Our people

Dr Sarah Digan

Lecturer
Faculty of Education and Arts

Areas of expertise: science education; teaching and learning with computational models; the critical use of evidence in STEM education; climate change science

Phone: +61 2 6209 1266

Email: Sarah.digan@acu.edu.au

Location: ACU Canberra Campus

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9945-9724

Sarah Digan, a lecturer in STEM education, holds a PhD in earth science from the University of New South Wales, reconstructing palaeoclimatic and sea-level fluctuations from sediments of relict beach ridges. Her academic experience, together with a 12-years teaching career in the ACT primary and secondary school system, have shaped her current research interest in STEM education: data practices, computational modelling and the critical use of scientific evidence in the science inquiry approach.

At ACU, Sarah is passionate about educating future teachers, developing a deep understanding of scientific concepts and scientific reasoning. She emphasises the critical use of data to strengthen critical thinking skills for informed decision-making, relevant for 21st century STEM literate citizens and a STEM ready workforce. Sarah's expertise extends to engaging with in-service educators. She was one of the ACU academics, developing the micro-credentials iSTEM Science and Leading the S in STEM. She is developing teacher development opportunities, particularly in the field of anthropogenic climate change science and the use of computational climate system models in STEM education.

Research interests and fields of educational expertise:

• Data practices;
• Computational modelling;
• Critical thinking in STEM education;
• Environmental education

Select publications

• Digan, S., Puslednik, L., Naylor, W. & Geiger, V. (2024): Developing evidentiary practices in initial teacher education students' scientific reasoning. In: White, P., Tytler, R. & Furguson, J. (eds), Methodological Approaches to STEM Education Research (265-290). Cambridge University Press.
• Unshelm, N., Siller, H.-S., Digan, S. & Geiger, V. (accepted): Umgang mit großen Datensätzen zur Evaluierung von Medienaussagen - Vorstellung einer deutsch-australischen Studie. Mathematica didactica, 48.
• Unshelm, N., Digan, S., Geiger, V., Siller, H.-S. & Greubel, A. (under review): Empowering students to evaluate media claims with big data. In: Kaiser, G. & Stillman, G. (eds), International Perspectives in Teaching and Learning. Springer.
• Digan, S. (2020): Integrating GIS in experiential fieldwork. Geographical Education.
• Santoro, E., Mazzella, M.E., Ferranti, L., Randisic, A., Napolitano, E., Rittner, S. & Radtke, U. (2009): Raised coastal terraces along the Ionian Sea coast of northern Calabria, Italy, suggest space and time variability of tectonic uplift rates. Quaternary International, 206: 78-101.
• Beerten, K., Rittner, S., Lomax, J. & Radtke, U. (2008): Dose recovery tests using Ti-related ESR signals in quartz: First results. Quaternary Geochronology, 3 (1-2): 143-149.

Manuscripts in progress

• Digan, S., Geiger, V., Unshelm, N. & Siller, H.-S. (invited to submit to Special Issue of ZDM Mathematics Education): The capabilities needed to evaluate claims about sustainability in the media when using large data sets to generate evidence.
• Digan, S., Schmid, M., Puslednik, L., Geiger, V. & Mazouin, N. (to be submitted to Teaching and Teacher Education): Initial teacher education students' integration of scientific evidence in the science inquiry approach.
• Digan, S., Geiger, V., Siller & H.-S. (to be submitted to the International Journal of Science Education): Affordances of computational models in science education: a systematic literature review.

Conference proceedings

• Digan, S. (accepted): The use of artificial intelligence and large data in education: developing students' complex problem-solving in climate change adaptation. Contemporary Approaches to Research in Mathematics, Science, Health and Environmental Education Symposium, Melbourne.
• Siller, H.S., Unshelm, N., Geiger, V. & Digan, S. (accepted): Implementation of media and data literacy in student tasks - an analysis of different tasks. The 27^th ICMI Study: Mathematics Education and the Socio-Ecological, Quezon City.
• Unshelm, N., Digan, S., Siller, H.-S. & Geiger, V. (2024): Überprüfung von Medienaussagen mit Mathematik und großen Datensätzen. ISTRON, Frankfurt. Co-presented with N. Unshelm.
• Digan, S., Unshelm, N., Geiger, V. & Siller, H.-S. (2024): Developing evidentiary practices with large data sets: the design of an Australian-German classroom study. The 15^th International Congress on Mathematical Education, Sydney. Extended paper.
• Siller, H.-S., Geiger, V. Digan, S. & Unshelm, N. (2024): Strengthening teachers' instructional capabilities with large data sets. 47^th Psychology of Mathematics Education. Working group: Critical Mathematical Thinking for Sustainable Futures, Auckland. Co-presenter with H.-S. Siller.
• Puslednik, L., Digan, S. & Naylor, W. (2024): Developing primary school teachers' use of scientific evidence in the classroom. International Science Education Conference, Singapore.
• Digan, S., Puslednik, L., Naylor, W. & Geiger, V. (2023): Developing initial teacher education students' evidentiary practices in scientific reasoning. Contemporary Approaches to Research in Mathematics, Science, Health and Environmental Education Symposium, Melbourne.
• Geiger, V., Siller, H-S., Digan, S., Unshelm, N. & Greubel, A. (2023): Strengthening teachers' capabilities with Big Data. The International Community of Teachers Mathematical Modelling and Applications, Yokohama.
• Unshelm, N., Digan, S., Siller, H.-S. & Geiger, V. (2023). A Review of Research on Modelling, Big Data and Evidentiary Practices. The International Community of Teachers Mathematical Modelling and Applications, Yokohama.
• Digan, S. (2019): The use of Geographic Information Systems in field work - a case studyfrom a Year 8 Geography excursion to Kosciusko National Park. Australian Teacher Geography Association, Gold Coast

Funded research projects

• 2024 - 2025: ACU Faculty Research Impact Grant: Lewis, S., Hollowy, J., Digan, S., Kerr, K., Pagano, R., Philipps, D., Rowe, L., Sheehan, H., Daliri-Ngametua, R.: The ACU Knowledge Integration Network (A-KIN): Supporting Armidale Catholic Schools (ACS) improvement through co-designed research translation. $8,000
• 2024 - 2025: ACU Faculty Research Impact Grant: George, S., Ng, C., Watt, H., Digan, S., Buckley, S., King, D.: Educational Escape Rooms - Transforming Teaching, Inspiring Learning. $8,000
• 2023 - 2024, Australian Universities-German DAAD Joint Research Cooperation Scheme: Geiger, V., Digan, S., Siller, H.-S., Greubel, A., Strengthening teachers' instructional capabilities with Big Data. $50,000
• 2023 - 2024, ACU Faculty Research Discovery Grant: Digan, S., Schmid, M., Geiger, V., Developing initial teacher education students' evidentiary practices in scientific reasoning. $9,900
• 2023 - 2024, UniSQ Research Capacity Building Grant: Puslednik, L., Digan, S., Naylor, W., Developing primary teachers' use of scientific evidence in the classroom. $12,355
• 2023 - 2024, ACU Faculty Teaching Development Grant: George, S., Digan, S., Taouk, S., Transforming pedagogic practices to address initial teacher education students' apprehension towards teaching (and learning science). $12,697
• 2023 - 2024, ACU Translate4Impact grant: Holloway, J., Lewis, Steven, Daliri-Ngametua, R., Digan, S., Green, M., Kerr, K., Phillips, D., Rowe, L., Sheehan, H., White, M.: The Education Research Trust: A Policy and Practice Impact Hub at ACU. $95,208
• 2009, ECR training workshop ARC grant, Rittner, S. & Joanne-Boyau, R., Geochronological dating methods and their applications in Australasian palaeoenvironmental and archaeological research. $14,340

Accolades and awards

• 2021, Working member of the Annotated Assessment Task and Annotated Student Work Project, ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies
• 2015 - 2016, Honorary Appointee in Education, Science, Technology and Maths, University of Canberra
• 2016, Accreditation Experienced Teacher, Independent Schools Teacher Accreditation Authority
• 2009 - 2013, PhD scholarship, School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences at the University of New South Wales

Appointments and affiliations

• 2024 - present, International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)
• 2024 - present, Science Educator's Association of the Australian Capital Territory (SEAACT)
• 2022 - present, Canberra Mathematical Association
• 2024 - present, Academic Integrity Officer, Arts and Education
• 2024 - present, Member of the ACU STEM Centre for Education Excellence Academic Disciplines Working Group
• 2020 - 2022, Subject Group leader in General Science, ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies