After graduating with my teaching degree in Sydney, I began my teaching career at Chafford Hundred Campus (now Harris Academy) in Thurrock, England. It was here that my interest in the integration of technology into education first took shape. Chafford Hundred was one of the first 1:1 laptop schools in England, and I quickly became passionate about exploring how technology could enhance learning, teaching, and the development of 21st-century competencies – and how it might hinder it, if not used correctly. This experience laid the foundation for my focus on the transformative potential of technology in education, and during this time, I became a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
Upon returning to Australia, I continued my teaching career in Western Sydney, where I worked at a school that embraced an interdisciplinary curriculum. Here, I was able to apply my passion for technology through digital storytelling and movie making, leading to my recognition as both an Apple Distinguished Educator and a Google Certified Teacher. My work in these areas sparked an interest in active citizenship and how technology could foster student engagement in societal issues. This became the focus of my doctoral thesis at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), which examined citizenship education, student voice, and the use of mobile technologies for filmmaking in Australian secondary schools.
My career then transitioned into higher education, where I took on a role as a learning designer at UTS. In this capacity, I collaborated with academics in disciplines such as Arts and Social Sciences and Law to develop innovative course materials. I also designed and led a student leadership course through UTS: Shopfront, the university’s social justice centre. More recently, I led the development of the Graduate Certificate in Learning Design (GCLD), a program that has received national recognition for its flexible, work-integrated approach and commitment to inclusive education. As of 2024, I was appointed the Course Director for the Master of Teaching (Secondary Education).
In my current role as the Director of the Centre for Research on Education in a Digital Society (CREDS), I lead a team of researchers focused on understanding the relationship between technology and education across diverse contexts. Our research at CREDS explores how digital technologies shape learning throughout the lifespan, with a specific focus on equity, accessibility, and media literacy. One of the key areas of research under my direction is the development of resources to combat misinformation and promote critical media literacy, a challenge increasingly relevant in today’s digital world.
Approach to Teaching and Learning
My teaching philosophy is heavily influenced by critical pedagogy, particularly the works of Paulo Freire (1996) and Henry Giroux (1984). I believe that education should serve as a practice of freedom, not indoctrination, and that student agency must be at the heart of learning. In all my teaching and course design, I strive to create environments where students can engage in meaningful, authentic learning experiences, with a particular focus on how technology can amplify these experiences. However, I am mindful that technology is not a panacea. The thoughtful and strategic use of tools such as Google Classroom, H5P, and Padlet allows for deeper student engagement, but only when they are used in the service of sound pedagogical principles.
These ideas were central to my thesis, where I explored the intersections of citizenship education, student voice, and mobile technologies. I continue to apply this critical perspective in my work in higher education, particularly in the development of online and blended courses. The Graduate Certificate in Learning Design that I coordinated embraced this philosophy by prioritizing authentic assessments, flexible learning environments, and inclusive design, ensuring that students had both the freedom and the support to succeed (Dalziel, 2014).
As the Director of CREDS, I have extended these ideas into research on inclusive digital education. One of our recent projects involved the development of an open educational resource (OER) (Heggart & Fatayer, 2022; Caswell et al., 2008) focused on creating accessible and inclusive learning environments. This OER has been widely adopted by educators across Australia and internationally and has helped promote equitable access to education through practical design strategies. Additionally, through CREDS, I continue to research the ways that digital literacy and critical media literacy can empower students to navigate a rapidly changing media landscape.
The video below sums up my approach to teaching and learning:
https://cdn.cp.adobe.io/content/2/video/68dbe0cb-9714-4f60-92ee-3c44465c59cf/embed?api_key=MarvelCP1
Why CMALT?
Throughout my career, I have been driven by a passion for how technology can not only make teaching more effective and efficient but also transform how we understand and practice pedagogy. Technology’s ability to foster critical thinking, promote inclusivity, and amplify student voice is central to my work. My recent projects, such as developing a digital game to teach critical media literacy and leading the Challenging Hateful Misinformation initiative, exemplify my commitment to using technology to address pressing societal challenges.
As the Director of CREDS, I am particularly focused on how learning technologies can address issues of equity and accessibility in digital education. Whether through our research on media literacy or the development of inclusive digital learning resources, my work aligns with the broader mission of advancing education in a digital society. I am seeking CMALT certification to recognize my contributions in these areas and to continue expanding my influence as a leader in learning design and educational technology. The certification will also enable me to deepen my engagement with a global community of professionals dedicated to the effective and ethical use of technology in education.
References
Caswell, T., Henson, S., Jensen, M., & Wiley, D. (2008). Open content and open educational resources: Enabling universal education. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 9(1).
Dalziel, J. (Ed.). (2015). Learning design: Conceptualizing a framework for teaching and learning online. Routledge.
Freire, P. (1996). Pedagogy of the oppressed (revised). New York: Continuum.
Giroux, H. A. (1984). On critical pedagogy. Bloomsbury Publishing.