inspirED Australia  & New Zealand 2024

Mark has dedicated the past 34 years to higher education across Australia and the UK, contributing in various roles including academic, professional staff, senior management, and consultant. He has worked directly for the University of South Wales and the University of Derby in the UK and Deakin University, La Trobe University, Swinburne Online and Victoria University  in Australia. He has also provided extensive consulting services to the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and prominent organizations such as Telstra and the AFL.

Career highlights include:

- Designing and developing some of the first database-driven unit sites at Deakin University in the late 1990s.
- Developing advanced assessment management systems and scenario-building tools in the early 2000s.
- Pioneering innovative content delivery methods for Nursing and Midwifery students at La Trobe University in the late 2000s.
- Leading teams that managed educational technology for over 80,000 students and 10,000 staff at RMIT University in the early 2010s.
- Collaborating with Joyce Seitzinger to advance ideas and processes around Learning Experience Design in the late 2010s.
- Spearheading the development of flexible online learning delivery at the Australian College of Arts in the early 2020s.
- Leading exceptional teams in learning design, product design, system support, multimedia production, and UX design at Victoria University.

Throughout his career, Mark has remained deeply committed to enhancing the student experience in higher education through innovative pedagogy and the strategic application of educational technology.

Professor Michael Sankey is the Director of the ACODE Learning Technologies Leadership Institute (LTLI) and an Adjunct in the Faculty of Arts and Society at Charles Darwin University. He is also the Recent Past President of the Australasian Council on Open, Distance and eLearning. He specialises in the areas of e-learning pedagogies, multimodal design, authentic assessment, visual and multiliteracies and his recent research has focused on, the advent of generative artificial intelligence, learning and teaching quality and enhancement systems, the multiple representation of concepts when utilising multimedia technologies and Web 2.0 environments, and how the use of blended learning can enhance student learning opportunities, particularly for those studying at a distance. Michael has been working in Higher Education for over 34 years and is an active member and Community Fellow of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) and is a life member of the International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA).

Stephen Abblitt is an educational researcher and literary scholar. Stephen holds an MSc (Digital Education) from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD (English Literature) from La Trobe University. He has extensive teaching experience in the areas of literary studies, critical theory, and creative writing, and over 10 years’ experience working in learning design, educational technology, and academic development roles in higher education. He is currently Academic Development Manager for Keypath Education (Australia & Asia-Pacific), where he leads a range of academic quality and learning design initiatives, including supporting the professional development of a large team of learning designers.

Adelle Ryall is a Lead Learning Designer at Keypath Education. She is a leader in the training and development initiatives surrounding the use of artificial intelligence for the large team of learning designers at Keypath Education. With a strong focus on the student experience, her course designs are innovative and explore the use of artificial intelligence in learning design. She is passionate about harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence to revolutionise learning design and deliver transformative educational experiences.

Dr. George Gyamfi is a Senior Learning Designer at Flinders University. He holds a PhD from the University of Queensland, with a strong focus on instructional design and innovation. He is passionate about leveraging technology and evidence-based practices to enhance student learning experiences. His work aims to empower both students and educators, ensuring their success in an ever-evolving educational landscape.

Kirsty Emery is an Associate Lecturer at Flinders University in the College of Medicine and Public Health. She holds an undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences and is deeply passionate about educational innovation. Her areas of interest include peer-feedback, authentic assessments, and teaching methodologies that foster active learning.

My academic interests include creativity, arts-based pedagogies, collaborative learning and educational technology. I am a Badugulang Fellow at Western Sydney University, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and received the title of Docent of Educational Psychology from the University of Helsinki. I am recognised for my research leadership in:
Initial Teacher Education and ongoing teacher professional development
Using educational theory to transform practices of teaching and learning
Using dialogic approaches for pedagogical innovation.
At present, I am involved in an action research project ‘Designing online learning through productive talk’ (funded by Collier) in primary schools.

With over twenty years of championing educational technology, Aaron has dedicated his career to transforming how people learn and engage with digital platforms. Currently serving as a Customer Success Manager at D2L, he partners with Universities and other organisations to help them unlock the full potential of the Brightspace platform for their learners.
 
Previously, as Associate Director of Digital Learning and Innovation at the University of Suffolk, he led the strategic implementation of innovative digital learning approaches, including the pioneering Block and Blend pedagogy. This experience of working alongside educators, students, and industry partners has given him a deep appreciation for the transformative power of thoughtfully designed learning experiences.
 
A proud member of both the Association for Learning Technology and ASCILITE, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, his passion lies in bridging the gap between technology and meaningful learning experiences, always with the learner's journey at heart.

Nikki Schönfeldt is the Associate Director for Teaching and Teaching Innovation and a Senior Lecturer of Accounting at the UWA Business School. Nikki’s research interest is in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, focussing on digital learning resources and developing students' behavioural competencies.

Ryan Lopez is an Educational Technologist at the University of Western Australia and has recently completed a PhD in Chemistry Education. Ryan has played a key role in the institutional rollout of FeedbackFruits at UWA, collaborating with academics to foster engagement and improve feedback processes.

Dr Elyse Warner is a lecturer in the School of Health and Social Development at Deakin University. She is a course leader of the Bachelor of Health Sciences and teaches undergraduate units within the family, society and health discipline. Elyse currently leads a community of practice focused on embedding teamwork effectively across our School, with a particular focus on the scaffolded use of team charters and Feedback Fruits for group formation and peer assessment.

to be updated

to be updated

Dr. Tara Draper is an academic within the Digital Learning Team at Deakin. Tara has over 20 years of practical teaching experience in three separate disciplines: Nursing, Science, and most recently, Digital Education. She now brings that experience to her current role, offering support and advocacy for academics using digital technology in their teaching. As a third space academic, Tara excels at bridging the gap between educators and technical teams, ensuring that the needs of both are met effectively.

As the Lecturer in Course Enhancement I engage, support and advise academic
and professional staff members on teaching and learning matters within the
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment (SEBE). Working as a
member of the SEBE Learning Support Team, I consult with staff, provide
specialist hands-on support for learning on campus and in the Cloud, produce
teaching and learning resources, undertake research and promote scholarship in
teaching, learning and assessment in higher education. By applying my teamwork
and collaborative working skills I promote Deakin Learning Futures within
academic and professional communities and promote Deakin Learning Futures at
the national level.

Tony is the Regional Director at D2L Australia, leading the team and driving executive level engagement across the ANZ region. Beginning as a primary school teacher, his life-long curiosity and passion for educational technology has allowed him to build a diverse and deep skill set he and has had the privilege of working with learning and technology organisations ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.
““Education has always been a north star throughout my career – as a driver of societal good it is unmatched. The extent to which next-generation edtech is effectively utilised will in part determine the future economic success of the Australian economy.”

Jake Port graduated from Monash University with a BSc Global Challenges (hons) and has worked in science journalism, R&D tax consultancy and is now a Teaching Fellow working with the BSc Global Challenges (hons) units, internship units and career skills for science units at Monash University. As a Teaching Fellow, his focus is on integrating career readiness and business skills into a scientific environment to help students bridge the divide between science and broader industry.