Professor Chris Walsh

Professor Chris Walsh is the Dean and Chief Academic Officer of VU Online. In this role, he provides academic, administrative, research and marketing leadership to achieve VU’s Strategic Plan. Chris heads a portfolio of quality and assurance and has accountability for the superintendence of VU Online units, courses and programs. He is also responsible for the University’s academic governance, quality assurance and compliance standards, polices and processes are met throughout VU Online’s operations.

Previously, Chris fostered a teaching and research environment where innovation and creativity thrived at the Cairns Institute (2017-18), James Cook University (2016-18), Torrens University (2014-16) and The Open University UK (2009-14).

Chris has been successful in obtaining research income that totals more than $25 million (AUD). This world-leading research was funded by the following:

• European Commission
• UK’s Department for International Development (DFID)
• Australian Research Council (ARC)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• AIDS Research Foundation (amfAR)
• Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) 
• Spencer Foundation.

Publications

Refereed journal articles

Bragg, L. A., Walsh, C., & Heyeres, M. (2021). Successful design and delivery of online professional development for teachers: A systematic review of the literature. Computers & Education, 166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104158

Walsh, C., Mital, A., Ratcliff, M., Yap, A., & Jamaledine, Z. (2020). A Public-Private Partnership to Transform Online Education through High Levels of Academic Student Support. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 36(5), 30–45.

Muir, T., Bragg, L., Murphy, C., Walsh, C., & Oates, G. (2020). Dynamic approaches to online learning of numeracy for educators and families. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 25(4), 25–30.

Walsh, C. & Whitehouse, H. (2017). Disrupting the megatrend of the climate emergency through the Australian Curriculum: Technologies. Curriculum Perspectives, 37(1), 91-98.

Walsh, C.S., Chappell. K., and Craft, A. (2017) A co-creativity theoretical framework to foster and evaluate the presence of wise humanising creativity in virtual learning environments (VLEs). Thinking Skills and Creativity, 24, 228-241. doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2017.01.001.

Books

Walsh, C.S. (2015) Using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to transform community-based and led HIV prevention and care for marginalised populations. Melbourne: Digital Culture & Education.

Soler, J., Walsh, C.S., Craft, A., Rix, J., and Simmons, K. (2012) Transforming practice: Critical issues in equity, diversity & education. London: Trentham Books.

Rix, J., Sheehy, K., Simmons, K., Nind, M., and Walsh, C.S. (2011) Equality, participation & Inclusion: Diverse Perspectives. London: Routledge.

Refereed book chapters

Woodard, C., Walsh, C.S., & Sarkar, B. (2019). The role of mobile technologies in transforming teacher professional development (TPD) at scale in Bangladesh. In I. Eyers (Ed.), English in Action: Changing Learning, Changing Lives, (pp. 79-75). Bloomsbury Academic, Great Britain

Walsh, C. and Cambell, C. (2018). Introducing Coding as a Literacy on Mobile Devices in the Early Years. In G. Oakley (ed.), Mobile Technologies in Children’s Language and Literacy: Innovative Pedagogy in Preschool and Primary Education (pp. 51-66). United Kingdom: Emerald Publishing Limited

Walsh, C. S. (2016) Digital Literacies. In (Eds) M. A. Peters. Encyclopedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory (EEPAT). Springer.

Townsin, L., and Walsh, C.S. (2016) A New Border Pedagogy: Rethinking Outbound Mobility Programs in the Asian Century. In (Eds) D. Velliaris and D. Coleman-George. Handbook of Research on Study Abroad Programs and Outbound Mobility. IGI Global.

Walsh, C.S., & Kamler, B. (2013). Teacher research on literacy: Turning around to students and technology. In K. Hall, T. Cremin, B. Comber & L. Moll (Eds.),   International Handbook of research in Children’s Literacy, Learning and Culture, (pp. 493-513). Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Conference presentations

Walsh, C.S. and Schmoelz, A. (2015) Pre-service teachers designing digital games to make a serious difference in classrooms. International Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). Fremantle, Australia. November 29-December 3, 2015.

Walsh, C.S. and Townsin, L. (2015) A new border pedagogy to foster intercultural competence to meet the global challenges of the future. International Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). Fremantle, Australia. November 29-December 3, 2015.

Hall, S. and Walsh, C.S. (2015) Using digital technologies to activate and evaluate emotions tocreatively communicate ideas. International Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). Fremantle, Australia. November 29-December 3, 2015.

Beavis, C., Bradford, C., O’Mara, J., Walsh, C.S., Apperley, T., Gutierrez. A. (2014) Literacy in the digital world of the twenty first century: students, curriculum, pedagogy, games and play. Digital Games Research Association Australia (DIGRAA) Annual Conference, “What is Game Studies in Australia” Melbourne, Australia. June 10, 2014.

Walsh, C.S., Craft, A., Chappell, C., and Koulouris, P. (2014) Gameful learning design to foster cocreativity? International Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) and the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE). “Speaking back through Research.” Brisbane, Australia. November 30-December 4, 2014.

Appearances in the media

WIN News: Channel 9, May 2017. Coding Kids: Inquisitive young minds explored new technologies, today.

Times Educational Supplement. Sound and Vision. September 30, 2011, feature, p. 36, David Rodgers.

Life Matters: Forum: Yes, I can't read and write but it's not my fault 17 October 2008.

Research grants

Chris has been successful in obtaining research income totalling more than A$25 million, including:

• Birth to Level 10 Numeracy Guide, DET Victoria, 2018 - $229,570
• Creative Emotional Reasoning Computational Tools Fostering Co-Creativity in Learning Processes (C2Learn), European Commission F7P, 2013-2015 - €2,300,000
• Meeting Teachers’ Co-Design Needs by Means of Integrated Learning Environments (METIS), European Commission (EU LLP KA3 Multilateral Project), 2013-2015 - €430,000
• TESS-India: Teacher Education through School-based Support in India, DfID India, 2012-2014 - £10,000,000
• Literacy in the Digital World of the Twenty First Century: Learning from Computer Games, Australian Research Council (ARC), 2007-09, $ 233,361.

Supervision

• 1 current PhD supervision
• 3 PhD completions
• 3 MPhil completions.

Professional memberships

Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA)