BRITE - BioSciences Research in Innovation and Teaching Effectiveness
BRITE supports collaborative efforts to improve our teaching and learning.
We enable research on teaching and learning innovations and the evaluation of teaching practices within the School of BioSciences.
BRITE Lab is a group of University of Melbourne lecturers, based in the School of BioSciences and the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, who are interested in enabling, evaluating and undertaking research around good teaching practice, including new and innovative learning experiences.
Our purpose
Identify, implement and enable new and innovative learning experiences in biosciences education and evaluate their impact.
Foster a positive teaching and learning culture where the student learning experience, the development of teaching expertise, and best-practices in evaluation is supported and valued.
Establish and grow our practice of and expertise in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
BRITE Ideas
The BioSciences educator blog
About the blog
- To identify opportunities for implementing and evaluating innovative teaching practices.
- To encourage BioSciences educators to take risks in trying new approaches to their teaching.
- To demystify current and emerging trends in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), their use in higher education and specifically BioSciences education.
Resources
Tips on adding more structure to your course
8 questions to ask before using a new educational technology in your course
Contact
For enquiries, please email brite-admin@unimelb.edu.au
Meet the academics and researchers in the BRITE Lab.
Lab members
Dr Bhawana Bhatta Kaudal
I am committed to fostering inclusive learning environments—both on campus and online—by applying the principles of Universal Design for Learning. My research explores the complexities of student engagement and equity in higher education, focusing on the development and evaluation of innovative teaching strategies that address diverse learning needs. This includes incorporating multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement, while cultivating a strong sense of belonging and support for every student.
bhawana.bhattakaudal@unimelb.edu.au
A/Prof Hayley Bugeja
Hayley is an education-focused academic who strives to adopt innovative approaches for engaging students in learning genetics and biology. Her education research considers how program-level assessment approaches can be adopted to increase student engagement and agency in learning towards skills and competencies important for life-long learning. Hayley is also a convenor of the University’s EF Career CoP, supporting the development of EF academics’ career pathways.
h.bugeja@unimelb.edu.au +61390358782Dr Daniel Czech
Dr Daniel Czech is an education focused Senior Lecturer within the School of BioSciences at The University of Melbourne. Daniel’s professional expertise extends to redefining industry involvement in higher education, reflecting his passion for enhancing student employability. In his research endeavours, Daniel explores topics including graduate employability, work-integrated learning, and transferable skill development.
daniel.czech@unimelb.edu.au +61383445612
Dr Jennifer Fox
Jennifer is a Teaching Specialist in the School of BioSciences and Deputy Chair of BRITE. Recently, she has presented at the BRITE seminar series about Team Teaching best practice and a showcase of an Assessment Literacy Module in Biosciences subjects.
jennifer.fox@unimelb.edu.au
A/Prof Lisa Godinho
I am an education-focused academic with a background in behavioural ecology and the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Programs) in the Faculty of Science. My current research interests include using technology to increase access to field-based education for large cohorts of first-year students, widening participation and success in STEM degrees, with a particular focus on Indigenous student success.
lisa.godinho@unimelb.edu.au +61383447510A/Prof Mark Green
I am an associate professor and reproductive biologist whose research focuses on understanding how environmental pollutants affect fertility. Alongside my discipline-specific research, I strive to improve learning experiences and assessment approaches, specifically via the employment of online tools and optimising the creation on high-quality MCQs with an emphasis on concept-based learning.
mark.green@unimelb.edu.au +61383444346
Dr Lara Grollo
Lara is a Teaching Specialist in the School of BioSciences and Co-Chair of BRITE Lab. She has recently completed a Master’s degree in education at ACU with a focus in Science education and communication and was awarded a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2020. In 2020, Lara joined the STEM Industry Mentoring Program in association with Melbourne University.
lara.grollo@unimelb.edu.au +61383440249Dr Rebecca Hull
Rebecca is an Associate Lecturer in the School of BioSciences and a member of BRITE Lab. With BRITE Lab colleagues, she creates educational interventions aiming to develop undergraduate students’ skills, including writing, and analysis and interpretation of data.
rbhull@unimelb.edu.au +61390356456
Dr Brian Kearney
Brian is an Education Focussed Lecturer and ecologist in the School of BioSciences. Their current research interests focus on supporting diversity and inclusivity in teaching practices, including weaving Indigenous knowledges into biology curriculum and LGBTQIA+ belonging, as well as conceptual understanding in zoology and student interactions in online learning spaces.
brian.kearney@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Anna Lister
As an education-focused academic in the School of Biosciences, I bring a research background in population genetics and a wide variety of teaching experiences across all undergraduate year levels in biology and science. I am passionate about supporting students’ skill development, particularly during their transition to university study in their first year and have previously coordinated a student support programme. My research interests encompass student engagement, motivations and skill development, innovative curriculum design and assessment, technology-enhanced learning, as well as educational staff training and development.
anna.lister@unimelb.edu.auProf Raoul Mulder
Raoul is a Professor in the School of BioSciences and an active member of BRITE Lab. He provides advice & perspective on educational research and career pathways, drawing on experience in senior academic roles. Raoul also runs the Mulder Lab – Evolutionary Ecology of Birds.
r.mulder@unimelb.edu.au +61383446245
Dr Michael Murray
My research in education focuses on developing BioLogic, an innovative EduTech software tool. BioLogic provides scaffolding to develop STEM students’ ability to construct grammatically correct and scientifically precise explanations. This supports learning but also provides a new path to scalable, automated marking in large classes.
murraym@unimelb.edu.au +61383447139
Dr Allyson O'Brien
Allyson is a marine biologist and education-focused academic with research interests in marine pollution and effective university teaching. Allyson strives to create innovative learning experiences that facilitate peer-to-peer connections in different learning contexts. This has included weaving Indigenous knowledges into biology curriculum and using a design-based research approach to create an international cohort of marine biology students, a current collaborative project with University of Exeter.
allyson.obrien@unimelb.edu.auMrs Krista Paterson
Krista is a teaching specialist and Associate Lecturer is the School of BioSciences and a long-term member of BRITE of BRITE Lab. She is also the BRITE Lab Secretary, assists with BRITE’s communications and maintains the project databases. Krista has also attended and hosted BRITE events, including the John Hattie Symposium 2017 and Love Your Teaching Learning and Teaching Day, School of BioSciences 2019, completed her Graduate Certificate in University Teaching (GCUT) in 2018 and led outreach programs with VCE Biology students.
krista.paterson@unimelb.edu.au +61390358958
Dr Lauren Salo
Lauren is an Education Focussed Lecturer in the School of BioSciences and a co-chair of BRITE. Her research background is in animal physiology and the cardiovascular system. She is the coordinator for the Zoology Major and has extensive experience in coordination of first year foundational biology subjects. Her current research interests focus on evaluation of assessment and feedback, and the development of conceptual understanding in physiology across the degree program.
lauren.salo@unimelb.edu.au +61383445127Dr Mel Saligari
Mel is an education-focused academic with expertise in designing and implementing interactive and collaborative student-centred learning experiences, in face-to-face, online and blended contexts. She leads in the development and delivery of high-quality MCQ-based assessments, particularly for large-cohort teaching. Her research explores assessment effectiveness as well as assessment and feedback literacy, with a focus on supporting self-regulated learning behaviours in students.
mel.saligari@unimelb.edu.au +61383444276Dr Ollie Thomas
Ollie is a Teaching Specialist in the School of BioSciences and a member of BRITE Lab. His teaching experiences are wide-ranging, having taught Chemistry, Biology, Philosophy, Mathematics and Music as a Secondary School teacher. Ollie is currently part of a BRITE Lab team running a longitudinal study measuring critical thinking and conceptual understanding in Biology students. In this study, we gather demographic data as well as implement the Bio-MaPS framework to determine changes in conceptual understanding as students progress through their degree.
thomas.o@unimelb.edu.auDr Emile van Lieshout
Emile is a Teaching Specialist in BioSciences with a research background in behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology, and experience teaching in the secondary system. In BRITE Lab, he co-organises the Journal Club, where we discuss recent research papers in SoTL (science of teaching and learning) or hear directly from researchers in the field. Emile is involved in the first-year biology subjects, Biometry, Animal Behaviour, and Wildlife Management.
evl@unimelb.edu.au +61390355385