Learning Impact Project
AISSA's Innovative Models for Learning Recognition Project 2022-2025
The Project
Advancing the exploratory work of the Student Agency Lab project (led by Charles Leadbeater) and the MetaPraxis Project (led by Michael Bunce), the Learning Impact Project has researched holistic learning, and its evaluation and recognition.
The project has sought to research and design ways for students to:
• Apply a broad range of skills and knowledge across diverse contexts (Dynamic Capability and Transfer)
• Direct their learning and determine the conditions for that learning: how, when and where it can occur and have impact for themselves and others (Agency)
• Practice self-efficacy, self-regulation, and self-direction in their lives, learning, and work to support their wellbeing and that of others (Wellbeing).
Primary and secondary school teams have been positioned as research sites and have designed their own project questions in order to:
• Research the relationship between agency, transfer and wellbeing, and the potential impact for recognition within the context of personalised learning
• Design and test new models of recognition that can recognise and evaluate holistic learning impact for individuals and collectives contribute new models of recognition which develop student and staff capability to narrate and map learning impact.
Learners, teachers and leaders can create plans for learning, retrospectively map and reflect upon the impact of learning, or prospectively map considering its potential.
The map is coordinated by two spectrums: the vertical axis relates to agency as a spectrum in learning, defining who is directing the learning process; the horizontal axis relates to the spectrum of knowledge creation and exchange, defining who or what is the source of knowledge, skills, behaviours and practices.
The project has sought to research and design ways for students to:
• Apply a broad range of skills and knowledge across diverse contexts (Dynamic Capability and Transfer)
• Direct their learning and determine the conditions for that learning: how, when and where it can occur and have impact for themselves and others (Agency)
• Practice self-efficacy, self-regulation, and self-direction in their lives, learning, and work to support their wellbeing and that of others (Wellbeing).
Primary and secondary school teams have been positioned as research sites and have designed their own project questions in order to:
• Research the relationship between agency, transfer and wellbeing, and the potential impact for recognition within the context of personalised learning
• Design and test new models of recognition that can recognise and evaluate holistic learning impact for individuals and collectives contribute new models of recognition which develop student and staff capability to narrate and map learning impact.
Learning Impact Mapping
The project has applied Michael Bunce's Learning Impact Mapping Framework and digital mapping tool, with which the components and effects of learning as part of structured, semi-structured, embedded, or emergent processes can be mapped and evidenced.Learners, teachers and leaders can create plans for learning, retrospectively map and reflect upon the impact of learning, or prospectively map considering its potential.
The map is coordinated by two spectrums: the vertical axis relates to agency as a spectrum in learning, defining who is directing the learning process; the horizontal axis relates to the spectrum of knowledge creation and exchange, defining who or what is the source of knowledge, skills, behaviours and practices.
The Agency Spectrum
Low levels of agency indicate that a learner is not directing the learning process (agency is extrinsic to the learner), whereas, high levels of agency indicate that a learner is fully directing the learning process (agency is intrinsic to the learner).The Knowledge Exchange Spectrum
Likewise, when the source of knowledge and skills is external to a learner it is explicitly imparted to them (characterised by instructional teaching, for example), whereas, when the learner is the source of new knowledge and skills, it is implicitly derived by the learner or from their experience (characterised by exploratory, inquiry led, emergent or embedded learning processes).Why Holistic Learning and Why Now?
Findings from the project are discussed in the culminating paper, published by the CSE and Learning Creates Australia at the Symposium on May the 2nd 2025 at Flinders University's City Campus.
The authors explore findings from the AISSA project, previously shared at a development stage by Charles Leadbeater and Michael Bunce in CSE papers in 2022. They describe design pillars that have guided the project, note the partnerships involved, and comment on the work on approaches to holistic learning. Michael Bunce, principal author is joined by Valerie Hannon and Charles Leadbeater who provide commentary from their advisory perspectives. The paper also includes discussion of emerging rules-of- thumb for generative leadership, and illustrates new forms of mapping of learning in practice. The paper concludes with a number of long-term goals based on the project team’s commitment to transforming education in response
to global changes.