The Impact of Disruptions in Schooling and Education Missed Opportunities and Moving Beyond Crisis to Support Contemporary Learners

Professor Therese Keane is an internationally recognised leader in STEM education with over 30 years’ experience advancing girls’ participation and equity in STEM. She is Associate Dean of Research and Industry Engagement and Professor of STEM Education at La Trobe University, Melbourne, and has received numerous international, national and state awards for her impact. Her work spans research leadership, curriculum reform, and industry engagement at the intersection of education, digital technologies, and gender equity. Her research focuses on AI, social and humanoid robotics, computational thinking, computing education, virtual reality, and children’s engagement with emerging technologies. Professor Keane is Chair of IFIP TC3 (Education) and Editor-in-Chief of  Education and Information Technologies . She has authored 18 VCE IT textbooks and held senior leadership roles across major professional, policy, and industry bodies, contributing significantly to system-level change and workforce capability development.

Heidi Harju-Luukkainen works as Full Professor of Education at the University of Jyväskylä (JYU; Finland) and at the Nord University (NO; Norway). At the University of Jyväskylä, she works as Vice Director of the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius Campus and is also Director of the Educational sciences, including class teacher education, special teacher education, and early childhood teacher education. She is a Member of the University of Jyväskylä’s educational council and is Founder of the Chydenius Learning Lab, an interdisciplinary infrastructure supporting research and UNESCO/Unitwin management team member. She is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Early Childhood Education Research (JECER), a Subject Editor for the  Journal of Nordic Research in Early Childhood Educational Research , and an Editorial Board member for  Educational Assessment . 

Susanne Garvis is Professor of early childhood education at Griffith University, Australia. She is an internationally renowned Early Childhood Education expert within policy, quality, and learning. Susanne has worked with various governments, professional organizations, and NGOs across the world, where her research has informed teacher education, policy development, and professional learning. She is a mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) researcher with extensive experience in narrative (story constellations) and arts-based research. Her focus is on supporting voice, experience, and wellbeing within research.