Dr Ruth Geer

Currently I am the Program Director in the School of Education of the 2 year Master of Teaching which was primarily designed to meet the needs of international students wishing to gain a teaching qualification. I am also the Program Director of the one year Graduate Diploma in Education which upon successful completion also gives eligibility to apply for teacher's registration in South Australia. I also have a number of international students entering this program. Thus one of my areas of interest is in the area of language development and acculturation of international students particularly those coming from non English speaking backgrounds. I am particualrly interested in the support required both in academic aspects and in their pastoral care to enable successful professional experiences in schools and in their completion of the programs. However my major research focus is in the implementation and integration of technologies to enhance student learning towads improving student outcomes. I lecture in educational computing courses where my expertise and focus lies in the area of integration of ICTs into teaching and learning. Much of my teaching focuses on equipping pre-service and in-service teachers with an understanding of the potential of ICTs particularly in the utilisation of the Internet technologies and how they can be effectively embedded into the curriculum areas to enhance learning outcomes for students. My doctoral focus was in the interaction and cognition of online learning communities. My goal is the creation of a learning environment where participants can support each other in the development of the higher cognitive skills. Of particular interest is the influence of cultural factors in the use of ICTs in education. A percentage of my teaching is at a distance where flexibility in the delivery and instructional design of material is of prime importance. I have had considerable experience in working with her colleagues to provide professional development in the area of ICT to professionals from The Philippines, Sri Lanka Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Such associations have increased my understanding of the many variables and impacting influences related to working with overseas professionals. My strengths lie in my ability to meet project deadlines, work closely with team members and to follow through initiatives. My background includes productive collaboration with a wide range of educational professionals, schools and systems.I have been the principle researcher in a number of projects with the South Australian Department of Education and Childrens services. Currently I am a senior researcher in a 3 year ICT project with the Department where we are exploring what contemporary learning environments might look like using 4 schools across the state as our case study.

• Integration of learning technologies into teaching and learning
• eLearning
• Impact of Web 2.0 technologies on learning outcomes
• Language and acculturation of International students from non English speaking backgrounds
• Academic and pastoral care of International students

Computers Education Group of South Australia (CEGSA)

Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education

International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 3.6

Doctor of Philosophy

Master of Education Studies(Educational Computing)

Graduate Diploma of Theology in Education

Graduate Diploma of Education (Educational Computing)

Diploma of Education

Bachelor of Arts

• Collaboration and interactivity in Internet-based environments
• Integration of learning technologies into the curriculum
• Learning outcomes from the use of technology-mediated interaction
• The use of learning technologies to enhance student learning at a distance
• Students' information literacy skills
• Effective management of the online environment for teaching and learning

Geer, R. (2008) Developing effective pedagogies for the use of interactive whiteboards in teacher education. Act on ICT in ACEC’08 Refereed Conference Proceedings, Canberra.

Geer, R., Barnes, A. & White, B. (2008) Four ICT enablers in a contemporary learning environment: a case study. Act on ICT in ACEC’08 Refereed Conference Proceedings, Canberra.

Geer, R. (2008) Identification of issues associated with international students in teacher education in Australia. Paper presented at the Australian Teacher Education Association Conference 2008, Sunshine Coast, Q’ld

White, B., Clark, D. & Geer, R. developing online collaborative learning communities: report from the South Australia Project. In C. Reading (ed), Partnership in ICT Learning Study: Case Studies (pp85-100). Canberra, Department of Science, Education and Training.

McLoughlin, C. & Geer, R. (2007) The implications of Web 2 for creating engaging e-assessment tasks. Proceedings of the Joint Working Conference, iTET 2007, Prague, 76-82.

Geer, R. (2007) Preparing the ground for student learning on the social web. Proceedings of the Joint Working Conference, iTET 2007, Prague, 42-53.

Geer, R & Barnes, A (2007) “Cognitive Concomitants of interactive whiteboard use and their relevance towards developing effective research methodologies” International Education Journal, 8 (2) 92-102.

Geer, R. & Barnes, A. (2007) “Beyond media stickiness and cognitive imprinting: Rethinking creativity in cooperative work & learning with ICTs.” Education and Information Technologies 12, 123-136.

Geer, R. (2006). A pedagogical framework for technology-mediated interactions. Paper presented at the Australian Teacher Education Association Conference 2006, Fremantle, WA.

Geer, R. (2006). Collaborative online experiences: Can they inform classroom practices? Paper presented at the Australian Computers in Education Conference 2006, Cairns, Q'ld.

Geer, R., & Barnes, A. (2006, August 21-24th). Media stickiness and cognitive imprinting:Inertia and creativity in cooperative work and learning with ICTs. Paper presented at the Education for the 21st century- Impact of ICT and digital resources, Santiago, Chile.

Geer, R. (2005). Cognitive tracks in technology-mediated interactions. Paper presented at the 8th IFIP World Conference on Computers in Education, Cape Town, South Africa.

Geer, R. (2005). Imprinting and its impact on online learning environments. Paper presented at the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, Brisbane, Queensland.

Geer, R. (2005). The value of e-writing effort in technology-mediated interactions. Paper presented at the World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications, Montreal, Canada.

Geer, R. (2003) Initial communicating styles and their impact on further interactions in computer conferences. Proceedings of the 20th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA

Geer, R. (2003) Student Learning Outcomes and the Use of E-Mail Discussion Lists Proceedings of International Conference on Computers in Education 2003, Hong Kong.

I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:

Discipline: Educational Computing

• Development and Implementation of On-line Courses in Higher Education
• Working with International students
• Use of Learning Technologies in learning and teaching