Jo Medlin – ACAL President

Jo Medlin has been involved in adult literacy and numeracy for almost 30 years. She describes herself as “a serial volunteer”: currently President of the Australian Council of Adult Literacy (ACAL), rural representative of the NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council (NSWALNC), and a member of the national DESE Foundation Skills Advisory Committee, the Reading Writing Hotline Steering Committee, and the national Education IRC.

Her passion is teaching adult literacy and numeracy, but she has also taught the Graduate Diploma in Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Teaching, Academic Foundation Skills, and a range of PD and courses for VET practitioners and volunteers to develop LLN knowledge. She has coordinated the LLN mapping of training packages and delivered and assessed TAELLN411.

Her areas of interest include curriculum writing, designing resources for students at pre-level ACSF to 3, youth at risk, and online learners. She holds a Masters Degree in Adult Education and was a finalist in the 2013 Australian Training Awards – Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice Award. She also has a qualification in archaeology and one day hopes to use it! Meanwhile, she loves to read and her passion for adult literacy is based on a belief that the world would be a better place if we could all put up our feet, read a good book, and escape our stresses for a while.

Dr.Denise Cox – TeachingOnline.com.au

Dr Deniese Cox is known as the go-to source for exceptional online teaching strategies that really are effective. Every research-driven strategy presented by Deniese has been extensively trialled, refined, and proven to work in a variety of settings by diverse educators and learners.

With extensive hands-on experience of her own in the online space, a Masters in online learning, and a PhD in online practice, Deniese is ideally placed to help educators and teams cut through the noise around teaching online.

However, it’s her ongoing commitment to research which really sets Deniese apart. Her current focus on digital literacy barriers is a welcome one, and the insights she’ll be sharing with us from learner and educator experiences are not to be missed.