Dr Stefan Schutt
PhD Animation & Interactive Media, RMIT University, Adv Dip Prof Writing & Editing RMIT, BA, Eng Lang & Lit Adel Uni, Cert Eng Lang Teaching to Adults RSA/Cambridge Uni, Cert IV Workplace Trng & Ass Vic Uni, Dip Voc Ed & Trng Vic Uni
Research Program Leader, Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing
Stefan is an award-winning researcher and educator whose specialty is new technology and young people, as well as narrative and the Internet.
Stefan runs a range of virtual world, mobile phone and web technology projects for VU. He is the co-founder of a technology club pilot for young people with Aspergers Syndrome, and chief investigator for VU's involvement in an Inspire Foundation-led Cooperative Research Centre in young people, technology and wellbeing.
Stefan has published internationally and was on the Committee for the 2011 AVETRA Conference and the 2008 Margins to Mainstream World Mental Health Conference.
Previously, Stefan ran the VicHealth-funded Avatar and Connected Lives projects, which researched the use of technology by disadvantaged young people. Both these projects received national awards in 2009 and 2010. He also undertook commissioned research for the Victorian Government and was founder of the Hybrid project, a technology innovation initiative that received four 2006 Vice Chancellor’s Awards.
Prior to working at VU, Stefan established and ran Australia’s first Computer Clubhouse, an international skills initiative for disadvantaged young people.
His PhD at RMIT's Centre for Animation and Interactive Media focused on a web-based system for the publishing and sharing of personal life stories.
Stefan's background is in multimedia teaching, project development and the Internet industry, and prior to that in music and professional writing.
Publications
Refereed journal articles
Schutt, S & Linegar, D (2012). “We learn as we go: what five years playing with virtual worlds has taught us”, International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning Environments (IJVPLE), special edition: Real Learning in Virtual Worlds (in press)
Schutt, S & Berry, M (2011). “The haunted photograph: context, framing and the digital family story”, Current Narratives, November 2011
Refereed chapters
Schutt, S (2012). “Click here for my family stories: what happens when auto/biographical narratives move online?” The Oral, the Written and Other Verbal Media (OWOVM) 2011 Anthology (in press)
Schutt, S & Berry, M (2012). “How the ‘I’ sees it: the maker, the researcher and the subject at the juncture of memory and history”. Discourse, Power, Resistance Downunder. Transgressions: Cultural Studies and Education: Vol 88. pp. 107-119. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Creative works
AURA: the Haunted Image, Level 17 Artspace, Melbourne. March 15 - April 8 2011. Curator and exhibitor. With: Cath Barcan, Marsha Berry, Peter Burke, Greg Giannis, Gina Kalabishis, Deen Keep, Mark Holsworth, Sue Kneebone, Matthew Stanton & Irene Wellm
StoryMaker: open source online workplace story creation software (2010 -2011). With James Cartledge.
Small Histories: open source online life story creation software. (2008-2011) With James Cartledge.
Refereed conference papers
Schutt, S, Rizzo, A & Linegar, D (2012). “The Lab: exploring the potential of technology to build the capacity of young people with Aspergers Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism”, Proceedings of the Seventh World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, Perth, October (forthcoming)
Rizzo, A., Schutt, S. & Linegar, D. (2012). “Imagine That: creating a ‘third space’ for young people with High Functioning Autism through the use of technology in a social setting”, OzCHI 2012: Integration, Interaction, Innovation, Immersion, Inclusion, Melbourne, 26-30 November (under review)
Gregory, S., Gregory, B., Hillier, M., Jacka, L., Schutt, S., Ellis, D., Stokes-Thompson, F., Wood, D., Masters, Y., Farley, F., Orwin, L., Stupans, I., Scutter, S., Warren, I., Steel, C., Neuendorf, P., Bower, M., Miller, C., Butler, D., Merle Hearns, M., Mathews, S., Garcia, J., Jegathesan, J.J., Brown, R., Meredith, G., Eimear Muir-Cochran, E., Flintoff, K., Grant, G., Atkins, C., Gaukrodger, B., Giovanangeli, A., Le Rossignol, K., Larson, I., Cram, A., Linegar, D., Wang, X., Muir, T., Cleland, B., Paillat, E., Grenfell, J., Hay, L., Gu, N., Anthony Williams, A., Simoff, S., Bogdanovych, A., McCarthy, A. (2012). Sustaining the future through virtual worlds. In Future Challenges, Sustainable Futures. Proceedings ascilite Wellington 2012. Proceedings ascilite2012, Wellington. 2012
Gregory, B., Gregory, S., Wood, D., Masters, Y., Hillier, M., Stokes-Thompson, F., Bogdanovych, A., Butler, D., Hay, L., Jegathesan., J.J., Flintoff, K., Schutt, S., Linegar, D., Alderton, R., Cram, A., Stupans, I., McKeown Orwin, L., Meredith, G., McCormick, D., Collins, F., Grenfell, J., Zagami, J., Ellis, A., Jacka, L., Campbell, J., Larson, I., Fluck, A., Thomas, A., Farley, F., Muldoon, N., Abbas, A., Sinnappan, S., Neville, K., Burnett, I., Aitken, A., Simoff , S., Scutter, S., Wang, X., Souter, K., Ellis, D., Salomon, M.,Wadley, G., Jacobson, M., Newstead, A., Hayes, G., Grant, S., Yusupova, A. (2011). How are Australian higher education institutions contributing to change through innovative teaching and learning in virtual worlds? In G. Williams, N. Brown, & B. Cleland (Eds.), Changing Demands, Changing Directions. Proceedings Ascilite Hobart 2011. Presented at Ascilite Hobart. 2011
Schutt, S & Linegar, D (2010). “Agents of engagement: trialling the use of collaborative technology workshops to engage at-risk youth and teachers in VET”, Proceedings of the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) Conference, Surfers Paradise, April
Reports and other publications
Schutt, S., Gillis, S. & Pancini, G (2012). “An Introduction to WERC”, Fine Print, Victorian Adult Literacy and Basic Education Council (VALBEC), Vol 35: 2
Schutt, S (2012). “Introducing StoryMaker: an online narrative creation system for the sharing of workplace knowledge”, occasional paper, National Centre for Vocational Education Research (in press)
Schutt, S (2011). Untitled: Lisa Cianci, Melissa Matveyeff, Max D. Piantoni, Obscura Gallery, Melbourne. September 15 - October 8, 2011. Exhibition essay for Colour Fields by Lisa Cianci.
Clayton, B, Schutt, S, Pancini G & Gillis, S (2011) “Review of research on effective work-based learning, retention and transfer”, BHP Billiton Iron Ore
Clayton, B, Pancini G, Schutt, S & Lewanski, R (2010) “Enhancing the Retention of Young People to Year 12, Especially Through Vocational Skills”, TAFE Directors Australia and Australian College of Educators
Research grants
2012: Berry Family Fellowship: State Library of Victoria: $12,000
2012: Signs of the Times: Telematics Trust: $26,800
2011-2012: The Lab: Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre: $107,500
2011: The Lab: Optus Communities: $6000
2011: The World on a Stick - portable training for construction apprentices using virtual worlds on USB data stick: Telematics Trust: $40,000
Awards
- Inclusive Business Achievement Award (2011), Maribyrnong Inclusive Recognition Awards (team award for The Lab)
- Nominee (2011), RMIT Vice Chancellor’s Research Prize/RMIT University Research Prize, for PhD thesis: The Small Histories project: the internet, life stories and ‘performances of reconstruction’, School of Media and Communications
- Victorian TAFE Innovation Showcase (2011), selected project (virtual worlds for construction)
- Award for Best Community Engagement (2010), Business-Higher Education Round Table (B-HERT) Awards (team award for Connected Lives project)
- Finalist (2010), VicHealth Research Awards (for Connected Lives project)
Professional membership
- VU Project Leader , Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre
- Association of Internet Researchers
- Association for Qualitative Research
Conference presentations
Schutt, S. (2012). “Finding the Radio Book – A Chance Encounter with the Golden Era of Radio”, Radio Waves Conference: 90 Years of Radio Broadcasting in Australia: Old, New & Next Wave, Sydney, 19-21 September
Schutt, S. (2012). “Lacking in discipline: the researcher in the age of the rhizome”, AQR/DPR Conference 2012: Embodying good research. What counts and Who decides?, Darwin, 23-25 August
Schutt, S. & Berry, M. (2011). “How the “I” sees it: the uncomfortable duality of researcher and subject”, AQR/DPR Conference 2011: Will the real evidence please stand up: politicising qualitative research, Cairns, 23-25 August
Schutt, S (2011). “'Click here for my family stories: what happens when auto/biographical narratives move online?,” in The Oral, the Written and Other Verbal Media (OWOVM) Conference on Poetics and Discourse, Melbourne, 12-14 December
Schutt, S (2011). “Neither living nor dead: the digital life story as spectre in the Internet age”, in Personal stories, public statements and political consequences: exploring the places between, Narrative Research Symposium organised by Narrative Network Australia and Victoria University, Melbourne, 9 December
Appearances in the media
- Maribyrong Weekly newspaper. 5 September 2012. Article about visit to The Lab by MP Bill Shorten: Lab holds key to tap potential
- The Star (Footscray, Yarraville, Braybrook) newspaper. 7 August 2012. Interview with Stefan Schutt about Lewis & Skinner signwriting archive: Street History
- Maribyrnong Weekly newspaper. 20 July 2012. Interview with Stefan Schutt about Lewis & Skinner signwriting archive: The Writing’s on the Wall
- Maribyrnong Leader newspaper. 20 July 2012. Interview with Stefan Schutt about Lewis & Skinner signwriting archive: A Sign of the Times Uncovered in Footscray
- The Age newspaper, 27 March 2012. Article on digital learning. Excerpt of interview with Stefan Schutt: New generation wired for study
Portfolios
Contact details
- +61 3 9919 1618
- stefan.schutt@vu.edu.au