The main focus of my work has been on the role of ICT and more recently blended learning in the promotion of intercultural education and community cohesion in schools. Data has been collected and published since 1986 from Northern Ireland, Ireland, Israel, Canada and the European Union on the impact of blended learning on pupils and on the role of teachers. Some of this work has been summarised in Hunter and Austin, Blended and Online Learning for Global Citizenship, (2021) Routledge

Since 2023, my work has focused on ways to improve the quality of learning for children and young people involved in cross-community partnerships, notably through the use of LEGO bricks. I created the concept of LEGO being used as a resource for children to design and then build a town of the future. With the help of Beverley McCormick, a programme was developed with local schools where pupils from different parts of the community worked in mixed teams under the guidance of their teachers in each other’s schools, online and in the University. Ongoing iterations of the research have shown how this approach to Shared Education can help pupils explore how to think about schools, places of worship, housing and leisure facilities in an inclusive and sustainable way. Research reports and articles on this innovative work have been published as detailed below.

This work has led to a preliminary study on how AI might play a role of peacebuilding, published as Austin.R and Hunter, W. (2025) ‘Building Peace in a World at Conflict: The Role of Educational Technologies’ in Ligorio. B, Technology as Cultural Mediator – Theories and Experiences from Different Contexts, Springer Press