Nicola Rolls

Dr Nicola Rolls is a Lecturer in the Department of Education at Charles Darwin University's Faculty of Arts and Society. Her work focuses on higher education transition programs, academic literacies, and equity for marginalized groups including First Nations and EALD students. She has authored/co-edited key texts on university teaching and led国家级教学奖项。Her current research emphasizes student engagement, retention strategies, and culturally responsive education for Indigenous communities.

Research Interests

• Applied Linguistics
• Equity and Access in Higher Education
• Academic Literacy Development
• Indigenous Education
• First-Year Student Experience
• Transition Pedagogies

Key Projects

• Rainmaker Startup (2023): Designing culturally responsive VET programs for East Arnhem Indigenous students
• Building Teaching Capacity: Professional development for educators in curriculum design
• Teacher Education Reform: Co-designing programs for remote NT Indigenous students

Awards

Recipient of two national teaching awards for excellence in first-year pedagogy and student support systems.

Grants and Supervision

Current grants include projects on translingual support for humanitarian entrants and interventions for equity student success. Supervising PhD candidates in areas like digital discourse analysis and culturally responsive education.