Shirley is a Professor in the School of Education, Faculty of Arts, Society and Business. 

Shirley's academic career spans more than 25 years in the fields of educational technology and higher education. She is considered a world leader for her research about how people learn with the use of digital technologies and the professional practice of teachers. The ultimate goal of her research work is to empower learners, be they students or school or university teachers, to better understand their own practices to make informed decisions on how they can support their own learning.

Shirley has attained grant funding exceeding $1.5M, has published 85+ publications (over a third as lead author), has 15 HDR student completions and her research metrics (Google Scholar h-index=36; Google citations = 4400+, citations in 50+ countries (SCOPUS)) are evidence of her research reputation of international standing. 

Shirley was the Interim Head of School of the School of Education in 2025 and in 2021. She was Deputy Head of School in 2020, and served as the School of Education’s Head of Research for 4.5 years (from 2018 to June 2022).