Overview
Background
Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald is Deputy Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at The University of Queensland. Her research and educational leadership focus on digital and technology-enhanced education, curriculum and assessment innovation, learning design and academic development, including how universities respond effectively to emerging technologies such as generative AI.
Rachel chairs UQ’s Digital Learning Sub-Committee and is an elected member of UQ’s Academic Board and its Executive Committee. She is Founder and Chair of the national Teaching and Education Focused Academic (TEFA) Network, a community of approximately 1,500 academics across Australia, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. She is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE (PFHEA) and UQ Principal Practitioner for Teaching Impact.
Rachel works across research, policy and practice to improve the quality of higher education and support educators and institutions navigating educational and technological change. Her work spans online and digital learning, curriculum and assessment, academic development, teaching quality and the responsible use of AI in education
Availability
- Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework) of Computer Science, University of Northampton
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Lancaster
Research interests
-
Digital and Technology-Enhanced Learning
Rachel researches digital and technology-enhanced learning, with particular interests in online pedagogy, learning design and large-scale online education. Her work examines how digital learning environments can be designed to support effective, engaging and sustainable higher education and how institutions respond to educational and technological change.
-
Curriculum, Learning Design and Assessment
Rachel researches curriculum, learning design and assessment in higher education, including how educational design responds to changing technologies, professional contexts and student needs. Her work explores approaches to curriculum and assessment that support meaningful learning, disciplinary capability and credible evidence of student achievement.
-
Academic Development, SoTL and Teaching/Education-Focused Careers
Rachel researches academic development, educational leadership and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), with particular interest in teaching- and education-focused academics. Her work explores professional identity, career development, recognition and the conditions that enable academics to develop and lead scholarly educational practice.
-
Responsible AI in Higher Education
Rachel researches the educational implications of generative AI for universities, including curriculum, assessment, academic integrity, institutional policy and academic practice. Her work examines how AI can be integrated responsibly while maintaining human judgement, disciplinary learning, educational quality and credible assessment.
Research impacts
Rachel’s research examines how universities design and improve learning in response to educational and technological change. Her work in technology-enhanced and online learning, curriculum and assessment design and academic development has informed learning design, academic capability development, educational resources and institutional practice in Australia and internationally.
A consistent focus of Rachel’s work is bridging research and practice. Her scholarship supports educators to redesign learning and assessment, strengthen online and digital education and build capability for educational innovation. More recently, this work has extended to the responsible integration of generative AI, informing UQ-wide principles and approaches to AI in teaching, learning and assessment.
Rachel extends the reach of this work through books, open educational resources, professional learning and sector engagement, translating research into practical approaches that educators and institutions can use to navigate educational and technological change.
Works
Search Professor Rachel Fitzgerald’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2020
Journal Article
Student-staff partnerships in academic development: the course design studio as a model for sustainable course-wide impact
Fitzgerald, Rachel, Huijser, Henk, Meth, Deanna and Neilan, Kellene (2020). Student-staff partnerships in academic development: the course design studio as a model for sustainable course-wide impact. International Journal for Academic Development, 25 (2), 134-146. doi: 10.1080/1360144X.2019.1631170
2026
Book Chapter
Role play in the virtual practicum
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). Role play in the virtual practicum. Navigating the Impossible in Online Learning Design. (pp. 43-62) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340-3
2026
Book Chapter
Observation and fieldwork in the digital world
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). Observation and fieldwork in the digital world. Navigating the Impossible in Online Learning Design. (pp. 86-106) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340-5
2026
Book
Navigating the impossible in online learning design : adaptive solutions for global higher education
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). Navigating the impossible in online learning design : adaptive solutions for global higher education. New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340
2026
Book Chapter
Redefining pedagogy
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). Redefining pedagogy. Navigating the Impossible in Online Learning Design. (pp. 1-22) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340-1
2026
Book Chapter
Collaboration online
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). Collaboration online. Navigating the Impossible in Online Learning Design. (pp. 63-85) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340-4
2026
Book Chapter
Lifelong learning and professional development
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). Lifelong learning and professional development. Navigating the Impossible in Online Learning Design. (pp. 107-127) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340-6
2026
Book Chapter
The value of the virtual laboratory
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). The value of the virtual laboratory. Navigating the Impossible in Online Learning Design. (pp. 23-42) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340-2
2026
Book Chapter
Shaping the future of university education
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). Shaping the future of university education. Navigating the Impossible in Online Learning Design. (pp. 149-169) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340-8
2026
Book Chapter
Virtual research supervision
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2026). Virtual research supervision. Navigating the Impossible in Online Learning Design. (pp. 128-148) New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003544340-7
2026
Journal Article
The Essay and Multiple Choice Questionnaires Are Not Dead, But No Longer Enough: Generative AI and Assurance of Learning
Crawford, Joseph, Fitzgerald, Rachel and Taylor, Louise (2026). The Essay and Multiple Choice Questionnaires Are Not Dead, But No Longer Enough: Generative AI and Assurance of Learning. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 23 (1) 628, 1. doi: 10.53761/sxwqc628
2025
Conference Publication
How are we tracking AI adoption and digital maturity in higher education?
Fitzgerald, Rachel, Ech-Chadli, Amin, Yap SJ, Fr Roberto C., Bayerlein, Leopold and Ajdari, Robin (2025). How are we tracking AI adoption and digital maturity in higher education?. Digital Education Council Global Summit, Hong Kong, 4–5 November 2025. Hong Kong: Digital Education Council.
2025
Book Chapter
Teaching that transforms: reimagining higher education in the age of AI
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2025). Teaching that transforms: reimagining higher education in the age of AI. Inquiry in action: using AI to reimagine learning and teaching: case studies from the frontline of higher education practice. (pp. *-*) edited by Rachel Fitzgerald. St Lucia, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/bc95b7b
2025
Book
Inquiry in action: using AI to reimagine learning and teaching: case studies from the frontline of higher education practice
Rachel Fitzgerald ed. (2025). Inquiry in action: using AI to reimagine learning and teaching: case studies from the frontline of higher education practice. St Lucia, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/a18431b
2025
Journal Article
Re-thinking SoTL for the age of GenAI: diffracted, entangled, and human
Mills, Jennie, Beynen, Tina, Chia Sook May, Ivy, Fitzgerald, Rachel, Hall, Kimberly A., Lai, Evelyn, Mason, Jon and Newell, Samantha (2025). Re-thinking SoTL for the age of GenAI: diffracted, entangled, and human. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 13 49, 1-19. doi: 10.20343/teachlearninqu.13.49
2025
Journal Article
Editorial: Framing the future with a research agenda for artificial intelligence in higher education
Fitzgerald, Rachel, Amantha Kumar, Jeya, Roe, Jasper, Roehrer, Erin and Yang, Jianhua (2025). Editorial: Framing the future with a research agenda for artificial intelligence in higher education. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 22 (4) 63, 1-12. doi: 10.53761/jwt7ra63
2025
Conference Publication
Panel member – Career pathways for education-focused academics
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2025). Panel member – Career pathways for education-focused academics. AoFE Symposium, Online, 24 July 2025. Australia: Alliance of Finance Educators (AoFE).
2025
Newspaper Article
AI is now part of our world. Uni graduates should know how to use it responsibly
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Curtis, Caitlin (2025, 07 18). AI is now part of our world. Uni graduates should know how to use it responsibly The Conversation doi: 10.64628/AA.xf4cq7epn
2025
Other Outputs
Balancing scalability with student-centered approaches
Hol, Anna, Fitzgerald, Rachel, Beavis, Alison and Li, Ian (2025). Balancing scalability with student-centered approaches. Sydney, NSW, Australia: Terrapin EDUTech_AU.
2025
Conference Publication
Beyond engagement: student-informed approaches to AI-enabled learning
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2025). Beyond engagement: student-informed approaches to AI-enabled learning. EDUtech Australia 2025, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 11-12 June 2025.
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Examining the Process of Assessment Innovation in Business Education: A Complex Adaptive Systems Approach
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Christine Slade
-
Doctor Philosophy
An Empirical Study on Entrepreneurial Orientation and Entrepreneurial Learning Programmes in Shaping Female Entrepreneurs Efficacy in Oman
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Russell Manfield
-
Doctor Philosophy
The influence of learning strategy instruction on academic self-concept development in enabling students
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jason Lodge
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald directly for media enquiries about:
- Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education
- Assessment and Academic Integrity
- Digital Education
- Future of Universities
- Higher Education
- Teaching Quality
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: