Explorations in Code

Like all researchers, I am naturally curious. In the past few years, that curiosity has led me into the world of AI and app development. What started as a hobby has become an essential part of how I experiment with ideas, solve practical challenges, and explore the future of teaching and research.

The apps below are products of this exploration. They range from practical classroom tools to playful experiments. They are not formal research outputs, but rather my public "sketchbook", a place where I build, learn, and share my journey at the intersection of technology and academia.

  • FocusFrame
    2025

    FocusFrame

    Transform your productivity with FocusFrame! Goodbye boring timers - turn every focus session into a unique photo, creating a visual work of art.

    I always found traditional timers a bit uninspiring. Staring at a countdown clock didn't exactly spark joy or motivation for me. So, I started thinking: what if focus sessions could be more than just ticking seconds? What if they could create something tangible and even beautiful? That's how FocusFrame was born – my attempt to make the process of deep work a little more creative and rewarding by turning each session into a unique visual memory.

    Features

    • Visual Focus Timer: Turn each focus session into a unique photo frame
    • Custom Tasks: Define your focus missions with a flexible, draggable timer
    • Visual Effects: Switch between standard and hourglass display effects at will
    • Photo Gallery: Build your focus gallery - every session creates a memorable snapshot
    • Review Sessions: Review your focus periods and relive your productive moments
    • Track Progress: Monitor your focus habits and achievements over time
    • Custom Timer Settings: Control every detail from sounds to timer behavior
    • Custom Rolls: Create your own rolls to make the focus session even more fun

    Tech Stack

    Swift
  • Teacher's Toolbox
    2025

    Teacher's Toolbox

    A collection of simple yet powerful tools to enhance classroom engagement. Free and open to all. No registration required.

    As a teacher, I constantly face small, practical challenges in the classroom. I built this collection of tools to solve my own problems—from picking students randomly to running timed activities. It's my practical exploration of how simple tech can make a teacher's life easier and a classroom more engaging.

    Features

    • Classroom Leaderboard - Track student points and achievements to motivate participation
    • Random Picker - Create custom lists and randomly select items with an animated wheel
    • Classroom Timer - Set countdowns for timed activities and transitions
    • QR Code Generator - Create scannable QR codes with custom titles for easy resource sharing
    • Interactive Games - Engage students with interactive word games and competitive activities
    • No accounts or server-side data storage - All tools work entirely in your browser

    Tech Stack

    ReactViteTailwind CSS
  • Validity Argument Builder
    2025

    Validity Argument Builder

    Create and visualize argument structure diagrams with ease based on Kane's (1992, 2006, 2013) argument-based validation framework! The layout automatically adjusts as you type. No need to worry about formatting, alignment, or spacing. Perfect for researchers, students, and anyone working with Toulmin-style arguments.

    While studying Kane's validation framework in my research, I found it incredibly powerful but difficult to visualize. As a coding challenge, I decided to build a tool that would automate the formatting and layout. It's an example of how building something can be the best way to truly understand it.

    Features

    • Complete Toulmin argument structure (Claim, Warrant, Rebuttal, Backing, Data)
    • Auto-adjusting layout as you type
    • Based on Kane's (1992, 2006, 2013) argument-based validation framework
    • Interactive diagram visualization
    • Quick import/export options (Template, Import, PNG, TXT)

    Tech Stack

    ReactNext.jsTailwind CSS
  • 科研人的MBTI (Researcher MBTI)
    2024

    科研人的MBTI (Researcher MBTI)

    What's your researcher personality? I made this quiz after noticing how differently my colleagues and I approach research problems. It's a playful project built to spark reflection on our own research habits (heavily inspired by MBTI).

    Disclaimer: This is NOT scientifically validated, just a fun side project!😬 It is currently in Chinese but I plan to add an English version soon.

    Features

    • A 10-question quiz to identify your research persona
    • Visual results showing your persona profile
    • Insights about your approach to academic work
    • Mobile-friendly design
    • Option to share your profile as a nice looking social media card

    Tech Stack

    ReactViteTailwind CSSSupabase

Technical Tutorials

I create free technical tutorials to share knowledge and help others learn. These step-by-step guides cover various topics related to teaching, research, and technology.

  • Creating a Workflow for Automatic Teaching Material Generation on coze.cn

    A step-by-step video guide on showing you the settings of a workflow that takes an image of a document and generates teaching materials automatically.

    teachingautomationworkflowApr 18, 2025