ENGAGEONAIR PODCAST

What Universities Owe the Next Generation of Learners

As student expectations evolve and AI reshapes education, universities face important questions about flexibility, meaningful engagement, and the future of teaching and learning. In the first episode of EngageOnAir: The Future of Learning, host Anita Chawla sits down with education futurist Dr. Julie Lindsay to explore how institutions can rethink learning experiences, embrace emerging technologies, and create stronger connections with students, wherever they learn.

About This Episode

The future of higher education isn't just about adopting new technologies. It's about rethinking how universities support learners, create meaningful connections, and respond to changing expectations.

Drawing on her experience across K-12 and higher education, Dr. Julie Lindsay shares perspectives on flexible learning, AI-supported collaboration, student agency, and the challenge of building belonging in online environments.

The conversation also explores lessons from UniSQ's work with virtual learning environments and the Beyond Blended pilot with Jisc, highlighting both the opportunities and complexities of designing engaging learning experiences at scale.

From treating AI as a learning partner to helping students take greater ownership of their education, this episode invites educators and institutional leaders to reconsider what effective learning could look like.

What You'll Hear in This Episode

Key discussion topics

Rethinking flexibility and choice

Why learners need the ability to move between online and on-campus learning without compromising their experience.

Making asynchronous learning meaningful

How institutions can create valuable learning opportunities for students who can't attend live sessions.

AI as a learning partner

What happens when AI becomes the fifth seat at the table, and how it shapes collaboration and critical thinking.

Creating connection and belonging online

Why building community is more complex online, and what institutions can do to foster belonging at scale.

Turning innovation into practice

Lessons from educational pilots, and the role of imagination, persistence, and experimentation.

Meet Our Guest

Dr. Julie Lindsay

Education Futurist and Senior Consultant in Technology Innovation, University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), Australia

Dr. Julie Lindsay brings more than 35 years of experience across K-12 and higher education, including 15 years working in international schools across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Her work at UniSQ focuses on digital transformation and exploring how technology and pedagogy can support flexible, engaging, and meaningful learning experiences. Julie is the author of The Global Educator and Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds. She has also hosted Balancing the Shift, a podcast examining how technology is changing teaching and learning in higher education.