IAFOR Journal of Education
Volume 5 – Special Issue – Summer 2017
Dr Premnadh M. Kurup, PhD (Edith Cowan University, Perth Australia) Lecturer in Science Education, LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Her professional interests include teacher education, STEM education, and public understanding of science. Dr Nancy Lee is Director and teaches Computer Science, Web Design and Development, and Networking courses at Academic Concepts Educational Solutions (ACES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. She received her Master of Science degree in Structural Engineering from the University of California Los Angeles and her PhD in Learning and Technology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a California Licensed Professional Engineer. Developing structural analysis software during her structural engineer years led her to advance in computer knowledge; combining this with her passion for education, today she is teaching computers full time. She is a Microsoft Certified System Engineer, Microsoft Certified Solution Developer and Cisco Certified Instructor. Her research interests include selfexplanation and worked examples used in instructional design. Dr Elyssebeth Leigh is an adult educator, simulation and games designer and author. She is currently on contract with Aalto University in Finland and at UTS in Sydney. As an educator she focuses on engaging students with their own learning through use of simulation of realworld environments. Dr Xia Li is based at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Her PhD is from Renmin University of China. She is a university statistics consultant in the Mathematics and Statistics Department at La Trobe University. Her professional interest is in applied statistics. Dr Orna O’Brien is currently Associate Director at the Centre for Distance Learning, UCD School of Business, Ireland. The Centre manages the domestic part-time and overseas programmes in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Singapore. She joined the Centre for Distance Learning in 2002, after graduating top of her class from the UCD Smurfit Graduate School of Business with an MBS in HRM. In 2010, she completed her doctorate at the University of Edinburgh in the field of tertiary educational policy development (specifically the impact of the Bologna Process on university governance in Ireland). She has also completed a Graduate Diploma in University Teaching and Learning (UCD), a Certificate in Training and Continuing Education (NUI, Maynooth) and a Certificate in Education Technology (UCD). She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). She is the module coordinator for a number of undergraduate and postgraduate research modules in Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sri Lanka. She delivers modules in the areas of Human Resource Management and Business Research Methods. Her areas of research interest include the globalisation of higher education and education policy, teaching-learning environments for part-time students, technology usage in higher education and development of academic competencies. Dr James C. Piers received his PhD from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio, USA. He is a professor of Social Work and the undergraduate Program Director at Hope College, and he teaches multiple practice courses. He is very interested in transitioning from knowledge-based teaching to competence development. He has published in the area of foster care, retirement issues and international and Native American study programs. Dr Gregory Powell is a lecturer in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce, School of Education, at La Trobe University, Australia. He received his PhD from the University of Melbourne. His professional interests are ICT, design technologies, STEM and robotics, and he is Master’s pre-service teachers’ placement in schools coordinator.
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