Rate My Professor Linda Kelly

Linda Kelly serves as a Lecturer in Planning in the Department of Geography and Planning within the Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts at Macquarie University. Drawing on her extensive industry experience in urban planning, she has revolutionized planning education by embedding hands-on, student-centered practices throughout the Bachelor of Planning program. Her innovative teaching methods include using LEGO bricks and interactive 3D models to illustrate complex concepts, simulating real-world projects with site visits and briefings from professional planners, and facilitating student-led four-week planning studios addressing authentic campus issues such as courtyard redesigns. These approaches enable students to develop critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and employability skills by actively 'doing' planning tasks, learning from mistakes in a supportive environment, and forging connections with industry stakeholders. Kelly teaches key units including GEOP4090 Planning and Design, GEOP3080 Urban Strategic Planning, GEOP8075 Planning, Principles and Places, and GEOP8090 Gateway to the Planning Profession. She adeptly integrates technology with face-to-face learning, promotes authentic assessments derived from study tours, and encourages student-created videos to enhance communication and engagement.

Kelly's dedication to pedagogical excellence earned her finalist status in the Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Awards 2021 for Teaching Excellence in the Faculty of Arts and the Academic Staff Awards 2021 in the 'Enrichers' category. She received an academic promotion in 2020 and actively pursues professional development, completing the Contemporary Approaches to University Teaching course and workshops on team-based learning. Her contributions extend to scholarly outputs, including co-authorship of 'Delivering the discipline: Teaching geography and planning during COVID-19' in Geographical Research (2021), which reflects on adapting disciplinary teaching amid the pandemic. Additionally, she authors TECHE articles such as 'Authentic assessment in action: From study tour to classroom' (2024), 'Teacher as Student: the joy of learning' (2021), and 'Spotlight on learning: students create videos for communication, engagement – and fun!' (2020), sharing strategies for sustaining student motivation and innovative learning experiences.