Associate Professor Jennifer Stokes

I am Associate Director of the Teaching Innovation Unit and an AdvanceHE Senior Fellow. Our TIU team focuses on educational excellence achieved through technology-enhanced learning and research-informed practice. We support our colleagues to innovate with technology grounded in pedagogy to enhance learning outcomes. Throughout my career, I have employed innovative teaching approaches to build student engagement, with a focus on technology, equity, interactivity and digital learning. I publish regularly and recently shared insights as a HERDSA keynote (YT clip) and invited speaker at ICERI (Waseda University, Tokyo). 

Prior to this appointment, I was a Senior Lecturer in Education Futures where I coordinated courses in Digital Literacy and Future Ideas. I was honoured to receive a 2018 Australian Award for University Teaching and a 2016 UniSA Teaching Citation for my work in enabling pedagogy, and a 2017 Digital Learning Citation with Rebecca Godwin and Cameron McTernan for 'leadership in digital learning through innovative course design which empowers students as digital citizens and producers'. View some of the innovative student work and explore our teaching approaches here. In 2017-2018 I coordinated and developed the UniSA Online core course Critical Approaches to Online Learning with OCF Lucy Andrew, leading to a team nomination as finalists for a UO Award. Read more about the approaches my colleagues and I employ in 'New course opens up digital world to College students', 'Creating tomorrow's digital citizens' and 'All the students in my lecture are on their phones... that's perfect!'

There is broad social application for effective approaches to new technology; I regularly contribute to global discussions on these topics. For more information, view my recent pieces on strategies for commencing university in the age of COVID, Mean Girls and Social Media, and how Barbie is changing the film industry, and guest editorial with Professor John Butcher (The Open University, UK) on 'Lessons from Digital Spaces'. Watch my interview on Social Media on the Weekend Today show here, or read about The joy of missing out: How to stop your social media addiction, How reducing social media use and staying active can help fight off winter blues, Viral Crazes, or What Instagram privacy settings and copyright mean for the photos you post.

In recent years, my research has focused on digital learning and enabling pedagogy. I have published on policy and enabling programs and presented nationally and internationally on these themes. I have also published on digital media, diversity, and enabling pedagogies. I served as Deputy Chair of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia from 2017 to 2018 and the Executive Board until March 2019. Dr Bianca Price and I established a student mentor program with College alumni in late 2012 and have also presented on this process. My current work examines the intersection between digital learning, authentic assessment and enabling pedagogies. I regularly publish and present research. Earlier academic publications focused on media and student engagement. For further details, please see my publications. 

I have worked at the University of South Australia since 2001, teaching across a range of subject areas in the School of Creative Industries (Previously: Communication, International Studies and Languages), including Film and Television, Media Arts, Foundation Studies and Cultural Studies courses. Sophie Relf and I received an Australian Learning and Teaching Council citation based on our exemplary team-teaching and our commitment to student engagement. In our teaching, we enjoyed exploring the innovative methods available through recent developments in digital technology. As a result of our innovative and collaborative teaching, we received an ALTC citation in 2008, a UniSA citation in 2007, as well as the award for Sessional Staff Excellence in Team-teaching for the Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences in 2003 and 2004. I was also honoured to receive a Supported Teacher Award in 2009 and Supported Researcher recognition in 2012. In 2008, 2009 and 2010, I presented papers at the Australian Screen Production Education and Research Association conference and served on the Executive Board of ASPERA - the peak body for the nation's film schools.

Sophie Relf and I developed the www.equity101.info website for the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education from 2008-2011; a site designed to build access and capacity for equity scholarship and networking. When active, this web 2.0 site represented Australia's largest online education and social equity community.

In my "spare" time, I produced the micro-budget indie film 'Justice Squad' with director Daniel Lawrance. The film was released in 2012 and screened in Australia and the USA.

Australian Screen Production Education and Research Association

Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning

National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia

Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning Editorial Board

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy University of Adelaide

• Master of Philosophy (Education) University of Adelaide

• Graduate Certificate in Education (Academic Specialisation) University of South Australia

• Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) University of South Australia