Teaching

• ICT and Education
• Research Methods (participatory action research; visualization and graphical analysis; multivariate analysis)
• Mathematics Education

Research

Research Interests:

• Elearning and the application of Web2.0 and social technologies such as blogs, wikis and folksonomies (tagging) to learning and problem solving.
• ICT integration and the application of collaborative technologies to learning and teaching; the development of online communities of practice; and the use of team meeting systems such as Zing.
• Application of ICT for development (ICT4D) with recent successful experience working on a rural information and capacity building project in Cambodia.
• Activity Theory (cf Engestrom); Communities of Practice (cf Lave; Wenger) and Social Psychology (cf Vygotsky, Luria and Leontiev).
• Active builder-user currently working with Drupal, Moodle, Wordpress, Mediawiki, Elgg, OpenAcademic and other systems built on the LAMP platform.

Research:

• Current Research:
  • Martin, B., Higgins, A. & Fitzgerald, R.N. et al (2008-2010). Cambodian Crop and Production Marketing Project. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Total Project Funding $1.1 million over 2008-2010. Sub-project on SMS and marketing funded $250K (Category 1).

• Past Research:
  • Fitzgerald, R.N. & Spriggs, J. (2007-8). Electronic Marketing Communication Systems: Using SMS technologies to improve the marketing system for maize and soybeans in Cambodia. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Funding $100K (Category 1).
  • Fitzgerald, R.N., Barass, S., Campbell, J., Hinton, S., Whitelaw, M. & Ryan, Y. (2006-08). Digital Learning Communities (DLC): Investigating the application of social software to support networked peer learning. Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Competitive Grants Program. Funding $100K (Category 2).
  • Fitzgerald, R.N (2005). Advancing professional learning pedagogies with collaborative knowledge creation technologies. Partnerships In ICT Learning Project (PICTL). Australian Government Quality Teacher Program Project. Funding $21K (Category 2).
  • Fitzgerald, D & Fitzgerald, R.N. (2000). The use of Integrated Learning Systems in developing number and language concepts in primary school children: A longitudinal study of individual differences. DEST Numeracy & Literacy Program. Funding 198K (Category 1).

Thesis Supervision:

• Bronwen Haralambous (Phd-Education) - with Dr Thomas Nielsen and Francesco Sofo.
• NOU Keosothea (Phd-Development Studies- John Allwright scholarship) – with Professor John Spriggs.
• Prasongsook Sooksil (Phd-Education) – with A/Prof Mary Macken-Horarik.
• Kristine Kershaw (PhD-Education) – with Louise Watson and Cathryn McConaghy.
• Phil Roberts (Phd-Education) – with Cathryn McConaghy and Barbara Pamphilon.
• Umiati Jawas (Phd-Education) – with Francesco Sofo and Cathryn McConaghy.
• Renny Budijanto (Phd-HR/Management) - with Francesco Sofo.

Publications

• Fitzgerald, R.N., Spriggs, J. & Nou Keosothea (To Appear). Enhancing communications in developing countries using SMS technology: The case of agricultural value chains in Cambodia. Int. J. Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, Vol. X, No. Y, xxxx 1.
  
• Telford RD, Bass SL, Budge MM, Byrne DG, Carlson JS, Coles D, Fitzgerald, R.N. et al. (2009). The lifestyle of our kids (LOOK) project: Outline of methods. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport/Sports Medicine Australia. 12, 1, 156-63.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. & Spriggs, J. (2009). Final Report: Improving the marketing system for maize and soybeans in Cambodia. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Canberra. ISBN: 978 1 921531 89 7. 25pp. Available http://www.aciar.gov.au/publication/FR2009-08.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N., Steele, J. et al. (2009). Digital learning communities (DLC): Investigating the application of social software to support networked learning. Australian Learning and Teaching Council. ISBN: 978-1-74088-296-5. 52pp. Available http://eprints.qut.edu.au/18476/1/c18476.pdf.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N & Findlay, J. (Accepted 1 September 2009). Collaborative research tools: Using wikis and team learning systems to collectively create new knowledge (45pp). To appear in the Handbook of Emergent Technologies in Social Research. Edited by Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber. Oxford University Press, 2010.
  
• Ryan, Y. & Fitzgerald, R.N.  (2009). Exploring the role of social software in higher education. Handbook of Research on Social Software and Developing Community Ontologies (pp159-173). Stylianos Hatzipanagos and Steven Warburton (Eds), IGI Global, Information Science Reference, Hershey: New York. ISBN: 978-1-60566-208-4.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. (2008). Open source learning: Wikis as an exemplary model of collaboration and knowledge creation (Reprinted). Human Computer Interaction: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. Edited by Panayiotis Zaphiris and Chee Siang Ang, IGI Global, Information Science Reference, Hershey: New York. ISBN: 978-1-60566-052-3.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. (2008). Advancing professional learning with collaborative technologies. Encyclopedia of Information Technology Curriculum Integration (pp22-29). Edited by Lawrence A. Tomei, IGI Global, Information Science Reference, Hershey: New York. ISBN: 978-1-59904-881-9.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. & Findlay, J. (2008). Team learning systems as a collaborative technology for rapid knowledge creation (pp 856-864). Encyclopedia of Decision Making and Decision Support Technologies. Frederic Adams & Patrick Humphreys (Eds). IGI Global, Information Science Reference, Hershey: New York. ISBN: 978-1-59904-843-7.
  
• Moyle, K.M. & Fitzgerald, R.N. (2008). Electronic focus groups. Handbook of Digital Information Technologies: Innovations and Ethical issues (pp 340-352). Thomas Hansson (Ed), IGI Global, Information Science Reference, Hershey: New York. ISBN: 978-1-59904-970-0.
  
• Barrass, S. & Fitzgerald, R. (2008). Social Software: Piloting MyToons As A Digital Learning Community For Teaching New Media. In Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2008 (pp. 4010-4019). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
  
• Fitzgerald, R. (2007). A longitudinal study of the use of Integrated Learning Systems (ILS) in the areas of mathematics and reading in selected Australian primary schools. In C. Montgomerie & J. Seale (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2007 (pp. 4074-4083). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. (2007). Open source learning: Wikis as an exemplary model of collaboration and knowledge creation (pp 687-689). Handbook of Research on Open Source Software: Technological, Economic and Social Perspectives. Kirk St. Amant and Brian Still (Eds), IGI Global, Information Science Reference, Hershey: New York. ISBN: 978-1-591409-99-1.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. (2007). The accidental principal. In P. Duignan and D. Gurr (Eds.). Leading Australia’s Schools. Sydney: Australian Council of Educational Leadership publication. ISBN: 978-0-97754-811-8.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. (2007). ACT Report on the Partnerships in ICT Learning Study. In Chris Reading (Ed). Partnerships in ICT Learning Study Case studies. Department of Science, Education and Training, Canberra, ISBN: 978-1-875864-59-1. Available from http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/Documents/.
  
• Kennedy, D. M., Fitzgerald, R.N. & Lee, K. T. (2005). Enacting government IT in education policy: Designing modules for teacher education in Hong Kong. Journal of APEC Studies, 6, 1, 17-38.
  
• Barrass, S. & Fitzgerald, R. (2008). Social Software: Piloting MyToons As A Digital Learning Community For Teaching New Media. In Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2008 (pp. 4010-4019). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
  
• Fitzgerald, R. (2007). A longitudinal study of the use of Integrated Learning Systems (ILS) in the areas of mathematics and reading in selected Australian primary schools. In C. Montgomerie & J. Seale (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2007 (pp. 4074-4083). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
  
• Fiedler, S., Fitzgerald, R.N., Lamb, B., Pata, K., Siemens, G. & Wilson, S. (April 2007). Getting beyond centralized technologies in higher education. In C. Montgomerie & J. Seale (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2007 (pp. 1340-1346). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
  
• Findlay, J. & Fitzgerald, R. (2006). Rich design: Engaging students as capable designers and co-creators in auto-catalytic learning contexts. In E. Pearson & P. Bohman (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2006 (pp. 500-506). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Retrieved from
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. (2005). Understanding informal learning with technology: Insights for ICT integration. In P. Kommers & G. Richards (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2005 (pp. 948-954). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N., Findlay, J., Forster, A., & Newman, L. (2005). Learner as designer: exploring a collaborative model of instructional design. In P. Kommers & G. Richards (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2005 (pp. 3872-3878). Norfolk, VA: AACE.
  
• Kennedy, D. M., Fitzgerald, R.N. & Lee, K. T. (2004). Enacting government IT in education policy: Designing modules for teacher education in Hong Kong. Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Technology (ICET), Singapore, September 9-10, 2004.
  
• Findlay, J., Fitzgerald, R.N. & Hobby, R.N. (2004). Learners as customers. Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Technology (ICET), Singapore, September 9-10, 2004.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. & Findlay, J. (2004). A computer-based research tool for rapid knowledge-creation. In P. Kommers & G. Richards (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2004 (pp. 1979-1984). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
  
• Elliot, A., Findlay, J., Fitzgerald, R.N. & Forster, A. (2004). Transforming pedagogies using collaborative tools. In P. Kommers & G. Richards (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2004 (pp. 2565-2569). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
  
• Fitzgerald, R.N. (2004). ICT: Challenges for creative learning. New Horizons in Education, 50, 16-23.
  
• Fitzgerald, D & Fitzgerald, R.N. (2002). The use of Integrated Learning Systems in developing number and language concepts in primary school children: A longitudinal study of individual differences. Literacy Program Grants for National Strategies. Research Monograph. DEST Clearinghouse: Griffith University. 88pp. Available from http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/publications_resources/profiles/
  
• Robson, J., Routcliffe, P. & Fitzgerald, R.N. (1992). Remote schooling and information technology, Education in Rural Australia, 2, 2, 33-36.

Service

Associations:

• Association of Internet Researchers (AOIR).
• Imaginative Education Research Group (IERG – http://ierg.org).
• Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE).
• Australian College of Education.
• International Free and Open Source Software Foundation (iFOSSF).
• Educause Peer Directory.
• dgCommunities (Internet in Developing Countries Network).
• Open Source Software Research Directory.
• FOSSEd.org – Free and Opensource Software in Education .
• Citizendium Editor (http://en.citizendium) – This is project led by Larry Sanger to provide a ‘better’ alternative to Wikipedia.
• Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT).
• International Study Group for Research on Learning Probability and Statistics

• Nominated by the Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences (SBE) panel of the Australian Research Council as an “Expert of International Standing” (2005 – to present).
• Assessor for Australian Research Council Discovery and Linkage Grant applications (2005 – to present).
• Invited by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) to serve as a reviewer for applications to the Competitive Grants Program 2009 (2008).
• Invited to serve on the Commonwealth Institute (Australia) Scientific Steering Committee (2007).
• Member of the Who's Who of Instructional Technology (2007).
• Invited to an international panel to judge the 2007 ASCILITE awards for exemplary use of electronic technologies in teaching and learning in tertiary education (2007).
• Finalist Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Regional Contribution (2006)
• Invited reviewer for ACEC Conference (2006 & 2008)
• Invited member of the Program committee for the 2007 International Conference on ICT in Teaching and Learning, Hong Kong (2007)