Jackie Steffan | Research Associate & Doctoral Candidate
Adelaide University, CSER (Computer Science Education Research) Group

Jackie Steffan is a doctoral candidate at Adelaide University whose research sits at the intersection of education, technology, and cognitive psychology. Her doctoral project investigates the impact of virtual reality on schema acquisition and cognitive load among STEM students, with a focus on advancing understanding of innovative teaching methodologies.
 
Alongside her doctoral studies, Jackie is a Research Associate within the Computer Science Education Research (CSER) Group at Adelaide University, where she works with Dr Rebecca Vivian and Professor Katrina Falkner on CSER's research programs. This research explores contemporary and emerging best-practice pedagogies in STEM education. Her work spans literature reviews, data collection and analysis, course design, and the development of evidence-based literature and resources to support both pre-service and in-service teachers.
 
Jackie is also a passionate advocate for equity in education. As an educator and researcher, she has spoken publicly about the challenges girls continue to face in the education system, emphasising the importance of empowering girls to pursue non-gender normative education opportunities, ultimately working towards building confidence in girls and reducing discrimination and inequality.