Dr Renée Crawford is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Monash University and a research and evaluation consultant. While Renée’s research profile (Monash University) is quite diverse given the range of projects she has been involved with, she is recognised as an expert in the field of technology in music education and authentic learning contexts for teaching and learning. Email: Renee.crawford@monash.edu
As an educator with several years of experience as a music secondary classroom, instrumental and ensemble teacher in various contexts, she understands the importance of teacher led research and how the outcomes can change policy and practice.
The music industry is one where technology and innovation has had a profound effect on the way we work, learn and play! As a composer and teacher, Renée felt strongly that there was a mismatch between what the expectations and standards of the music industry and society were compared to what music educators were teaching at school level. This led to her pursuit of further research and a PhD completed at Monash University based on the philosophy of authentic learning and technology in music teaching and learning practices. So her journey as an advocate for the use of technology in education in an effective, contemporary and authentic way began.
Previous Head of Research and Learning positions meant that Renée had the privilege of not only working with other teachers across a variety of subject areas, but managing and doing research on high profile national research projects that responded to government agenda priorities. This work was done in collaboration with institutions such as The University of Melbourne, Victorian University, Australian Council of Education Research and Educational Transformations. A notable project that Renée was involved with was developing music curriculum as part of an online platform to deliver high quality music education programs to remote and rural communities using the NBN (national broadband network). Another notable project was assisting the Starlight Children’s Foundation develop there LiveWire program, which allowed children and young adults with a serious chronic illness or disability an online space for not only social interaction, distraction and fun, but learning and education. Renée developed a constructivist educational framework as a way of approaching the learning and educational aspects both within major paediatric and children’s hospitals at a face-to-face level and online. The online component of this program was also extended to the Starlight Foundation in America. One of the interesting aspects about both of these particular projects was the experience of working with technicians and collaborating in real time, so developing and seeing the program and curriculum content evolve almost instantaneously in response to the feedback that was received and the ways in which people engaged with the online platforms. The idea that technology and the ways in which we engage with it is constantly evolving was never more pronounced and is critical if we are to better understand the nature of future directions in pedagogy and curriculum.
Publications : Monash University Research Profile
