Prof Michael Dezuanni

Find Michael Dezuanni on

Doctor of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology), Master of Letters (Central Queensland University)

Professor Michael Dezuanni undertakes research about digital media, literacies and learning in home, school and community contexts. He is the Program Leader for Digital Inclusion and Participation for QUT's Digital Media Research Centre which produces world-leading research for a creative, inclusive and fair digital media environment. He is also a chief investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child. Michael has been a chief investigator on six ARC Linkage projects with a focus on digital literacy and learning at school, the use of digital games in the classroom, digital inclusion in regional and rural Australia and in low income families, and the use of screen content in formal and informal learning. Michael is the author of 'Peer Pedagogies on Digital Platforms - Learning with Minecraft Let's Play videos' (MIT Press 2020), he has edited three academic books, and is the author of over 45 journal articles and book chapters. Michael has served on advisory committees for the Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance, the Australian Media Literacy Alliance, national charity The Smith Family, the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA), the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, and Facebook Asia Pacific.

Additional information

Experience

Michael's recent professional achievements include:

  • 2016 -  invited to be a member of national charity The Smith Family's Digital Futures for Families and Students Expert Advisory Group.
  • 2016 -  writer for the Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority's redevelopment of the Senior syllabus in Film, Television and New Media (used in 150 schools across Qld).
  • 2015 - made an honorary life member of Australian Teachers of Media, Queensland in recognition of his service to the field.
  • 2015 - invited by Microsoft to attend the Minecraft in Education Summit, Los Angeles.
  • 2015 and 2016 - member of the expert panel for the New Media Consortium's Horizon Report, K-12.
  • 2012-2016 - Deputy Director of the Children and Youth Research Centre, QUT.
  • 2010 to 2013 -  Expert Adviser for Media Arts for the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA) for the development of the Australian National Curriculum in the Arts.
  • 2011 -  consultant for UNESCO, and co-authored UNESCO's 'Media and Information Literacy: Policy and Strategy Guidelines' as part of an international team of experts.

Awards

Type
Advisor/Consultant for Industry
Reference year
2019
Details
Invited member of the Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance governance and strategy committee (2019-2020). The is the peak Australian advocacy group for digital inclusion. Other members include industry representatives from Telstra, Google Australia, Australia Post, and non-profit sector, including organisations such as The Good Things Foundation, ACCAN, and Infoxchange. This appointment recognises my contributions towards digital inclusion research and its impact on the sector.
Type
Advisor/Consultant for Industry
Reference year
2018
Details
Invited to be a member of the advisory committee for national foundation, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, for the development of their Media Literacy Lab project, to be made available to all schools in Australia. The committee consists of representation from Google Australia, other technology companies, universities, and the education sector.
Type
Advisor/Consultant for Industry
Reference year
2017
Details
Selected to be lead writer for the Queensland report for the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, 2017
Type
Advisor/Consultant for Industry
Reference year
2016
Details
Invited member of National Charity The Smith Family's Digital Futures for Families and Students Expert Advisory Group (2016-2020). This group advises the charity on issues related to low income families, education and technology. Other members include technology industry representatives, researchers, government representatives and parents. This appointment recognises my contributions towards technology learning and digital media literacies research.
Type
Advisor/Consultant for Industry
Reference year
2016
Details
Invited to the highly selective Minecraft in Education Summit in 2015 and 2016 to provide the Minecraft in Education Team with advice about the use of the digital game in education.
Type
Appointment to State/National/International Reference Group or Government Committees
Reference year
2016
Details
Selected to become a member of the Expert Advisory group for the redevelopment of the State Senior Film, Television and New Media Syllabus to be used in Senior Secondary Schools across Queensland.
Type
Appointment to State/National/International Reference Group or Government Committees
Reference year
2011
Details
Contributed as a member of an international team of experts to the development of UNESCO¿s "Guidelines on Developing National/Regional Media and Information Literacy Policies and Strategies". I led the writing on one chapter of the document. This publication provides guidance to national governments about implementing media literacy at all levels of society.
Type
Appointment to State/National/International Reference Group or Government Committees
Reference year
2010
Details
Appointed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to be the expert advisor / lead writer for the development of Media Arts for the Australian National Curriculum (2010-2015). I was invited to this role by ACARA in recognition of my curriculum development expertise, and my standing in the Australian media teaching community. This curriculum is now mandatory for all Australian students for pre-school to year six, and s an option for year seven to 10, with tens of thousands of students benefiting from work I was able to lead.

Publications

Research Projects

Title
Discovering a 'Good Read': Pathways to Reading for Australian Teens
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP180100258
Start year
2020
Keywords
Title
Australian screen content in primary, secondary and tertiary education: uses and potential
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP130100031
Start year
2014
Keywords
Meida Studies; Australian Curriculum; Australian Screen Content
Title
Fostering digital participation through Living Labs in regional and rural Australian communities
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP130100469
Start year
2014
Keywords
digital citizenship; rural & regional; digital literacy
Title
Serious Play: Using Digital Games in School to Promote Literacy and Learning in the Twenty First Century
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP110200309
Start year
2011
Keywords
New Literacies; Literacy; Digital Games; Pedagogy; New Media
Title
Remote Music Interactions through On-line Networks
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP0989403
Start year
2010
Keywords
Music Interactions; Online Networks; User Generated Content; Peer to Peer Interaction; Music Education
Title
Digital Learning and Print Literacy: A Design Experiment for the Reform of Low Socio-economic, Culturally Diverse Schools.
Primary fund type
CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID
LP0990289
Start year
2009
Keywords
Literacy; Digital Literacies; Pedagogy; Media Arts; Primary Education

Completed Supervisions (Doctorate)

Completed Supervisions (Masters by Research)