Assoc ProfessorAmber Cushing

As an Information science educator, my goal is to prepare future information scholars and professionals to address information needs, while adapting to changes brought about by evolving technologies.

I teach Introduction to Information and Social Media, a large module for first-year undergraduate students. In this module, I focus on teaching how students can learn to utilise information to make logical, well-developed arguments , that I hope they can utilise later in life, whether they are writing an academic paper, developing a marketing campaign, writing a complaint letter, or objecting to a local planning decision. Students practice persuasive essay writing in bi-weekly assignments, tutorial sessions and a final essay to understand and practice their skills.

In my postgraduate teaching, I aim to develop an environment where students can develop interests and skills that will suit their individual future goals. I use project-based learning with real-life examples gathered from my own research and from industry contracts to provide students the opportunity to address issues they might find in the workplace.