Frankie Tam

New York, NY • adhzho@r.postjobfree.com

www.linkedin.com/in/frankieltam • 929-***-****

User Experience Researcher

Passionate educator and researcher with 10+ years’ experience in multicultural learning game experience research and learning game design and development lifecycle for academia, startups and well-established companies. Proven track record of innovation and success in designing and delivering learning products. Ability to identify trending product requirements, interpret large datasets related to users’ behavior and translate results into actionable insights to support all phases of product development. Engaging presenter and communicator with an aptitude to cultivate partnerships and build lasting relationships across all business sectors.

Core Competencies

Cognitive and Learning Science

Motivational Theories

Game Design and Development

Machine Learning and Scientific Writing

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

Evidence-based / User-centered design

User Experience / Motivation Research

Product Prototyping and Launch

Emotional and Interpersonal Intelligence

Team Building and Leadership

Professional Experience

Kung Fu Factory, Los Angeles

User Research Consultant, 2020 – Present

Contribute in game and product design while conducting extensive user and market trends research. Maximize validity and reliability of playtesting research for mobile game titles by introducing mix methods approach.

Key Achievements:

Conceived trending and creative product features by conducting qualitative and quantitative consumers’ behavior research while collecting and analyzing high volume of data.

Coordinated successful product launch and update while ensuring product delivery within time, scope, and budget.

New York University CREATE Lab, New York

Doctoral Research Assistant, 2016 – Present

Actively participate in research for advancing game design knowledge and game effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Oversee complete Institutional Review Board approval process, from draft through submit to approval in collaboration with team members to meet internal quality and applicable regulatory standards. Write book chapters on emerging design factors in Handbook of Game-Based Learning.

Key Achievements:

Advanced the understanding of learning mechanics and game mechanics design by analyzing effect of game mechanics on cognitive skills performance through experimental research.

Improved motivation and gameplay experience for an Institute of Education Sciences funded efficacy study by revamping difficulty progression of a cognitive training game using design research.

Enhanced usability and playability by conducting extensive playtesting research for an artificial intelligence learning game.

FifthWisdom Technology Ltd., Hong Kong

Founder and Managing Director, 2003 – 2016

Delivered executive-level leadership support to game development team to create multiple award-winning learning game titles. Conducted and published games for learning research by championing collaboration with scholars and educators.

Key Achievements:

Boosted learning games effectiveness and eased games interaction and usability by initiating design research and evidence-based design approach.

Revitalized business processes and systems by monitoring ongoing progress, identifying areas of improvement, and delivering corrective action plans.

Additional experience as Lecturer, AI Programmer, and Programmer in diversified industry.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Communication and Technology (Expected 2021)

New York University, New York

Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Master of Engineering in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)

Cornell University, Ithaca

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles

Publications

Pawar, S., Tam, F., & Plass, J. L. (2020). Emerging Design Factors in Game-Based Learning: Emotional Design, Musical Score, and Game Mechanics Design. Handbook of Game-Based Learning, 347.

Tam, F., & Pawar, S. (2020). Emerging Design Factors in Game-Based Learning: Incentives, Social Presence, and Identity Design. Handbook of Game-Based Learning, 367.

Matuk, C., Tam, F., & Martinez, J. (2019). What do we learn by observing collaborative design among cross-domain, cross-role educators?. In Proceedings of FabLearn 2019 (pp. 184-188).

Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., Pawar, S., & Tam, F. (2018). Connecting Theory and Design Through Research: Cognitive Skills Training Games. In Joint International Conference on Serious Games (pp.145-158). Springer, Cham.

Pawar, S., Tam, F., Plass, J. L. & Homer, B. D. (2018). Examining Effects of Game Mechanics on Learners’ Performance in an Executive Functions Training Game. 11th Annual Subway Summit, New York, NY.

Kwan, A. C., Chu, S. K., Hong, A. W., Tam, F., Lee, G. M., & Mellecker, R. (2015). Making smart choices: A serious game for sex education for young adolescents. International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), 5(1), 18-30.

Tam, F., & Milton, J. (2007, March). The Challenges of Deploying Educational Games in Hong Kong Schools: a developer’s perspective. In 2007 IEEE International Workshop on Digital Games and Intelligent Toys-based Education (pp.152-158). IEEE.

Contact this candidate