Dr Henderson is an Associate Professor in Educational Technologies in the Faculty of Education at Monash University.

Research Interests

Dr Henderson's research lies in the use of ICTs, particularly internet based technologies, in teaching and learning in schools and higher education contexts.

Current projects include:

• design thinking as a new framework for teacher professional learning and curriclum design
• the role of identity in mediating teacher pedagogy and student learning
• engaging middle phase learners through meaningful online collaborative activites,
• sustaining teachers' (school and university) engagement in professional learning through online communities of practice,
• serious games and their role in professional learning
• improving student learning outcomes through designing for online community cohesion,
• teaching and learning with social networks: affordances, risks, and expert literacy practices
• teaching with virtual worlds: instructional design, cognition and self-efficacy.

Some of Dr Henderson's contributions to the research community, which are reflected in the journal articles and conference papers, have been (1) demonstrating that identity is a critical factor in the way in which teachers shape their beliefs and practices about teaching, learning, students and using technology, and (2) that effective and sustained teacher professional development is best achieved through a focus on teacher values and identity within multiple communities of practice.

Dr Henderson has presented at a number of international conferences and published both professional and academic articles in the fields of eLearning and online professional development. His professional publications have been selected for state and national distribution to schools. Dr Henderson has been a keynote at several regional and state education conferences and a plenary panelist for ACEC2010 . Each of the keynotes questions our assumptions about students, learning and teaching, and demonstrats innovative e-learning strategies which have been shown to lead to meaningful learning.

Dr Henderson also sits on two international peer-reviewed journal editorial advisory boards (AEC and CWIS) and is an editor for an annual special issue for a peer reviewed international journal on e-learning (CWIS). Michael also continues to influence professional practices of school teachers through active participation as a State Council Member of the Victorian ICT in Education teachers association (ICTEV).