Rachel Fitzgerald
- Email:
- rachel.fitzgerald@uq.edu.au
- Phone:
- +61 7 336 56575
- Phone:
- +61 7 334 67308
Overview
Background
Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald is the Deputy Associate Dean (Academic) for the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at The University of Queensland. Internationally recognised for her expertise in Digital Education, Rachel leads digital transformation and curriculum innovation across the university, with a strong focus on generative AI, inclusive pedagogy, and lifelong learning.
Rachel co-chairs the national TEFA Network, supporting over 1100 Education-Focused Academics across Australia, and serves as Senior Editor (Educational Technology) for the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. She is actively engaged in national and international conversations on the ethical and impactful use of AI in higher education, and regularly contributes to sector conferences, symposia, and thought leadership.
Her current research and practice explore microcredentials, workplace learning, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in digitally enabled and AI-enhanced contexts.
Online Profiles
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rmfitzgerald
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelmfitz
- Bluesky: @rmfitzg.bsky.social
Availability
- Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald is:
- 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
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Digital
Digital Transformation, Learning and Development in Organizations, Micro-credentials, Online Learning, Elearning, Hybrid Learning, Business School Research, Higher Education Curriculum, Higher Education, Higher Education Policy, Future of Learning,
Research impacts
Rachel Fitzgerald’s research focuses on the transformation of higher education through digital learning, curriculum innovation, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence. Her work directly supports educators and institutions to design inclusive, future-oriented learning experiences that respond to evolving student and workforce needs.
She has led the development of frameworks and resources that inform course and program design across disciplines, including the CRAFT framework for curriculum design in AI-enhanced learning environments. Her research underpins professional learning and academic development initiatives adopted at the institutional level and shared nationally through open-access publications and sector networks.
As co-chair of the TEFA Network, Rachel supports a national community of over 1100 Education-Focused Academics and contributes to sector-wide conversations on teaching excellence and the role of educators in an AI-enabled future.
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
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
Other Outputs
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
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.
2025
Conference Publication
Beyond the theory: trust, agency, and pedagogical transformation in the age of Generative AI
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2025). Beyond the theory: trust, agency, and pedagogical transformation in the age of Generative AI. International Conference for Education Development and Studies, Oxford, United Kingdom, 26 - 28 March 2025.
2025
Other Outputs
Can we trust AI? Challenges, risks, and opportunities
Fitzgerald, Rachel, Yang, Jianhua and Fischer, Isabel (2025). Can we trust AI? Challenges, risks, and opportunities. Coventry, United Kingdom: Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA).
2025
Other Outputs
The virtual university as a frontier for navigating new learning spaces, pedagogies, and technologies
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2025). The virtual university as a frontier for navigating new learning spaces, pedagogies, and technologies. Valencia, Spain: INTED (International Technology, Education and Development Conference).
2025
Conference Publication
Building trust with AI
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2025). Building trust with AI. Artificial Intelligence Symposium 2025, Virtual, 25 February 2025. York: Advance HE.
2025
Other Outputs
Building trust with AI: practical approaches for higher education
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2025). Building trust with AI: practical approaches for higher education. Dublin, Ireland: European Academic Assembly (EAA) / Dublin City University.
2024
Other Outputs
The future of higher education: Why online learning design still matters
Fitzgerald, Rachel and Huijser, Henk (2024, 11 25). The future of higher education: Why online learning design still matters
2024
Other Outputs
Connecting and collaborating: Building the TEFA Network to advocate for and support teaching and education-focused academics
Fitzgerald, Rachel, Williams, Stephen George, Fawns, Tim, Gribble, Lynn, Waller, Karena and Matthews, Kelly (2024, 11 11). Connecting and collaborating: Building the TEFA Network to advocate for and support teaching and education-focused academics
2024
Journal Article
The Virtual University as a Frontier for Navigating New Learning Spaces, Pedagogies, and Technologies
Sankey, Michael, Huijser, Henk and Fitzgerald, Rachel (2024). The Virtual University as a Frontier for Navigating New Learning Spaces, Pedagogies, and Technologies. ASCILITE Publications, 156-158. doi: 10.14742/apubs.2024.1139
2024
Journal Article
AI: Educating the educators
Konarova, Muxina, Fitzgerald, Rachel, Birkett, Greg, Bakharia, Aneesha, Howes, Tony, Rufford, Tom and O'Brien, Kate (2024). AI: Educating the educators. The Chemical Engineer, 26-28.
2024
Other Outputs
Keynote: Leading the charge with AI in education and research in chemical engineering and applied chemistry
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2024). Keynote: Leading the charge with AI in education and research in chemical engineering and applied chemistry. Gold Coast, QLD, Australia: Australasian Institute of Chemical Engineers (Chemeca 2024).
2024
Other Outputs
Panel discussion: rethinking assessment in the age of AI
Khosravi, Hassan, Fitzgerald, Rachel, Kim, YJ and Zoanetti, Nathan (2024). Panel discussion: rethinking assessment in the age of AI. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: ASK4AI Summit, Monash University.
2024
Other Outputs
PANEL - Technology integration of GAI – the ethical use, data governance, and the potential impacts on educational equity and accessibility
Hol, Anna, Fitzgerald, Rachel and Gniel, Helen (2024). PANEL - Technology integration of GAI – the ethical use, data governance, and the potential impacts on educational equity and accessibility. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Terrapinn Australia.
2024
Conference Publication
Navigating Next Steps in Online and Digital Learning: Adaptive Challenges for Global Higher Education
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2024). Navigating Next Steps in Online and Digital Learning: Adaptive Challenges for Global Higher Education. International Conference on Education Development and Studies, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 4 - 26 April 2024. New York, NY United States: Association for Computing Machinery.
2024
Journal Article
Editorial: Artificial Intelligence is Awesome, but Good Teaching Should Always Come First
Crawford, Joseph, Vallis, Carmen, Yang, Jianhua, Fitzgerald, Rachel, O'Dea, Christine and Cowling, Michael (2024). Editorial: Artificial Intelligence is Awesome, but Good Teaching Should Always Come First. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 20 (7), 1-12. doi: 10.53761/sj1b6530
2024
Conference Publication
Building trust with AI: practical approaches for higher education
Fitzgerald, Rachel (2024). Building trust with AI: practical approaches for higher education. International Conference on Teaching and Teacher Education (ICTTE2024), Beijing, China, 20 June 2024.
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Microcredentials: Aligning the needs of Industry and Education
Available Projects
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Understanding microcredentials through the lens of industry
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There is an opportunity for a qualified applicant who is interested in higher education research to become a MPHIL/PhD student to explore industry needs in relation to microcredentials. This project aims to identify how higher education can work with organisations to identify what value, if any, microcredentials have for skills development for the workforce where there is increasing pressure to meet the needs of the growing knowledge and innovation based economy of Australia.
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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
The influence of learning strategy instruction on academic self-concept development in enabling students
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jason Lodge
-
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
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Rachel Fitzgerald directly for media enquiries about:
- Digital Education
- Digital Transformation
- Future of Business Education
- Future of Higher Education
- Integrity of Online Education
- Learning Analytics
- Learning and Development
- Learning and Teaching
- Micro-Credentials
- Online Learning Experience
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