Mrs Vivien McComb

I am the Senior Academic Developer working in academic development at the university. This is a role that provides professional development services and programs to academic staff across all five faculties and centres at the university. This role entails consulting with academic teaching staff on curriculum and assessment design at the course and program level for face-to-face, blended and online learning.

I also design and implement professional development certificate programs for new, current and sessional teaching academics. I am the lead on the development and delivery of the Fundamentals in University Teaching certificate tailored for all new sessional academic staff across the university. Individual academic teacher mentoring and support is also a key part of this role.

I advise project teams in national teaching and learning projects and academics in the scholarship of teaching and learning. I also provide advice to academic staff on the development of teaching award applications and have been on teaching award application panels at the faculty and university level.

My role also allows me to work with students to gather feedback through focus groups, surveys and classroom observations to seek their input into the improvement and design of curriculum. This provides me with a full picture perspective of the teaching and learning process in the university context, and strengthens my approach and advice on curriculum design to ultimately enhance student academic achievement.

I am currently undertaking work on a university-level project to adopt a universal design framework in our curriculum design to improve and enhance academic outcomes for students with disability or medical condition.

Teaching Expertise

I have been an educator for over 20 years and have taught in the higher and secondary education context.

Higher Education

I have been the course coordinator for a number of years and have developed curriculum, taught and administered courses in all modes of delivery – face-to-face, blended and fully online. I have taught extensively, for almost fifteen years, in more than twelve courses in undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs at the University of Newcastle. These courses have been in the areas of: Educational Psychology, Educational Sociology, Teacher Preparation and Professional Practice, and the final year Teacher Research Project for the Bachelor of Teaching; and in Human Resource Management and Human Resource Development for the Bachelor of Business.

I have also taught into postgraduate education and business programs in the School and Community Partnerships, Boys and Literacies and School Organisation and Structural Issues in Educating Boys courses in the Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies and the Master of Educational Studies programs; and I have also provided academic support in assessment for more than eight undergraduate and postgraduate education and business courses.

I provided one-on-one academic tuition, for a number of years to international postgraduate university students who were completing research degrees through the Newcastle Business School and the School of Education - BUSN4300: Research Thesis; EDUC6027: Minor Thesis B 

Secondary Education

I am currently a NESA accredited proficient teacher with the NSW Department of Education. My teaching specialisations are in the English, History, Human Society and Its Environment and Drama disciplines in the secondary school context. 

Research Expertise

I have extensive research experience and have been the project manager on a number of university research projects across a variety of disciplines including education, special and inclusive education, business, psycho-oncology and higher education. I have specialist skills in qualitative research processes.

I am currently a PhD candidate with the School of Education undertaking research focusing on the professional development of academic teaching staff in higher education.