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A group of 16 New Jersey educators, including teachers from New Jersey schools and William Paterson University students and faculty, recently returned from a four-week visit to South Korea, funded by a U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grant. Led by William Paterson professors Dr. Carrie Eunyoung Hong, literacy, and Dr. Kyung-Hyan Angie Yoo, communication, the group explored pedagogical and technological innovations in South Korean educational settings to enhance their teaching practices.
Their project, "Enriching Education through Cross-cultural Exploration: Learning from Technology and Pedagogy Innovations in South Korea," received a $168,280 Fulbright-Hays grant and was one of 32 such project awardees selected nationwide in 2023. The project focuses on comparative exploration of the South Korean education systems and practices with those in the United States; immersion in Korea's rich history and vibrant culture, and technological advancements, including how artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and social media are shaping the future of education.
"Interest in Asian and Asian American history has increased in New Jersey public education, especially with the mandate to teach Asian history two years ago,” says Professor Carrie Hong. “However, history and cultural education in American public schools still focus primarily on China and Japan. The William Paterson University training group plans to develop Korea-focused curricula based on their experiences in Korea and distribute educational materials that other teachers can use.”
To achieve these goals, the group participated in several activities, including a visit to the Suwon Academy of World Languages High School, teaching classes on subjects including English, science, social studies, and art. This interaction helped the educators understand Korean education by engaging directly with high school students. In addition, the educators traveled to cities such as Seoul, Kongju, Sejong, Jeonju, Busan, and Gyeongju, participating in enrichment activities, visiting historical landmarks, and attending seminars at educational institutions.
The program also includes a Korea-U.S. teacher matching initiative, where 29 Korean and American teachers and pre-service teachers collaborate through AI-enhanced communication. This exchange aims to improve mutual understanding and share innovative educational practices.
“With the recent rapid development of educational technology, there is growing interest in utilizing various digital technologies in American education,” says Professor Angie Yoo. “We hope to learn from Korea's exemplary cases of digital-based educational innovation to enhance accessibility in education.”
This project marks William Paterson University’s second teacher training program in Korea. In 2014, the University also received this grant and has continued to foster Korea-U.S. educational exchanges through various grants and programs. Recently, through the SEED Grant from the Korea Foundation, the University successfully organized summer training in Korea for 13 undergraduate students over the past three years (2020-2023) and established a Korean studies minor in 2022.
*Fulbright-Hays GPA Grant: Founded in 1946 by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright Program is highly competitive and selects awardees nationwide each year. This grant is provided by the U.S. Department of Education and the International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office. The grant supports overseas projects involving training, research, and curriculum development in world languages and area studies for teachers, students, and faculty.
