Teaching

Since 2004, I have had a wide range of experience in tutoring, demonstrating, lecturing, project supervision and tutor/subject management. I have worked with all year levels (first year, second year, third year, fourth year undergraduate, and masters by coursework students) and also across subject areas (computer science, software engineering, spatial information science, engineering management, and research skills for architects/construction engineers). 

I was a pioneer in using online delivery approaches at Swinburne in 2018/19, which meant I adapted quickly to remote learning in 2020. I am competent in using Collaborate, Echo360 (both live and prerecord), Teams and Discord for teaching and consultation, and Camtasia for creating learning activities.

I can manage units with over 400 students and 10 teaching staff per semester on a non-full-time workload. Over 6 semesters since 2018, 1800 students and 17 tutors were involved with teaching discrete maths and logic; several of the tutors are now on permanent teaching (level A) contracts or are regular sessional lecturers, while many others have moved into postdoc and industry roles.

In 2019 my Canvas setup for Computer and Logic Essentials was used as an example of how to use Canvas effectively in the faculty and won a faculty Best Canvas Unit award. I can be found on the Canvas Community forums where I focus on questions about Learning Mastery and Outcomes setups.

In 2020 I won the Experienced Educator (individual) award in the FSET Teaching Awards for my work in introducing self-directed learning to an iOS development unit. I spoke about this at EveryWorld, the Australasian iOS developers conference, in November 2020.

Since 2019 I have also overseen the delivery of units with external partners in Vietnam and Malaysia, and since 2016 have assisted with unit moderation at Swinburne Sarawak. In conjunction with our AccessAbility unit, I have supported around 50 students in the past few years who have needed alternate assessment and accommodations to delivery, including personalised exam papers, video captions and assignment extensions.

In 2022, I delivered the first of the new industry-linked units to BICT students, in which we partnered with Siemens to introduce students to Mendix, a low-code development platform. I then followed this up with being a facilitator on the second industry-aligned unit for BE, BCS and BICT students, Technology in an Indigenous Context, in which students worked on a project incorporating "emerging technologies and the respectful blending of Western and Indigenous knowledge systems".

In 2024, I moved into teaching data science and a project-based technology subject, finally returning to my research areas of interest.

In 2025, I am redeveloping the postgraduate introductory programming unit, to ensure an effective introduction to programming for those looking to move from or add to knowledge in another domain.

"Nicole's teaching style is just fantastic. I really like how direct and effective her presentations are. Her enthusiasm about Android is really inspiring and she always takes time to make sure we know what is happening in the unit. I really appreciate the emails she sends every week about the content and modules, the effort she puts into the quizzes on blackboard and the extra content she provides for us. Also all the extra hours she spends marking tasks off for students to catch up. Nicole really cares about her students and wants us to do well in this unit and it really shows with her dedication and time she spends preparing the lectures, sample code and extra content" Android, 2018

"Her expectations push me to be a better programmer and have helped prepare me for learning beyond the institution" iOS, 2019

"There is a clear difference between someone who knows their material and someone who knows and is able to convey. Nicole is part of the latter. She is able to answer most questions posed by the students and explain it to a point where they understand. Her unique approach of using small visual activities help tie the whole lecture together."  Discrete maths and logic, 2019

"Nicole is by far the most effective teacher I have encountered. She makes learning engaging, and makes me want to push myself. If I could guarantee that Nicole would be teaching some other subjects, I would prolong my study" Android (postgraduate), 2020

"[Nicole] explains every thing so well and the best thing is she demonstrates every single problem. Her tutorials overview videos and weekly what to do announcements helped me a lot." Discrete maths and logic, 2021

"I find Nicole is very structured and clear. She always tries to apply technology techniques in delivering her lessons, such as fun quizzes, fun group activities. ... As a mature age student coming from humanities background, I [am] inspired by Nicole and [have] been wanting to learn and improve my skills." ICT Inquiry Project, 2022

"Nicole is really kind and easy to approach with questions regarding the unit or just team based things. Even though she doesn't have a large background in networking, she still made do with what we knew and was always asking questions and trying to fill in the gaps with her expertise in presenting, writing reports and managing a team. Thanks for a great semester."  Technology in an Indigenous Context Project, 2022

"Nicole was an excellent lecturer. She presented topics in a clear manner, and the reminders of milestones within the unit were really helpful. Explanations in labs were always clear and concise. Would be happy to be in a class Nicole is teaching again"  ICT Inquiry Project, 2023

"It is nice having a ... cohort who have a [good] idea of what is going on."  Teaching staff from ICT Design Project, 2023; follow on unit to ICT Inquiry Project, 2022

"Face-to-face lectures are incredible, and Nicole is an amazing lecturer. Totally worth waking up at 8:30 in the morning to go to her lectures."  Android, 2023

"The structure of this unit is well developed that guides students through every step, hence, it's not so overwhelming. With all the helpful resources (especially the demo videos provided by the convenor, and I hope there will be more of them because I actually love them) on Canvas, students (or at least me) know where and how to start, which is extremely important." Android, 2023

"This unit has been incredibly educative, collaborative, and interesting, providing me with both the theoretical and practical knowledge and insights essential for continuing my academic journey in the field of software development." Android, 2023

"Thanks, Nicole, for your work in getting the unit off the ground and supporting students at a crucial time when they start their university journey." Academic tutor, ICT Inquiry Project, 2023

"I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for Prof Nicole excellent work in Semester 1. Not only did she excel from a teaching standpoint, but her drive to teach and empower students with fundamental technical skills is unparallel. Her dedication to fostering a deep understanding of data science concepts and her willingness to go above and beyond for her students have made a significant impact on my learning experience." Feedback via the university compliments form, Intro to Data Science, 2024

"Nicole!! Such an asset to Swinburne's teaching staff. Love how forward focused this unit is." Android, 2024

Certificates and accreditation

• Hyflex Learning Fundamental Strategies and Designing Hyflex Learning Environments (Swinburne, funded via IERF, 2022)

• GitHub Campus Advisor, appointed March 2021

• Graduate Certificate of Learning and Teaching (Swinburne, conferred Dec 2017)

• Learning to Teach Online (UNSW via Coursera, verified)

• Student peer review with PRAZE (University of Melbourne)

• Melbourne Teaching Certificate (Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne)

• Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (TU/e staff education program)

• Supervising Masters Students (TU/e staff education program)