Description: This paper examines the Australian actuarial qualification process from the perspective of what makes a good education system, and notes that there are a number of constraints imposed by the profession that impair the quality of students’ learning outcomes. The paper goes on to suggest how these pitfalls might be avoided in the interests of providing future actuaries with an opportunity to develop the attributes they will need for their professional careers. From Actuarial Research Clearing House, 2006.

Description: Most discussions of actuarial education focus on 'what actuaries need to know'– the knowledge content. This is akin to discussing say mortality by considering just one relevant factor [perhaps age]. Reflecting on more than a quarter of a century teaching thousands of actuarial students in eight countries across many cultures suggests that a curriculum is much more than a list of syllabus topics and that a realistic model of student learning needs to acknowledge many more factors than just the knowledge content and the 'ability' of the student. This paper summarises what the author has learned about learning. From that basis it identifies some challenges for actuarial educators, especially in the areas of the development of students’ skills, the assessment of students’ learning and the 'shape' of actuarial education. The relationship between universities and actuarial bodies is also discussed.

Description: A resource for actuarial professionals, providing a systematic approach to the application of actuarial theory to real world problems. Provides insight into how to manage financial risk within dynamic economic and social systems. It is also a required text for use in the Fundamentals of Actuarial Practice course.

Description: Continuing change pervades the actuarial world. Actuarial tools and techniques are constantly evolving, new financial products and services appear regularly, legislation and regulation rarely remain unchanged for long, consumers are becoming better informed and more sophisticated, the financial environment is becoming increasingly global, distinctions between types of financial institution are becoming more blurred, and the areas in which actuaries find applications for their skills become more varied. In this context, the most important attribute for actuaries is the capacity to adapt. This paper considers some implications for university actuarial programs of the need to develop adaptive actuaries. It discusses the results of a survey of the preferred learning styles of Macquarie University actuarial students, examines the newly introduced Australian actuarial subject called 'The Actuarial Control Cycle,' and looks at the use of portfolios of student work. It concludes that in order to develop adaptive actuaries for the 21st century, actuarial programs must broaden the range and type of teaching/learning activities and assessment methods provided for students.

Description: A resource for actuarial professionals, providing a systematic approach to the application of actuarial theory to real world problems. Provides insight into how to manage financial risk within dynamic economic and social systems. It is also a required text for use in the Fundamentals of Actuarial Practice course.