He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses of Educational Psychology, Research Methods, & Program Evaluation for teacher education and UTeach programs. His research focuses on metacognition and self-regulated learning in the traditional face-to-face and e-learning environment. His recent publications include a book on teacher reflection, book chapters on the mixed-method research and educational technology applications in classroom, and journal articles on study strategy, student motivation, and self-efficacy. Prior to his appointment at UWG, Dr. Cao taught as an assistant professor at St. Mary's University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, part-time instructor at McGill University, Canada, and lecturer of English as Second Language in Chongqing University China.