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    Dr Julie Boston

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  • LinkedIn Profile
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-boston-phd-38936346/?originalSubdomain=au
  • LinkedIn Profile
  • ORCID ID
    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3892-6031
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  • ResearchGate
    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julie-Boston-2
  • ResearchGate

Dr Julie Boston

Director, Partnerships and Engagement

Staff Member Details
Telephone: +61 8 6304 5702
Email: julie.boston@ecu.edu.au
Campus: Mount Lawley  
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3892-6031

Julie is Director, Partnerships and Engagement in the School of Education.

She is responsible for identifying, establishing and managing appropriate key education partnerships and enterprise-related programs that drive the School of Education’s strategic priorities and relevant University performance targets.

Julie leads the Children’s University Western Australia Partnership (CUWAP) for ECU. This pre-access equity program aims to nurture young children's aspirations and celebrate their learning beyond the classroom. Julie also leads the Partners in Literacy and Numeracy (PLaN) program, a service learning initiative for pre-service teachers at ECU.

Background

She has a strong science education and pedagogy background, with research expertise in gaming and immersive technologies to support teaching and learning across disciplines. Her work focuses on using innovative approaches to transform 21st-century learning environments, as demonstrated by her leadership in the Technology and Education Research Community and her membership in ECU’s Simulation and Immersive Technology Research Group. Her applied research has been widely recognised, earning awards for innovation and collaboration and informing her ability to design and deliver impactful equity and service learning initiatives.

Professional Associations

  • 2022 - present: Melville Senior High School Board Member
  • Reviewer, Australian Journal of Teacher Education
  • Reviewer, Journal of School Health
  • Teacher Registration Board Western Australia

Awards and recognition

  • 2024 - INCITE Award  Innovating Government - ParaVerse virtual reality simulator for parachute training
  • 2024 - Indian Ocean Defence & Security Emerging Technology Award: Research Team from Edith Cowan University - ParaVerse virtual reality simulator for parachute training
  • 2024 - Indian Ocean Defence & Security 2024 Collaborative Innovation Award: Research team from Edith Cowan University - ParaVerse virtual reality simulator for parachute training
  • 2022 - ECU School of Education Research Award for Innovation in Policy and Practice
  • 2021 - Vice Chancellors Award for Rational Inquiry
  • 2021 - ECU School of Education Research Award for Best Collaboration Across Disciplines
  • 2020 - ECU School of Education Research Medal
  • 2020 - Western Australian Institute for Education Research Postgraduate Prize in Education

National and International Awards

Research Interests

  • Gaming and immersive technologies to support learning and teaching across a range of disciplines.
  • Julie is a member of ECU’s Simulation and Immersive Technology Research Group (SIDTG). Please refer to the SIDTG scope and opportunities brochure.
  • Julie is also the co-lead of the Technology and Education Research Community in the School of Education
  • Pedagogical transformations required to support 21st century skills and learning environments in schools
  • Service learning
  • Applied Research

Internal Research Grants

  • 2024 - ECU: To bring the Skeletal Central immersive digital educational resources to market, School of Education, $13,000.
  • 2019 - ECU: To bring the Farm-to Fork digital game to market, School of Medical and Health Sciences School Collaboration Grant. $10,000.
  • 2016 – ECU: Development of a science subject portal for short courses, Strategic Initiative Fund (SIF) . $150,000.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University, 2020.
  • Grad Diploma in Education (Secondary Education), Curtin University of Technology, 2003.
  • Bachelor of Science, Murdoch University, 1989.

Research Outputs

2025

Journal Articles

  • Andrews, S., Gallagher, O., Miles, A., Crevacore, C., Watson, J., Cashman, S., De Souza, W., Masek, M., Boston, J., Holmes, L., Mills, B. (2025). Game-based learning contributions to clinical leadership in times of resource scarcity. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 20(3), e670-e675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2025.01.025.
  • Bloomfield, L., Boston, J., Masek, M., Andrew, L., Barwood, D., Devine, A. (2025). Evaluating the Efficacy of a Serious Game to Deliver Health Education About Invasive Meningococcal Disease: Clustered Randomized Controlled Equivalence Trial. JMIR Serious Games, 13(2025), Article number e60755. https://doi.org/10.2196/60755.

2024

Journal Articles

  • Boston, J., Johnson, N. (2024). The benefits of a literacy and numeracy service-learning program for pre-service teachers: A partnership approach. Issues in Educational Research, 34(2), 419-435. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworks2022-2026/5781.
  • Mills, B., Masek, M., Boston, J., De Souza, W., Snell, J., Bender, S., Thompson, M., Sung, B., Hansen, S. (2024). ParaVerse: co-design of a parachute rehearsal and training virtual-reality enhanced simulator for the Australian Defence Force: combining a generative co-design framework and an agile approach to development. Virtual Reality: research, development and applications, 28(4), Article number 161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01053-5.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Andrew, L., Barwood, D., Boston, J., Masek, M., Bloomfield, L., Devine, A. (2023). Serious games for health promotion in adolescents – a systematic scoping review. Education and Information Technologies, 28(5), 5519-5550. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11414-9.
  • Miller, M., Barwood, D., Devine, A., Boston, J., Smith, S., Masek, M. (2023). Rethinking Adolescent School Nutrition Education Through a Food Systems Lens. Journal of School Health, 96(10), 891-899. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13351.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Morris, J., Slater, E., Boston, J., Fitzgerald, M., Lummis, G. (2021). Teachers in conversation with industry scientists: Implications for STEM education. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 29(1), 46-57. https://doi.org/10.30722/IJISME.29.01.004.
  • Miller, M., Barwood, D., Furfaro, M., Boston, J., Smith, S., Masek, M. (2021). Identifying Differences in Nutrition-Related Learning Interests of Adolescent Students. Journal of School Health, 91(4), 277-284. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12997.
  • Lummis, G., Boston, J., Mildenhall, P., Winn, S. (2021). The UK’s Project Faraday and Secondary STEM Education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 46(12), 69-91.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Barwood, D., Smith, S., Miller, M., Boston, J., Masek, M., Devine, A. (2020). Transformational game trial in nutrition education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 45(4), 18-29. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2020v45n4.2.

2018

Book Chapters

  • Murcia, K., Newhouse, P., Boston, J. (2018). NanoCity: An immersive game to transform student perceptions of science. Digital technologies: Sustainable innovations for improving teaching and learning (259-276). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73417-0.

2017

Journal Articles

  • Masek, M., Boston, J., Lam, P., Corcoran, S. (2017). Improving mastery of fractions by blending video games into the Math classroom. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(5), 486-499. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12194.

2015

Journal Articles

  • Paris, L., Boston, J., Morris, J. (2015). Facebook and the Final Practicum: The Impact of Online Peer Support in the Assistant Teacher Program. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(9), 157-175. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n9.9.

2014

Conference Publications

  • Boston, J., Masek, M., Brogan, M., Lam, P. (2014). Digitally Augmenting Physical Spaces for Personalised Learning. 26th Australian Computers in Education Conference (52-60). ACEC.

Research Projects

  • Immersive Violence and Aggression De-escalation Experience (IVADE), Department of Health WA, Future Health Research and Innovation Fund - Innovation Challenge 2023 - Sustainable Health Priorities, 2024 ‑ 2026, $408,928.
  • AI-driven virtual character simulation for aggression and violence de-escalation training in virtual reality, Department of Health WA, Future Health Research and Innovation Fund - Generative AI Applications , 2025 ‑ 2026, $499,660.
  • Co-design of a novel immersive educational experience targeting the mining and resources sector for Year 9/10 high school students, Construction Training Fund, Grants, 2024 ‑ 2025, $225,000.
  • Virtual-reality-enhanced advanced tactical parachute training , Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Defence Science Collaborative Research Grants, 2021 ‑ 2024, $346,145.
  • AI-driven virtual character animation for aggression and violence de-escalation training in virtual reality, Department of Health WA, Future Health Research and Innovation Fund - Generative AI Applications, 2024, $49,967.
  • Investing in your bones: supporting lifelong health and performance, Arthritis Foundation of WA, Grant, 2022 ‑ 2024, $307,694.
  • Development and evaluation of a novel gamified education package enhancing pandemic preparedness for frontline healthcare response staff and students, Department of Health WA, Future Health Research and Innovation FHRI Focus Grants: COVID-19, 2021 ‑ 2024, $224,446.
  • Meningococcal Infection, Awareness Prevention and Protection (MIapp) – Improving and evaluating adolescent access to meningococcal education through the use of an app , Lotterywest, Grant, 2019 ‑ 2024, $290,910.
  • Transformational games: A way to engage adolescents in nutrition education? , Healthway (WA Health Promotion Foundation), Health Promotion Research - Exploratory Research Grants, 2016 ‑ 2018, $56,634.
  • Towards ensuring a STEM workforce: Engaging industry to inspire and foster real‐world STEM teacher learning, Edith Cowan University, ECU Industry Collaboration Scheme - 2016 Open Round, 2016 ‑ 2017, $35,622.
  • Trailblazer: A Framework for Context Aware Multimodal Learning, Edith Cowan University, ECU Industry Collaboration Grant - 2013, 2013 ‑ 2015, $49,969.
  • Game based learning and educational data mining, Edith Cowan University, ECU Industry Collaboration Grant - 2014 (Round 1), 2014 ‑ 2015, $60,000.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

Associate Supervisor

  • Master of Education, Exploring Lived Experiences in Design and Technology Initial Teacher Education: A Phenomenological Analysis of Rapid Prototyping.

Completed Supervisions

No data available
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