In addition to his keynote at the two-day Mind Brain Conference, Greg Whitby joined David Watters for a sit-down session.
Talking about the current discourse around learning practices and pedagogy, Whitby makes a staunch observation that "the current teaching model has had its day".
He believes we need to stop crafting schooling experience on a one-size-fits-all "organisational or industrial model" and instead develop "a learning model, which would fit the purpose."
The solution lies hidden within the problem and Greg feels “technology is changing the nature of the world in which we live” and the students’ future lies in the ability to learn how to operate in the rapidly changing world.
Segueing into rethinking the nature of learning and teaching, Greg Whitby identifies that the extant “body of literature” around how people learn, nature of learning and pedagogy have given us a “solid base to move forward”.
Greg Whitby has a childlike enthusiasm about neuroplasticity as an exciting area of evidence-based neuroscience research. Neuroscience has had an extraordinary breakthrough in providing insight into the nature of the brain. Whitby thinks it likely will become the lens to “understand, the depth and complexity of learning environment”.
When questioned about the radical ideas such as extending learning opportunities beyond the school gate that he has trialled within different learning environments, Whitby disagrees. He defends that his work with STEM schools does not experiment on the young people’s lives and is based off theory, practice, and evidence.
And instead of radical he shakes on calling it: "the next iteration” of learning because “schools of today will prepare us for tomorrow!"
Greg Whitby is the Executive Director of Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta and has been developing evidence-based strategies to overhaul the education industry.
A key proponent of rethinking traditional schooling and learning processes he is working to enhance the learning experience for the nation's young minds.
