Allen Wong Wins National Award for Innovative Teaching
Allen Wong, a distinguished faculty member in the School of Sciences and Humanities at Wentworth Institute of Technology, has been honored nationally for his outstanding contributions to education.
Wong is the recipient of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ (ACJS) Award for Innovative Design. This annual competitive award—part of ACJS’ Teaching, Learning, & Scholarship division—is evaluated by a committee consisting of scholars with PhDs in criminal justice or in other related social sciences from various American universities across different regions. The award recognizes “outstanding and innovative pedagogical methods in criminal justice.”
This prestigious award highlights Wong's dynamic and impactful approach to teaching. His 2024 teaching highlights include developing a new course on urban criminology and continually refining pedagogical methods within existing curricula.
Wong's teaching philosophy is rooted in positivism—applying scientific methods to social observations. He is dedicated to cultivating critical thinking skills and information literacy among his students.
"I believe critical thinking skills and information literacy are important assets for all college students, regardless of major or program," Wong notes in his self-evaluation. He employs the Socratic method extensively to promote student involvement and guide them to discover concepts independently. His courses, such as SOCL 4102 Sociology, SOCL 4302 Criminology & Justice Studies, and SOCL 4232 Research Methods, often feature exercises using inductive reasoning and real-world data analysis, allowing students to "follow the evidence wherever it leads" while minimizing personal biases on sensitive topics.
His commitment to experiential learning is evident in assignments like one on victimology, which students have praised for its real-life applicability in decreasing their chances of victimization. He also focuses on providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression in his classes to cater to diverse learning styles.
Reflecting on his pedagogical approach, Wong shared, "I view teaching as a craft, in which I need to continually strive for the unreachable goal of perfection... What will always be constant in my classrooms are my innovation, authenticity, and my passion to connect with students." "
Beyond his impactful teaching, Allen Wong made significant scholarly contributions in 2024. These include a peer-reviewed publication in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, a collaborative effort with medical doctors from Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital and professionals from Uganda. He also presented his research at the international American Society of Criminology conference and delivered two presentations at the national Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conference, one of which was a follow-up panel on teaching social sciences in an age of misinformation. He also organized and moderated a panel on Artificial Intelligence usage in higher education.
Wong served as an associate editor for the International Journal of Contemporary Sociology, Chair of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences: Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship Section (the largest section in the academy), and an affiliate researcher for the Center for Victim Research. Within Wentworth, he contributed to the Curriculum Development Committee for the School of Sciences and Humanities and served as a dedicated faculty advisor for three student organizations: CRU, the Alpha Phi Sigma criminal justice honor society, and the Multicultural Students Association (MSA), which he has advised since 2017.