Associate ProfessorKate Thomson

PhD (Sydney), GradCertEdStudies (HigherEd) (Sydney), MIH (Dist) (Curtin), BPsych (Hons) (Macquarie)

Kate’s research expertise is in professional learning. She has made a significant contribution to the evidence-base for facilitating collaborative learning and is leading a new research area within her field, informal professional learning. Primarily, her work has centred on the professional learning of university teachers (i.e., clinical educators and academics) and her emerging interest is in developing future professionals through enhancing students’ learning before, during, and after their work integrated learning placement experiences. She has authored more than 50 peer reviewed articles, book chapters, conference presentations, and invited seminars on informal professional learning, and won the 2016 HERDSA Taylor and Francis Prize for Best Paper by a New Researcher. She has successfully acquired more than $200,000 in grant funding for education and research, including two national competitive grants, one as lead. Her approach to teaching and curriculum design is scholarly, research-led, and evidence-based, whether that is for first year students in large core units of study, final year students on placements, or experienced academics and clinical educators. She serves as an Associate Editor for Higher Education Research and Development. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy/Advance HE.