My Teaching Journey

Emily Carr University of Art + Design

I have always advocated for education and learning, instilled by deep family values on education growing up. I started my teaching journey as a Teaching Fellow at Emily Carr University in 2023 during my graduate studies. Following this, I became a Sessional Instructor after graduating in 2024.

This experience of teaching various undergraduate and teens program courses have helped shape my understanding of course design and classroom facilitation as well as deepened my passion and advocacy for education and learning.

Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver.

Courses I developed & taught:

INDD 200 - Industrial Design 2nd Year Core Studio

INDD 203 - Freehand Drawing & Drafting

INDD 315 - Human Fit: Applied Ergonomics

SCIE 217 - Science Ergonomics

Junior Arts Institute - Design for the Future

My Teaching Philosophy

Inspired by my family's strong emphasis on education, I believe learning is a transformative force that empowers individuals to reshape how they see and interact with the world. As an educator bridging both design and STEM disciplines, my goal is to spark a lifelong curiosity within my students. I aim to cultivate this through active critical thinking, a collaborative and inclusive studio culture, and real-world application that extends well beyond the walls of the classroom. 

Three core principles define my teaching philosophy:

1. Experiential and Tangible Learning

True understanding happens through hands-on learning and doing. Rather than relying solely on lectures or demonstrations, I prioritize direct hands-on experiences that allow students to engage with complex concepts physically and cognitively. Grounded in principles of embodied cognition, interactive problem-solving enables students to translate abstract theoretical ideas into concrete, real-world applications. When students physically manipulate, build, and test their ideas, they establish deeper mental models and synthesize knowledge more effectively.

2. Out-of-the-box Critical Thinking & Resourcefulness

I encourage students to look past conventional boundaries and embrace non-traditional methodologies when investigating, conceptualizing, and solving problems. Design and STEM learning are dynamic and interconnected with so many other disciplines. Technical proficiency and domain knowledge are essential, but they must be paired with agility, resourcefulness, and critical thinking. I encourage students to examine who and what their work impacts, preparing them to adapt their processes to unpredictable real-world challenges.

3. Failing Safely

I continue to build collaborative learning environments together with my students where individual needs are respected, open communication and feedback are consistent, and risk-taking is celebrated. Learning spaces should serve as safe laboratories where failure is reframed not as an endpoint, but as a learning opportunity. By cultivating peer-to-peer dialogue and constructive critique, I help students move away from a need for constant external validation. Instead, they build internal confidence, resilience, and the willingness to iterate until they reach meaningful solutions.

Ultimately, being an educator is a reciprocal journey for me. While I guide students through hands-on exploration, unconventional problem solving, and a willingness to learn from failure, their refreshing perspectives continuously challenge and reignite my own professional practice. I view the classroom as an evolving ecosystem where curiosity thrives, boundaries blur across disciplines, and both educator and students grow together.

© 2026 Erik Asia. All rights reserved.

Vancouver, BC, Canada