Teaching Strengths
Dr Ruby-Ngoc Nguyen
Learning Designer
Teaching and Learning Innovation
Academic
➖ Eligible to supervise Master's students and co-supervise PhD candidates.
➖ Doctoral research (University of Adelaide, 2023) investigated how university lecturers integrate feature films and television series into disciplinary teaching, drawing on cognitive science and educational psychology.
➖ Published scholar in peer reviewed Q1 journals across her research interests.
➖ Holds Senior Fellowship with Higher Education Academy (AdvanceHE).
➖ Holds a Diploma of Counselling (Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors - AIPC).
➖ Currently works as Learning Designer in Capability Development (Academic Portfolio, Learning and Teaching Innovation).
➖ Designs and delivers professional development for academic staff, specialising in pedagogy, technological integration, and the ethical use of generative Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning.
➖ Brings additional experience from previous role as Senior Lecturer in Academic Development at the University of Sydney, where she guided educators in AI-age assessment redesign aligned with TEQSA standards, led the development of an AI in education workshop series from foundational to advanced levels, and collaborated with internal and external stakeholders on building and integrating custom AI agents (Cogniti.ai) across diverse teaching contexts.
➖ Trilingual professional in English, Vietnamese, and Japanese with experience in translation across all three.
➖ Practising multimedia visual artist (embroidery, pottery, acrylic, textile).
My research investigates how educators can harness media, technology, and pedagogical innovation to transform teaching and learning in higher education. My doctoral work established an evidence base for integrating feature films and television series into university teaching, drawing on cognitive science, educational psychology, and film literacy theory.
This has since expanded into generative AI in education, where I examine how AI tools can support assessment redesign, professional learning, and work-integrated learning, particularly in preparing pre-service teachers for placement. I also hold a Diploma of Counselling, which deepens my understanding of the affective dimensions of teaching and learning. I publish in Q1 journals including British Journal of Educational Technology, Higher Education Research & Development, Teaching in Higher Education, and Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, and have forthcoming chapters with Routledge and Springer.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2026 | Senior Lecturer, Academic Development | University of Sydney |
| 2023 - ongoing | Learning Designer, Capability Development | Adelaide University |
| 2022 - 2025 | Lecturer & Tutor | University of Adelaide |
| 2020 - ongoing | Artist | Port Noarlunga Arts Centre and Foyer Gallery |
| 2020 - 2020 | Course Designer | School of Humanities, University of Adelaide |
| 2015 - 2018 | Teaching Assistant | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | - |
| Japanese | - |
| Vietnamese | - |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC) | Australia | Diploma of Counselling |
| 2018 | School of Education, University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD |
| 2015 - 2017 | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University | Japan | Master of Science, Division of Society and Culture |
| 2011 - 2015 | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University | Japan | Bachelor of Social Science |
| Date | Title | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Microskill Responsible Artificial Intelligence | Institute of Applied Technology | Australia |
| 2025 | Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) | Higher Education Academy | United Kingdom |
| 2023 | Apple Teacher | Apple (United States) | United States |
| 2021 | Screen and Media Teachers’ Program | Adelaide Film Festival Youth | - |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Nguyen (Ruby), N. N., & Barbieri, W. (2026). Generative <scp>AI</scp> in work‐integrated learning: Supporting pre‐service teachers' emotional labour and self‐management in Australian initial teacher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 21 pages. |
| 2025 | Barbieri, W., & Nguyen, N. (2025). Generative AI as a “placement buddy”: Supporting pre-service teachers in work-integrated learning, self-management and crisis resolution. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 41(2), 34-49. |
| 2025 | Nguyen (Ruby), N. N., & Palmer, E. (2025). Assessing the effectiveness of feature film and television series in university teaching through evaluation quadrangulation and action learning. HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, 44(3), 688-704. |
| 2025 | Nguyen, N., & Barbieri, W. (2025). Mentorship in the Age of Generative AI: ChatGPT to Support Self-Regulated Learning of Pre-Service Teachers Before and During Placements. Education Sciences, 15(6), 642-1-642-20. Scopus6 WoS3 |
| 2025 | Nguyen, N. N., & Barbieri, W. (2025). Cultivating teacher agency and professional autonomy in higher education through feature films and television series. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 1-18. Scopus2 WoS1 |
| 2024 | Nguyen, N. N. (2024). The Balancing Act of Repurposing Feature Films and TV Series for University Teaching. Encyclopedia, 4(1), 497-511. Scopus1 |
| 2024 | Nguyen (Ruby), N. N. (2024). Film in university teaching: optimising multimodal pedagogies through film literacy. Teaching in Higher Education, 29(8), 1934-1955. Scopus6 WoS4 |
| 2023 | Nguyen, N. N. (2023). How do university lecturers learn to teach with film? Formal and informal academic development. Educational Media International, 60(1), 14-30. Scopus4 WoS2 |
| 2022 | Nguyen, N., Cally, G., Walter, B., Edward, P., & Pugsley, P. (2022). The role of technological knowledge in the pedagogical integration of film in disciplinary teaching at universities. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 19(3), 1-17. Scopus3 WoS2 |
| - | McInnes, R., Nguyen, N. N. R., Rathnappulige, S., Marek, S., Searson, D. J., & Waterland, A. (2026). Beyond guesstimating: Calculating student workload in fully online micro-credentials. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. |
| - | Yousuf, M., Miles, K., Harvey, H., Al-Tamimi, M., & Badran, D. (2022). Assessment of multiple choice question exams quality using graphical methods. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 19(3). |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Guerin, C., & Nguyen, N. N. (2024). Supervising a Thesis by Publication: Complementary Narratives. In Narratives and Practices of Mentorship in Scholarly Publication (pp. 211-227). Routledge. DOI |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Nguyen, N. (2021). Screen in teaching before and during COVID-19: Online option VS. online context. In Australian Association for Research in Education. Virtual. |
| 2019 | Nguyen, N. N., Dutschke, A. K., Hayford, J. A., Oko, J., & White, C. A. (2019). Theories and practice for 21st century learning and teaching in higher education, TAFE and secondary education. In HERGA 2019. Adelaide. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Nguyen, N. (2022). Pedagogical challenges and solutions when integrating feature films and TV series into university teaching. Poster session presented at the meeting of https://conference.herdsa.org.au/2022/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/HERDSA-2022-poster-abstract-book.pdf. Melbourne. DOI |
| 2022 | Nguyen, N. (2022). Practical ideas for using feature films and TV series. Poster session presented at the meeting of https://www.herdsa.org.au/sites/default/files/HERDSA%20CONNECT-Spring%202022.pdf. Australia. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Nguyen, N. N. R. (2017). Arts heal life: Rethinking education and therapy through the film Taare Zameen Par (2007) in relation to social withdrawal (Hikikomori). (Master's Thesis, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University). |
| 2015 | Nguyen, N. N. R. (2015). SPIRITED AWAY AS A NARRATIVE OF CRITICAL PEDAGOGY. (Undergraduate Dissertation, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University). |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Nguyen, N. (2017). Fan Awareness of Godzilla’s Dual Identity (2017). |
| 2016 | Nguyen, N. N. R. (2016). Humanities and Social Sciences through World Cinema and Visual Arts. TV Multiversity. |
| 2015 | Nguyen, N. N. R. (2015). Six Films About Religion and Belief. TV Multiversity. |
Adelaide Scholarship International (2018–2022): Full PhD tuition waiver and stipend, University of Adelaide. HERDSA Conference Student Travel Grant (2021): Full registration and travel funding. MEXT Scholarships, Government of Japan (2013–2017): Full tuition and stipends for undergraduate and Master's programs, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.
I teach and mentor in the fields of Asian studies, cultural studies, and research methods at the undergraduate level, and design and deliver professional development for academic staff across disciplines. My teaching integrates meaningful use of educational technology, including generative AI, multimedia tools, and collaborative platforms grounded in evidence-based pedagogy.
I have mentored 200+ undergraduate students through course-level scaffolded research projects, and I design workshops and training resources that help academics and teaching staff navigate AI-enhanced assessment, curriculum design, and inclusive EdTech-enhanced learning experiences.
Available For Media Comment.