Profile
I graduated with a BSc at Monash University and then completed an Honours year in the Department of Physiology at the University of Melbourne. I am currently completing a PhD in renal Physiology in the same Department.
I was employed as a Senior Tutor in the Department of Physiology from 1997 to 1998. In 1999, I was appointed as the Head Senior Tutor in the Department.
I am also currently completing a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching at the University of Melbourne. My research interests are now in educational research and development.
Teaching
Convenor:
536-202 Physiology; General Practical (Science)
536-233 Research-based & Integrative Physiology (Science)
Practical Class and Workshop Teaching:
536-202 Physiology; General Practical (Science)
536-233 Research-based & Integrative Physiology (Science)
536-206 Physiology (Optometry)
511-224 Oral Health Sciences 2A (Dental Science)
250-104 Veterinary Physiology 1 (Veterinary Science)
250-204 Veterinary Physiology 2 (Veterinary Science)
Service to the University, discipline
or community and recent presentations
I am a member of a focus group for the curriculum development of practical classes and courses taught in the Department.
I regularly participate in academic meetings on subject and course development for undergraduate teaching.
I am a member of a focus group planning the implementation a “Post-graduate Teaching certificate” in the Department.
I was an invited Chairperson of the “Innovative assessment” session at the Meeting of the Australian Physiological and Pharmacological Society, Educational Workshop, Sydney, 2003.
Presentations:
Poster Presentation at the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) Teaching Workshop, Lincoln University, New Zealand, 2001.
Invited speaker at the Meeting of the Australian Physiological and Pharmacological Society, Educational Workshop, Sydney, 2003.
Poster Presentation at the Multimedia and Educational Technology for Teaching and Learning Enhancement (METTLE) forum and showcase event, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 2003.
Research
Profile, Interests and Recent Publications
My current research interests are in educational research and development, especially in the use of research-led teaching and of multi-media in practical class teaching.
I have designed and developed a highly interactive multimedia teaching resource which promotes active learning by requiring students to formulate hypotheses of expected outcomes of experiments, and then to test and review their hypotheses before receiving immediate feedback. Concurrently, I have conducted educational research on the learning outcomes of this resource and teaching style, in particular how hypothesis-testing is reflected in subsequent learning outcomes. Part of this research has culminated in a paper presented at the World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications (Edmedia, 2003), on which I was the first-named author, being granted an “Outstanding paper” award.
The success of hypothesis-testing as a learning tool in the virtual experiment has prompted me to introduce it into the remaining of the practical classes by using online learning for its delivery. Consequently, I have applied for and have now been granted funding for the implementation of e-learning into the practical classes.
I am also currently implementing research-led teaching approaches in undergraduate practical class teaching. I am a member of a focus group which designed and implemented a project which introduce 2nd year Science students to the scientific research process from formulating hypotheses, designing experiments to test these hypotheses, to then conducting these experiments, statistically analysing the results, making appropriate conclusions from these results and finally writing a full scientific report of these experiments. Evaluation and further development of this project is currently being conducted.
Recent Publications:
Dantas AM, Weaver DA, Kemm RE. Hypothesis Testing as a Core Component of a Virtual Experiment. In D. Lasner & C. McNaught (Eds), ‘World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications’, Proceedings EdMedia, 2003; 2328-2335.
Dantas AM, Weaver DA, Kemm RE. Using QuickTime in a Virtual Experiment to present Data for Analysis and Videos of Procedures. In N. Smythe (Ed.) Digital Voyages 2003, Proceedings of Apple University Consortium Academic and Developers Conference, Adelaide, Apple Computer Australia, Sydney, Australia; 6.1-6.13.
Research
Funding
The University of Melbourne Teaching, Learning and Research Support Courseware Design and Development program: E-learning in Practical Classes. Dantas, Ping, Kemm.
Supervisor
Mark Hargreaves
