Sandy Maranna

Teaching Strengths

Higher-order thinking in online learning
Clinical skills
Authentic assessments
Research Skill Development Framework
Learning

Dr Sandy Maranna

Senior Lecturer, Medical Sonography

School of Allied Health and Human Performance

College of Health

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

I am a senior lecturer, course coordinator & ICBR stream lead in the medical sonography program, with an academic background in medicine and radiology. I contribute my clinical and education expertise to three degree programs in sonography and interdisciplinary modules at UniSA. My focus is to foster life long learning practices in students. My innovative online teaching practices on authentic assessments and higher order thinking have gained local, national and global recognition, including the AAUT citation for outstanding contribution to student learning from Universities Australia and the Online Learning Consortium's (USA) "Innovation in online learning to support student learning". I recieved the Higher Education Advance Fellowship (FHEA), recognising attainment of the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and learning in higher education. I am proud to be the inaugural Fellow of the Australasian Sonographers Association for my sustained contribution to the profession. My doctoral research is inspired by my pursuit to support student learning and focuses on students' knowledge application from online courses to real life jobs. I have held several leadership roles in national and international sonography education committees. The most rewarding collaboration is with the World Health Organisation in the ACTION trials. 

PhD: Exploring the relation between cognitive transfer, self-regulated learning and learning transfer in postgraduate medical sonography students 

Affiliation: Centre for Change & Complexity in Learning

Associate member: Higher Education Research network

Associate member: Robinson Research Institute

Year Citation
2025 Kim, J., Maranna, S., Watson, C., & Parange, N. (2025). A scoping review on the integration of artificial intelligence in point-of-care ultrasound: Current clinical applications. American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 92, 172-181.
DOI Scopus15 WoS14 Europe PMC10
2025 Maranna, S., Claassen, A., Joksimovic, S., Willison, J., Parange, N., & Costabile, M. (2025). Cognitive presence and self-regulated learning: Learning transfer in an online allied health course. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 22(1), 23 pages.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2024 Adegboyega, T. A., Alimosho, E. A., Adesina, O. A., Adeyemi, B., Maranna, S., & Wylie, B. J. (2024). The World Health Organization Antenatal CorTicosteroids for Improving Outcomes in preterm Newborns (ACTION-III) Trial: study protocol for a multi-country, multi-centre, double-blind, three-arm, placebo-controlled, individually randomized trial of antenatal corticosteroids for women at high probability of late preterm birth in hospitals in low- resource countries. Trials, 25(258), 1-15.
DOI Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC5
2024 Maranna, S., Joksimovic, S., Willison, J., MacDougall, M., Parange, N., & Costabile, M. (2024). Student perspectives on learning transfer from online postgraduate sonography courses to traineeships: A pilot survey. Sonography, 12(1), 13-24.
DOI
2023 Maranna, S., Osborne, B., & Nallaya, S. (2023). Structured online vivas for evaluating professional competency in a capstone allied health course: a pilot study. Advancing Scholarship and Research in Higher Education, 4(1), 1-21.
DOI
2022 Maranna, S., Willison, J., Joksimovic, S., Parange, N., & Costabile, M. (2022). Factors that influence cognitive presence: A scoping review. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 38(4), 95-111.
DOI Scopus21 WoS16
2021 Childs, J., Osborne, B., Lamb, K., Maranna, S., & Esterman, A. (2021). The initial impact of COVID-19 on Australasian sonographers part 3: Sonographer professional, personal, and social wellbeing. Sonography, 8(3), 109-115.
DOI Scopus3 WoS4 Europe PMC4
2021 Childs, J., Maranna, S., Osborne, B., Lamb, K., & Esterman, A. (2021). The initial impact of COVID-19 on Australasian sonographers part 2: Changes to sonographic examination protocols and access to personal protective equipment. Sonography, 8(3), 100-108.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC5
2021 Childs, J., Lamb, K., Osborne, B., Maranna, S., & Esterman, A. (2021). The initial impact of COVID-19 on Australasian Sonographers Part 1: changes in scan numbers and sonographer work hours. Sonography, 8(3), 90-99.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC5
2021 Cohen, C., Childs, J., & Maranna, S. (2021). Behind closed doors: Are sonographers coping? A nation-wide survey investigating the emotional well-being of sonographers working for private organisations within Australia. Sonography, 8(4), 144-154.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2021 Prentice, C. L. S., Milanese, S., Massy-Westropp, N., & Maranna, S. (2021). The reliability of rehabilitative ultrasound to measure lateral abdominal muscle thickness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 53(102357), 11 pages.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC3
2021 Cohen, C., Childs, J., & Maranna, S. (2021). Behind closed doors: Are sonographers coping? A literature review of sonographer burnout. Sonography, 8(1), 3-11.
DOI Scopus17 WoS16
2020 Oladapo, O. T., Vogel, J. P., Piaggio, G., Nguyen, M. H., & Maranna, S. (2020). Antenatal dexamethasone for early preterm birth in low-resource countries. The New England Journal of Medicine, 383(26), 2514-2525.
DOI Scopus105 WoS100 Europe PMC81
2019 Aird, C., Thoirs, K., Maranna, S., & Massy-Westropp, N. (2019). Ultrasound Measurements and Assessments of the Ulnar Nerve at the Elbow and Cubital Tunnel: A Scoping Review. Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, 35(6), 474-482.
DOI Scopus4 WoS3
2019 Sandhya, M. (2019). Cervical length measurement: interesting case series. Ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology: Special Issue: Abstracts of the 28th World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 52(S1, article no. EP03), 202.
DOI
2019 Maranna, S. (2019). Educating sonographers in attributes of 'breaking bad news' to foster positive emotional well‐being. Sonography, 6(4), 178-190.
DOI Scopus8 WoS4
2018 Maranna, S., Hill, A., Fairlie-Jones, L., Osborne, B., & Davison, K. (2018). Reliability of sonographic measurements of endothelial function: Flow-mediated dilation, blood flow velocity, resistive and pulsatility indices. Sonography, 5(4), 148-156.
DOI
2018 Sandhya, M. (2018). Feature article: Outreach partnerships in global maternal and fetal health WHO ACTION trials in collaboration with ISUOG. Soundeffects news, (3), 18-19.
2015 Thoirs, K., Osborne, B., Childs, J. T., Parange, N., & Maranna, S. (2015). Skill development of beginner sonography students using high-fidelity simulators: Initial experiences. Sonography, 3(1), 5-11.
DOI Scopus4

Year Citation
2018 Maranna, S., Pujar, Y., Metgud, M., Oladapo, O., & Vogel, J. (2018). Challenges in the estimation of gestational age for women at risk of preterm birth in low resource countries: initial experiences from WHO ISUOG collaboration. In Sonography: Special Issue: ASA2018 Sydney Abstracts 25th Annual International Conference of the Australasian Sonographers Association Vol. 5 (pp. 17). Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia.
2017 Maranna, S., Greyvensteyn, M., & Parange, N. (2017). E-assessment evaluation of preclinical skills in an online postgraduate sonography course. In International Conference on Models of Engaged Learning and Teaching The University of Adelaide Logo (pp. 1). Adelaide, Australia: University of Adelaide.
2017 Maranna, S., Hill, A., Fairlie Jones, L., Osborne, B., & Davison, K. (2017). Reliability of sonographic parameters of endothelial function: flow-mediated dilation, blood flow velocity, resistive and pulsatility indices.. In Abstracts from the 24th Annual ASA Conference (pp. 1). Australia: Australasian Sonographers Association.
2017 Maranna, S. (2017). Audit report: Use of an innovative online simulation tool as an aid in basic skill training for beginner level sonography trainees.. In Abstracts from the Australasian Association of Educators in Medical Radiation Science: Evolving educational technologies (pp. 1). Australia: Australasian Association of Educators in Medical Radiation Science.
2016 Maranna, S. (2016). Four vessels off the aortic arch: prenatal diagnosis of the aberrant right subclavian artery. In Abstracts of Annual Conference Australasian Sonographers Association (pp. 1). Australia: Sonographers Association.

Year Citation
2023 Adegboyega, T. A., Adejuyigbe, E. A., Adesina, O. A., Adeyemi, B., Ahmed, S., Akinkunmi, F., . . . Wylie, B. J. (2023). The World Health Organization Antenatal CorTicosteroids for Improving Outcomes in preterm Newborns (ACTION-III) Trial: study protocol for a multi-country, multi-centre, double-blind, three-arm, placebo-controlled, individually randomized trial of antenatal corticosteroids for women at high probability of late preterm birth in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries.
DOI
  • The impact of COVID-19 on the Australasian sonographic community., Australasian Sonographers Association, 30/06/2020 - 31/12/2021
  • Healthy Newborn Project: Towards improved prenatal care in rural Australia through access to antenatal point-of-care ultrasound (APoCUS) and empowerment of healthcare workers, 01/01/2023 - 31/08/2026
  • WHO ACTION 3 trial collaboration 2023-2025
  • Travel grant, WHO ACTION 1 &2 -2017-2022
  • Audit of Patient Satisfaction and Experience of the Consent Process for Transvaginal Ultrasound (TVUS) in a Public Ultrasound Department: A Focus on Informed, Culturally Sensitive, and Trauma-Informed care -2026

Courses I teach

  • RADY 5002 Breast Sonography (2025)
  • RADY 5014 Obstetric and Gynaecologic Sonography (2025)
  • RADY 5015 Superficial Parts Sonography (2025)
  • RADY 5002 Breast Sonography (2024)
  • RADY 5014 Obstetric and Gynaecologic Sonography (2024)
  • RADY 5015 Superficial Parts Sonography (2024)

Programs I'm associated with

  • IGSO - Graduate Diploma in Medical Sonography
  • IMSO - Master of Medical Sonography
  • ICBR - Graduate Certificate in Breast Imaging

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2023 Co-Supervisor Measurements of third trimester transvaginal cervical length ultrasound scans in pregnant women and the association with preterm birth: A systematic review and retrospective audit Master of Research (Health Sciences) Master Part Time Ms Carr Men Chung
2023 Co-Supervisor The acute effects of loading programs and anti-inflammatory medication on the exercise response in the asymptomatic Achilles tendon. A study using diagnostic ultrasound measuring tendon dimensions and vascularity. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Harry John Roesch

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