Dr Joan Robson

Dr Joan Robson has had many opportunities throughout her career to make significant contributions to education in Australia, the first arose when she was appointed to the then ACT Schools’ Authority Technical Committee and later the ACT Schools Accrediting Agency (now Board of Senior School Studies). This was a small group that oversaw the policy and procedures in the determination of the Tertiary Entrance Rank for the ACT for selection into universities Australia-wide. At the time the ACT had just taken over the running of its education system and had adopted an innovative approach to school-based curriculum development and assessment. As part of this team, she became aware of some major inequities in the system and over the next nine years worked to set up a world-class method of assessment for the ACT. It was through her background and drive that the ACT Government was alerted to the initial problems and saw reason to pursue solutions towards a successful conclusion.

She was a foundation member of the Canberra Mathematical Association, an early member of both the Science Teachers’ Association for ACT and the Computer Education Group of the ACT (CEGACT), an executive member of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA), a member of the Board of Academic Advisors for Computer Pals Across the World (CPAW), a member of Alaska Workforce Development Project and until this year, a member of the Management Committee of the Australian National Museum of Education. From 1993-1995, she was Chair of the ACT Chapter of the Australian College of Education. As the ACT was home to some of the best minds in Australia in education, she saw her role as using the members to create a relevant, vibrant education community that would support collegiality, discussion and reflection on contemporary educational issues within the ACT as well as from a national perspective.