Rate My Professor Jacqueline Bailey

Dr. Jacqueline Bailey serves as Lecturer in Computing and Information Technology (Education Focused: Mobile App Development) within the School of Computer and Information Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, at the University of Newcastle. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Information Technology and Bachelor of Information Technology (Honours) from the University of Newcastle. Bailey's core research lies in human-centred computing, emphasizing the development and application of virtual humans, or avatars, in serious gaming, simulation, and training across healthcare, military, and education sectors. Her investigations explore immersive technologies including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality; quantitative assessments of human perceptions of avatars, such as the uncanny valley effect, emotional expressions, and gender differences in affective processing via measures like the human startle reflex; and designs promoting empathy, inclusivity through diverse avatars, and perspective-taking. Recent extensions include smartphone usage among older adults, culminating in the Older Persons Mode (OPM) interface design in collaboration with IT, Creative Industries, and Nursing and Midwifery teams. She leads the international Interactive Intelligent Virtual Agents (I2VA) collaboration with early career researchers from Australia, Belgium, Japan, and Portugal, and develops the NUGamesTech team for virtual reality competitions under Professor Karen Blackmore’s i3Lab.

Bailey's career at the University of Newcastle spans from Casual Academic (2019–2021), Casual Project Assistant (2016–2019), and HunterWiSE Mentor (2018–2021) to her current lecturing role, previously as Associate Lecturer in Computing & IT. She coordinates courses like Web Programming (INFT3050) and contributes to Mobile App Development and INFT6009 redevelopment. Awards include 2024 Industry Engagement (Highly Commended) and Course Redevelopment recognition from the College of Engineering, Science and Environment, 2016 Best Paper Award at the Australasian Simulation Congress, and 2012 Faculty Commendation. Key publications feature 'Integrating Biofeedback and Artificial Intelligence into eXtended Reality Training Scenarios: A Systematic Literature Review' (2024, Simulation & Gaming), 'Gender and the Perception of Emotions in Avatars' (2017, Australasian Computer Science Week), 'A Novel Method of Exploring the Uncanny Valley in Avatar Gender(Sex) and Realism Using Electromyography' (2022, Big Data and Cognitive Computing), 'Insights from the Uncanny Valley: Gender(Sex) Differences in Avatar Realism and Uncanniness Perceptions' (2023), and 'Designing User Interfaces of Mobile Apps for Older Adults: Literature Review and Design Guidelines' (2025, AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction). As co-supervisor for PhD projects and grant investigator, including Meta grants and WTUN Exchange Programme, her contributions advance human-avatar interaction and accessible technology design.