I have been Unit Chairing and teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate units. My teaching philosophy revolves around mentoring students to 'Think critically, execute creatively'. This mantra has been a driving force in the way I design, implement, and assess teaching strategies in both online and offline education setting.

Over the past years, I have engaged students through innovative teaching approaches:  using videos, photographs and memes to discuss complex theories; using case studies to unpack contemporary issues on media and communications; drawing upon my industry-based experiences in explaining key concepts and issues; deploying Q&As during workshops; teaching students to use mobile devices and networked platforms for creative and critical expression; disseminating  accessible assessment guidelines; providing FAQs and a User Guide to assist students in completing assessments; and initiating and sharing learning support documents through online platforms.

More recently, I have begun incorporating Lego as part of teaching concepts and case studies in my teaching style. This approach started when I used Lego to curate and visualise the stories of my participants in my most recent project on ageing migrants' digital practices during the pandemic. On top of using Lego visuals for teaching,I have also incorporated strategies and approaches for students to understand how research can be utilised to create communication and creative campaigns. This means ensuring students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to understand and translate a communication brief into either a project, a program, or diverse contents that are evidence-based, well-researched, and aligning with the project brief's goals and target audience.

I have received commendation for my innovative teaching strategies. In 2019, I received a recognition of achievement in student satisfaction at Deakin University. In 2018, I was recognised for Excellent Teaching Results in the same university. Prior to joining Deakin University, I received the Faculty of Arts Dean’s Sessional Commendation in 2015 at Monash University.

In 2021, I completed a Graduate Certificate of Higher Education (Learning and Teaching).

I have taught the following units:

As a Lecturer (Deakin University)

• ALC 302: Digital Media Entrepreneurship
• ALC 703: Digital Curation
• ALR 703: Digital Marketing
• ALM 101: Making Social Media
• ALC 708: Social Media Content Creation
• ACC 303: Communication Research Practices

As a Unit Chair (Deakin University)

• ALC 215: Global Media
• ALA 101: Advertising Principles and Practice
• ALA 102: Creative Brand Communication
• ALM 102: Making Video

As a Lecturer (Monash University)

• ATS 2440: The Public Sphere (S2, 2017)
• ATS 2250: Communications and Cultures in the Global Era (S2, 2017)
• ATS 1279: Media and Culture (S1, 2018)
• APG 5856: Research Project (S1, 2018)

As a Teaching Associate (Monash University):

• ATS 1279: Media and Culture (S1, 2015; S1, 2016, and; S1 2017)
• ATS 1280: Understanding the media (S2, 2015; S2, 2016, and; S2, 2017)
• ATS 2561: Sex and the media (S1, 2017)
• APG 4400:Issues in International Communication (S2, 2016)

As a Minor Thesis Supervisor (Monash University):

• APG 5742 Communications Research Project (S1, 2016, S2, 2016; S1, 2017, and; S2, 2017)
• APG 5856: Research Project (S1, 2018)

SELECTED STUDENT FEEDBACK

AS A LECTURER (DEAKIN UNIVERSITY)

ALR703: Digital Marketing

In response to the question: "What are the most helpful aspects of this unit?"

• Earvin made this class so much fun - he has a great personality and a great approach to teaching and made digital marketing a really great experience! (Student A)

 

• The innovativeness, flexibility and creative learning, I really enjoy the workshops discussing with different people and practical work help me to think in different angles and develop new ideas. (Student B)

 

• The resources Earvin used were very current, well considered, relevant and highly organised. The resources used helped me to ground and extend my knowledge. (Student C)

 

• I really appreciated connecting with my classmates and lecturer through weekly Zoom sessions. As an online student it enhanced my learning and kept me motivated. I learned a lot through weekly online Zoom activities and the group structure of these sessions. (Student D)

 

• What I appreciated about his unit were the practical real-world tasks and exercises that left me feeling at least a little more prepared for the workforce, and his goal to make us confident marketeers. I also appreciated how each week was geared towards preparing us how to do our assignments. I also really enjoyed the 3 interviews he did with famous Digital Marketeers – they were really engaging and I liked how carefully Earvin chose his questions to help and prepare his students for our weekly seminar. Thank you, Earvin, I looked forward to this class every week. (Student E)

ALC 302: Digital Media Entrepreneurship

In response to the question: "What are the most helpful aspects of this unit?"

• The breakdown of each individual section of the assignments for the templates as well as the additional helpful FAQ's and information on what to write and how to approach the assignment was very helpful. Some of the weekly activities were also helpful in the lead-up to assignments (student A).

 

• The information we receive in the unit and the ability to reinforce this information by practicing skills gained in the assignments (student B).

 

• The innovativeness, flexibility and creative learning, I really enjoy the workshops, discussing with different people and practical work help me to think in different angles and develop new ideas (student C).

 

• Earvin was a pleasure to learn from. Each class was engaging and hands-on. He created a warm and positive learning environment that enabled me to be at ease and fully participate in activities and discussions. He also provided adequate learning resources on the Cloud – on top of that, they were well-organised and clearly labelled. He was also very responsive and explains things well and thoroughly. Nothing but praise, really. :D (student D).

 

• I like the way how Earvin teaches his students, he has huge engagement and he places himself as a mentor (student E).

 

• A very friendly teacher and his teaching was truly helpful and educational, I have come out of this unit learning so many new things I have not learned previously and it is safe to say that I am far more knowledgeable in regards to my major because of his class. I am thankful for his help and will keep his teachings in mind as I continue to grow up. (Student F)

ALC703: Digital Curation

In response to the question: "What are the most helpful aspects of this unit?"

• A focus on collaborative work inside the classroom helped everyone engage with diverse viewpoints and curatorial practices, promote teamwork and deliver on class exercises rapidly and effectively (student A).

 

• Combined with Earvin's extensive knowledge on the subject matter, this made the unit experience helpful and essential (student B). 

 

• The course was very interactive and encouraged class participation. I really enjoyed the teaching method of Prof. Cabalquinto and think that he has the right attitude towards teaching in an engaging way (student C).

 

• Great content and a well structured unit. The lecturer delivered content in an engaging way. Full of charisma and energy made online lectures easy to listen too (student D).

 

• Earvin's sense of humour was the clear stand out for me. It made the weekly webinars an absolute delight. Then when you add in his range & depth of knowledge in digital media, and ability to provide insight across the spectrum, it made for a really fantastic learning experience. I particularly enjoyed taking this unit online -it at no time felt like a lesser option, or a shortcut etc. And the final assessment topped it all off - addressing the skills component via a social issue allowed me to  approach it with enthusiasm, and less rigidity than a more traditional academic assignment. (Student E)

 

• The unit unpacks dimensions of digital curation, enabling students to apply these considerations to
  social media. Through the exercises we learn to harness the affordances of a primarily visual
  platform to advocate for a social issue. As Instagram is usually used for self promotion it was
  rewarding utilising the platform for greater good. using theories of curation to underpin
  communication strategies, I now feel confident in producing and curating collections that engage,
  educate and advocate. (Student F)

 

• Earvin is an excellent mentor, providing well written and insightful modules each week. He takes time to create weekly engaging videos to assist in identifying and clarifying key points from readings. He is always encouraging and supportive. I have had the pleasure of being taught by Earvin over 2 trimesters so far and have wanted to nominate him for a teaching award on both occasions. A five star teacher that is an amazing asset to Deakin. (Student G)

AS A LECTURER (MONASH UNIVERSITY)

The Public Sphere
​

• The lecturer is pretty great (student A).

 

• The lecturer had so much energy. It was good. I liked the assessments and doing group work helped us understand the public sphere more (student B)

 

• The enthusiasm of our professor was extremely contagious and he made going to class fun (student C).

 

• How my amazing lecturer Earvin delivered his lecture makes this unit so effective that I could understand the theories in a more comprehensive way. Unlike the other media and comm units I took before, Earvin tried to teach us theories and stuff in an interesting way. He encouraged us to speak and give out ideas, which have helped me to think critically but not sitting and listening to the lecture. The media project assessment is an amazing idea that I tried to make what we've learnt in the first few weeks applicable and practical. I found this assessment is the most effective way for us to learn (student D).

 

• Earvin's enthusiasm and ability to get people involved was so inspiring and really helped with the enjoyment of the content (when you have a teacher who is passionate it makes easier to learn). I really liked the group work tasks and activities per week (student E). 

Communications and Cultures in the global era

• Earvin's enthusiasm is contagious and made the classroom a welcoming, engaging environment (student A)

 

• The lecturer is really the most effective aspect of the unit. Without him, this unit may have gone wrong due to the assessments tasks and how the unit is taught (student B).

 

• Earvin is an amazing lecturer, and just made coming to class fun. I really enjoyed his lecturing style that kept the class inspired and motivated (student C).

 

• I really liked all the videos during the lecture because they gave an example about what Earvin was talking about (student D).

 

• How Earvin delivered the lecture. He used a lot of personal examples as a migrant in Australia and his personal experience to further elaborate the theories (student E).

 

• The lecturer Earvin was very good as he injected in a sense of laughter and life to the class. Without him, the unit would not be as fun (student F). 

 

• Earvin's teaching style. I LOVE HIM (student G).

AS A TEACHING ASSOCIATE (MONASH UNIVERSITY)

• This semester with Communications and Society had been quite an insightful and wonderful experience. This was mainly due to the fun and exciting tutorials that we had with Earvin as he was able to bring a twist and exciting method of teaching differently and bringing upon insightful discussions within class. Some of the most memorable moments would have to be times in which words associated with social media had to be mimed to the class as well as the moment in which there was a mimic of pass to parcel in that when the music stopped you had to answer as question about radio.

 

• What separated this unit from any other I have taken so far at university were the tutorials. My tutor, Earvin, has been the best tutor I have ever had. I don’t often get excited about going to university, as after a while the novelty wears off and the reality of hard work sets in. This was not the case for my Understanding the Media tutorials. I looked forward to each and every lesson as Earvin made every class so fun and entertaining. He encouraged us to observe media from different perspectives and ensured that we were contributing and actively involving ourselves in every class, not just sitting back on our phones.

 

• My tutor, Mr. Cabalquinto, was very engaging and dedicated to his job. His questions used for class discussion have really been useful in understand the weekly topics and exploring the different concepts that come with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the class discussions as it allowed everyone to have a say because everyone has different thoughts and ideas for the questions.

 

• The aspect that I most enjoyed this semester would have to be the teaching methods of Earvin. His approach to teaching this unit is one that I have not seen throughout three years of tertiary education. Rather than merely listening to someone speak for sixty minutes, Earvin encouraged and would include every single person in class discussion and questions. This is something I felt was extremely beneficial as after each tutorial, I honestly felt that I had gained knowledge from what was taught. Whilst I believe other communication subjects are quite dry and bland, Earvin managed to make each class fun always including references to pop culture that the class could relate to.

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