Dr Li Ping Thong

As a digital media designer and lecturer, Dr Li Ping Thong has vast experience practicing, teaching and researching in a myriad range of digital media specialisations, including 2D/3D animation, interactive media, app development, motion design, digital illustration, e-learning technologies, serious games, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). 

Li Ping spent several years as a design practitioner in the industry. She is also an experienced educator, having over 12 years of higher education teaching experience across Malaysia, Vietnam and Australia. Her internationalised teaching experience contributed to her deep knowledge of teaching and learning needs for culturally diverse classrooms.

Having originated from Malaysia, Li Ping is strongly driven by her passion of wanting students to succeed in their learning journey and develop their global understanding of other cultures. She successfully applied for the New Colombo Plan mobility grant 2 years in succession, which fully-funded 27 students to travel to Malaysia for collaborative digital media projects with local students and staff.

Li Ping is also an advocate for women and young girls in STEM. She actively presents workshops and guest lectures through school visits to encourage young girls to consider careers in STEM fields. She also provides training to school teachers, empowering teachers to utilise digital media technologies to augment classroom teaching and learning experiences.

Key Roles

• Program Manager - Bachelor of Design (Digital Media) (2018 – current)
• Postgraduate Supervisor (Primary and Secondary) (2017 - current)
• Selection Officer (2016 – 2018)
• Year Level Coordinator (2015 – 2018)
• Course Coordinator (2015 – 2018)
• Educational Technology Committee Member (2015 – current)

Teaching Activities

Studio Courses

• Digital Media Creative Collaboration (2018, 2019) 
• Xperience VR (2017) 
• VR Storytelling (2017)
• Building Beautiful Websites (2016)

Selected list of core courses taught

• Digital Media Studio 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 
• Interactive Media
• Advanced Electronic Imaging 
• Advanced Web Authoring 
• Imaging and Animation
• Advanced 3d Imaging and Animation 

Engagement

RMIT Cross-School Engagement

• Voice Story language learning app development – School of Education (2018 – 2019)
• Virtual Reality Simulation for Early Childhood Educators – School of Education (2018- 2019)
• Acupressure Framework website development - School of Health and Biomedical Sciences (2018)
• Sexual Harassment on Public Transport - app design workshop series - School of Economics, Finance and Marketing (2017 – 2018)

External Engagement

• Technologist in Residence – Innovation Grant - Melbourne Girls Grammar School (2019)
• Digital Media Creative Collaboration – study tour and teaching collaboration with Taylor’s University, Malaysia (2019)
• CSIRO ON Prime program team (2018) 
• Digital Media Creative Collaboration – study tour and teaching collaboration with Multimedia University, Malaysia (2018)
• Science Week Guest Speaker - Digital Media Talk – Hazel Glen College (2018)
• STEM-in-situ – encouraging girls in STEM careers - Virtual Reality workshop series (2017-2018) 
• Virtual Reality workshop – Northcote High School (2017)
• Transhumanism workshop series - teaching collaboration with State University of New York (2017)
• INTERACT staff exchange – staff exchange with University of the Arts London and Danish School of Media and Journalism (2016) 
• International Games Concept Challenge – study tour and workshop collaboration with Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore (2016)

Li Ping’s PhD study investigated the learning effectiveness of digital role-playing games (RPG) to accomplish learning outcomes in digital media education, in which she interrogated how situated learning could be achieved through game-play in an immersive 3d environment. She designed and developed a serious game – Virtual Designer. Utilising non-linear scenarios, the 3d game simulates a design studio. Students role-played as designers and were confronted with various situations typically faced by design practitioners, in which they apply their design knowledge into workplace contexts. 

Li Ping's research interests include:

• Serious games
• Interactive media
• Virtual reality
• Augmented reality
• Interactive storytelling
• Animation 
• User experience design
• Digital environments
• Innovative digital media projects
• Technology-based teaching and learning with digital media technologies

Research Grants

• Innovation Grant – Technologist in Residence – Melbourne Grammar Girls School – 2019 (aud 6,000)
• Voice Story Language Learning App - RMIT Research Translation Seed Fund (Second Round) – 2018 (aud 25,000)
• XperienceVR (2017) - Industry Partnered Design Studio (aud30,000)
• Voice Story Language Learning App - RMIT Research Translation Seed Fund (First Round) – 2017 (aud 25,000)

Mobility Grants

• New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Grant - Digital Media Creative Collaboration – Taylor’s University, Malaysia - 2019 (aud 49,500)
• New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Grant - Digital Media Creative Collaboration - Multimedia University, Malaysia - 2018 (aud 49,500)
• RMIT Mobility Grant – Vietnam study tour – 2019 (aud 10,000)

• PhD in Computing (Serious Games), Coventry University
• Master of Multimedia (E-Learning Technologies), Multimedia University
• Bachelor of Multimedia (Film and Animation), Multimedia University
• Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching, RMIT University
• Autodesk 3d Studio Max End User Certification
• Final Cut Pro End User Certification

• 2018 – Current: Program Manager, RMIT University (Melbourne)
• 2015 – 2018: Lecturer, RMIT University (Melbourne)
• 2008 – 2015: Senior Lecturer, RMIT University Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh)
• 2006 – 2008: Lecturer, Taylor's university (Kuala Lumpur)
• 2005 - 2006: AV Application Specialist, Taylor's University (Kuala Lumpur)
• 2005 – 2008: Designer, Hunter Studios (Kuala Lumpur)
• 2005: Photographer/Graphic Designer, Fotorex Holdings (Kuala Lumpur)
• 2004 – 2005: Animator/Graphic Designer, Flextronics Asia (Kuala Lumpur)
• 2004: Animator/Line Artist, FAT Lizard (Kuala Lumpur)