Julia Cooke

I am a Senior Lecturer in Ecology at The Open University.  I was part of the production module team for S112 (Science: concepts and practice), SDT306 (Environment: responding to change) and teach on the field schools SXF206 (Environmental Sciences).  I also co-present fieldcasts, which we broadcast live from middle of a field, and use interactive widget to allow student-driven field investigations in an online delivery, for SXF206.

Prizes

• 2018 OU STEM Faculty acknowledgement in recognition of “sustained innovation in online teaching”

• 2017 Team Merit Award in recognition of our “innovative approach to developing synchronous field-casts that provides students with a safe, supportive and accessible environment in which they can work collectively with peers and staff, to actively test and develop key field-skills prior to carrying out their own independent field-projects” with Philip Wheeler, Kadmiel Maseyk, Trevor Collins, Ben Hawkridge, Chris Valentine, Anthony Stanton and Kate Bradshaw, The Open University.

• 2014 Faculty of Science and Engineering Award for Excellence in Sessional Teaching
• 2013 Second Place in the inaugural Creativity and Contributions in Teaching Award (CACTA): Julia Cooke and Matthew Bulbert “Identifying and Understanding Key Findings and Effectively Communicating Scientific Concepts: MRes Tasks Centred on the Seminar Series.”

Convening, Macquarie University (MQU)

• 2015-2013 Research Frontiers in Biology, Masters
• 2014 Ecosystem Function, Masters
• 2014 Plant Ecophysiology,  3^rd year

Lectures

• 2018 PhD course on Global Elemental Cycles and Environmental Change, University of Lund. Lecture: the terrestrial silicon cycle.
• 2014 Plant Ecophysiology, 3rd year, Macquarie University. Lecture topics: Allocation from a whole-plant perspective, Responses to stress: plants to ecosystems, Impacts of high CO₂ on plants, Impacts of high CO₂ on ecosystems
• 2013 Evolution and Biodiversity, 1st year, Macquarie University. Lecture topic: Why plants?
• 2015-12 Parasitology, 3rd year, Macquarie University. Lecture topic: Plant Parasites
• 2014-08 The Science of Sex, 2nd year, Macquarie University. Lecture topic: Sexual deception in orchids
• 2009 Plant Diversity and Conservation, 3rd year, Macquarie University. Lecture topic: Ecosystem Processes

Course development, MQU

• 2013 Research Frontiers in Biology, Masters. Designed and produced content for brand new unit.
• 2013 Plant Ecophysiology, 3rd year. Produced online quizzes.
• 2012 Parasitology, 3rd year. Development of a new practical class on parasitic plants.
• 2010 Plant Diversity and Conservation Graduate and 3^rd year. Development of marking rubrics multiple assessments.
• 2010 Ecology, 2nd year. Peer-evaluation (both evaluating performance of another tutor and being evaluated, reflective teaching)
• 2010 Evolution and Biodiversity, 1st year. Development of practical exercise, including student audio tour, student worksheet, tutor notes, technician notes and signage for a Plant Evolution Walk, in conjunction with the Macquarie University Arboretum.
• 2008 Ecology, 2nd year. Updated half-day plant ecology field practical, including writing tutor and student instructions.
• 2006 Plant Diversity and Conservation, 3rd year. Development of marking schedule for all assignments, in conjunction with course convener, Prof. Michelle Leishman

Tutoring 

Anonymous Student feedback

“…I just wanted to send you a BIG thanks for being such a lovely tutor! This is the first time that I haven’t felt as if my tutor was just in a hurry to get the whole semester over with so as not to have to deal with us low‑life undergrads anymore…”

“…I just want to say goodbye and thanks for your good tutor work …You did a really great job in explaining ecology and helping with experiments and general inquiries…You were a really good tutor, thanks Julia.”

**ANU=Australian National University