Dr. Trixie James
Doctor of Philosophy (Education): Masters of Learning Management (Executive Leadership); Graduate Diploma of Learning Management (Executive Leadership); Bachelor of Learning Management(with Distinction); Justice of the Peace (Qual); Certificate IV of Life Coaching; Diploma of Positive Psychology
Lecturer
School of Access Education
Centre for Research in Equity & Advancement of Teaching & Education (CREATE)
- t.james@cqu.edu.au
- ORCID: 0000-0001-9591-2480
- (07) 4150 7146
-
Bundaberg
Building 1 - G.12
Bundaberg Campus
About Me
Dr Trixie James is a lecturer in the STEPS (Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies) program within the School of Access Education at CQUniversity. Deeply passionate about adult education, Trixie brings authenticity and empathy to her teaching, drawing on her own experience as a mature-age student. She believes students should see in their educator a genuine love for learning and a commitment to their success. In her role, Trixie supports adult learners who often return to study after many years and may carry the weight of negative past educational experiences. For these students, traditional teaching approaches are not always effective—what they need is time, encouragement, and support to rebuild confidence, challenge limiting beliefs, and learn how to learn. Trixie’s teaching philosophy centres on creating a safe and positive environment where learners can thrive and rediscover their academic potential.
Trixie’s journey in education began in 2003, and over the past two decades she has completed a Bachelor of Learning Management (Distinction), a Graduate Diploma and Master of Learning Management (Executive Leadership), a Diploma of Positive Psychology, and most recently a Doctor of Philosophy (Education), awarded in 2024. Her PhD explored student experiences in Enabling programs, highlighting her long-standing commitment to equity and inclusion in higher education.
In recent years, Trixie has expanded her academic practice into research and supervision. Trixie is a full member of the Centre for Research in Equity and Advancement of Teaching and Education (CREATE) and co-leads the Empower cluster. Her research interests include student engagement, positive psychology in education, social innovation, equity in higher education, and the ethical integration of educational technologies. She is involved in multi-institutional research projects and is currently supervising postgraduate students.
Trixie is an executive member of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia (NAEEA), where she oversees the Special Interest Groups and is membership secretary. She has presented her work at both national and international conferences, including in the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Trixie is also Chair of the Board of Directors at the Bundaberg Christian College.
Her contributions to teaching and learning have been recognised through multiple CQUniversity teaching awards (Tier 1 and Tier 2) and a National Tier 3 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Trixie is also a Senior Fellow of Advance HE.
General
Background
2024 - Doctor of Philosophy (Education)
2014 - Diploma in Positive Psychology
2012: Certificate IV in Life Coaching
2011: Masters of Learning Management (Executive Leadership) with Distinction
2009: Graduate Diploma of Learning Management (Executive Leadership)
2009: Justice of the Peace (Qualified)
2006: Bachelor of Learning Management (Primary) with Distinction
Universities Studied At
University of Tasmania - Doctor of Philosophy
CQUniversity - Masters of Learning Management (Executive Leadership)
CQUniversity - Graduate Diploma of Learning Management (Executive Leadership)
Central Queensland University - Bundaberg - Bachelor of Learning Management (Primary)
Universities Worked At
Commenced at CQUniversity in 2008
Awards
2022 - Senior Fellow (Advance HE)
2021 - Student Voice Commendation for Distance Educator of the Year
2020 - Student Voice Commendation for Distance Educator of the Year
2018 - Student Voice Commendation for Distance Educator of the Year
2017 - Student Voice Commendation for Distance Educator of the Year
2016 - National Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning ($10,000)
2015 - Vice Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Learning and Teaching - Tier Two Award. This award acknowledges Trixie James for excellence in motivating and inspiring Enabling students to realise their potential and gain a passion and thirst for knowledge through innovative teaching practices.
2014 - Vice-Chancellors Award for Good Practice in Learning and Teaching - Tier One award. This award recognises quality practices for facilitating student participation and success.
2014 - Opal Award for Internal Service (Health and Wellbeing Group)
2013 - Student Voice Commendation for Distance Educator of the Year
Professional Experience
Bundaberg Christian College Board of Directors
- Chair
Executive Committee Member of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia
- SIG Executive Overseer
- Membership Secretary
Professional Memberships
Committee member of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia
The aims of NAEEA Inc. are:
(a) To advocate, encourage, promote and widen access and successful participation in groups who are under-represented in tertiary education.
(b) To undertake activities which establish a profile for Enabling Education and promote the benefits it provides to individuals, universities and society.
(c) To organise and hold a bi-annual conference.
(d) To hold forums fostering an exchange of ideas and support for collaboration and co-operation between individuals, groups and organisations engaged in Enabling Education.
Centre for Research in Equity and Advancement of Teaching and Education (CREATE)
- Full membership
- Co-lead of the Empower Cluster
Professional Interests
My professional interests are deeply rooted in my commitment to enhancing adult education, particularly for those who face barriers to higher education. Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about developing innovative approaches to teaching and supporting students, especially those who have been out of education for some time or have had negative educational experiences. This interest extends into my research, where I focus on creating strategies to improve student engagement, wellbeing, and success, particularly for under-represented groups.
A key project I’ve led is the Be Positive initiative, a 12-week Positive Psychology program designed to help students reframe their thinking and develop a more optimistic approach to their studies. Many of the students in Enabling programs face challenges such as low self-esteem and past academic setbacks, making it difficult for them to engage fully in their learning. Be Positive aims to counteract these challenges by fostering a growth mindset, building resilience, and enhancing students’ confidence. The program has already been piloted with success in the STEPS program and is now being expanded into a micro-credential for broader community access. I'm also exploring how the program can be adapted to help younger students in high schools, ensuring that more learners can benefit from its positive impact.
In addition to Be Positive, I have developed the Higher Expectation Framework (HEF), which aims to create an engaging and supportive learning environment for adult learners. The HEF focuses on four key stages: Review, Connect, Extend, and Apply (RCEA), ensuring that students develop a deeper understanding of the material by connecting it to prior knowledge, engaging in peer interaction, and applying what they learn to real-life situations. This framework has proven effective in helping students feel empowered and confident in their learning, and I encourage other educators to adopt this model in their own classrooms.
I have developed the Discourse Force Framework, alongside Breanna Knight and Hayley Griffin, a new model for evaluating educational multimedia that recognises the importance of engaging students not just cognitively, but also emotionally and behaviourally. Unlike traditional evaluation tools that focus primarily on usability and content delivery, this user-centred, multidimensional framework helps educators assess how multimedia truly impacts the learner experience. The framework comprises four domains—Discourse Purpose, Cognitive Structure, Emotional Resonance, and Behavioural Impact—and was trialled through a case study analysing student reflections on a Hero’s Journey-themed video. The Discourse Force Framework is now being expanded into new projects and a dedicated open-access website is in development to support broader dissemination and collaboration.
Key Achievements
Executive Committee Member of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia
- overseeing the Special Interest Groups
- membership secretary
- editor for special edition journal
- editor for Enabling education chaptered book
Chair of the Board of the Bundaberg Christian College
Editor
Editor of special edition of the Journal of University Learning and Teaching (2025)
Lead editor of the National Association of Enabling Educators edited book (2025-2026)
Research Supervision
Accreditation
I am currently accredited for supervision in the following:
- 3903 Education Systems
- 3904 Specialist Studies in Education
- 3902 Education policy, sociology and philosophy
- 5205 Social and personality psychology
Current Capacity
Current Supervision
Research Interests
Curriculum and Pedagogy - Curriculum and Pedagogy Theory and Development
The development of the Discourse Force Framework has been a highlight. Alongside Bre Knight and Hayley Griffin, we developed this framework as a model for evaluating educational multimedia that recognises the importance of engaging students not just cognitively, but also emotionally and behaviourally. Unlike traditional evaluation tools that focus primarily on usability and content delivery, this user-centred, multidimensional framework helps educators assess how multimedia truly impacts the learner experience. The framework comprises four domains—Discourse Purpose, Cognitive Structure, Emotional Resonance, and Behavioural Impact—and was trialled through a case study analysing student reflections on a Hero’s Journey-themed video. Findings show that multimedia can foster deeper learning when it builds on students' prior knowledge, evokes emotional connection, and promotes real-world application. The Discourse Force Framework is now being expanded into new projects and a dedicated open-access website is in development to support broader dissemination and collaboration.
Curriculum and Pedagogy - Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum and Pedagogy (excl. Economics, Business and Management)
Positive Psychology:
The ‘Be Positive’ project is a positive education program designed for students to mitigate against mental illness through the building of positive processes and capacities that may help to strengthen a students’ thinking and decision-making processes. Unlike traditional programs which adhere to a deficit view of reducing mental distress, our goal was to create a program that would help to boost aspects of positive mental health instead. ‘Be Positive’ is a series of 12 animated videos, each one introducing students to a positive psychology concept which includes the concepts; growth mindset, learned helplessness, 4 C’s, optimistic thinking, ANTS & POTS, 3Ps, ABCDE, broaden & build, stress spiral, values, strengths, iceberg theory, gratitude and pay it forward. Students are introduced to the different concepts through a highly engaging 5-8 min snapshot video and provided with a worksheet that outlines the concept and provides activities for them to undertake during the week to further cement the knowledge and help them apply it to their own personal lives.
Curriculum and Pedagogy - Vocational Education and Training Curriculum and Pedagogy
The creation of a teaching framework called the Higher Expectation Framework has come about through my vision to ensure that instructional design engages the adult audience and is a fun and engaging experience. The Higher Expectations Framework is a structured approach to thinking, planning and actioning, and is an innovative and engaging model that makes the class environment a safe place where students feel empowered to step out of their comfort zone and become more engaged with the content.
Upon hearing the benefits of the Flipped Model Classroom, it was decided to trial this teaching approach in a higher education cohort of students. Although the trial was successfull with positive feedback from students and facilitators, there were some very obvious gaps in regards to a framework or working definition to guide the planning and implementation of this teaching approach within an adult classroom of students. Therefore, through the process of critical evaluation, and reviewing key philosophies such as Adult Learning Principles (Knowles), 12 Brain Principles (Caine) and Self Efficacy theory (Bandura), the Higher Expectation Framework was created.
For more information, go to www.higherexpectationframework.com
Education policy, sociology and philosophy - Education policy, sociology and philosophy not elsewhere classified
Trixie’s research interests centre on the support and engagement of under-represented adults in the tertiary sector, with special interest in student engagement, quality teaching practices and positive psychology. More recently, Trixie has written papers on how Positive Psychology has enhanced her student's study experience. In addition, she is leading a team in the creation of a Positive Psychology initiative called "Be Positive". A 12 week series of animated videos to assist students in developing a toolkit of strategies to improve their psychological well-being.
Other Education - Other education not elsewhere classified
Be Positive Program is a social Innovation initiative developed by a team within the School of Access Education.
This program has been piloted and evaluated and is being re-developed to suit a high school audience.
