Justin Shewell

Justin Shewell is fascinated by languages, both computer and human. Since the late 1990s, he has been captivated by the ability for programming languages to produce endless possibilities on screens. Now, he’s excited about the positive potential of artificial intelligence in higher education. 

He also has an extensive background in teaching English to speakers of other languages, a field known as TESOL, with a particular focus on using technology for language learning.

Shewell is combining his interests in new ways this fall as he starts a position as an assistant teaching professor of information technology in The Polytechnic School, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. 

He brings decades of experience, including web application development and instructional design, and a passion for teaching.

“I have always enjoyed seeing the light in a student’s eyes when they grasp a new concept and realize the potential that this new understanding gives them,” says Shewell, who is transitioning from an educational technologist position with Herberger Online in the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. “I am very excited to get back in the classroom full time and continue to have an impact on students’ futures.”

His first courses as an assistant teaching professor will focus on web programming for human-computer interaction, applied programming languages for information technology, big data tools and practices, and an application development course he designed as an adjunct professor in the information technology program. 

“I try to make my courses relevant to the real world, so they are mostly project-based, where students complete tasks that align with those they will find in jobs in the field,” he says.

Shewell is interested in incorporating artificial intelligence in his courses to better prepare students for employment. Over the summer, he helped educators in Vietnam implement AI into their curriculums as part of a U.S. Department of State-sponsored English Language Specialist program.

Shewell is also president-elect of the TESOL International Association, the professional organization for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. 

“While they are focused on teaching English,” Shewell says, “I find that many of the same pedagogical principles apply when teaching programming and coding as they do when teaching English or any other skill.”

Meet the newest faculty members of the Fulton Schools of Engineering here.

Written by Monique Clement