Our History

The Australian Learning Lecture was established six years ago with an aim to bring big ideas in education to national attention. Each biennial lecture is a catalyst for a two-year impact program, showing big ideas are possible in practice. The ten-year program is funded through Koshland Education Innovation.

Three lectures and impact programs have been:

Joy and Data  

The idea: most people think of joy and data as opposites. But good diagnostic tools in the classroom can bring the joy of learning to every student. Sir Michael Barber delivered the lecture Joy and Data.  Six inspiring videos of classroom practice were developed to show how six schools are using diagnostic tools to build success in literacy, well-being, maths, collaborative problem-solving. The videos and published case studies are one aspect of the two-year impact program which arose from the lecture. 

The Passion Toolkit is a practical online tool which helps teachers and schools know their students better and builds their engagement around their individual interests and passions, Each student creates a Passion Profile which is a basis for regular dialogue and development.  This toolkit was trialled in six Victorian schools and evaluated by ACER.

Beyond ATAR

The publication of Beyond ATAR, a proposal for change outlines a revolutionary plan to rethink how we measure success in secondary school across Australia. It follows from ALL’s second lecture The New Success delivered by Charles Fadel (CCR, Harvard) who challenged Australia to remodel its secondary school assessment to better prepare students for a changing world. 

The publication Beyond ATAR was the result of an extended collaboration with leading educators, academics and policy experts. The three recommendations could transition students from school to work-study as well as strengthen the focus on capabilities not scores. 

Beyond ATAR received major public take up and made a significant contribution to the formulation of the Shergold Review. 

The Future School

Seeing is believing: The Future School is here, the third lecture and impact program  was presented by Valerie Hannon who challenged the old idea of ‘school’ faces in the context of the disruptive shifts that are underway in our world. The vision Valerie sets forth is based on a global scan of schools fit for the future and the common principles Valerie found among them. The lecture showcases videos from some of the exemplar schools. The impact program will include Learning Labs which will enable educators to delve deeper into how they can transform their schools to be future-ready now.