Biography
Prue is a Lecturer in Science Professional Practice and the Course Director of the Bachelor of Marine Science where she teaches employability and marine science units for the various science degrees offered at Deakin University.
A passionate educator, Prue has over 10 years' experience as a STEM educator, having taught a host of units across all learning levels and at multiple educational institutions across Australia. Notably, and before joining Deakin, Prue was the Education Coordinator at Reef HQ Aquarium; the national education centre for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Prue's research interests are ocean literacy and marine education where she heads the DeakinSeaEd research group. Prue also has an interest in seaweed biology and ecology and more recently, seaweed cultivation.
Read more on Prue's profileCareer highlights
2021 Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
2020 Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment Teaching and Learning Award
2017 School of Life and Environmental Sciences Teaching Award for Excellence in Learning
2016 School of Life and Environmental Sciences Teaching Award for Excellence in Learning
Research interests
Improving ocean literacy in education
Seaweed cultivation techniques
Enhancing employability outcomes in Higher Education
Affiliations
Deakin Marine, Centre for Marine, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences
DeakinSeaweed Research Group
Units taught
Current
SLE107 Marine Environments
SLE108 Ocean Processes
SLE345 Oceanography
SLE301 Professional Practice
SLE390 Professional Practice in Bioscience
Past
SLE265 Marine Botany
SLE244 Marine Ecology
Knowledge areas
Marine education
STEM education
Employability
Seaweed biology and ecology
Media appearances
Raising the awareness of the Great Southern Reef media releases:
2020 Australia's forgotten other "Great Reef"
2020 Scientists push to raise awareness of Great Southern Reef
Publications
Riding the COVID-19 wave: Online learning activities for a field based marine science unit
Prudence Francis
(2021), pp. 393-405, COVID-19 and Education: Learning and Teaching in a Pandemic-Constrained Environment, Santa Rosa, Calif., B1
Reading over and under the waves: a study of ocean picture books for children
Prue Francis, Paul Venzo, Alecia Bellgrove
(2021), pp. 1-20, Australian journal of environmental education, Cambridge, Eng., C1
Educate to keep it great: The long-term successes of a virtual Great Barrier Reef education program
P Francis, J Spencer, C McGrogan
(2020), Vol. 3, Journal of STEM Outreach, Nashville, Tenn., C1
Stewards of Swan Bay: Curriculum diversity in place-based environmental science education
Julianne Lynch, Nicole Sadler, Prudence Francis, Ty Matthews, Julie Mondon, Alecia Bellgrove
(2020), pp. 1-10, AERA 2020 : The power and possibilities for the public good: When researchers and organizational stakeholders collaborate : Proceedings of the 2020 American Educational Research Association Meeting, Online from San Francisco, California, E1
Restoring rocky intertidal communities: lessons from a benthic macroalgal ecosystem engineer
A Bellgrove, P McKenzie, H Cameron, J Pocklington
(2017), Vol. 117, pp. 17-27, Marine pollution bulletin, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
A Bellgrove, P McKenzie, J McKenzie, B Sfiligoj
(2010), Vol. 419, pp. 47-56, Marine Ecology Progress Series, C1
P McKenzie, A Bellgrove
(2009), Vol. 48, pp. 335-343, Phycologia, C1
P McKenzie, A Bellgrove
(2008), Vol. 44, pp. 1108-1115, Journal of Phycology, C1
P McKenzie, A Bellgrove
(2006), Vol. 57, pp. 655-663, Marine and Freshwater Research, C1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Other Public Sector Funding
Inspiring Young Marine Science Experts - Stewards of Swan Bay
Ms Nicole Sadler, Dr Alecia Bellgrove, A/Prof Julianne Lynch, Dr Ty Matthews, Dr Prue Francis, A/Prof Julie Mondon
- 2019: $13,356
- 2018: $18,115
Learning from Communities: Indigenous uses of seaweeds in Australasia
Dr Alecia Bellgrove, Ms Zoe Ellen Brittain, Dr Prue Francis, Prof David Jones
- 2021: $5,000
- 2020: $5,000
Industry and Other Funding
DeakinSeaEd: marine education resources for children
Dr Prue Francis, Dr Alecia Bellgrove, Dr Paul Venzo
- 2019: $10,000
Raising awareness of the Australia's Great Southern Reef in primary schools using children¿s literature through a professional development program for teachers.
Miss Catia Jose Abreu De Freitas, Dr Prue Francis, Dr Alecia Bellgrove, Dr Paul Venzo
- 2021: $4,015
Supervisions
No completed student supervisions to report