PhD Student – Yen Ying Ng

Born in Malaysia.

• 2022–Present: Academia Copernicana, Nicolaus Copernicus University
• 2020–2022: MA English Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University
• 2017–2020: BA English Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University

Master’s thesis: Instructor Continuous Presence vs Instructor Intermittent Presence in Educational Videos

My research lies at the intersection of educational technology, language learning, and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on optimizing digital learning environments to support more effective foreign language learning. Specifically, I investigate how instructional videos can be designed and implemented to enhance the acquisition of Mandarin Chinese, a language known for its tonal complexity and unique learning challenges.

In addition to exploring the pedagogical design of video-based instruction, I am developing AI-driven tools that provide real-time pronunciation feedback to learners of Mandarin. This work addresses one of the most persistent challenges in learning tonal foreign languages: achieving accurate pronunciation and tone production. By integrating machine learning and speech processing technologies, my goal is to create scalable, intelligent systems that offer personalized support and foster more engaging and effective language learning experiences.

My multidisciplinary approach draws on theories and methods from educational psychology, human-computer interaction, and artificial intelligence. Through this lens, I aim to both deepen our theoretical understanding of digital language learning and contribute practical, research-based innovations that can transform the landscape of online language education.

The scholarships and awards I have received:

• Rector’s Scholarship from Nicolaus Copernicus University, academic years 2020/2021 and 2021/2022.
• Scholarship from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, academic year 2021/2022.
• (principal investigator) Grant Excellence4Students, Center of Excellence, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 2021–2022.
• (researcher) Scholarship under UMO-2019/34/E/HS2/00248 “SONATA BIS 9” grant from the Polish National Science Centre, 1.5.2021–30.6.2023.
• (principal investigator) The Pearl of Science Grant from the Ministry of Education and Science; Title: Continuous vs Intermittent Instructor Presence in Educational Videos, 6.6.2023–5.12.2025. 142 164,00 PLN.
• The runner-up Best Paper Award at ISD 2024.

My other scholarly achievements and activities include the following contributions to scientific committees:

• Co-Chair of the track on Lean and Agile Software Development (https://y2023.lasd.pl) at the 38th ACM/SIGAPP Symposium On Applied Computing (ACM SAC 2023), March 2023.
• Editorial Board Member of ACM SIGAPP Applied Computing Review, vol. 23(2), June 2023.
• Programme Committee of the 18th Conference on Computer Science and Intelligence Systems (FedCSIS 2023) (https://2023.fedcsis.org), September 2023.
• Programme Committee of the 2nd Workshop on Personalization and Recommender Systems (https://pers2023.lasd.pl) at ADBIS 2023, September 2023.
• Programme Committee of the track on Lean and Agile Software Development (https://lasd.pl) at the 39th ACM/SIGAPP Symposium On Applied Computing (ACM SAC 2024), April 2024.
• Programme Committee of the Posters track at the 25th International Conference on Agile Software Development (XP 2024) (https://www.agilealliance.org/xp2024), June 2024.
• Programme Committee of the 50th Euromicro Conference Series on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications (SEAA 2024) (https://dsd-seaa.com/kkio), August 2024.
• Programme Committee of the 32nd International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD 2024) (https://isd2024.ug.edu.pl), August 2024.
• Programme Committee of the 3rd Workshop on Personalization and Recommender Systems (https://pers.lasd.pl) at ADBIS 2024, August 2024.

She has served on multiple scientific committees (e.g., ACM SAC, FedCSIS, ADBIS, XP, SEAA).

• Ng Y.Y., Lesniewski B., Marek K., Neumann M., Trzesicki J.: Unlocking Feedback in Remote Retrospectives: Games, Anonymity, and Continuous Reflection in Action. In: 32nd International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD’24), Gdansk, Poland, 2024. https://doi.org/10.62036/ISD.2024.118
• Ng Y.Y., Kuduk, R.: Implementing Action Items Over Improving the Format of Retros. In: 38^th ACM/SIGAPP Symposium on Applied Computing (SAC’24), Avila, Spain, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1145/3605098.3636174
• Wacewicz S., Sibierska M., Placinski M., Szczepanska A., Poniewierska A., Ng Y.Y., Zywiczynski P. (2022) The scientometric landscape of Evolang: A comprehensive database of the Evolang conference. In: Journal of Language Evolution, Vol. 7(2), pp. 246–258. https://doi.org/10.1093/jole/lzad003
• Przybyłek A., Jarzebowicz A., Lukovic I., Ng Y.Y. eds (2022) Lean and Agile Software Development. LASD 2022. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 438. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94238-0
• Ng Y.Y., Przybyłek A. (2021) Instructor Presence in Video Lectures: Preliminary Findings From an Online Experiment. In: IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 36485-36499. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3058735
• Sosnowski M., Bereza M., Ng Y.Y. (2021) Business-Oriented Approach to Requirements Elicitation in a Scrum Project. In: Przybyłek A., Miler J., Poth A., Riel A. (eds) Lean and Agile Software Development. LASD 2021. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 408. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67084-9_12
• Mich D., Ng Y.Y. (2020) Fun Retrospectives in Intel Technology Poland. In: 2020 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, M. Ganzha, L. Maciaszek, M. Paprzycki (eds). ACSIS, Vol. 21, pp. 705–708., http://dx.doi.org/10.15439/2020F62
• Ng Y.Y., Skrodzki J., Wawryk M. (2020) Playing the Sprint Retrospective: A Replication Study. In: Przybyłek A., Morales-Trujillo M. (eds) Advances in Agile and User-Centred Software Engineering. LASD 2019, MIDI 2019. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 376. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37534-8_7
• Wawryk M., Ng Y.Y.: Playing the Sprint Retrospective. In: 2019 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (FedCSIS’19), Leipzig, Germany, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.15439/2019F284

Traveling, reading, singing