2G -

Tracks
Track 7
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
1:30 PM - 3:25 PM
Stephen Riady Centre (SRC) Seminar Room 7 Level 2

Speaker

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Dr Lucy Andrew
Adelaide University

Guidelines and Guardrails: Policy recommendations for implementing digital twin lecturers in higher education.

1:30 PM - 1:55 PM

Biography

Lucy is a full-time teaching academic delivering health-related courses online. She has a passion for creating video lectures and is currently experimenting with her younger, digitally airbrushed, multilingual AI-generated digital twin. Current research projects include (1) investigating the attitudes of higher education staff and students to digital twin lecturers and agents and (2) investigating learning performance and student experience when using generative AI to deliver lectures in native languages for non-native English-speaking students. Lucy has previously worked as a Questacon Science Circus performer, a journalist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Science Unit and as a children’s television presenter. Lydia is a full-time teaching academic specialising in human resources, industrial relations, and employment law. A former lawyer and WHS consultant, she has mentored for a Fijian human rights charity and developed the OSH legal standards for Samoa. She is the Immediate Past President of Work Health and Safety Without Borders (Australia). Lydia's research has focused on human resource management and the drivers and barriers for continuous improvement within an educational organisation as well as rewards and recognition practices in the public sector. She is currently researching ethical use of digitally embodied content in higher education.
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Ms Lydia Richards
Online Lecturer
Adelaide University

Co-presenter

Biography

Lydia is a full-time teaching academic specialising in human resources, industrial relations, and employment law. A former lawyer and WHS consultant, she has mentored for a Fijian human rights charity and developed the OSH legal standards for Samoa. She is the Immediate Past President of Work Health and Safety Without Borders (Australia). Lydia's research has focused on human resource management and the drivers and barriers for continuous improvement within an educational organisation as well as rewards and recognition practices in the public sector. She is currently researching ethical use of digitally embodied content in higher education.
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Mrs Natalie Beard
Director Learning and Teaching
Curtin University

From Consultation to Collaboration: Reimagining Course Design as Cultural Change

2:00 PM - 2:25 PM

Biography

As Director of Learning and Teaching in the School of Design and the Built Environment at Curtin University, Natalie champions equitable access to quality tertiary education through innovative learning design and inclusive digital environments that recognise diverse student needs and foster meaningful engagement. Her teaching philosophy centres on student-focused, constructivist approaches where educators guide rather than simply deliver content. By emphasising collaborative learning and community-building, she helps students develop genuine peer connections and a sense of belonging—crucial factors in retention and success. Natalie supports academic staff in creating positive student experiences across all touchpoints: from learning materials and classroom engagement to course curriculum and structural design that meets the evolving needs of students, staff, and industry partners. Through ongoing professional development and engagement with current educational research, she ensures that regardless of location, economic status, or cultural background, all students receive equivalent opportunities to thrive in their educational journey.
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Assoc Prof Bella Butler
Associate Professor
Curtin University

Capacity building in transnational education

2:30 PM - 2:55 PM

Biography

Bella Butler is an experienced educator in transnational education. She has a diverse teaching portfolio and leads a team of academics at all campuses of Curtin University (Australia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, and United Arab Emirates). The subjects which A/Prof Butler coordinates and teaches include Corporate Strategy, Organisational Change and Responsible Leadership. A/Prof Butler received several teaching excellence awards. She served on several boards and currently serves at the MBA and Executive Education Board of Curtin University. A/Prof Butler’s innovative teaching is informed by her scholarship in learning and teaching as well as by her disciplinary expertise and professional networks. A/Prof Butler has published in top international journals, including Journal of World Business, Industrial Marketing Management, Management Decision, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing.

Chair

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Shannon Johnston
Head Of Professional Learning
Murdoch University, HERDSA Associate Fellow

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