TechDem Champions

Dr Lisa Jacka

Dr Lisa Jacka is a senior lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland in the School of Education. She has over 18 years of experience in Higher Education at USQ, SCU, JCU and UNE. Her outstanding contribution to higher education scholarship of teaching and learning was recognised with acceptance as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2019.

As an academic, she has contributed to integrating technology for Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education. She has been an innovator in online education for throughout her career with a focus on engaging learners through the integration of emerging technologies. She was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Student Engagement for innovative design and delivery of online learning experiences that facilitate education students’ readiness to teach in learning environments of the future in 2015.

Her PhD research investigated Virtual Worlds in teacher education to promote innovative pedagogy. The study provided the basis for her sole-authored book Using Virtual Worlds in Educational Settings: Making Learning Real. She is a member of the ASCILITE executive and currently an editorial intern with the Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education.

Areas of Interest

• Emerging Technologies including Virtual Worlds
• Facilitating Asynchronous online experiences through technology such as Voice Thread
• Humanisizing Online Learning with Human-Centred design principles in the design  and delivery of online courses
• Good online pedagogy

Support

Lisa is happy to support staff across a range of technologies including – Voice Thread, Engageli, Virtual Worlds and Virtual Reality, Online Study Desk design, H5P. She has extensive experience in professional development in higher education having worked in central teaching and learning units as well as her role as a senior lecturer in education.