Current Research Projects
Differentiated Learning Pathways
Working with David Lowe and Elliot Varoy (University of Sydney) we are refining and studying differentiated approaches to teaching large first year units (500- 1400 students). This includes (most expansively) an introduction to programming unit. We are particularly interested in understanding the experience of students with disability and academic adjustment plans.
Additionally, working with David Kerschbaumer (TU Graz) we are investigating how students engage (or disengage) with the differentiated approach in a first year introduction to programming unit.
Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives woven in Australian Engineering Education: A Landscape Study
Working with Jennifer Campbell (Griffith University) and Claire Dixon (The University of Melbourne), this project is working to understand the weaving of Indigenous Knowledges and Australian engineering education through two interconnected parts. Firstly, educational experiences, curriculum and initiatives available for current university students enrolled in engineering degree programs. Secondly, the experiences of engineering educators’ doing the work and their hopes for the future.
For more information about the project, including the design principles please see this flyer. Publications coming soon!
This project was competitively funded by the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE)’s 2022 Australian Council of Engineering Deans Aligned Engineering Education Grant (AUD$20,000).
Critical Thinking Skills
As part of my PhD, I worked to define critical thinking through the eyes of engineers working in Australia as well as understand the embedded teaching and assessment of critical thinking skills in mechanical engineering units of study. To understand the embedded teaching and assessment, I looked at where elements of critical thinking already were included in teaching and assessment materials (opportunities) as well as how these materials were delivered and engaged with by staff and students respectively (implementation).
A copy of my doctoral thesis is available here, with further publications comings soon.
An Inclusive Curriculum Design Process
This is an emergent project taking a traditional UDL (universal design for learning) or inclusive learning design processes (learn then design) and flipping it on its head. It challenges activity designers to consider the assumptions made in the design process (both implicitly and explicitly) for if that assumption sits true for everyone. Elements that are deemed' ‘not true for everyone’ are interrogated and investigated about how these may be adapted or what accommodations could be implemented to become more inclusive or ‘true for everyone’ (design - investigate - learn).
This process has been trialed with academics at the Australasian and European Engineering Education conferences (AAEE2022 and SEFI2023) as well as at The University of Melbourne to much success. Details were published in the SEFI2023 proceedings.
Previous Projects
Other research projects that I have been involved in previously include:
Understanding Australian and United Stated Engineering Education Research contexts (International collaboration with Jessica Deters (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Teirra Holloman and David Knight (Virginia Tech) funded by NSF [1658604])
Understanding integrated inclusion
Understanding the experiences of students with disabilities in Work Integrated Learning internship placements
Scholarship of teaching and learning projects I have been involved in:
Evaluating flipped classroom implementation
Understanding video styles preferences
Curriculum mapping for global competency
Peer evaluation of teamwork skills
Understanding the formation and benefit of a community of practice
Evaluating outreach and inclusion projects