معرفی
Masha Smallhorn serves as a Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences within Flinders University's College of Science and Engineering, specializing in education-focused academic work with emphasis on undergraduate biology pedagogy and curriculum innovation.
Her academic credentials include a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Australian National University (2004), Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Adelaide (2005), and Graduate Certificate in Higher Education from Flinders University (2013), complemented by dual Bachelor degrees in Science (First Class Honours, 1999) and Arts (1998) from the University of Adelaide.
Dr. Smallhorn's research centers on transformative educational practices in biological sciences, particularly first-year transition strategies, laboratory learning redesign, inquiry-based methodologies, and genetics education. She actively develops evidence-based interventions to enhance student engagement through curriculum restructuring and technology integration, maintaining strong alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals for quality education.
Her 2024 publications reveal concentrated scholarship in leveraging learning analytics for student retention, implementing flipped classroom models to boost engagement, and refining assessment techniques through self/peer evaluation systems. These works collectively advance Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) within STEM education through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Notable recognition includes multiple Vice-Chancellor and Dean Education Awards, AAUT Citation for Student Learning contributions, and the 2025 Advance HE Senior Fellowship:
- 2021 Dean Education's Award for Excellence in Teaching and Innovation (Student-Nominated)
- 2020 AAUT Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
- 2020 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Innovation in Teaching
- Advance HE Senior Fellow (2025)
- 2022 Dean (Education) Award for Excellence in Teaching and Innovation
As Topic Coordinator for Molecular Basis of Life (BIOL1102) and Genetics, Evolution and Biodiversity (BIOL2702), she directs curriculum development while securing competitive grants including the 2016 STEM research skills toolkit project and 2014 virtual laboratory simulations initiative. Her teaching philosophy prioritizes active student participation through inquiry-based laboratories and collaborative learning frameworks.
Dr. Smallhorn actively contributes to Flinders University's STEM Academy and leads interdisciplinary teams focused on pedagogical innovation, regularly presenting research at national conferences on topics including flipped genetics classrooms and inquiry-based biological sciences instruction.
