Biography
Professor Phillip (Phill) Dawson is Associate Director of the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning. Phill researches assessment in higher education, focusing on feedback and cheating, predominantly in digital learning contexts. His 2021 book Defending Assessment Security in a Digital World explores how cheating is changing and what educators can do about it.
Prof Dawson holds a PhD in Higher Education and a first-class honours degree in Computer Science. He also has over a decade of university teaching experience and he has been awarded four university-level teaching awards and a citation from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council.
Before joining Deakin in 2015, Phill was Senior Lecturer in Learning and Teaching at Monash University, and prior to that he was Lecturer in Education Studies at Deakin's Warrnambool campus (2009-2011).
Phill disseminates his work through scholarly journals and popular/social media. He has published in the top journals relevant to assessment and educational technology, as well as top generalist education journals. His work has been featured in major Australian and international print, online, radio and television outlets, and cited in the Australian Senate. Phill maintains a strong presence on The Conversation, and his higher education YouTube channel receives more than 100 hours of viewing per month.
Phill's latest publications are available on Google Scholar
Read more on Phillip's profileKnowledge areas
- Assessment
- Cheating and academic integrity
- Feedback
- Learning and teaching in higher education
- Educational technology
Publications
Assessment for inclusion: rethinking contemporary strategies in assessment design
J Tai, R Ajjawi, M Bearman, D Boud, P Dawson, T Jorre de St Jorre
(2023), Vol. 42, pp. 483-497, Higher Education Research and Development, C1
Can students' feedback literacy be improved? A scoping review of interventions
Tegan Little, Phillip Dawson, David Boud, Joanna Tai
(2023), pp. 1-14, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, London, Eng., C1
Beyond open book versus closed book: a taxonomy of restrictions in online examinations
P Dawson, K Nicola-Richmond, H Partridge
(2023), Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
Qualitative approaches to researching evaluative judgement in pedagogical activities: a case study
C Gladovic, J Tai, P Dawson
(2022), Vol. 47, pp. 231-244, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
N Winstone, D Boud, P Dawson, M Heron
(2022), Vol. 47, pp. 213-230, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
Contract cheating: To legislate or not to legislate - is that the question?
R Awdry, P Dawson, W Sutherland-Smith
(2022), Vol. 47, pp. 712-726, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
P Dawson
(2021), Abingdon, Eng., A1
M Henderson, T Ryan, D Boud, P Dawson, M Phillips, E Molloy, P Mahoney
(2021), Vol. 22, pp. 229-243, Active Learning in Higher Education, C1
How conceptualising respect can inform feedback pedagogies
J Zhou, P Dawson, J Tai, M Bearman
(2021), Vol. 46, pp. 68-79, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
M Dunn, P Dawson, M Bearman, J Tai
(2021), Vol. 40, pp. 234-246, Higher Education Research and Development, C1
G Joughin, D Boud, P Dawson, J Tai
(2021), Vol. 46, pp. 80-91, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
Authentic feedback: supporting learners to engage in disciplinary feedback practices
P Dawson, D Carless, P Lee
(2021), Vol. 46, pp. 286-296, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
SEPN: A Sequential Engagement Based Academic Performance Prediction Model
X Song, J Li, S Sun, H Yin, P Dawson, R Doss
(2021), Vol. 36, pp. 46-53, IEEE Intelligent Systems, C1
S Dawson, M Mohebbi, J Craig, P Dawson, G Clarke, M Tang, F Jacka
(2021), Vol. 24, pp. 1129-1141, Public Health Nutrition, England, C1
What feedback literate teachers do: an empirically-derived competency framework
D Boud, P Dawson
(2021), Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
K Zhao, J Zhou, P Dawson
(2021), Vol. 28, pp. 170-190, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, C1
Meta-analyses of flipped classroom studies: A review of methodology
K Hew, S Bai, P Dawson, C Lo
(2021), Vol. 33, Educational Research Review, C1
K Hew, S Bai, W Huang, P Dawson, J Du, G Huang, C Jia, K Thankrit
(2021), Vol. 37, pp. 132-151, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, Perth, W.A., C1
Students' feedback literacy in workplace integrated learning: How prepared are they?
K Nicola-Richmond, J Tai, P Dawson
(2021), Innovations in Education and Teaching International, C1
Digitally Mediated Assessment in Higher Education: Ethical and Social Impacts
Margaret Bearman, P Dawson, Joanna Tai
(2020), Vol. 7, pp. 23-36, Re-imagining University Assessment in a Digital World, Berlin, Germany, B1
Cognitive Offloading and Assessment
Phillip Dawson
(2020), Vol. 7, pp. 37-48, Re-imagining University Assessment in a Digital World, Berlin, Germany, B1
Cybersecurity: the next academic integrity frontier
Phillip Dawson
(2020), pp. 187-199, A Research Agenda for Academic Integrity, Cheltenham, Eng., B1
A framework for developing and supporting student leadership in higher education
J Skalicky, K Warr Pedersen, J van der Meer, S Fuglsang, P Dawson, S Stewart
(2020), Vol. 45, pp. 100-116, Studies in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
The law and the outlaw: is legal prohibition a viable solution to the contract cheating problem?
A Amigud, P Dawson
(2020), Vol. 45, pp. 98-108, Assessment and evaluation in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
How first-year students perceive and experience assessment of academic literacies
J Zhou, K Zhao, P Dawson
(2020), Vol. 45, pp. 266-278, Assessment and evaluation in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
P Dawson, W Sutherland-Smith, M Ricksen
(2020), Vol. 45, pp. 473-482, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
Re-imagining University Assessment in a Digital World
M Bearman, Phillip Dawson, R Ajjawi, J Tai, D Boud
(2020), Berlin, Germany, A7
Beware the Simple Impact Measure: Learning from the Parallels with Student Engagement
Joanna Tai, Phillip Dawson, Margaret Bearman, Rola Ajjawi
(2019), pp. 37-50, The impact of feedback in higher education : improving assessment outcomes for learners, Berlin, Germany, B1
Assessment: What is the best practice and how do we innovate?
P Dawson, A Jha
(2019), pp. 131-148, Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in India and Australia, Abingdon, Eng., B1
What makes for effective feedback: staff and student perspectives
P Dawson, M Henderson, P Mahoney, M Phillips, T Ryan, D Boud, E Molloy
(2019), Vol. 44, pp. 25-36, Assessment and evaluation in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
P Dawson, W Sutherland-Smith
(2019), Vol. 44, pp. 715-725, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
Threats to student evaluative judgement and their management
G Joughin, D Boud, P Dawson
(2019), Vol. 38, pp. 537-549, Higher education research and development, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Student perspectives of engagement in learning in contemporary and digital contexts
J Tai, R Bellingham, J Lang, P Dawson
(2019), Vol. 38, pp. 1075-1089, Higher Education Research and Development, London, Eng., C1
Conditions that enable effective feedback
M Henderson, M Phillips, T Ryan, D Boud, P Dawson, E Molloy, P Mahoney
(2019), Vol. 38, pp. 1401-1416, Higher education research and development, Abingdon, Eng., C1
S Dawson, J Craig, G Clarke, M Mohebbi, P Dawson, M Tang, F Jacka
(2019), Vol. 8, JMIR Research Protocols, Canada, C1
Exemplars, feedback and bias: How do computers make evaluative judgements?
P Dawson
(2018), pp. 99-107, Developing evaluative judgement in higher education : assessment for knowing and producing quality work, Abingdon, Eng., B1
Creating an agenda for developing students' evaluative judgement
D Boud, P Dawson, J Tai, R Ajjawi
(2018), pp. 186-195, Developing evaluative judgement in higher education: assessment for knowing and producing quality work, Abingdon, Eng., B1
Conceptualising evaluative judgement for sustainable assessment in higher education
R Ajjawi, J Tai, P Dawson, D Boud
(2018), pp. 7-17, Developing evaluative judgement in higher education: assessment for knowing and producing quality work, Abingdon, Eng., B1
Feedback in Tertiary Education: Challenges and Opportunities for Enhancing Current Practices
J van der Meer, J van der Meer, P Dawson, P Dawson
(2018), pp. 264-288, The Cambridge Handbook of Instructional Feedback, Cambridge, Eng., B1
Technology and Feedback Design
Phillip Dawson, Michael Henderson, Tracii Ryan, Paige Mahoney, David Boud, Michael Phillips, Elizabeth Molloy
(2018), pp. 1-45, Learning, Design and Technology: An International Compendium of Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, Berlin, Germany, B1
Reframing assessment research: through a practice perspective
D Boud, P Dawson, M Bearman, S Bennett, G Joughin, E Molloy
(2018), Vol. 43, pp. 1107-1118, Studies in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Sharing successes and hiding failures: 'reporting bias' in learning and teaching research
P Dawson, S Dawson
(2018), Vol. 43, pp. 1405-1416, Studies in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Can markers detect contract cheating? Results from a pilot study
P Dawson, W Sutherland-Smith
(2018), Vol. 43, pp. 286-293, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, C1
C Adachi, J Tai, P Dawson
(2018), Vol. 43, pp. 294-306, Assessment & evaluation in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
A framework for designing, implementing, communicating and researching peer assessment
C Adachi, J Tai, P Dawson
(2018), Vol. 37, pp. 453-467, Higher education research and development, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Developing evaluative judgement: enabling students to make decisions about the quality of work
J Tai, R Ajjawi, D Boud, P Dawson, E Panadero
(2018), Vol. 76, pp. 467-481, Higher education, Cham, Switzerland, C1
D Boud, R Ajjawi, P Dawson, J Tai
(2018), Abingdon, Eng., A7
How does technology enable scaling up assessment for learning?
Phillip Dawson, Michael Henderson
(2017), Vol. 5, pp. 209-222, Scaling up assessment for learning in higher education, Singapore, B1
Assessment rubrics: towards clearer and more replicable design, research and practice
P Dawson
(2017), Vol. 42, pp. 347-360, Assessment and evaluation in higher education, C1
Competition, education and assessment: connecting history with recent scholarship
R Nelson, P Dawson
(2017), Vol. 42, pp. 304-315, Assessment and evaluation in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1-1
How technology shapes assessment design: findings from a study of university teachers
S Bennett, P Dawson, M Bearman, E Molloy, D Boud
(2017), Vol. 48, pp. 672-682, British journal of educational technology, London, Eng., C1
How university teachers design assessments: a cross-disciplinary study
M Bearman, P Dawson, S Bennett, M Hall, E Molloy, D Boud, G Joughin
(2017), Vol. 74, pp. 49-64, Higher education, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, C1
Improving assessment tasks through addressing our unconscious limits to change
G Joughin, P Dawson, D Boud
(2017), Vol. 42, pp. 1221-1232, Assessment & evaluation in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
M Teychenne, S Sahlqvist, D Teychenne, S Macfarlane, P Dawson, S Costigan
(2017), Vol. 8, pp. 60-74, Journal of teaching and learning for graduate employability, [Melbourne, Vic.], C1
Five ways to hack and cheat with bring-your-own-device electronic examinations
P Dawson
(2016), Vol. 47, pp. 592-600, British journal of educational technology, Chichester, Eng., C1-1
Support for assessment practice: developing the assessment design decisions framework
M Bearman, P Dawson, D Boud, S Bennett, M Hall, E Molloy
(2016), Vol. 21, pp. 545-556, Teaching in higher education, London, Eng., C1
D Liu, D Richards, P Dawson, J Froissard, A Atif
(2016), Vol. 9806, pp. 183-197, Knowledge Management and Acquisition for Intelligent Systems : 14th Pacific Rim Knowledge Acquisition Workshop, PKAW 2016 Phuket, Thailand, August 22–23, 2016 Proceedings, Phuket, Thailand, E1
Enabler or inhibitor? Educational technology in self and peer assessment
C Adachi, J Tai, P Dawson
(2016), pp. 11-16, ASCILITE 2016 : Show Me The Learning : Proceedings of the 33rd International Conference of Innovation, Practice and Research in the Use of Educational Technologies in Tertiary Education, Adelaide, South Australia, E1
L Abeysekera, P Dawson
(2015), Vol. 34, pp. 1-14, Higher education research & development, Abingdon, Eng., C1-1
Beyond a definition: toward a framework for designing and specifying mentoring models
P Dawson
(2014), Vol. 43, pp. 137-145, Educational researcher, London, Eng., C1-1
Our anonymous online research participants are not always anonymous: Is this a problem?
Phillip Dawson
(2014), Vol. 45, pp. 428-437, British journal of educational technology, London, Eng., C1-1
P Dawson, J van der Meer, J Skalicky, K Cowley
(2014), Vol. 84, pp. 609-639, Review of educational research, London, Eng., C1-1
A contribution to the history of assessment: how a conversation simulator redeems Socratic method
R Nelson, P Dawson
(2014), Vol. 39, pp. 195-204, Assessment & evaluation in higher education, Abingdon, Eng., C1-1
Exploring tablet PC lectures: lecturer experiences and student perceptions in biomedicine
J Choate, G Kotsanas, P Dawson
(2014), Vol. 30, pp. 167-183, Australasian journal of educational technology, Perth, W.A., C1-1
Conversational reading: History and context for a new genre of virtual learning
R Nelson, P Dawson
(2014), Vol. 6, pp. 374-387, Digital culture & education, Melbourne, Vic., C1-1
P Dawson, K Charman, S Kilpatrick
(2013), Vol. 32, pp. 706-1721, Higher education research and development, Abingdon, England, C1
Qualitative synthesis and systematic review in health professions education
Margaret Bearman, Phillip Dawson
(2013), Vol. 47, pp. 252-260, Medical education, London, Eng., C1-1
Assessment might dictate the curriculum, but what dictates assessment?
Phillip Dawson, Margaret Bearman, David Boud, Matt Hall, Elizabeth Molloy, Sue Bennett, Gordon Joughin
(2013), Vol. 1, pp. 107-111, Teaching & learning inquiry, Bloomington, In., C1-1
P Dawson
(2010), Vol. 26, pp. 523-533, Australasian journal of educational technology, Figtree, N.S.W., C1
P Dawson, L Lockyer, B Ferry
(2007), pp. 1-10, Engage, regenerate, experiment : 10th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference, 4-6 July 2007, QUT Gardens Point (city) Campus, Brisbane, Australia : conference proceedings, Brisbane, Queensland, E1-1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Australian Competitive Grants
Feedback for learning: closing the assessment loop.
Dr Michael Henderson, Prof David Boud, A/Prof Elizabeth Molloy, Prof Phillip Dawson, Dr Michael Phillips
OLT Innovation and Development Grants - Office for Learning and Teaching
- 2018: $5,475
- 2017: $78,024
Feedback literacy for effective learning at university and beyond
Prof Phillip Dawson, Prof David Boud, Prof Elizabeth Molloy, A/Prof Jaclyn Broadbent, Dr Joanna Tai, Prof Naomi Winstone
ARC - Discovery Projects
- 2023: $37,495
Industry and Other Funding
Improving contract cheating detection by markers and algorithms ¿ Data Collection Phase
Prof Phillip Dawson, A/Prof Wendy Sutherland-Smith
Turntin LLC
- 2017: $10,000
Promoting evidence-based development relationships between ed tech start-ups and educational institutions.
Prof Margaret Bearman, Prof Phillip Dawson, Dr Chie Adachi, Dr Brandi Fox, A/Prof Kelli Nicola-Richmond
EduGrowth Limited
- 2022: $30,471
- 2021: $32,000
Supervisions
Rebecca Awdry
Thesis entitled: A criminological approach to understanding assignment outsourcing in higher education
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education
Sarah Lambert
Thesis entitled: Open Education as Social Justice
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education