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Professor Lydia Kavanagh
Professor

Lydia Kavanagh

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 344 32651
Mobile: 
0421 503 191

Overview

Background

Since returning to academia from industry in 1998, Professor Lydia Kavanagh has become a leader in engineering education and has used her background as a professional engineer to design both curricula and courses for active learning by combining real-world projects and specialist knowledge. She has had a significant impact on the delivery of UQ’s undergraduate engineering program through creative new teaching pedagogies including the Flipped Classroom, innovative authentic approaches to assessment, and the introduction of multi-disciplinary courses. As Director of First Year Engineering for almost a decade, Lydia was responsible for a significant program of extra-curricular transition support for first year students and she co-coordinated two compulsory courses that delivered what could arguably be the world's largest flipped classroom for 600 students. Recently, she has set up a Leadership and Mentoring Program for all EAIT faculty students (undergraduate and postgraduates), and continued this into a Leaders@EAIT, an ongoing academy for these students to continue to develop leadership competencies.

Lydia is now the Deputy Associate Dean Academic (Curriculum Review and Teaching Innovation) for the Faculty of Science where she has overseen a faculty-wide overview of curriculum resulting in streamlined undergraduate and postgraduate offerings. She holds a concurrent fractional position with the Institute of Teaching and Learning Innovations, where she has developed frameworks and systems for UQ shorter form credentials.

Lydia is also heavily involved institutionally with training and mentoring academics and professional staff with teaching responsibilities through the development and implementation of the Graduate Teaching Assistant program (for PhD scholars and postdocs), Teaching@UQ (for staff new to teaching), and TeachingPlus@UQ (for emerging leaders in Teaching and Learning).

Lydia’s work was recognised with a Principal Fellowship of the HEA, an ALTC Excellence in teaching award in 2011 and she has lead and participated in Carrick/ ALTC/ OLT projects on teamwork, online learning, curriculum innovation (2x), preparing students for first year engineering, and Flipped Classrooms.

Availability

Professor Lydia Kavanagh is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Engineering, The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Coursework) of Engineering, University of New South Wales
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Education, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Higher education

    o STEM practices in higher education o Curriculum development including learning pathways o eLearning: delivery, assessment, engagement, innovation o Flipping the classroom including ownership of learning o Supporting international students o Developing leadership competencies in students o Investigating student team work and mentoring o Fostering interdisciplinarity

  • Professional Development

    o Dissemination of best practice teaching and learning o Mentoring o Training the next generation of educators o Fostering leadership in teaching and learning

  • Unbundling degree programs

    o Shorter form credentials o MOOCs o Badges

Research impacts

Lydia has delivered Flipped Classroom workshops across discipline and to both national and international institutions. The workshops have helped take the mystery out of flipping the classroom and have given academics a framework for developing their own flipped classroom. Her book, 'The Flipped Classroom: Practice and Practices' has been downloaded more than 55,000 times.

Much of her work in developing online tools (e.g Teamwork in Action - a module providing team training and resources, GetSet - a prepatory quiz for first year engineering, WebPAf - an adapted peer assessment tool originating from The University of Loughborough, BrainCloud - a real time crowd response 'wordle') has also been freely disseminated across institution and across discipline.

Works

Search Professor Lydia Kavanagh’s works on UQ eSpace

92 works between 1999 and 2023

1 - 20 of 92 works

Featured

2014

Book Chapter

Simulating work: can simulators help develop a workforce?

Kavanagh, Lydia, Jolly, Lesley, O'Moore, Liza and Tibbits, Gregory (2014). Simulating work: can simulators help develop a workforce?. Workforce Development: Perspectives and Issues. (pp. 283-299) edited by Roger Harris and Tom Short. New York, United States: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-4560-58-0_16

Simulating work: can simulators help develop a workforce?

Featured

2014

Conference Publication

Flipping the classroom at scale to achieve integration of theory and practice in a first year engineering design and build course

Reidsema, Carl A., Kavanagh, Lydia and Jolly, Lesley (2014). Flipping the classroom at scale to achieve integration of theory and practice in a first year engineering design and build course. 121st ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition: 360 Degrees of Engineering Education, Indianapolis, IN United States, 15-18 June 2014. Washigton, DC United States: American Society for Engineering Education. doi: 10.18260/1-2--20509

Flipping the classroom at scale to achieve integration of theory and practice in a first year engineering design and build course

Featured

2014

Journal Article

Technology supported facilitation and assessment of small group collaborative inquiry learning in large first-year classes

Lawrie, Gwendolyn A., Gahan, Lawrence R., Matthews, Kelly E., Weaver, Gabriela C., Bailey, Chantel, Adams, Peter, Kavanagh, Lydia, Long, Phillip D. and Taylor, Matthew (2014). Technology supported facilitation and assessment of small group collaborative inquiry learning in large first-year classes. Journal of Learning Design, 7 (2), 120-135. doi: 10.5204/jld.v7i2.204

Technology supported facilitation and assessment of small group collaborative inquiry learning in large first-year classes

Featured

2013

Conference Publication

Identification of issues faced by international students in first year project-based engineering classes

Chen, Shaun and Kavanagh, Lydia (2013). Identification of issues faced by international students in first year project-based engineering classes. AAEE 2013: 24th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 8-11 December, 2013. Nathan, QLD, Australia: Griffith School of Engineering, Griffith University.

Identification of issues faced by international students in first year project-based engineering classes

Featured

2012

Conference Publication

The Teaching and Learning Development Program: an opportunity to excel?

Kavanagh, Lydia, O'Moore, Liza, Papinczak, Tracey, Reidsema, Carl and Crosthwaite, Caroline (2012). The Teaching and Learning Development Program: an opportunity to excel?. 23rd Annual Conference of the Australasian Association of Engineering Education (AAEE 2012), Melbourne, Australia, 3 - 5 December 2012. Melbourne, Australia: Swinburne University of Technology.

The Teaching and Learning Development Program: an opportunity to excel?

Featured

2012

Conference Publication

Mad as hell and not taking it any more?: job satisfaction amongst engineering educators in Australian universities

Kavanagh, Lydia, O'Moore, Liza and Jolly, Lesley (2012). Mad as hell and not taking it any more?: job satisfaction amongst engineering educators in Australian universities. 23rd Annual Conference of the Australasian Association of Engineering Education (AAEE 2012), Melbourne, Australia, 3 - 5 December 2012. Melbourne, Australia: Swinburne University of Technology.

Mad as hell and not taking it any more?: job satisfaction amongst engineering educators in Australian universities

2023

Other Outputs

Utilising the classification of assessments

McGrath, Dom, Slade, Christine and Kavanagh, Lydia (2023, 04 01). Utilising the classification of assessments HERDSA Connect Vol 45 No.1 Autumn 2023 25-25.

Utilising the classification of assessments

2022

Other Outputs

Assessment for academic integrity: white paper

Kavanagh, Lydia, Slade, Christine and McGrath, Dom (2022). Assessment for academic integrity: white paper. The University of Queensland.

Assessment for academic integrity: white paper

2022

Conference Publication

Negotiating the classification of assessment tasks

McGrath, Dom, Slade, Christine and Kavanagh, Lydia (2022). Negotiating the classification of assessment tasks. HERDSA Annual Conference 2022, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 27 - 30 June 2022.

Negotiating the classification of assessment tasks

2021

Conference Publication

Inclusion panel discussion: inclusive teaching and learning practices, and the impact of intersectionality

Willox, Dino, Langton, Marcia, Kavanagh, Lydia, Bunda, Tracey, Harpur, Paul, Dianati, Seb and Blanch, Elias (2021). Inclusion panel discussion: inclusive teaching and learning practices, and the impact of intersectionality. Teaching and Learning Week, University of Queensland, November 1-5.

Inclusion panel discussion: inclusive teaching and learning practices, and the impact of intersectionality

2018

Conference Publication

Factors that influence peer learning in social media enhanced engineering courses

Dokhanchi, Mohsen, Kavanagh, Lydia and Reidsema, Carl (2018). Factors that influence peer learning in social media enhanced engineering courses. 29th Australasian Association for Engineering Education, Hamilton, New Zealand, 9-12 December 2018. The University of Waikato:

Factors that influence peer learning in social media enhanced engineering courses

2018

Conference Publication

Students as partners: developing a dialogue for change

Fleming, Melanie, Kavanagh, Lydia, Reidsema, Carl, Waris, Ahsin, Lee, Misha, Liu, Siyu and Kara-Manning, Ruben (2018). Students as partners: developing a dialogue for change. 29th Australasian Association for Engineering Education, Hamilton, New Zealand, 9-12 December 2018. The University of Waikato:

Students as partners: developing a dialogue for change

2017

Book

The flipped classroom: practice and practices in higher education

Carl Reidsema, Lydia Kavanagh, Roger Hadgraft and Neville Smith eds. (2017). The flipped classroom: practice and practices in higher education. Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-3413-8

The flipped classroom: practice and practices in higher education

2017

Book Chapter

Technology in the flipped classroom

McGrath, Dominic, Groessler, Anthea, Fink, Esther, Reidsema, Carl and Kavanagh, Lydia (2017). Technology in the flipped classroom. The flipped classroom: practice and practices in higher education. (pp. 37-56) edited by Carl Reidsema, Lydia Kavanagh, Roger Hadgraft and Neville Smith. Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-3413-8_3

Technology in the flipped classroom

2017

Conference Publication

Analysing the learning pathways of students in a large flipped engineering course

Reidsema, Carl, Kavanagh, Lydia, Fink, Esther M., Khosravi, Hassan, Fleming, Melanie and Achilles, Nicholas (2017). Analysing the learning pathways of students in a large flipped engineering course. ASCILITE2017: 34th International Conference on Innovation, Practice and Research in the Use of Educational Technologies in Tertiary Education., Toowoomba, QLD, Australia, 4 - 6 December 2017. Darling Heights, QLD, Australia: University of Southern Queensland.

Analysing the learning pathways of students in a large flipped engineering course

2017

Book Chapter

Design considerations

Kavanagh, Lydia, Reidsema, Carl, McCredden, Julie and Smith, Neville (2017). Design considerations. The flipped classroom: practice and practices in higher education. (pp. 15-35) edited by Carl Reidsema, Lydia Kavanagh, Roger Hadgraft and Neville Smith. Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-3413-8_2

Design considerations

2016

Conference Publication

Exploring the quality and effectiveness of online, focused peer discussions using the MOOCchat tool

Reidsema, Carl A., Kavanagh, Lydia, Ollila, Emmi, Otte, Stephanie and McCredden, Julie E. (2016). Exploring the quality and effectiveness of online, focused peer discussions using the MOOCchat tool. 27th Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia, 4-7 December 2016. Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia: AAEE.

Exploring the quality and effectiveness of online, focused peer discussions using the MOOCchat tool

2016

Conference Publication

Pedagogical differences in engineering education at Taiwanese and Australian universities

Chen, Shaun and Kavanagh, Lydia (2016). Pedagogical differences in engineering education at Taiwanese and Australian universities. 27th Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia, 4-7 December 2016.

Pedagogical differences in engineering education at Taiwanese and Australian universities

2016

Conference Publication

Pedagogical differences in Engineering Education at Taiwanese and Australian universities

Chen, Shaun and Kavanagh, Lydia (2016). Pedagogical differences in Engineering Education at Taiwanese and Australian universities. Australasain Assoication for Engineering Education (AAEE2016), Coffs Harbour, Australia, 4-7 December 2016.

Pedagogical differences in Engineering Education at Taiwanese and Australian universities

2016

Conference Publication

Teaching induction program evaluation: a research intensive institution perspective

Dearden, Ellen, Duck, Julie M., Matthews, Kelly, Kavanagh, Lydia, Dominic McGrath, Adams, Peter and Simbag, Vilma (2016). Teaching induction program evaluation: a research intensive institution perspective. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Conference, Fremantle, WA, Australia, 4-7 July, 2016.

Teaching induction program evaluation: a research intensive institution perspective

Funding

Past funding

  • 2017 - 2018
    TeamAnneal Stage Two: A Web Service for Purposeful Student Team Creation
    UQ Teaching Innovation Grants
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2017
    Supporting staff and students with HFA in STEM programs
    CRC for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism CRC Limited)
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2016
    Help! A Blackboard-linked quality assured student communication and response system
    Technology-Enhanced Learning Grants
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2016
    The Teaching @UQ Program
    Technology-Enhanced Learning Grants
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    The STEM Ecosystem: building cross-disciplinary leadership capacity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
    OLT Innovation and Development Grants
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2015
    Radical transformation: Re-imagining engineering education through flipping the classroom in a global learning partnership
    OLT Innovation and Development Grants
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    Get set for success: Using online self-assessments to motivate first year engineering students to engage in and manage their learning
    University of Southern Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    Get set for success: using online self-assessments to motivate first year engineering students to engage in and manage their learning
    ALTC Innovation and Development Grants
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2011
    Curriculum Renewal in Engineering Through Theory-Driven Evaluation
    ALTC Priority Projects
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    Preparing for First Year - Developing Support Strategies
    UQ Teaching & Learning Strategic Grants
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2010
    IS-IT learning? Online interdisciplinary scenario-inquiry tasks for active learning in large, first year STEM courses
    ALTC Competitive Grants
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2010
    Learning to teach online: developing high-quality video and text resources to help educators teach online
    ALTC Competitive Grants
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2013
    Evaluation of simulators in train driver training
    CRC for Rail Innovation
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2010
    National Competence Assurance for Train Drivers
    CRC for Railway Engineering and Technologies
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2010
    First Year Engineering Competency Testing -Addressing the changing Cohort
    UQ Teaching & Learning Strategic Grants
    Open grant
  • 2008
    Scoping current practices in driver performance monitoring and feedback (Driver Performance Courses Preliminary)
    CRC for Railway Engineering and Technologies
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    Developing and disseminating TEAM SKILLS capacities using interactive online tools for team formation, learning,assessment and mentoring
    Carrick Competitive Grants
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    Modelling socially sustainable practice in master planned communities: A tool for designers and other stakeholders
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Professor Lydia Kavanagh is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

Contact Professor Lydia Kavanagh directly for media enquiries about:

  • active learning
  • competency testing
  • eLearning
  • Engineering education
  • First year engineering
  • Flipped classroom
  • learning pathway
  • Teamwork
  • transition to university

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au