Panels

Nicole Hoffman

I am a 34 year old mother of two daughters. I live in Toowoomba, Queensland and I am currently studying at the University of Southern Queensland. I am in my third year of a Bachelor of Primary Education degree with a major of Special Education.

I work full-time as a Teacher Aide in a local Catholic Primary School and manage my youngest daughters touch football team. My life is hectic at times but I wouldn't change a thing. Having the opportunity to study later in life has allowed me the opportunity to grow as a person therefore enabling me to become the best educator I can be.

Kristie-Lee Alfrey

Provisional PhD Student, CQUniversity Australia.

Lab Coordinator, Motivation of Health Behaviours (MoHB) Lab

Founder, Online Conference of Undergraduate Research in Australia (OCURA)

Research Assistant, CQUniversity Australia.

Kristie-Lee began her student journey with CQUniversity’s enabling course, STEPS, in 2015, continuing into CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Psychological Science in 2016 and graduating with First Class Honours in March 2020. During her undergraduate studies, Kristie-Lee volunteered as a CQUniversity Student Mentor and received two consecutive ‘Student Mentor of the Year Awards’.

Victoria Fielding

Tutor at UniSA College and in undergraduate communication and media courses at UniSA and University of Adelaide for the past five years. She is completing a PhD in communication and media at the University of South Australia. Victoria has a background in communication practice and studies the intersection of communication and media, media framing and the influence of political narratives on news frames. With a strong sense of social justice, Victoria is passionate about the opportunity of enabling programs for students and the wider community.

Associate Professor Sharron King

Dean of Programs (UniSA College) Education Futures with over twenty-five years of experience in Higher Education and has led numerous teaching and learning grants as CI investigating student transition and academic practice. Her research interests focus primarily on student health and well-being and widening access to university for students who face educational disadvantage. Sharron is currently the CI of a collaborative NCSEHE project investigating students’ transitions to University from regional South Australia.

Professor Andrew Norton

Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy at the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University. He was previously the Higher Education Program Director at the Grattan Institute.

Mr Norton is the author or co-author of many articles, reports and other publications on higher education topics. He also writes a blog on higher education issues, andrewnorton.net.au. In 2013-14 he was the co-author of a government-commissioned review of the demand driven student funding system.

Associate Professor Deanna Grant-Smith

Deputy Director of the QUT Centre for Decent Work and Industry. Her research focusses on the intersection of unpaid work, work-integrated learning and wellbeing.

Evonne Irwin

Program Convenor of the Open Foundation (Online) at the University of Newcastle. She has been an enabling educator since 2008 and has worked continuously on the development and expansion of the Open Foundation online course offerings since 2012. Evonne’s research interests include the experiences of enabling students and staff in online teaching and learning, and her PhD research explores the identities and mis/recognitions of ‘third space’ staff in higher education.

Dr Joel Robert McGregor

An enabling scholar, sociologist and convenor of preparation programs at UoN. His research in the enabling sector addresses preparation and participation of equity cohort students, with a focus on investigating student engagement in blended and online learning. He also has a strong praxis-oriented commitment to exploring issues of belonging and transition for equity cohorts beginning their enabling or undergraduate studies.

Jennifer Stokes

An award-winning educator, who specialises in enabling pedagogy and digital learning. She is a Senior Lecturer who coordinates courses in digital and information literacy at UniSA College (University of South Australia). Her doctorate explores enabling pedagogy, and she received a 2018 Australian Award for University Teaching citation for leadership in this area. Jennifer served on the NAEEA Executive Committee from 2017 to 2019, where she was Deputy Chair from 2017 to 2018. She is passionate about educational access and the role universities can play in social inclusion and societal betterment. Her background in digital media production and her commitment to social inclusion inform an innovative approach to course content.