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Key research areas: Intellectual and developmental disability; Inclusive mathematics education; Down syndrome; Mathematics learning difficulties; Quality of life.

Dr Rhonda Faragher AO is a Professor in Inclusive Education. She has internationally recognised expertise in the mathematics education of learners with Down syndrome. In her research and teaching, she works to improve the educational outcomes of students who have difficulties learning mathematics, for whatever reason, including through educational disadvantage. Beyond mathematics education, she has expertise in inclusive education in a range of contexts, including secondary classrooms.

Dr Faragher is the Director of the Down Syndrome Research Program within the School of Education. She is an appointed Board member to the Academy on Education, Teaching and Research of IASSIDD - the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Chair of the Down syndrome Special Interest Research Group of IASSIDD, Vice-President of Down Syndrome International and an Independent Director of Down Syndrome Australia. She is Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities.

Dr Faragher is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of IASSIDD and has received a number of awards for her work including the 2020 UQ Award for Excellence in Community, Diversity and Inclusion, the 2016 ACU Vice-Chancellor's Medal for Staff Excellence, a Commonwealth of Australia Endeavour Executive Award and the 2011 Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Research Award. In 2023, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Recent books / chapters

Faragher, R. (2023). A practical guide to educating learners with Down syndrome. Supporting lifelong learning. Routledge.

Faragher, R. M. (2023). Individual student characteristics, abilities and personal qualities and the teacher’s role in improving mathematics learning outcomes. In A. Manizade, N. Buchholtz, & K. Beswick (Eds.), The evolution of research on teaching mathematics. International perspectives in the digital era. (pp. 227-253). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-31193-2

Faragher, R., Robertson, P., & Bird, G. (2020). International guidelines for the education of learners with Down syndrome. DSi.

Siemon, D., Warren, E., Beswick, K., Faragher, R., Miller, J., Horne, M., Jazby, D., & Breed, M. (2020). Teaching mathematics: foundations to middle years. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press.

Brown, R. I., & Faragher, R. (Eds.). (2018). Quality of life and intellectual disability. Knowledge application to other social and educational challenges. (Revised ed.). Nova.

Recent articles

Faragher, R., & Lloyd, J. (Early View). Continuing conceptualising QOL through application to the lives of young adults with Down syndrome. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12479

Vassos, M., Faragher, R., Nankervis, K., Breedt, R., Boyle, F., Smith, S., & Kelly, J. (2023). The ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics and disability: Findings from a scoping review and their humanrights implications. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-023-00362-1

Yanes, T., Vaishnavi, N., Wallingford, C., Faragher, R., Nankervis, K., Jacobs, C., Vassos, M., Boyle, F., Carroll, A., Smith, S., & McInerney-Leo, A. (2023). Australasian genetic counselors’ attitudes toward disability and prenatal testing: Findings from a cross-sectional survey. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 1-12. https://doi.org/http://doi.org/10.1002/jgc4.1788

Wanjagua, R., Hepburn, S., Faragher, R., John, S. T., Gayathri, K., Gitonga, M., Meshy, C. F., Miranda, L., & Sindano, D. (2022). Key learnings from COVID‐19 to sustain quality of life for families of individuals with IDD. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 19(1), 72–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12415

Faragher, R., Chen, M., Miranda, L., Poon, K., Rumiati, Chang, F., & Chen, H. (2021). Inclusive Education in Asia: Insights From Some Country Case Studies. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 18(1), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12369

Faragher, R.M. & Clarke, B. A. (2020). Inclusive practices in the teaching of mathematics : some findings from research including children with Down syndrome. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 32(1), 121–146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-019-00294-x

Faragher, R,M. (2019). The New 'Functional Mathematics' for Learners with Down Syndrome : Numeracy for a Digital World. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education, 66(2), 206–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2019.1571172

Associate Professor Christine Slade PhD GCProfLearning BA (Com Plan & Devt) PFHEA MPIA ATCL

Assessment and Academic Integrity

In my role as Associate Professor in Higher Education, in the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI) I contribute to the UQ strategic priorities, with leadership in assessment and academic integrity. I have been a member of the UQ Assessment Sub-committee since 2016. I have leadership responsibilities in the delivery of the UQ Academic Integrity Action Plan and the UQ Assessment Action Plan 2022-2027 and facilitate professional learning activities for academic staff through workshops and resources.

In late 2019, I was a member of the TEQSA National Academic Integrity Workshop team, with Professor Tracey Bretag (Leader), Dr Guy Curtis and Dr Margot McNeill, delivering 19 workshops across Australia. These workshops brought together representatives of higher education providers to help strengthen institutional detection, prevention and responses to breaches of academic integrity. The team also developed an Academic Integrity Toolkit for the sector, based on workshop feedback, which was launched recently in the TEQSA webinar . In February 2020 I co-facilitated (with Dr McNeill) two similar academic integrity workshops in New Zealand at the request of the Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities and contributed expertise to workshops at University College London on assessment design that strengthens student authorship verification. The corresponding research has been published online by HERD

Towards Digital Maturity

Engaging in technology is part of everyday life, more so during COVID-19. I advocate for the inclusion of digital aspects in curricula and support educators and students in building their digital capabilities for learning and professionals in the workplace. Since 2012 I have advanced folio pedagogies to facilitate students using ePortfolios to demonstrate learning over time, reflect on their developing practices, and to showcase their digital brand to wider audiences. Important aspects of these practices is understanding and applying digital ethics and eProfessionalism principles when engaging online. Therefore, I am a member of the international Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-based Learning (AAEEBL) Taskforce on Digital Ethics and ePortfolios which has produced guiding ethical principles, strategies and scenarios for institutions, educators, administrators and students. I also partnered with the UQ Library to develop a new eProfessionalism digital essentials module for educators and students to use when building their online presence. I have a particular interest in Digital Healthcare and work with international academics and industry representatives to advance student preparation for clinical placements and future work.

Teaching

I have been a lecturer, course coordinator and tutor over a number of years. both in the discipline fields of planning and community development, and teaching and learning. My background is in social planing and I am a member of the Planning Institute of Australia. My PhD thesis critiqued the capacity of local government to address complex, contemporary sustainability challenges through two food security case studies. In 2017-2018 I contributed to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programs in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and in 2019 I contributed to Faculty of Science Employability courses for STEM students preparing for entering their professions. I currently teach into international development courses delivered through the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Awards and Recognition

I received a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in the 2022 Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for my sustained leadership in providing all students with an equitable and trustworthy assessment enviroonment through scholarship, policies, staff professional learning, and sharpening students' ethical decision-making.

In May 2018 I was recognised as a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) UK for inter/national and institutional teaching and learning thought leadership and sustained strategic impact, as measured by the UK Professional Standards Framework. I mentor both academic and professional UQ staff in the development of their fellowship applications as part of the new HEA@UQ program.

Research Interests

My research and teaching interests include innovative pedagogies, assessment and academic integrity, digital curriculum, ePortfolios and ethics. I have written a number of journal articles and other publications, and presented at national and international conferences about my research and practice (see the 'Publications' tab above).