We’ve just kicked off Cycle 3 of our action research study, The Power of Recognising More, and next week in Hobart we are bringing together over 150 diverse people for our second We Are More gathering.
We are always working to expand our community and share the knowledge we have gathered towards our collective ambition. Read on to find out what We Are More is all about.
What is We Are More?
We know paths to further learning and work are becoming more flexible and broad, yet we define success at the end of schooling by narrow measures that exclude more young people than they celebrate.
In simple terms, We Are More (or WAM) is about creating a learning system that sees the full picture of every young person’s contributions, attributes, skills and interests - going beyond only marks, grades or ranks when they complete school.
Families, teachers, and employers intrinsically know that young people are more than a number. And in the 21st Century, we can recognise achievement in far more sophisticated ways than exams or test scores alone, as these point-in-time assessments do not reflect the breadth and depth of what young people know and can do.
In the modern world, teamwork, time management, agency, taking initiative and responsibility, and critical thinking are essential for navigating further study and work post school education. Employers are looking for graduates who can solve problems creatively, collaborate effectively, and adapt to new challenges and opportunities.
There is significant power in recognising more, and there is growing momentum for this change. WAM is committed to bringing this reality to life for Australian students and is working to provide comprehensive evidence of learning success for every young person.
The We Are More movement brings together innovative practitioners in various learning settings who are already recognising more. This approach is not about forgoing foundational skills and knowledge. It is about ensuring skills and capabilities that are becoming increasingly important, are recognised and celebrated as well, and can help match students to pathways in which they will thrive.
What is Learning Creates doing about it?
The exciting thing about this movement is that there is already so much great work happening across Australia.
Literally thousands of practitioners from schools, universities and admissions centres are already applying innovative approaches to recognise more in their students and use that broader understanding of their skills and capabilities to recognise and celebrate their strengths, and help match them well to a post school pathway.
This includes new assessment methods, partnering with industries to identify a wider array of skills within students and utilising online platforms and learner profiles to map and recognise diverse student capabilities.
A key focus for Learning Creates Australia is building a robust evidence base on what is already happening and the value it is adding for young people, their agency and wellbeing, and also for teachers. We are doing this through our collaborative action research study - The Power of Recognising More.
Beyond collecting information and data, we are examining emerging issues, assumptions and enabling conditions to understand the impact and effects of new approaches. This includes generating practical outputs that can lead to more schools taking up similar approaches and influence broader systemic change.
We also need to engage parents, young people, educators, policy and decision makers in conversations about why this is important and the power broader recognition of learning has to drive better outcomes for students and educators. We believe this is how we will see real benefits.
How can people get involved?
There are lots of ways for people to get involved. You can:
Listen to our WAM podcast, which was created by young people and features episodes from different perspectives on this issue.
Take a look at the research we are doing in this space. If you’re interested in finding out more or contributing, let us know here.
You can also follow us on Instagram (@learningcreates_aus) and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest developments and opportunities to participate.
