Alistair Kwan

MSc (Hons); MA (Hons) Melb.; MA PhD Yale

Lecturer

In: Centre for Learning and Research in Higher Education » Faculty of Education and Social Work

Research | Current

Alistair looks to history for insights into teaching, learning and knowledge in our own day. He applies material culture, replication and textual methods to examine how processes, media, tools, instruments, architecture and representation affect the production, storage, recovery, communication, teaching and learning of scientific knowledge. His current projects mainly address three overlapping topics: science education, educational technologies, university heritage.

Teaching | Current

Alistair coordinates the Academic Leadership Initiative for doctoral candidates, and teaches workshops for tutors, doctoral students and supervisors. In past roles, he has taught small-group pedagogy and didactics, physics, history of science, historical bibliography, bookbinding, letterpress printing.

Postgraduate supervision

Project topics available:

history of science, technology, mathematics, engineering
history of science education
history of educational technology (including textbooks)
embodiment, materiality, spatiality and architecture of teaching and learning
laboratory and fieldwork learning
museum education
object-based pedagogies
intercultural and historical approaches to STEM education

Students are welcome to conduct research in Alistair's primary source collection of 19th and 20th century texts and manuscripts in science education.

Distinctions/Honours

International Scholar, Society for the History of Technology
Junior Fellow, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
Research Fellow, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Connecticut-Baden Württemberg Exchange Scholar
European Studies Fellow, Yale Center for International & Area Studies

Committees/Professional groups/Services

University committees:

Faculty of Education Research Committee
Faculty of Science Academic Committee
University Library Committee
University Disability Strategy Advisory Group

External service:

Auckland Medical Museum Trust

Scholarly societies:

Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)

Peseta, T., Fyffe, J., Barrie, S., Trigwell, K., Graffam, J., Kwan, A. M., ... Partidge, L. (2017). Opportunities for developing stewardship in the Australian PhD. Reframing the PhD for Australia’s future universities, 4. Related URL.
Kwan, A. (2017). Interpreting Tools by Imagining Their Uses. Journal of Museum Education, 42 (1), 69-80. 10.1080/10598650.2016.1268884
Barrie, S., Peseta, T., Trigwell, K., Fyffe, J., Graffam, J., Kwan, A. M., ... Partidge, L. (2016). Embedding teacher-development strategies into the PhD learning spaces. Reframing the PhD for Australia’s future universities, 3. The Australian Office for Learning and Teaching. Related URL.
Kwan, A. M. (2016). Two short stories from the history of science education. Paper presented at 2nd International Seminar on Science Education (ISSE 2016), Universitas Negeri Yogjakarta, Indonesia. 29 October - 29 October 2016.
Kwan, A. M. (2016). Mutual benefits from making teaching and collections intersect. Paper presented at 3rd APRU University Museum Research Symposium, University of Hong Kong. 5 October - 7 October 2016. Related URL.
Barton, R., & Kwan, A. M. (2016). Jock Hoe: Mathematician, linguist and historian, 1929–2016. Pacific Circle Bulletin, 37, 3-4. Related URL.
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Ruth Barton
Barrie, S., Trigwell, K., Peseta, T., McCallum, P., Fyffe, J., Graffam, J., ... Partidge, L. (2016). Stewardship: a way of analysing, integrating and providing intention to the curriculum of the Australian PhD. Reframing the PhD for Australia's future universities, 2. The Australian Office for Learning and Teaching. Related URL.
Trigwell, K., Barrie, S., Fyffe, J., Graffam, J., Kwan, A. M., McCallum, P., ... Peseta, T. (2016). Teacher-development strategies and PhD programs. Reframing the PhD for Australia's future universities, 1. Related URL.