As UTS gears up to release its 2027 strategy, we talk to DVC (Education and Students) Shirley Alexander, about what to expect from her keynote ‘Towards 2027: the future for teaching and learning at UTS’ at next week’s UTS Teaching and Learning Forum.
What should attendees expect from your keynote this year?
There are a number of emerging issues in higher education that provide both challenges and opportunities for those in the sector.
Almost every industry and profession is experiencing changes as a result of increased use of technologies and higher education is not immune to these. Although predictions about the impact of technology on education have been around for decades without much real change other than automation of existing practices, there are real signs of significant disruption in the sector (see the suggested pre-reading for example).
Our graduates are entering a workforce that is undergoing significant change, and we need to ensure we are preparing them for this future. These changes bring about significant opportunities for higher education and will be the focus of my keynote this year.
Any articles you would recommend attendees look over to prepare for discussion on the day?
Take a look at Harvard Business School professor: Half of American colleges will be bankrupt in 10 to 15 years.
What do you most look forward to when attending the forum?
Every year I attend the forum for the whole day. It gives me the opportunity to hear academics talking about their own passion for learning and teaching – what they are doing, what they are interested in, what’s working, what’s not.
Not only am I always inspired, but I always learn so much.
Shirley Alexander’s keynote starts at 9.30am on Monday 12 November in the Guthrie Theatre (CB06.03.28)
Find out more
UTS Teaching and Learning Forum 2018 full program and registration. You can also get a taste of some of the presentations through the following blog posts:
- Using data in teaching: 4 talks to see at the Teaching and Learning Forum
- From understanding millennials to what to do when no one turns up to lectures