Rate My Professor Jonathan Pillai

Jonathan Pillai serves as the Dean of Learning Futures in the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University. Appointed in February 2025, he drives innovation in teaching and learning to equip graduates with the skills, creativity, and adaptability needed for a dynamic workforce. Possessing over 17 years of higher education experience, Pillai is acknowledged as a leader in academic innovation, curriculum design, and industry collaboration, with a focus on bridging educational practices and professional requirements. He holds a Master of Education from the University of Sheffield. At Curtin, he co-leads the Animation and Game Programme and has progressed from Senior Lecturer since 2019. Previously, he was Deputy Director for Academic and Skills Development at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore. His impactful work at Curtin has been honored with the Curtin Innovation Award and the Innovation in Pedagogy Award.

Pillai's research explores digital technologies' role in education, design, and collaborative learning, including virtual reality applications and gamification. Key publications encompass 'Wired, wild, wonderful: A scoping review of early childhood nature connections fostered by digital technologies' (2023, International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction); 'Virtual learning tools in health education and practice – benefits and challenges' (2022); 'Virtual Reality as a Collaborative Tool in Road Planning: Insights from a Case Study in Perth, Western Australia' (2025); and 'Storying-Roleplay: A Co-design Method Supporting Young Children’s Perspectives on Nature Connection' (2025, ACM). These contributions demonstrate his influence in leveraging immersive tools for educational enhancement and interdisciplinary engagement, including projects like VITooLs for pharmacology and the Learning Futures Challenge.