MeiRong Alice Chen | Arts and Humanities | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. MeiRong Alice Chen | Arts and Humanities | Best Researcher Award

Associate professor, Soochow University Taiwan Taiwan

Dr. Mei-Rong Alice Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Soochow University and a researcher at the Empower Vocational Education Research Center. With over 20 years of academic experience, she specializes in Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL), AI-driven digital learning, and TESL. She has led multiple National Science and Technology Council projects on AI-integrated education and received prestigious awards, including the 2024 Digital Humanities Innovation Award. Dr. Chen collaborates with renowned institutions like Kyoto University and National Taichung University of Education, advancing AI applications in education globally.

Publication Profile

Scopus

Scholar

🎓 Education

Dr. Chen holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, focusing on digital learning and AI-driven language education. Her academic journey includes advanced research in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Learning Analytics. She has conducted pioneering studies on metacognitive learning strategies, AI chatbot-assisted EFL education, and digital literacy development. Her interdisciplinary expertise integrates linguistics, educational technology, and artificial intelligence in modern pedagogy.

💼 Experience

With over two decades in academia, Dr. Chen has served as an Associate Professor at Soochow University and contributed to AI-driven educational research at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. She has led numerous AI-integrated education projects, enhancing English learning through digital platforms. Her international collaborations with institutions like Kyoto University and Hacettepe University further her impact in global educational technology advancements.

🏆 Awards & Honors

Dr. Chen has received the 2024 Digital Humanities Innovation Award and the Distinguished Academic Research Performance Award for her contributions to AI-enhanced language learning. She has been nominated for the Best Researcher Award and has published extensively in top-tier journals. Her work has been widely cited, earning an H-index of 13 and over 1,500 citations since 2020.

🔍 Research Focus

Dr. Chen specializes in AI-driven digital learning, EFL education, and metacognitive learning strategies. Her research explores AI chatbot-assisted learning, generative AI applications in education, and social mediation in augmented real-world environments. She is currently developing AI-integrated writing assistance platforms and AI-driven oral English learning tools, revolutionizing digital language education methodologies.

Publication Top Notes

  • Title: Emergency Online Learning in Low-Resource Settings: Effective Student Engagement Strategies
    Year: 2021
    Authors: V. Abou-Khalil, S. Helou, E. Khalifé, M.R.A. Chen, R. Majumdar, H. Ogata
    Citations: 271

 

  • Title: Roles and Research Foci of Artificial Intelligence in Language Education: An Integrated Bibliographic Analysis and Systematic Review Approach
    Year: 2021
    Authors: J.C. Liang, G.J. Hwang, M.R.A. Chen, Darmawansah
    Citations: 244

 

  • Title: Effects of a Concept Mapping‐Based Flipped Learning Approach on EFL Students’ English Speaking Performance, Critical Thinking Awareness, and Speaking Anxiety
    Year: 2020
    Authors: M.R.A. Chen, G.J. Hwang
    Citations: 181

 

  • Title: A Reflective Thinking-Promoting Approach to Enhancing Graduate Students’ Flipped Learning Engagement, Participation Behaviors, Reflective Thinking, and Project Learning Outcomes
    Year: 2019
    Authors: M.R.A. Chen, G.J. Hwang, Y.Y. Chang
    Citations: 151

 

  • Title: Goal-Oriented Active Learning (GOAL) System to Promote Reading Engagement, Self-Directed Learning Behavior, and Motivation in Extensive Reading
    Year: 2021
    Authors: H. Li, R. Majumdar, M.R.A. Chen, H. Ogata
    Citations: 134

 

  • Title: Effects of Experiencing Authentic Contexts on English Speaking Performances, Anxiety, and Motivation of EFL Students with Different Cognitive Styles
    Year: 2020
    Authors: M.R.A. Chen, G.J. Hwang
    Citations: 119

 

  • Title: Trends and Research Foci of Robotics-Based STEM Education: A Systematic Review from Diverse Angles Based on the Technology-Based Learning Model
    Year: 2023
    Authors: D. Darmawansah, G.J. Hwang, M.R.A. Chen, J.C. Liang
    Citations: 105

 

  • Title: Effects of Integrating a Concept Mapping-Based Summarization Strategy into Flipped Learning on Students’ Reading Performances and Perceptions
    Year: 2020
    Authors: G.J. Hwang, M.R.A. Chen
    Citations: 68

 

  • Title: Research Trends in the Use of E-Books in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Education from 2011 to 2020: A Bibliometric and Content Analysis
    Year: 2021
    Authors: M.R.A. Chen, G.J. Hwang, R. Majumdar, Y. Toyokawa, H. Ogata
    Citations: 55

 

  • Title: Analysis of Self-Directed Learning Ability, Reading Outcomes, and Personalized Planning Behavior for Self-Directed Extensive Reading
    Year: 2021
    Authors: H. Li, R. Majumdar, M.R.A. Chen, Y. Yang, H. Ogata
    Citations: 33

 

  • Title: Learning Analytics of Humanities Course: Reader Profiles in Critical Reading Activity
    Year: 2021
    Authors: R. Majumdar, G. Bakilapadavu, R. Majumder, M.R.A. Chen, B. Flanagan
    Citations: 27

 

  • Title: Exploring Student Approaches to Learning Through Sequence Analysis of Reading Logs
    Year: 2020
    Authors: G. Akçapinar, M.R.A. Chen, R. Majumdar, B. Flanagan, H. Ogata
    Citations: 24

 

  • Title: A Reading Engagement-Promoting Strategy to Facilitate EFL Students’ Mobile Learning Achievement, Behavior, and Engagement
    Year: 2022
    Authors: M.R.A. Chen, G.J. Hwang, Y.H. Lin, V. Abou-Khalil, L. Huiyong, H. Ogata
    Citations: 14

 

 

Tevedzerai Gijimah | Arts and Humanities | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Tevedzerai Gijimah | Arts and Humanities | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Tevedzerai Gijimah, a seasoned academic at Midlands State University, specializes in African languages and cultural studies. With a Ph.D. in Literature and Philosophy from UNISA and extensive teaching experience, she excels in linguistics, discourse analysis, and media representation. Dr. Gijimah has supervised numerous dissertations and published extensively on language revitalization and cultural dynamics in Zimbabwe. Her research, spanning from code-switching in popular media to colonial place naming politics, reflects a commitment to decolonial studies and African identity. She is also an active member of academic committees and contributes significantly to her field through workshops and conferences.

Profile

Scopus

Orcid

🎓Professional Qualifications

  • Post-Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education: Midlands State University, 2014

🎓Academic Qualifications

Doctor of Literature and Philosophy (African Languages): UNISA, 2017, M.A. in Applied English Linguistics: 2012, M.A. in African Languages & Literature: Midlands State University, 2010, B.A. Honours in African Languages & Culture: Midlands State University, 2004

📚Titles of Dissertations

PhD Thesis: Representation of traditional and faith healers in selected Zimbabwean Newspapers. Masters Dissertation: Code-switching in Popular Drama: A case of Studio 263. Masters Dissertation: Code-Switching as a struggle against the hegemony of English: The case of Midlands State University

🏆Bursaries and Awards

  • Midlands State University Book Prize for the M.A. in Applied English Linguistics – 2012
  • UNISA Financial Aid Bursary for DLitt et Phil Studies

🎓 University Employment and Experience

Lecturer (Languages, Literature and Cultural studies): 2021 to date, Lecturer (African Languages and Culture Department): September 2016 to 2021, Temporary Full-time lecturer (African Languages and Culture Department): September 2012- September 2016, Teaching Assistant (African Languages and Culture Department): March 2012- September 2012, Teaching Assistant (Communication Skills Centre): April 2008 – February 2012

🏛University Service

  • Faculty representative – Communication Skills Committee
  • Former Departmental Open Day Coordinator
  • Departmental Research Coordinator

📚Research Profile & Publications

Book Chapters

  1. Ambivalence in Hoseah Chipanga’s music: A Critical Analysis.
  2. Dynamics in the Marginalisation of Nambya in Zimbabwe’s Education System.

Journal Articles

  • Several articles in journals like Journal of African Indigenous Languages and Literature, International Journal of Linguistics, Journal of African Security, Peace and Tolerance Studies, and more.

 

💻Computer Skills

    • MS Word, MS Power Point, Excel, Internet & E-mail

Publications Top Notes 📝

 

  • Honouring and praising mothers through song: analysing selected songs of Zimdancehall artist, Tocky Vibes
    • Type: Article in Press
    • Journal: African Identities
    • Publication Date: 2024
    • Contributors: C. Tembo, T. Gijimah, A.T. Maganga

 

  • The politics of colonial residential place names in Zvishavane, Zimbabwe: unmasking European hegemony
    • Type: Article in Press
    • Journal: African Identities
    • Publication Date: 2023
    • Contributors: T. Gijimah, C. Tembo, A.T. Maganga

 

  • The intersections of comedy and politics in Zimbabwe: analysing Baba Tencen’s ‘Borderphobia’ and Prosper Ngomashi’s ‘Pastor and his wives’
    • Type: Journal Article
    • Journal: South African Theatre Journal
    • Publication Date: 2022
    • Volume and Issue: 35(2), pp. 79–97
    • Contributors: C. Tembo, A.T. Maganga, T. Gijimah

 

  • Interrogating the forces that condition media representation of traditional healers in selected Zimbabwean newspapers
    • Type: Journal Article
    • Journal: South African Journal of African Languages
    • Publication Date: 2020
    • Volume and Issue: 40(2), pp. 208–217
    • Contributors: T. Gijimah, D. Mutasa