Teri Balser, Curtin University, Australia

Those of us engaged in higher education today face a world that is growing and changing at an unprecedented rate. We find ourselves struggling to react and adapt to current and future learning needs: we are challenged to prepare students for jobs that don’t exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, to solve problems we haven’t imagined. Within the profusion of disruptions there is justifiable – and global – concern that universities remain a value add for students. With this comes an increasing expectation of accountability for outcomes. We are asked to shift from a teaching-focused paradigm to a learning-focused. What are the consequences of this shift? Is it the right one? In a world of MOOCs and online learning are teachers still relevant? Do students still need us? In what way? How do we measure and justify our role? Is quality teaching quantifiable? Professor Teresa Balser from Curtin University will engage us in an exploration of these questions and more as we seek ways to measure the unmeasurable aspects of our profession.