robert fitzgerald, phd

Our chapter "Using social software to support digital learning communities in higher education" will be published in February 2009 in The Handbook of Research on Social Software and Developing Community Ontologies. This book examines the impact of new technologies and explores how social software and developing community ontologies are challenging the way we operate in a connected, distributed, and increasingly performative space.

Dr Robert Fitzgerald

Associate Dean (Research)

Faculty of Education - Building 5, Room C33

University of Canberra Belconnen, 2601, ACT, AUSTRALIA

robert.fitzgerald [AT] canberra.edu.au

CURRICULUM VITAE
Academic Qualifications

• PhD - Social Pyschology, University of Sydney (2002).
• MEd (Honours) - Educational Psychology with thesis by research, University of New England (1991).
• BEd (Secondary)-Major in Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Victoria College (1987).
• BEd (Primary)- Major in Computer Programming & Information Systems, CCAE (1984).

Academic Appointments

• 2008: Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Education, University of Canberra.
• 2008: Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute for Sustainable Communities.
• 2007: Director, ACIAR Cambodian Research Project, University of Canberra.
• 2006-07: Director, Digital Learning Communities Research Project, University of Canberra, QUT & RMIT.
• 2005-07: ICT Research Fellow, School of Education/School of Information Systems, University of Canberra.
• 2004: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Divisional Research Institute, University of Canberra.
• 2002–04: Assistant Professor/Lecturer, Department of Information and Applied Technology, Hong Kong Institute of Education, China, SAR.
• 2001: Head of School Education (Acting), Australian Catholic University.
• 1999-02: Senior Lecturer in Information Technology & Postgraduate Studies Coordinator, Australian Catholic University.
• 1997–02: Senior Lecturer in Information Technology & Educational Foundations, Australian Catholic University, ACT.
• 1990–96: Lecturer in Curriculum Studies Australian Catholic University, ACT.
• 1989: Lecturer in Mathematics & Computing, Department of Mathematics, Science & Technology University of New England, NSW.
• 1988: Mathematics Faculty Head, Edenhope Secondary College, Victoria.
• 1985–88: High School Mathematics, Computing and Science Teacher, Edenhope Secondary College, Victoria.

Selected Awards & Invitations

• Expert of International Standing & ARC Assessor (INTREADER)
• Who's Who of Instructional Technology
• Commonwealth Institute (Australia) Scientific Steering Committee.
• Program committee for the 2007 International Conference on ICT in Teaching and Learning, Hong Kong.
• 2006 Finalist Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Regional Contribution

Affiliations

• Association of Internet Researchers (AOIR).
• Imaginative Education Research Group (IERG – http://ierg.org).
• Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE).
• Australian College of Education.
• International Free and Open Source Software Foundation (iFOSSF).
• Australian e-Learning Research Roundtable (UNSW@ADFA).
• Educause Peer Directory.
• dgCommunities (Internet in Developing Countries Network).
• Open Source Software Research Directory.
• FOSSEd.org – Free and Opensource Software in Education .
• Citizendium Editor (http://en.citizendium) – This is project led by Larry Sanger to provide a ‘better’ alternative to Wikipedia.
• Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT).
• International Study Group for Research on Learning Probability and Statistics.

Media Impact

• Social Software Next in Education, Canberra Times, 2008
• Digtial Learning Communities, Carrick Newsletter, March, 2008
• ABC 702 Sydney (Sydney). “Virtual games”, Interview with James O’Loghlin, 8:30 PM, 17 October 2006.
• Canberra Times, “Higher learning”, Meagre Bytes, 11 September, 2006.
• Rasmei Kampuchea Daily, Kingdom of Cambodia, “Short Message System (SMS) for improving the marketing of maize and soybean in Cambodia”, 27 September, 2006.
• UC Press Release, “University researchers to explore new technologies to connect students”, 5 September, 2006.
• UC Press Release, “University of Canberra researchers put technology in the hands of the learners”, 14 August, 2006.
• ABC Radio (Western Plains), Interview with Alison Manning, “Computer games and addiction”, 2:15pm, 21 February, 2006.
• ABC Radio (Western Plains), Interview with Alison Manning, “Computer games and double lives”, 2:45 pm, 15 February, 2006.
• Canberra Times, “Schools must tune in to the new technologies”, Page 1, 28 September 2005.
• Canberra Times, “Kids’ computer games not all bad: academics”, Education Section, 24 September, 2005.

Institutional Contributions (Selected) University of Canberra

• Faculty of Education Board (2008)
• Faculty of Education Executive (2008)
• University Research Committee (2008)
• Learning Communities Research Area Executive committee (2005-07)
• Library Learning Object Management System RFI committee (2006)
• Library Management System RFI committee (2006)
• TEDS Emerging Technologies working group (2006)
• Presenter, CELTS Higher Education Forum (2006)
• Education & Innovation Executive Committee (2004-2005)

Hong Kong Institute of Education

• Information and Applied Technology Research Committee (2002-2004)
• BEd (Language) Program Committee (2002-2004)
• BEd (Secondary) Program Review committee (2003-2004)
• Departmental nominee for various internal & external committee meetings, student-staff consultative meetings and academic review processes
• ICT research consultant to Creative Arts Alliance Educational Innovation Project (2002)

Australian Catholic University

• Convener and Coordinator of Postgraduate Studies (1999-2002)
• Chair, Education School Committee (2000-2002)
• President, National Tertiary Education Union-Signadou sub-branch (1999-2001)
• IT Technical Evaluation Committee- Voice-over-IP & WAN-LAN (2000)
• WWW and Electronic Publishing Sub-committee of ICTC (1995)
• Information Technology Working Party (1995)
• ACUNet Technical Tender Evaluation Committee (1993)
• Education School Committee (1992-2002)
• Sexual Harassment Officer (1995-2002)
• Information and Communication Technology Committee (ICTC) (1992-1995)
• Student Admissions Committee (1990-92)
• Master of Education Working Party (1991)
• Chair, Computer Users Committee (1992)
• Chair, Staff Development Committee (1992-94)
• AARNet Network Infrastructure Committee (1992)

Robert is Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Education and a Senior Research Fellow in the Australian Institute for Sustainable Communities at the University of Canberra and Director of an ACIAR-funded research project based in Cambodia. He has a strong record of research and publication in information and communications technology (ICT) particularly around its application to learning and capacity-building. The Australian Research Council’s (ARC) College of Experts recognise him as an 'expert of international standing' and he serves as an Assessor (INTREADER) for their National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP).  Robert is a highly-regarded teacher and an active researcher who has successfully undertaken funded research in the areas of learning, literacy and information technologies. He has  held a research fellowship at the University of Canberra since 2004 and has over sixteen years experience in research, teaching and administration in higher education. Robert's two current projects, Digital Learning Communities (Carrick Institute for learning and teaching in Higher Education) and Electronic Marketing Communication Systems in Cambodia (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research), are leading-edge projects attracting international interest and involvement.