Future Learning Design Podcast

Jared Cooney Horvath, a neuroscientist and bestselling author specializing in learning and brain development, returns to discuss the pitfalls of digital technology in education. He critiques how tech has transformed classrooms, arguing that cognitive metrics peaked before 2002. Jared debunks five myths driving edtech adoption and explains how multifaceted digital tools may harm learning outcomes. He warns against the dangers of smartphones in schools, suggests analog practices to enhance learning, and explores the unintended consequences of tech on literacy.

In this final episode of 2025, you'll hear about some of the most exciting things happening around the world for pathways through the upper end of high school from the voices of the young people involved in them. The final years of high school is often the 'business-end' of formal schooling, where we often demand that young people just knuckle down and suffer the "rigours" of high stakes standardised exams and college entrance tests. But these conversations really show you that alternatives to this are not only possible, but happening! Too often, we can talk a great game of hyperbole and hubris about our apparently "paradigm-shifting" designs, but the young people actually experiencing them are telling a different story. What better way to get at the truth than by hearing from the young people themselves! So in this mini-series (5 episodes), you'll hear from 19 young people about their experiences of the kinds of competencies they feel they are learning and need to learn, what they find energising and enabling, and how they feel about the adults who are very often giving so much heart and hard work into this work, to support and guide them.You'll hear about five empowering high school pathways and curriculum innovations: the International Big Picture Learning Credential in Australia;the Greenstones at Green School Bali in Indonesia; the African Leadership Academy programme in South Africa;the IB Systems Transformation Pathway pilot programme at UWC South East Asia in Singapore and UWC Atlantic College in Wales;and the Global Impact Diploma, being run at a number of schools around the world including American International Schools in Lima, Peru, Budapest, Hungary and Bucharest, Romania.If you know of other innovations that you'd like to see featured on future mini-series, then please do share them with us at goodimpactlabs.com/contact.

In this first episode in this Innovative Student Pathways mini-series, I had the huge pleasure of chatting with Monty, Eliza and Lydia, three amazing graduates of the International Big Picture Learning Credential. There are few, if any, other new pathways and credentials that have been as successful in obtaining university recognition for such radical alternatives to the standardised exam factory system and credential capital monopolies! The phenomenon that is Viv White, the founder of Big Picture Learning Australia has joined me previously on the podcast so you can find out more about what they're up to across Australia in that episode. Previous episode with Viv White AM - https://www.goodimpactlabs.com/podcast/big-picture-learning-australia-a-conversation-with-viv-whiteLinkedIn: @viv-white - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/viv-white-am-297642142/⁠Instagram: @bigpicture.edu.au - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bigpicture.edu.au/⁠@bigpiclearning - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bigpiclearning/⁠ (US)Website: https://www.bigpicture.org.au/

In Episode 2 of this Innovative Student Pathways mini-series, I chatted with Olivia, Farrah and Chrissa, current students at Green School Bali about their learning through their Greenstone projects. Greenstone are a capstone project that is a key part of the ‘living’ curriculum at Green School Bali that is educates young people for sustainability through community-integrated, entrepreneurial learning, The And the projects reflect young people's passion for important causes and desire to make a difference in the world. Greenstone enables students to have authentic, real-world learning experiences, taking ownership of their own learning journeys, and lights in them a fire for being continuous, life-long learners. You can also find a link to the Regen26 Youth conference that Olivia mentions in the shownotes here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScl5iKb64QBmcgS-igtzYHYuj4DJWImL58KCq9HIY3tsJiOpw/viewformhttps://bali.greenschool.org/regeneration26/Greenstone presentations from 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLo3UtBdmnunAvG5Yb5cXtQgAk4TcWK3w&si=mWkYAraCkssRkYbh Website: https://bali.greenschool.org/high-school/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/greenschoolbali_what-is-greenstone-activity-6876068533479055360-tQ61?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAACJvZTMBEdMREU-F2oP3G7TXlcHKmR1KvnkContact: Benjamin Freud - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminfreud/

In Episode 3 of this Innovative Student Pathways mini-series, you'll find a fantastic overview of all of the amazing work happening at African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa to build the next generation of young African leaders, innovators, laureates and artists. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ayira, Katleho, Mohamed, Fatima and Maimouna Régina to hear all about the core programme and the broader approach to nurturing passionate Africanist auto-didacts!Website: https://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/ Previous episode with ALA's CEO, Hatim Eltayeb - https://www.goodimpactlabs.com/podcast/hatim-eltayeb

Explore a transformative educational journey with students from UWC as they share insights on the innovative IB Systems Transformation Pathway. Hear about interdisciplinary project-based learning that connects theory to real-world issues like migration and biodiversity. Discover how students are assessed through collaborative methods rather than traditional exams, fostering a unique sense of agency. They reflect on the pivotal role of teachers as facilitators and share practical tips for navigating this engaging educational model.

In the last of these 5 mini-series episodes on innovative and emerging student pathways, I chatted with Malna, Nikk and Belen from American International School of Budapest, American International School of Bucharest and American School of Lima respectively. These are 3 of the more than 100 international schools who were represented in the cohort of passionate educators and leaders who co-create the Global Impact Diploma, which is a two-year sequence of courses designed to prepare students to change the world.GID Overview: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vKbk0F8zLPhNdT7Dx7zY2dOyTA7MUjZY63NEJkepQbg/edit?slide=id.g3009304bdc5_0_5#slide=id.g3009304bdc5_0_5Pathways Summit: https://youtu.be/-75VaXq5rBo?si=mU9ryiqdhATssjrY Contact: Corey Topf - https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-topf-0a062464/

Michael Stevenson, an education leader behind the OECD's Education for Human Flourishing initiative, dives deep into transforming education. He discusses how high-performing countries shaped this framework since 2018 and highlights a growing concern for graduates lacking resilience and purpose. Grounding the initiative in ancient philosophies, Stevenson redefines flourishing as more than just academics. He also addresses criticism of the term 'flourishing' and emphasizes a universal approach adaptable across cultures while promoting community learning and the need for innovative assessment methods.

Join Dr. Laura Penn, a leadership communication expert; Jamie Bristow, a sustainability advisor; Khadija Shahper Bakthiar, founder of Teach For Pakistan; and Andrea Hiott, a cognitive scientist exploring love in philosophy. They dive deep into the challenging yet vital role of love in systems change and education. Discover why love often feels taboo in professional spaces, how embodiment enhances learning, and the necessity of integrating emotion into education. Their insights reveal that fostering love is crucial for community and systemic transformation.

Professor Hilary Cremin, Head of the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, explores the concept of rewilding education. She discusses children's disconnection from nature and outdoor play, critiquing how standardized schooling suppresses creativity. Hilary argues for holistic, learner-centered education and contrasts it with industrialized models. She emphasizes the importance of inner peace, relational learning, and arts-based dialogue. Hilary also examines AI's dual potential in education—both as an opportunity and a risk.