Research interests

Ruth has a strong relationship and working history with Vocational Education and Training – across regional and remote WA, QLD and NT in VET.  Her PhD focuses on the needs of learners in regional areas in relation to education and education systems.

Ruth areas of expertise include;

·                    Literacy & Numeracy ,

·                    Regional and remote education

·                    Online and flexible delivery

·                    Community Management

·                    VET education

·                    Culture and language in education

·                    Identity

·                    Indigenous Education

Experience: Ruth Wallace is the Director of the Social Partnerships in Learning Research Consortium, Charles Darwin University. Her particular interests are related to undertaking engaged research that improves outcomes for stakeholders in regional and remote Australia. Ruth has extensive experience in innovative delivery of compulsory, post school and VET programs in regional and remote areas across Northern Australia. She’s a Senior VET Lecturer and researcher, with extensive expertise in VET practice development, learning communities, literacies and flexible learning. She has undertaken research into the links between identity and involvement in post-compulsory schooling and development of effective pathways through flexible learning and recognition of Indigenous knowledge. Ruth has also undertaken research into flexible learning, action learning and developing effective materials and assessment for marginalized students.

Publications (forthcoming)

1.      Wallace, R. (forthcoming). E-portfolios: connecting learners worlds and identities. Chapter in Computational Intelligence for Technology Enhanced Learning. Springer-Verlag.

2.      Falk, I. and Wallace, R. (forthcoming). Social capital, higher education and policy performance. Chapter in Social Capital & Social Justice: Critical Australian Perspectives.

3.      Wallace, R. (forthcoming). Empowered Learner Identity through M-learning; representations of disenfranchised students’ perspectives. mLearn Conference 2009, Florida, 26^th-30^th October 2009.

4.      Wallace, R. (forthcoming). Exploring Evidence Based Practice with Regional and Remote VET Practitioners: Issues in constructing learning communities that are catalysts for change. Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts.

5.      Wallace, R., Falk, I and Surata, K. (forthcoming). What does "Integrating global perspectives on environmental education" really mean? Australian Journal of Environmental Education.

Book Chapters

1. Boyle, A and Wallace, R. (2009). The role of e-learning in ‘holisitic’ approaches to VET in remote Indigenous contexts. Chapter in Holistic, Transformative And Democratic Education: The Future Of Education, Icfai University Press. (Reprint)

2. Wallace, R. (2009). Exploring learner identities through m-learning: learning across regional and knowledge boundaries. Chapter in Architectures for Distributed and Complex M-Learning Systems: Applying Intelligent Technologies, ed. Santi Caballe, Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

3. Wallace, R. 2006. To Improvise and be Innovative in the way you teach: Report from the Northern Territory. Chapter in State and Territory Case Studies: Companion Volume to the SiMERR National Survey. Terry Lyons (Ed). University of New England: National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia.

1.      Wallace, R. 2008. Reluctant learners: Their identities and educational experiences. Occasional Paper. Adelaide: NCVER.

Journal articles

1. Wallace, R. 2009. Social Partnerships in Learning: Negotiating Disenfranchised Learner Identities. US-China Education Review, Vol. 6(6), pp 37-46.

2. Wallace, R. 2009. Social Partnerships in Learning: Understanding the identities of disenfranchised regional learners. International Journal of Learning, Vol. 15(12), pp 147-154.

3. Sushames, L and Wallace, R. 2009. Professional Learning in Challenging Work Environments: Developing teachers across great distances. International Journal of Learning, Vol. 15(12), pp 175-186.

4. Wallace, R., Manado, M., Curry, C., Agar, R. 2008. Working from Our Strengths: partnerships in learning. International Journal of Training Research, Vol. 6(2), pp 75-91.

5. Wallace, R. 2008. Social Partnerships in Learning: Embedding plant biosecurity in regional communities through enterprise development and training. Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts, Number 2, pp 251-267.

6. Christensen, M., Wallace, R. and Arnott, A. 2008. Cooperative Learning Strategies Pilot for Northern Territory Classrooms. Learning Communities: International Journal of Learning in Social Contexts, Number 1, pp 37-52.

7. Sushames, L., Falk, I. & Wallace, R. 2004. How Does National Policy Translate to a Local Adult Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Regime for Indigenous Trainees? International Journal of Learning, Vol. 11.

Conference Papers (peer reviewed)

1. Anderson, S., Wallace, R., Christie, M., and Kennedy, D. 2009. Linking Flexible VET Delivery to Community Development in the Context of an Indigenous Community. AVETRA 12^th Annual Conference proceedings, Sydney, 16-17 April 2009.

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  2. Wallace, R. 2009. Social Partnerships in Learning: Working Across Identity and Learning Boundaries. AVETRA 12^th Annual Conference proceedings, Sydney, 16-17 April 2009.

   

  3. Wallace, R., Curry, C., and Agar, R. 2008. Working from Our Strengths: Indigenous Enterprise and Training in Action and Research. AVETRA 11^th Annual Conference proceedings, Adelaide, 3-4 April 2008.

   

  4. Boyle, A and Wallace, R. 2008. The role of e-learning in ‘holisitic’ approaches to VET in remote Indigenous contexts. AVETRA 11^th Annual Conference proceedings, Adelaide, 3-4 April 2008.

   

  5. Wallace, R and Chick, L. 2008. Safe Places Training Framework: Building Indigenous capacity through work based VET in remote communities. AVETRA 11^th Annual Conference proceedings, Adelaide, 3-4 April 2008.

   

  6. Wallace, R. 2008. Social Partnerships in Learning Frameworks: Learning across Knowledge and Identity Boundaries. Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Aveiro, Portugal, 26-28th May, 2008.

   

  7. Wallace, R. 2008. Social Partnerships in Learning: Understanding the identities of disenfranchised regional learners. The Fifteenth International Conference on Learning, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA, 3-6 June, 2008.

   

  8. Sushames, L. & Wallace, R. 2008. Professional Learning in Challenging Work Environments: Developing teachers across great distances. The Fifteenth International Conference on Learning, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA, 3-6 June, 2008.

   

  9. Appo, R. and Wallace, R. 2008. Key Learnings from Australian Indigenous Engagement Elearning Projects. World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education, Melbourne, 7-11 December 2008.

   

  10. Wallace, R. 2007. Identities of reluctant regional students: constructions of post compulsory learners. AVETRA 10^th annual conference, Brisbane, 11-13 April 2007.

   

  11. Wallace, R. 2007. Working from Our Strengths. AVETRA 10^th annual conference, Brisbane, 11-13 April 2007.

   

  12. Wallace, R. 2006. Identities of Reluctant Students: Constructions of Learning Identities against Educational Institutions’ Best Intentions. 13^th International Conference of Learning, Montego Bay, Jamaica. 22-25 June 2006.

   

  13. Wallace, R. 2006. Identity and Learning: Shifting the focus to community based learners. Proceedings of Continuing Professional Education Conference 2006 Out Of Bounds And Borders: A Trans-Tasman Collaboration, Auckland, 19-20 April 2006.

   

  14. Wallace R. and Tait, A. 2006. Connecting Communities through Community Driven Processes and Knowledge Management. Connecting Intergenerational Communities Through Creative Exchange Conference 2006, Melbourne.

   

  15. Wallace, R. and Eberhard, R. 2006. Learning to Speak Bureaucratese: Facilitating regional NRM learning communities to participate in practice-based knowledge management, generation and dissemination. Proceedings of Continuing Professional Education Conference 2006 Out Of Bounds And Borders: A Trans-Tasman Collaboration, Auckland, 19-20 April 2006.

   

  16. Wallace, R. 2006. Building Bridges in Vocational Education and Training: Incorporating the Literacy Identities of Disenfranchised Adult Learning. AATE/ALEA Conference, Voices, Vibes, Visions: Hearing the Voices, Feeling the Vibes, Capturing the Visions Darwin High School 8^th – 11^th July 2006.

   

  17. Turnbull, B and Wallace, R. 2005. Learning to learn: The experiences of remote and rural students in a distance education program. Presented at the 5^th International Practice Development Conference, Hamilton, New Zealand.

   

  18. Wallace, R. 2005. Where does the Participant Start and the Researcher End? Developing the reflexive voice in an ethnographic study of learning and identity in my local community. Proceedings of the Qualitative Research in Practice Conference, Albury NSW.

   

  19. Wallace, R. and Mair, K. 2005. Turning Points: Exploring the development of learning communities through participatory action research. Proceedings of the Seventh Australian VET Research Association Conference "The Heart of the Matter” Brisbane, Qld.

   

  20. Sushames, L., Falk, I. & Wallace, R. 2004. How Does National Policy Translate to a Local Adult Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Regime for Indigenous Trainees? International Journal of Learning, (11).

   

  21. Wallace, R. and Turnbull, B. 2005. Professional Learning in Isolation: Developing learning networks of health professionals in regional and remote northern Australia. Proceedings of the 13^th Annual International Conference on Post-Compulsory Education and Training Gold Coast, Qld.

   

  22. Wallace, R. and Mair, K. 2005. Turning Points in Professional Development: Establishing reflective learning communities and changing professional identities. Proceedings of the 13^th Annual International Conference on Post-Compulsory Education and Training Gold Coast, Qld.

   

  23. Wallace, R. 2005. Literacies of Engagement in Regional, Rural and Remote Areas of the Northern Territory: Building bridges to classrooms. Proceedings of the 13^th Annual International Conference on Post-Compulsory Education and Training Gold Coast, Qld.
   

Conference Presentations (non-refereed)

Reports

1. Wallace, R., Curry, C, Ludwig, W., Morgan, D, Tschernitz, C. and McPherson, K. 2006. Indigenous Enterprise Training, DEST.

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   2. Wallace, R and Mair, K. 2006. Turning Points: Children’s Services Project

   Professional Development for a Cluster of Identified Children’s Services, DHCS.

    

   3. Wallace, R. 2006. Hearing and Mentoring Evaluation, Group Training NT.

    

   4. Dunbar, T., Wallace, R., Scrimgeour, M. and Arnott, A. 2006. Strong Family, Strong Culture, Strong Future Project Evaluation 2006, Department of Health and Community Services, Northern Territory Government.

    

   5. Wallace, R. Curry, C., Ludwig, W., and Morgan D. 2006. Make it Real: Training for Enterprise Final report, DEST.

    

   6. Curry, C. and Wallace, R. 2006. Top End Groove, Australian Flexible Learning Framework.

    

   7. Wallace, R., Sushames, L. & Falk, I. 2004. Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALaN) Profiles: Development and evaluation of a pre- and post-assessment tool for Indigenous apprentices. Darwin: Northern Territory Department of Employment, Education & Training (DEET).

    

   8. Rennie, J., Wallace, R., Falk, I., & Wignell, P. 2004. Discontinuities in Literacy and Numeracy Practices between Indigenous Community Schooling and Urban High School, Canberra, Department of Employment Education and Training.

    

   9. Arnott, A., Smallacombe, S and Wallace, R. 2004. Australian Defence Force Cadets Indigenous Participation Project – Research and Evaluation.

    

   Falk, I., Arnott, A., Blohm, R., Grenfell, M., Guenther, J. & Wallace, R. 2004. Integrated local employment and learning support service: Creating effective pathways to employment and training for the disadvantaged in the Northern Territory. Darwin: Northern Territory Department of Employment, Education & Training (DEET), auspiced by the Northern Territory Council for Social Service