In this episode, Dr Ellie Meissner speaks with Professor Federica Fornaciari about what educators need to know as AI rapidly reshapes teaching and learning. Together they unpack how media literacy now demands far more than spotting fake news, it requires helping students question sources, evaluate intent, understand digital identity, and recognise bias in AI-generated content. Federica shares practical strategies for integrating AI safely and ethically in the classroom, including rethinking assessment through critical reflections and Socratic dialogue with AI. This conversation empowers teachers to support authentic learning, foster student agency, and navigate the challenges and opportunities of AI-enhanced education.

Resources

Teach information and media literacy: The foundation of democracy https://avidopenaccess.org/resource/teach-information-and-media-literacy-the-foundation-of-democracy/

Deconstructing deepfakes with an AI expert https://www.nu.edu/podcast/engineering-and-technology/deconstructing-deepfakes-with-an-ai-expert/

Let us know your thoughts on this episode

In this episode of the Technology and Learning Podcast, host Ellie Manzari from Monash University speaks with Dr Emily Ross (University of Queensland) and Dr Margaret Marshman (University of the Sunshine Coast) about their recent research on integrating digital technologies in mathematics classrooms.

Dr Emily Ross is Deputy Director of Teaching and Learning, Director of Primary Programs, and Lecturer in the School of Education at The University of Queensland. Her research on curriculum interpretation and implementation has shaped government policy at state and federal levels, providing a critical nexus between policy and practice. Additionally, Emily leads research and innovation in STEM, mathematics, and science education, advancing disciplinary pedagogy and teacher capability across primary and secondary contexts.

Associate Professor Margaret Marshman is Discipline Lead Secondary and Outdoor Education in the School of Education and Tertiary Access at the University of the Sunshine Coast. With a background in medical physics, laser physics, and MRI, she transitioned into secondary mathematics and science teaching, later serving as a Head of Mathematics. Her research focuses on mathematics teacher education, exploring beliefs about mathematics, inquiry-based pedagogies, statistical thinking, and spatial reasoning, and she supervises doctoral and masters’ students across these areas.

Link to study:

Teaching the incidental mathematics: How integrated tasks with digital technologies unlocked mathematics concepts in primary school classrooms. Ross, E., Marshman, M. & McMaster, N. (2025). Mathematics Education Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-025-00529-0

Let us know your thoughts on this episode

In between PhD data sets, teacher educator Katie Wilson took on a small reflective project with her first-year students — and what she found was bigger than expected.

In this episode, Katie (a lecturer at ACU in Brisbane) shares how tracking pre-service teachers’ digital confidence across a semester opened up unexpected insights about capability, curriculum, and identity. Grounded in ACARA’s digital requirements, framed through TPACK and the Digital Capability Continuum, this isn’t just a tech talk — it’s a powerful reflection on what it means to teach with intention in a digitally complex world.

With honesty, humour, and deep practical insight, Katie unpacks how small changes in delivery can lead to big shifts in confidence — and why teacher educators should never assume their students “just know how to use the tech.”

Further Reading: For Listeners Who Want to Dive Deeper

Digital Capability & Continuums

• Cain, M., & Coldwell-Neilson, J. (2020). Reviewing digital capability in higher education: A framework for benchmarking.
  • The foundation of the Digital Capability Continuum used in this project.
• Jisc (2022). Building digital capability: The six elements framework.
  • A practical model used widely in HE to map digital development for staff and students.

Pedagogical Frameworks (TPACK & PedTech)

• Koehler, M.J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)?
  • The core article introducing the TPACK framework, which underpins the pedagogical lens in the project.
• Aubrey-Smith, F. (2022). From EdTech to PedTech: Changing the way we think about digital technology in education.
  • Katie’s favourite! A brilliant, accessible reflection on using tech with purpose, not just presence.

Digital Identity, Literacy & Confidence

• Ng, W. (2012). Can we teach digital natives digital literacy?
  • Unpacks the myth of the “digital native” and what real digital literacy requires.
• Couch, J. (2019). Rewiring Education: How Technology Can Unlock Every Student’s Potential.
  • Accessible and practical, this text provokes deep thinking about designing learning in the digital age.

Let us know your thoughts on this episode