Dr Diana G. Oblinger
President Emeritus, EDUCAUSE
Dr. Diana G. Oblinger is President Emeritus of EDUCAUSE, a non-profit association of 2,400 colleges, universities, and education organisations whose mission is to advance higher education through the use of information technology. She served as President and CEO from 2008 – 2015, and as Vice President from 2004 – 2008. Previously, Oblinger held positions in academia and business: Vice President for Information Resources and the Chief Information Officer for the University of North Carolina system, Executive Director of Higher Education for Microsoft, and IBM Director of the Institute for Academic Technology. She was on the faculty at the University of Missouri-Columbia and at Michigan State University.
Oblinger is known for her leadership in teaching and learning. She founded the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, and in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she led the creation of the Next Generation Learning Challenges, a USD $65 million programme focused on improving college readiness and completion through information technologies.
Oblinger has served on a variety of boards including the National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee on Cyber-infrastructure, the board of directors of ACT, the American Council on Education (ACE) board, and chair of the Washington Higher Education Secretariat. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ellucian.
Oblinger is a frequent keynote speaker as well as the author or co-author of multiple books. She has received outstanding teaching and research awards, served as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Learning Technologies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and hold three honorary degrees. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Sigma Xi.
Keynote 3 – From Disruption to Design: Re-conceptualising Lifelong Learning
Today’s upskilling economy and rapid technological change will disrupt the way adult educators, learning and development consultants, education entrepreneurs, and faculty serve lifelong learners. Innovations, such as artificial intelligence, simulations, micro-learning, analytics and massive open online courses (MOOCs) not only transform learning experiences — they can disrupt traditional business models. Pay-for-enrolment may shift to pay-for-results, for example. A focus on workforce outcomes pressures trainers to re-invent themselves and design active educational experiences that create value for students and employers through certifiable competencies, transferrable skills, and greater learning efficiency. New products and new business models designed for talent development and lifelong career success will re-define the value of continuing education and training.