School of Education

Dr Rikki James

Rikki is the First Year Coordinator within the Bachelor of Education Secondary program, and the Media Education Coordinator in the School of Education.

Background

Rikki has extensive teaching and educational leadership experience both nationally and internationally. She is passionate about the need for students to build competencies to navigate rapidly evolving complex information ecosystems, to critically evaluate media content, to understand digital rights and responsibilities, and to participate meaningfully in civic and democratic life.

Her PhD thesis explored the international, national and local influences shaping the history of media studies in Western Australian schools. Her current research projects involve the development of media literacy education pedagogies; generative artificial intelligence and virtual reality simulations for training in education; arts-based pedagogical innovations and the effective use of digital media technologies in education. The overarching aim of these projects is to support the wellbeing of Pre-Service and
In-Service Teachers, tertiary educators, and school students by developing critical media literacy skills that build confidence and capacity to engage safely, responsibly and critically in today’s digital media landscape.

Rikki has also previously worked at government agencies advising for and developing curriculum and examinations for media studies in WA schools, and continues to provide university representation on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority Course Advisory Committee of Western Australia.

Current teaching

Secondary Unit Coordination:

• LAN6731: Media Education Foundations
• LAN6732: Secondary Media Education
• PPA1270: Foundations of Professional Practice
• PPA3211: Second Professional Experience

Primary Unit Coordination:

• AED1260: The Arts in Education 1

Professional associations

• 2009 - Current: School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Media Production and Analysis Course Advisory Committee University Representative
• 2010 - Current: Primary Media Arts Coordinator- Australian Teachers of Media WA
• 2019 - Current: Golden Key International Honour Society

Awards and recognition

National and International Awards

• 2026: Awarded the Early and Mid Career Research Conference Funding Prize to present research at the International Media Literacy Research Symposium in Rome, Italy.
• 2025: Winner of the Post Graduate Award from the Western Australian Institute for Education Research (WAIER) in 2025 for PhD thesis.

University and National Teaching Awards

• 2024: Teaching and Learning Award for 'Flex Your PEX'- Strengthening the New Generation of Future Teachers through Quality Professional Experience

Research areas and interests

• Media literacy education development for Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers
• Media education pedagogy development for primary and secondary schools
• Digital media technologies in education
• Generative artificial intelligence and immersive virtual reality simulation innovations for education training
• Arts in Education pedagogies and innovations
• Pre-Service and In-Service Teacher, and academic well-being
• The Growth Mindset and its benefit to students
• Best practice in Professional Experience for Pre-Service Teacher training

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Western Australia, 2024.
• Master of Education, The University of Western Australia, 2019.
• Bachelor of Arts in Education, Edith Cowan University, 1996.

Research Outputs

Research Projects

• How can immersive virtual reality improve electrical apprenticeship training for apprentices in remote and distributed locations?, Clean Energy Skills NCE, Applied Research Grant, 2026 ‑ 2027, $208,726.

Research Student Supervision