situated learning has traditionally been narrowly associated with outdoor education or environmental education. In contrast, I believe that the classroom itself should be transformed into a learning environment interwoven with authentic real-life scenarios. From a constructivist perspective, knowledge is actively constructed by learners, not passively received. Therefore, the purpose of my “Educator Project” toolkit is to support technology teachers in breaking through the physical boundaries of the classroom. Through Arduino and programming, students accumulate their own experiential knowledge by solving real-world problems—such as designing self-watering systems or disaster-prevention devices.

4.2 Introducing a New Pedagogical Paradigm with AI: Co-Creation and Individualized Scaffolding

In the future development of this project, Generative AI will play a crucial role as both a “co-creator” and a source of “scaffolding.”

In traditional PBL instruction, teachers are often constrained by time and capacity, making it difficult to meet the individual needs of all students. This limitation frequently results in whole-class instruction that lacks personalization. As emphasized in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, meaningful learning requires progression through concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation.

My vision is to integrate AI into every phase of instructional design within the toolkit developed for this project:

  • Outsourcing divergent thinking: AI can help teachers and students generate diverse problem scenarios and creative solutions—for example, using “Chat Everywhere” to support 5W1H ideation—allowing both groups to focus on higher-level critical thinking and decision-making.
  • Personalized learning pathways: Through interactions with AI, students can receive guidance and feedback that better reflect their personal experiences. This enables individualized support aligned with Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).
  • Data-driven instructional refinement: Teachers will shift into the roles of facilitators and observers, focusing on collecting data from students’ interactions with AI, their learning feedback, and project outcomes. These accumulated datasets will become valuable resources for refining future lesson plans and potentially training education-specific AI models.

Technology originates from human needs—and should respond to them. Through the integration of AI and PBL, we are not merely teaching programming skills; we are cultivating students’ confidence and capacity to tackle complex challenges in the future.

4.3 Project Dissemination and Implementation Plan

Timeline

Phase Goal

Activities and Expected Outcomes

Dec 2025

Project Anchoring

Completion of the Fulbright DAI Program and formal submission of the full framework for “The Startup Classroom: An Entrepreneurial Project-Based Learning Toolkit for Tech Educators.”

Feb–Jun 2026

Community Expansion

Host Fulbright DAI experience-sharing sessions for Taiwanese educators, school teachers, and teacher-education faculty. Share U.S. experiences and introduce AI-integrated instructional applications from the toolkit. Establish an initial practitioner community.

Jul–Aug 2026

Complete the full 8-10-week lesson plan

Complete the full 8–10-week lesson plan design and launch a summer teacher workshop. Through the “teacher-as-learner” model, participants will experience the PBL process from ideation to implementation, helping refine the toolkit’s usability.

Lesson Plan Refinement

Refine the full-lesson plan version for teachers.

Sep 2026 and beyond

Implementation and Iteration

Implement the curriculum in actual classrooms. Collect student feedback and artifacts; host open classroom observations and invite technology educators for collaborative reflection. Utilize empirical data to inform the design and development of AI-based learning support tools tailored to this curriculum.
4.4 From Micro-Level Teaching to Macro-Level Policy: Insights from the University of Rochester

The ambition of this project extends beyond the creation of instructional materials; it seeks to catalyze a systemic shift in educational thinking. During my time as a Fulbright DAI visiting scholar at the University of Rochester, I had the opportunity to take Dr. Karen DeAngelis’s course, Policy Analysis in Education. This course opened a profoundly important macro-level perspective for me.

In class, we examined how policy functions as a lever for driving educational change. I came to deeply understand that even when frontline teachers possess innovative teaching strategies—such as AI integration and situated learning highlighted in this project—such innovations rarely spread widely without flexible policy frameworks and adaptable curricula to support them.

As we confront the rapid advancements of the AI era, global education stands at a pivotal moment of paradigm shift. What is needed is not further standardization, but policies that allow for experimentation, encourage diverse learning pathways, and legitimize innovation. Therefore, my future aspirations include:

  • Bottom-up policy advocacy: Using evidence-based data collected from real classroom implementation to demonstrate how situated learning and PBL enhance students’ technological literacy and problem-solving abilities.
  • Engaging in policy dialogue: Applying the policy analysis frameworks learned at Rochester to actively participate in discussions on Taiwan’s technology education policy and curriculum reform. My goal is to advocate for greater flexibility within policy, allowing authentic contexts and social interaction to be legitimately and organically incorporated into formal education.
  • Building systemic connections: Bridging academic theories (Situated Learning / Constructivism), instructional practice (Arduino / AI-infused PBL), and educational policy—serving as a link among the three.

I hope that The Startup Classroom can become a seed—planting not only of technological and innovative competencies in students, but also of nurturing a future educational landscape in Taiwan that is more flexible, adaptive, and capable of supporting meaningful and transformative learning.

5. Reference

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Picture of Chuang Ying (Joannie) Huang 黃鐘瑩

Chuang Ying (Joannie) Huang 黃鐘瑩

Joannie Huang leverages her technical expertise to champion education and female empowerment in Taiwan through organizations like PyLadies and Girls in Tech. Now working as a teacher and administrator, she develops innovative coding curriculums to help the next generation connect with the world. Her mission is to transform education by prioritizing a growth mindset over simple skill acquisition.

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Research & Reflections

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