School of Education
Dr Cathy Down
Senior Lecturer
DipEd BSc Syd, BLitt MCurrStud(Hons) NE, GradDipEdAdmin Deakin, PhD RMIT
Dr Cathy Down
Bio
Cathy has enjoyed an interesting career which has included seventeen years teaching Mathematics and Chemistry in schools in NSW, Victoria and New Zealand. In 1986, she moved to the tertiary education sector, working for 13 years as a senior curriculum consultant at the Gordon Institute of TAFE in Geelong. During this period she was seconded to the Ford Motor Company to design and manage their training reform process (4 years), the Victorian Automotive Industry Training Board to introduce innovative training programs in Holden, Mitsubishi and Toyota (1 year), the Australian Competency Research Centre (18 months), and the Victorian Office of Training and Further Education to manage the implementation of VET in School (18 months). In 1998, she moved to RMIT University where she was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in the University’s Teaching and Learning unit.  Subsequently she was Head of the TAFE Program Renewal Group which worked with teachers to implement Training Packages and the TAFE Centre of Excellence at RMIT. After leaving RMIT in September 2005, she worked as a learning and research consultant, undertaking curriculum development, professional development and research projects
Research
Cathy has undertaken considerable funded research concerning key issues within vocational education and training including ten different research studies on Key Competencies and Employability Skills, three strategic evaluations for the Australian National Training Authority on aspects of Training Packages and research and development into a number of curriculum issues including the original conceptual development and implementation of Dual Recognition programs (now VET in Schools) and the Victorian Certificates of Applied Learning. Her own research covers applications of Boolean Algebra (Litt.B), administrative praxis (Grad Dip, Ed. Admin), training reform with Ford Motor Company (M.Curr.St. (Hons), and the transfer of learning when crossing contextual boundaries (PhD).
Cathy is currently the Coordinator of the Research in Vocational Education and Training (RIVET) Group. RIVET is a member of the Research into Professional Practice and Learning in Education (RIPPLE) Institute within Charles Sturt University. She is also an elected executive committee member of the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Group.
Cathy has also supervised the research components for two students undertaking a Masters degree and has one current PhD student.
Teaching
- Reflective Practice in VET
- Learning Theories in Post-compulsory Education
- The Social and Economic Policy Environment for VET
- Research in VET
Professional Engagement
Cathy has strong links to most of the State and Territory Training Authorities and to TAFE Institutes and Private RTOs across Australia . She is an active member of AVETRA and, as previously mentioned, is an elected member of the Executive of that body. She is currently a member of the 2009 AVETRA Conference Committee and has previously served on the 1999, 2003 and 2006 conference committees.