Showcasing Teaching Excellence

Discover how JCU’s exceptional educators are surpassing traditional teaching methods and boundaries.

The projects below detail techniques that have a specific emphasis on experiential learning, student agency and technology-enhanced learning. Read on to learn about these exciting efforts to foster deeper understanding and nurture student success.

Fostering transformative education by connecting JCU Students with diverse cultures and communities across the Asia-Pacific Region

Since 2012, Dr Florence Boulard, Professor Rosita Henry, and Dr Nigel Chang, from the discipline of Humanities and Social Sciences, have successfully secured close to $1,000,000AUD for JCU students to travel abroad and immerse themselves in diverse cultures and languages. From Papua New Guinea to Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, and across the Pacific Islands, including New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia, JCU students’ experiences have shown that, regardless of whether they come from regional or remote areas, the staff are dedicated to providing a world-class education.

The students have been provided sustained, transformative, hands-on experiences and for many, it was their first time traveling overseas. They engaged with and explored a variety of unfamiliar concepts; from learning a new language (eg: Bislama, French, Indonesian, Lao, Tok Pisin, Thai and Tahitian) through intensive lessons to discovering cultures and histories of less visible communities.

These experiences encouraged some students to pursue further education beyond their undergraduate degrees. The students have grown into internationally-minded graduates with a deeper understanding of Australia’s regional relationships. They have gained confidence, engaged with a diverse range of students, academics, and professionals across the Asia-Pacific, and are now applying these experiences and skills in their careers.

Critical and ethical integration of AI in the curriculum

Dr Klaire Somoray, winner of the JCU DVC Education's Gen AI in Curriculum Award, has led the way for critical and ethical integration of AI in the curriculum.

Rather than banning AI or embracing it uncritically, Dr Somoray created opportunities for students to explore both its potential and its pitfalls. Through practical use of tools like Copilot and Adobe Firefly, and open discussions about ethics, students were encouraged to think critically about when to use AI, where human judgement is essential, and how to engage with AI responsibly.

Innovating the student experience in guidance and counselling

Associate Professor Margaret Carter, Dr Thili Wijesinghe, and Ron Kordyban are the winners of the JCU DVC Education’s Gen AI in Curriculum Award for their work reimagining the Master of Guidance and Counselling programme.

Their initiative represents a culture shift in postgraduate education, embedding generative AI as a “thinking partner” across six of the eight core subjects. Students use tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT for reflection, roleplay, and writing—always within an ethical framework that requires them to question reliability, trustworthiness, and alignment with professional standards.

Co-designed with students, the redesign has improved writing confidence, critical thinking, and professional identity, preparing graduates to enter the counselling profession as digitally fluent, ethically grounded practitioners ready for an AI-augmented future.

Leveraging generative AI for subject design and development

Dr Eijaz Khan,  recipient of the JCU DVC Education’s Gen AI in Curriculum Award, has led a groundbreaking initiative showing how generative AI can transform subject design and development in higher education.

With support from the Australian Government, Dr Khan developed Circularity in Entrepreneurship – JCU’s first fully in-house subject created entirely with generative AI. Using tools like OpenAI and Heijn, the team produced videos, quizzes, visuals, and narration tailored for Australia, the Arab world, and ASEAN regions – overcoming traditional barriers of cost, time, and localisation.

The subject is copyright-free, culturally relevant, and designed for accessibility, making it a scalable model for inclusive and ethical education. Learner feedback shows strong real-world impact, with participants applying circular economy tools to business models, policy, and collaboration initiatives.

Preparing job-ready graduates for a career in rural sheep practice

Dr Sandra De Cat and Mr Christopher Gardiner received the  AAUT 2024 Award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for designing Sheep Week:  Seventeen years of immersive, experiential, and industry led curriculum, engaging veterinary students in the realities of rural sheep practice.  Sheep week is a unique program among Australian veterinary schools that has supported over 1,250 veterinary students gain invaluable field experience.

Hands-on learning experience, property visits and industry collaboration provides students the opportunity to increase their knowledge in a meaningful way while preparing them for work in rural settings.  The inspirational program provides lessons that are unavailable in a classroom setting.

Sheep week encourages students to work outside metropolitan and regional centers, validating the success of the discipline's focus on rural, remote and regional preparedness.

Empowering health professionals

Empowering health professionals, Associate Professor Melissa Crowe, Dr. Diana Mendez, and Associate Professor Meryl Churchill received the AAUT 2023 Award for programs that enhance learning. This follows the success of A/Prof. Crowe and the Cohort Doctoral Studies Team – GRS, who received the 2023 JCU Inclusive Practice Award for their Cohort Doctoral Studies Program. This program supports graduate research candidates who are concurrently working while completing their studies, with a primary focus on medicine and health fields.

Working health professionals possess a unique vantage point to pinpoint areas necessitating research and to implement findings to enhance patient care and outcomes. This pioneering program offers mentoring, research education, and fosters peer learning and support.

Analysis of program outcomes reveals that Cohort candidates not only generate more research publications and complete their studies more expeditiously compared to their non-cohort counterparts, but it has also shown notable success in providing support to underserved groups. These include part-time and external candidates, mothers pursuing research degrees, and First Nations research candidates.

Reimagining marine science education

The JCU Marine Science Launchpad team, comprising of A/Prof. Scott Heron, Prof. Jodie Rummer, Dr Mark Robertson, Dr Espen Knutsen, and Dr Allison Paley, has received recognition as the overall winners of the 2022 JCU Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

Their achievement highlights their remarkable contributions to revitalising the introductory marine science course by infusing storytelling into the curriculum. They created six compelling storylines across four major disciplines of marine science, helping students grasp their interconnected nature. Additionally, they embraced educational technologies like Soapbox and PollEverywhere to elevate the learning experience and foster greater interactivity.

An innovative curriculum for medical students

“Give Them Fondue!” is the coming together of Dr Zafar Smith's reflections on transforming medical students’ learning experiences. His program design supports the transition to the clinical years with an innovative curriculum, narrative learning tools and role-playing activities related to Emergency Medicine.

Dr Zafar Smith's nomination for the JCU Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning earned him both the distinguished award and the overall JCU Teaching Excellence Award for 2021. His achievements in transforming curriculum were further recognised through a 2022 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning through the Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT).

Read more about Dr Smith’s successful AAUT nomination (PDF, 350 KB).

Integrated assessment design across core subjects

Dr Rhian Morgan and Lisa Moody present a compelling case study showcasing the enhancement of students' digital literacy skills by seamlessly integrating assessment practices across various subjects. Their approach involves the practical application and evaluation of these skills within multiple subjects and contexts. The result is that students receive amplified feedback, with multiple opportunities to action this and improve.

The interplay of assessment across subjects fosters engagement and provides students with a dynamic exploration of the roles, potential, and ramifications of technologies. Students understand the applications across academic pursuits,  research, communication, and self-directed learning – all of which contribute to their success in university studies.