Rate My Professor Johanna Nieuwoudt

Dr Johanna Nieuwoudt is a Senior Lecturer (Teaching Scholar) and Coordinator of Diplomas and High School Pathways in SCU College at Southern Cross University. She earned her Bachelor of Exercise Science and Nutrition (Honours) and PhD from Southern Cross University. Her doctoral thesis, completed in 2015, investigated the characteristics of muscle dysmorphia in a non-clinical population of adult male weightlifters in Australia, building on her earlier honours research in exercise psychology conducted within the School of Health and Human Sciences. Since joining SCU College in 2015 as a lecturer, she has progressed in her role, specializing in the curriculum design and delivery of higher education pathway courses for students in high school (Years 11 and 12), pre-award programs, and diplomas. In this capacity, she supports students from diverse backgrounds and experiences in gaining the skills and confidence needed for successful university studies, with her work contributing to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Nieuwoudt's research focuses on identifying factors that contribute to student success, particularly among non-traditional students in enabling and pathway programs. Her academic interests encompass transition pedagogy, academic integrity, online engagement, time management, perseverance or grit, mental health, and the impact of immersive delivery models like the Southern Cross Model. Key publications include 'Does online engagement matter? The impact of interactive learning modules and synchronous class attendance on student achievement in an immersive delivery model' (Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2022), 'Improving the Academic Performance and Mental Health of Non-Traditional University Students Through a Shorter Delivery Model: Exploring the Impact of the Southern Cross Model' (Student Success, 2023), 'Belonging, Enjoyment, Motivation, and Retention: University Students’ Sense of Belonging Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic' (2021), 'Towards a Holistic Model: Transition Pedagogy in High School Enabling Programs. A Practice Report' (Student Success, 2025), and 'Developing Student Agency Towards Academic Integrity Through an Educative Approach: Exploring Students’ Experiences and Perspectives' (Journal of Academic Ethics, 2024). She serves as a member of the editorial boards for the Student Success journal and the Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, contributing to the dissemination of scholarship in higher education pedagogy.