Matt Bower

Matt Bower is a professor in the School of Education at Macquarie University, who specialises in the innovative use of technology for learning purposes. He is particularly interested in how contemporary technologies such as augmented reality, web-based tools, virtual worlds, social networking, immersive virtual reality 3D design & printing software and so on can be most effectively used to support cognitive development and collaborative learning. Matt has over 90 peer reviewed publications in the area of technology-enhanced learning design, teacher education, and computing education. He has led over thirty funded grant projects and participated in many other research initiatives (total funding exceeds $2.4M). Matt specialises in learning innovation research partnerships with industry enterprises and the education sector (e.g. schools, universities, training and education technology companies). He has delivered numerous keynote and invited speaker presentations on topics such as augmented reality, blended-synchronous learning and learning design.  

Matt is a passionate educator who leads the “ICT and Education”, “Digital Technologies and Creativity” and “Technology-Enhanced Learning Design” subjects at Macquarie University. In 2021 he was one of four recipients of an Australian Award for University Teaching Excellence, as well as several other national and institutional teaching awards. His teaching strongly emphasises the importance of adopting a research-driven approach in education. He is the lead author of two A1 research books “Blended synchronous learning - A handbook for educators” and “Design of technology-enhanced learning - integrating research and practice” which won the 2018 Association for Educational Communications and Technology Design and Development Outstanding Book Award. Matt is also the Chair of the Australian Technologies Teacher Educators Network (ATTEN) and the Macquarie University Learning Technology Research Cluster (MQLTRC).