Today my guest is Dr Sharon Kerr, an educator and researcher specialising in inclusive curriculum for students with a disability utilising assistive technologies and the training of community service professionals. Sharon has had over 30 years experience working with students with a wide range of disabilities. She is widely recognised as having expertise in maximising student engagement for students with intellectual, sensory, learning, psychological and physical disabilities. In this episode we explore Sharon’s work as General Manager at the Australian College of Disability and Community Services, a registered training organisation - RTO - focusing on professional development of teachers, support workers and other staff in the sector. We find out more about Sharon’s background in social welfare, Japanese teaching as well as pioneering work in educational multimedia and elearning. We chat about Sharon’s PhD research, White Questions - Black Answers, designed to support Indigenous students with a disability in the Higher Education Sector. Sharon outlines her student support framework developed from this research, to be used by Universities, TAFEs and RTOs across Australia. Sharon offers insights into universal design, the use of assistive technology in education and the profound practicalities of leading with a heart of service.
Links:
https://www.acdcs.edu.au/
USYD Thesis: White Questions—Black Answers: Effective Inclusion of Indigenous Students with a Disability into Higher Education in Australia
https://sydney.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61USYD_INST/1c0ug48/alma991032238561205106
Video: Impact of accessible eBooks on learning outcomes of Indigenous students (Example of assistive technologies and universal design.)https://youtu.be/UWjFvaZpVco
Article: Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching and learning in higher education
https://telrp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41039-017-0062-8
Transcript: https://pastebin.com/JD6PEBPN
