Tutor Support

If a slow tortoise and the fast and furious Achilles (The famous Greek demi-God) were to hold a footrace, everybody would expect Achilles to win. The philosopher Zeno wondered if that was the case if the tortoise would get a head start of just five yards, because undeniably making up those 5 yards would cost Achilles some time. In that (short) period of time the tortoise would have walked a certain distance which would then be his lead. In the time Achilles would need to close that gap, the tortoise would cross some distance etc. etc.

Ever since his Greek teacher confronted Jos van de Mortel with this so called paradox, he has been interested in philosophy. This simple exercise confronts you with the complexity of human thought. Diving deeper in the human mind he discovered all sorts of exciting and sometimes even outrageous claims made by philosophers throughout the centuries. Examining those claims during his education in Philosophy at the Radboud University in the Netherlands gave him an insight in the human spirit and society he fosters until today. With his broad interest he devoted himself to a wide spectrum of topics ranging from Religion to Atheism and from Art to Politics. His sharp and flexible mind enables him to transport himself in the minds of others, be it the author of the book he is reading or the layman interested in a theological topic.

After obtaining his master’s degree in Philosophy his growing interest in the human condition and in sharing the knowledge he had accumulated in that field resulted in a career in education. Teaching Philosophy and Comparative Religion offered him the chance to shine an even brighter light on the evolution of human thought and faith. “Teaching is learning twice” in the words of Joseph Joubert.

Angela Morillas-Johnson graduated from The University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Psychology in 2004. Since obtaining her full registration as a Psychologist in NSW, Australia, Angela has worked in a number of positions, including an acute mental health out-patient service, and a government employment and assistance office. Angela’s latest position has been in private practice, where she assists clients with a range of conditions such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders, as well as a host of personal and social concerns. Angela has also recently set up her own practice where she specializes in working with women in the pregnancy and post-natal periods, as well as parenting and early childhood behavior. Angela’s broad range of experience working with a diverse population of clients makes her a well-rounded and knowledgeable generalist psychologist.

Angela first pursued a career is psychology because she has always been fascinated with the human mind, the way our biology as well as our social circumstances make us who we are, and the way that these factors influence our behavior, which can sometimes be irrational and beyond our own understanding. Angela takes enormous satisfaction in being able to help clients gain a better understanding of themselves, and change behaviors which are problematic for them. Angela’s passion and experience in the field of psychology ensures that you receive the highest level of support and accuracy in responding to any questions you have regarding this captivating subject - psychology.

Layla De Martin is our tutor in Nutrition. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Layla has worked in hospitals in semi-tropical, rural and city areas. Her experience includes working in relatively remote areas and with patients with a variety of backgrounds including the Aboriginal community. She has treated patients suffering from diseases such as malnutrition, encephalitis, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and liver disease. Layla has also been responsible for the provision of nutrition educational programs to patients, including prenatal and neonatal groups.

Layla’s nutritional interest and knowledge expands outside the medical realm. She sees the importance of good nutrition in everyone’s life, and believes it is important to learn from different cultures. She is a member of the Slow Food Movement, which originated in Italy and is now an international movement to counteract fast food and promote local food traditions. Layla loves to travel, tasting the local food and learning the way it’s prepared in different countries. She also loves to experiment in the kitchen using vegetables and herbs grown in her garden.

The science of nutrition and the human body is ever changing, with the media often providing contradictory advice and information to the public. Although this can be confusing, Layla likes to look beyond the headlines to how the industry uses new information to improve on nutritional recommendations. Controversial topics such as genetically modified foods, for example, are being debated within both the professional and public arena. Layla believes these debates are a beneficial way to advance new technologies, and she is more than happy to help stimulate productive and interesting discussion.

Dr Liz Hardy teaches the Introduction to Literature and Starting a Small Business courses for Lexicom Learning. She is highly qualified in both areas, holding a PhD in Literature, and diplomas in Journalism, Research and Business Management.

Liz is an experienced online facilitator, teaching in the areas of Writing & Communications, eLearning, and Business. She sees online learning as the new frontier of education, a student-friendly world of relevant information.

Liz is also a professional writer and business owner. She writes for corporate websites and education providers, and is the author of three published books (including a guide to tertiary study). Her online business creates and markets inspirational information products for authors.

As her professional life merges with her personal passions, Liz constantly faces a real dilemma – what to read next! A South American novel, a collection of short stories in the fantasy genre, or the latest ebook about internet marketing…?

David Broos is a professional photographer with over 20 years experience in the field. He was formally trained by the Royal Australian Air Force as a Photographer/cameraman and holds a Diploma of Photography. David served as a Defence Force Photographer for 12 years where he gained a wealth of valuable and diverse knowledge and experience encompassing all aspects and subjects of photography across a broad range of photographic formats and platforms, film-based, digital and video. This knowledge and experience is not limited to the “shooting” side of photography and includes advanced darkroom practice and photographic theory, process monitoring, audio-visual imagery, photographic science, equipment maintenance and evaluation, and editing of video and digital imagery.

Due to the nature of Defence service, David has photographed and filmed around the world in varied locations, at times very remote and hostile. Further to his Defence service David spent 6 years as Photographer, Exhibitions Officer and Curator for The Wilderness Gallery which saw him expand his skills and knowledge in displaying photography to best effect.

David has often wondered why so many people are reluctant to take up photography, using the excuse that their equipment isn’t the greatest or that they “don’t have an eye for it”. David takes great delight in showing that everyone has the ability to produce amazing photography, regardless of equipment, firm in his belief that being successful in photography is similar to being successful in sport; you must develop and maintain your “fitness”.