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Literacy, teacher education, literacy and intellectual disability, teaching and learning in higher education

Associate Professor Karen Moni has had extensive experience teaching and researching in the field of English and literacy education. Her research interests include adolescent literacy and literature, literacy and young adults with intellectual disabilities, teacher education and teaching and learning in higher education. Dr Moni is also the Exectiuve Director of Latch-On a research and teaching program focusing on literacy and young adults with intellectual disabilities and continues to research in the area of intellectual disability

Aisling Mulvihill is a postdoctoral researcher in the Thorpe Lab at The Queensland Brain Institute. Her research activities span the topics of social cognition and self-regulation from early childhood to adolescence.

As a speech pathologist, Aisling has extensive clinical expertise in supporting children with learning and social-emotional challenges relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). In 2013, she co-authored the Ant Patrol Children’s Stories, a series of six educational children’s stories that aim to support children’s social and emotional learning. The series has been well-received by educators, allied health professionals and parents.

Aisling’s current research investigates the relationship between language and theory of mind, and the use of self-talk to regulate thinking and behavior in young children.

Christy is registered pharmacist with more than 17 years’ experience as a clinical educator and educational researcher, in both academic and clinical settings. Her clinical education experiences have been underpinned by my formal postgraduate qualifications, Master of Education (Clinical Education) and Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacy Education). Her Doctor of Philosophy (University of Queensland, 2014) examined pharmacy curriculum and its influence on professional identity formation. This research has served as a platform for an ongoing research program in workplace learning in medical and health professional education, which has been recognised internationally.

A/Prof Liza O'Moore's research interests are in: reinforced and prestressed concrete design, concrete technology, time-dependent properties of concrete and durability of concrete structures.

Liza has over 30 years experience in structural and concrete design. After graduation Liza joined a local consulting firm and worked mainly in the areas of industrial and commercial structural design. Upon completion of her postgraduate research, she joined the Civil Structures group in the Brisbane office of Arup. During her time with Arup as a senior engineer and then associate, she was involved in a number of reinforced concrete design projects undertaken both locally and overseas. In January 2001, Liza joined the academic staff in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland. She is currently teaching in the areas of reinforced concrete and concrete design and applied mechanics. Her research interests are in the areas of creep and shrinkage of concrete structures, durability, high performance concretes, the performance of industrial slabs and pavements and geopolymer concretes. She is a Life Member of the Concrete Institute of Australia and was a member of the National Council (2007-2015) and National Executive (2009-2015). Liza served as the first female National President of the Concrete Institute of Australia (2011-2013).

Liza is also active in the area of Engineering Education. She teaches into first and second year engineering and leads the final year capstone design project. Liza has research interests in the areas of transition and preparedness for first year, graduate competencies and large class teaching. Liza has been awarded School of Engineering Teaching Excellence Awards in 2005 and 2006, EAIT Faculty Teaching Award 2007, and a special EAIT Faculty Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching (2012). In 2010 Liza was awarded a UQ Award for Teaching Excellence, which was followed in 2011 by an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. She was a project team member on the OLT funded “Get set for success: using online self-assessments to motivate first year engineering students”. Liza has undertaken interdisciplinary research in the areas of competence assurance and the use of simulators for CRC – Rail.

Liza has also provided advice on accreditation of VET sector Associate Degrees, and in the curriculum development for new BE (Civil) programs at tertiary level. In 2014 Liza was part of the expert team of national and international experts in Civil Engineering Education advising Charles Sturt University on the development of Australia’s first graduate entry five year Engineering Master’s program commencing in 2016.

Rebecca Olson is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Queensland, cutting-edge translational qualitative researcher, mentor and award-winning educator with expertise in the sociologies of health and emotions. As Director of SocioHealthLab, she leads an interdisciplinary collective of researchers, health professional educators and practitioners interested in doing health and healthcare differently: more socially aware, more relational, more inclusive and more just. As Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Social Science, she prioritises collaborative, reflexive, creative and emotions-centred practices in higher education. With over 75 scholarly publications – as well as news media and creative video productions – Rebecca is a prolific contributor to public debate. With research interests spanning medicinal cannabis and health professions education to climate anxiety, Olson is internationally renowned for bringing sociological insight to complex challenges related to emotions, wellbeing, healthcare and caregiving.

Dr Jan Packer has a background in Psychology having completed a BA (Hons) at UQ in 1976. Her PhD (Education, QUT, 2004) focussed on motivations for learning in educational leisure settings. She has published broadly in the area of educational psychology over many years. The current major focus of her research is in applying the principles of educational, environmental and positive psychology to understand and facilitate visitor experiences in leisure settings such as museums and other tourist and leisure contexts. Jan was co-editor of the international journal, Visitor Studies from 2005 through 2011.

Nalini has more than 25 years’ experience in innovative design and delivery of medicine and health programs in several countries. Her medical education research focusses on curriculum and assessment design, digital and inclusive education, and integration of biomedical sciences into health professional programs. She has a particular interest in educational technologies (including AI) and cognitive load, and curricular approaches that support positive learning behaviour, wellbeing, critical thinking and professional development. Nalini's research also includes medical imaging diagnositics and the use of AI.

Nalini is the co-founder of the Health Universities Initiative, which frames a whole-of-university approach to student success and wellbeing. She has several awards (Faculty, Vice-Chancellor, Australian Award for University Teaching) for her contributions to higher education. Nalini is the Chair of the International Program for Anatomical Education (FIPAE) of the IFAA, and an Associate Editor of Anatomical Sciences Education (Impact Factor, 7.2). Nalini is a Board Member and Fellow of ANZAHPE, Fellow of the Scientia Education Academy, and Fellow of HERDSA.

Nalini currently supervises 5 PhD students in the following topics:

• Health Advocacy in Medical Education: Evaluation of current practice and implications for medical programs
• Cosmetic female surgery: A consumer-driven evaluation of demand and its implications for medical education
• Fetal and Embryological Collections: A paradigm to examine the ethical practice of informed consent
• Anatomical Education: The role of digital-based pedagogies in future practice
• Liver and Gallbladder Imaging in Paediatric Patients: Developing a pipeline for diagnostic automation

Nalini currently supervises 4 reseach honours students on the following topics:

• Relationship-based support interventions in medical programs
• An evaluation of intersex education in medicine programs in Australia
• Left ventricular compaction: evaluation of MRI diagnostic criteria
• VR in biomedical sciences education: current scope of practice

Adriana Penman is a Senior Teaching-Focused Lecturer in Speech Pathology at The University of Queensland and the Deputy Director of Teaching and Learning for the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences (HMBS). Adriana is an experienced speech pathologist who has worked clinically in the areas of adult swallowing and communication disorders across the continuum of care and stuttering or fluency disorders across the lifespan. Adriana is passionate about sharing her knowledge, experience and expertise in these clinical areas through her teaching and research. She is a current member of Speech Pathology Australia and was the Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific Education Collaboration in Speech-Language Pathology (2022-2024).

Adriana's teaching and research programs are driven by the need to create innovative and authentic solutions such as embedding simulation-based learning within health professional curricula to support students’ preparation for practice. Adriana leads a program of research that aims to assist the growth of new graduates who are prepared for future success in speech pathology through their enriched student educational experiences. As a previous ITaLI Affiliate Academic, she is interested in embedding experiential learning opportunities such as simulation-based learning into university classrooms more broadly to assist student learning and engagement, and to build their confidence and readiness for placement. Additionally, within her Affiliate Academic role in 2023-2024, Adriana is the ITaLI representative on the UQ Fitness to Practise Working Party review which is necessitated to continue to guide and support students as developing practitioners.

Adriana's program of research is focussed on the investigation of teaching and learning practices within speech pathology and more broadly, within health science professions with a specific focus on graduate preparedness for placement and the transition to professional practice. She maintains national and international collaborations with a learning community of academics interested in scholarship of teaching. Adriana’s PhD (2021) investigated the use of simulation-based learning to prepare speech pathology students for clinical practice. Her research utilises mixed methodologies however, she has a particular interest in qualitative studies. Adriana is an active researcher in stuttering across the lifespan, teaching and student learning practices, practice education and simulation pedagogy. She is also interested in exploring students’ engagement in interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

Awards and Fellowships:

• UQ Award for Teaching Excellence (2024)
• Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences (HaBS) Award for Teaching Excellence (2023)
• Higher Education Academy Fellow (2019)
• Faculty of Heath and Behavioural Sciences (HaBS) Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2018)
• School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) Early Career Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2017)
• School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) Commendation for Early Career Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2016)

Dr Stefanie Plage is a Research Fellow with the Life Course Centre at the School of Social Science at UQ. Her expertise is in qualitative research methods, including longitudinal and visual methods. Her research interests span the sociology of emotions, disadvantage and health and illness. Stefanie has taught introductory and advanced courses in sociology and medical sociology, research design and qualitative inquiry, including the use of software for qualitative research (i.e. NVivo). Her work is multi-disciplinary. She completed her PhD at the Centre for Social Research in Health at The University of New South Wales. In her study she employed a mix of longitudinal qualitative interviews and visual elicitation methods to explore the lived experience of people with cancer. Currently, her research seeks to understand and improve the interactions of families experiencing social disadvantage with the social and health care systems.

Dr Shiralee Poed is an Associate Professor within the School of Education at the University of Queensland. Her career spans more than 30 years, and includes working as a teacher and leader in Australian state, Catholic and independent primary, secondary and special schools. She was awarded the 2023 International Positive Behaviour Leadership Award for her extensive leadership of Positive Behaviour for Learning in Australia, and internationally.

Jenny leads the Inclusive Education and Employment research group and is also the Deputy Director (Training) at the Institute for Social Science Research at the University of Queensland. She is a Psychologist and obtained her BA Honors, MA and PhD from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa. Before coming to ISSR, Jenny worked as a Chief Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council in South Africa in the area of Education effectiveness.

Jenny’s research takes an intersectionality and life course perspective focusing on inclusive education and labour force outcomes among individuals from a range of marginalised groups e.g., individuals with disabilities, individuals with foster/kinship/residential care experience, individuals with refugee experience, individuals with mental health challenges, and individuals living in socioeconomic disadvantage circumstances. Jenny's work takes a systems approach and includes understanding structural disadvantages and the support systems (e.g., parents/carers, service providers, school staff) that can be used to improve the life outcomes of individuals with complex needs over their life course. Jenny's work predominantly focuses on achieving an impact on policy and practice. She has extensive experience in large-scale mixed methods evaluations, using administrative data complemented with survey and qualitative data.

Jenny has worked closely with Government Departments and Ministries both in Australia (e.g., Tasmania DHHS; Australian DoE; Qld DoE; CESE NSW; Australian DSS; Qld DCSSD; Department of Home Affairs) and internationally (e.g., South Africa, Eritrea, Cambodia and the Solomon Islands) to gather research evidence from a wide range of disadvantaged communities to inform policy. Jenny is a Chief Investigator on an ARC Linkage project which investigates how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous children experience Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) using elicitation methods and a longitudinal qualitative research design to provide evidence to improve service agencies’ understanding of children’s experiences in OOHC and how agencies can best support families, carers and communities to promote the social, emotional, and cultural well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous children in OOHC. This research will improve service provider capability and test Government reform interventions. Jenny leads large-scale complex commissioned evaluations and is currently leading the following evaluations: Evaluation of the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement; Evaluation of the Extended Post Care Support Program; and FamilyLinQ Evaluation.

In the role of Deputy Director (Training) Jenny leads the development and implementation of ISSR's training programs. This includes professional short courses aimed at industry, tailored capability training for industry, courses aimed at PhD students, external and internal internships/placements, internal staff capability training, and teaching and honours supervision opportunities for ISSR staff in the schools. In addition to leading this portfolio of work and teaching professional short courses, Jenny continues to lead a Research Group (Social and Educational disadvantage), contribute as an Associate Investigator to research for the ARC Centre of Excellence on Families and Children over the Life Course (the Life Course Centre), and supervise HDR students.

I received my Bachelor's in Biology (2001) from Yarmouk University in Jordan, followed by postgraduate degrees from the University of Houston in Houston-Texas (2002-2007). My studies are integrative in nature, joining the best of both the Neuroscience world and Circadian Biology (the study of biological clocks). In the laboratory of Prof. Arnold Eskin, I investigated how processes as complex as learning and memory are modulated by biological clocks i.e. the circadian (about 24 hours) system, using Aplysia californica as the experimental model. After completing my Master's in Science in 2005, my research focused on the mechanism by which biological clocks modulate learning and memory. This work was performed in the laboratories of Prof. Gregg Cahill and Prof. Greg Roman, experts in chronobiology and behavioral neuroscience, respectively. Using Zebrafish as a model system, I investigated the role of melatonin, a night-time restricted hormonal signal, in modulating long-term memory consolidation. My findings, published in Science in 2007, shows that the circadian system via the cyclic night-time confined synthesis/release of melatonin “the hormone of darkness” functions as a modulator, shaping daily variations in the efficiency by which memories are processed. After receiving my Ph.D. in 2007, I joined as a postdoctoral fellow the laboratory of the pharmacologist and melatonin researcher Prof. Margarita Dubocovich. My postdoctoral work engaged in elucidating the role of melatonin in circadian physiology and pharmacology during development and ageing in rodents (Mus musculus) and non-human primates (Macaca mulatta) at the Feinberg School of Medicine (Northwestern University-Chicago) and the State University of New York (SUNY). From 2010-2015, I held a teaching/research position in the Dr. Senckenbergische Anatomy and the Dept. of Neurology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt-Germany. During this time, I was involved in teaching gross human anatomy while continuing my endeavor in understanding the mechanistics involved in shaping memory processes (acquisition, consolidation and retrieval) by the circadian system.

The School of Education is one of the most productive and high profile schools of education in Australia.

Professor Peter Renshaw's research has focussed on learning and teaching processes both at school and tertiary level. With a team of colleagues in the School of Education at UQ, he is currently investigating the quality of teaching and assessment practices in schools across Queensland. In two current ARC projects, with his co-researchers (Dr Ray Brown and Dr Elizabeth Hirst) he is investigating how teachers group and label students, and the effects of these practices on learning outcomes. These projects are framed by a sociocultural theory of education that foregrounds the social and cultural construction of knowledge and identity, and the responsibility of educators to create challenging, inclusive and supportive learning contexts for diverse groups of students. Professor Renshaw was President and Secretary of Australian Association for Research in Education and a member of the Executive for over a decade (1991-2002). He currently is on the International Advisory Board of CICERO Learning, an interdisciplinary research centre at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has active collaborations with European researchers in the Netherlands and Sweden, studying how teachers deal with student diversity and how they provide inclusive contexts for learning in multicultural classrooms.

Dr Vicente Chua Reyes, Jr. is with the School of Education, University of Queensland, Australia. He is co-editor of the Policy and Leadership Studies Working Papers Series of the National Institute of Education (Singapore). He is a Fellow of the Centre for Chinese Studies of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the National Taiwan Normal University and the University of Macau (China). He is also a Visiting Academic at the Institute of Education, University of London. Vicente has experience in educational settings spanning Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, the UK and the US. Vicente used to be a Teaching/School Principal for an elementary and high school in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Vicente taught humanities in high school (Philippines and Singapore) and in elementary school levels (Philippines and Spain). Trained as a political scientist, his current research interests are in comparative education. Vicente also pursues inquiries into the application of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education, educational leadership, research methodologies as well as investigating the phenomenon of corruption alongside governance in educational reform.

Dr Emily Ross is Deputy Director of Teaching and Learning, Director of Primary Preservice Programs, and Lecturer in the School of Education at The University of Queensland. She has extensive experience in curriculum implementation, supporting school leadership teams and teachers to implement some of the most exciting and cutting-edge curriculum initiatives. She has led the design and implementation of key curriculum and assessment initiatives for the state of Queensland and at a national level. Emily's doctoral research on curriculum interpretation and implementation has shaped government policy in Queensland. It has influenced the method and messaging for implementation support of the Australian Curriculum, and the professional development and resources that have been developed to aid teachers in the curriculum planning work. After completing her doctoral studies, Emily was asked to lead the project for the renewal of the QCAA Australian Curriculum website, including the redevelopment of over 500 curriculum support resources.

Emily's expertise in curriculum development and implementation has continued to be drawn upon by several national organisations, including the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and Education Services Australia. Through these organisations, she has been invited to continue to serve on Advisory Groups and National Expert Panels to support the development and delivery of the Australian Curriculum and resources to support its implementation in Australian schools.

Previously, Emily held senior leadership positions at the QCAA, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and the interim National Curriculum Board, as well as in Queensland government and independent schools. Emily’s research focuses on curriculum and assessment policy and its implementation, particularly in areas of STEM education.

Dr. Steven Rynne is an Associate Professor and Program Convenor for Sports Coaching with the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at The University of Queensland, Australia. The major theme that runs throughout Steven’s work is learning in sport. Within this broad theme he has worked and conducted research with a variety of peak domestic and international sporting bodies aimed at fostering high performance through learning (e.g. how elite coaches learn their craft) and understanding outcomes for sport participants (e.g. sport for reconciliation). Steven teaches undergraduate and graduate students, is a cycling coach and registered HPE teacher, and has been immersed in junior and community sport settings for more than two decades.

Dr Shapter's background was originally in Agricultural Science and higher education which evolved to the completion of her PhD in molecular genetics in 2008. Prior to her current appointments she was the senior researcher on ARC linkage, Australian Flora Foundation and RIRDC research grants looking at the genetic foundations of domestication and adaptation in Australian native grasses. She supervised two HDR students and has a strong publication record in this field. Her research interests centre on identifying and developing practical applications for gene sequencing. Fran is passionate about teaching and has worked as a facilitator commercially and trained early career researchers and PhD candidates in Project Management, IP and commercialisation and Leadership. She was a participant in the 2020 summit and was appointed to the federal advisory Rural R&D Council in 2009. Dr Shapter was also a sitting member of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator's Ethics and Community Consultative Committee, 2016-2020.

Fran began tutoring at the UQ School of Veterinary Science in 2011, in large animal production, parasitology and microbiology. Since then she has held a variety of teaching, research and professional roles based around project management, curriculum design and blended learning design. She was the project manager for a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) grant which developed 40 vertically and horizontally integrated, online, adaptive tutorials for veterinary science students and was co-author on the manual developed by this project. She assisted with the development of a new flexible delivery laboratory animal science course in 2015 and delivers 5 weeks of online learning units into this course currently. She has been part of the SoTL research and evaluation associated with both these projects and has reported outcomes at University showcases annually since 2016.

In 2017 Fran became the new Student Clinical Skills Hub Coordinator, a purpose-built, state-of-the-art self-directed learning facility for students of veterinary science. Whilst undertaking this role student usage, resource availability and online support for the Hub has increased more than tenfold. Fran's aim is to provide a safe, authentic, self-directed learning environment where students can practice their clinical skills in accordance with individual competences, beyond the scheduled contact hours of their programs and further enhance their capacity for self-directed, lifelong learning whilst acknowledging the vast array of qualifications, previous training, life experience and cultural backgrounds each student brings with them to the Hub.In 2020 Fran recieved a UQ Teaching Excellence Award due to the demonstarted impact of the SVS Student Clinical Skills Hub.

In 2019 Fran was appointed as a Lecturer in Veterinary Science, while continuing her role as the Hub's coordinator. She continues to maintain her teaching roles into the veterinary program in animal handling, animal production, reproduction, microbiology, parasitology and plant identification. Fran has an additional role in the School with regard to asissting with the design, development and integration of blended learning resources, after working with the Science faculties blended learning design team in 2018. However her SoTL portfolio is best showcased by the development of the online learning community and training resources she has developed for the Student Clinical Skills Hub. As of June 2021, Fran has also taken on the role of the School of Veterinary Science Honours Program Coordinator.