News and Events

What really matters?

Nigel Grant

“What are your medals for, Nanny McPhee?” “Well, this one is for Courage, and this one is for Kindness, and these are for Resolve, Imagination and Enthusiasm. This one is for Basket-work and this one for Leaps of Faith.”

Announcement: Vivedus partners with the Blue Knot Foundation

Paul Browning

On 29 May 2024 the Chairman of Vivedus, Mr Lance Hockridge and the President of the Blue Knot Foundation, Dr Cathy Kezelman AM, signed a Heads of Agreement between the two organisations.

Update May 2024

Paul Browning

Each month we intend on letting you know how things are going at Vivedus.

Why have a Statement of Teaching and Learning?

Paul Browning

When I have employed a new teacher at a school usually the first question is, “what would you like me to teach?” Important question. Year 5, general maths, senior biology, religion? Rarely, except for the outstanding teachers, have I been asked, “how would you like me to teach?” This question is far more important than, “what would you like me to teach.”

From the Managing Director

Paul Browning

Since 2014, a group of educators have had a compelling vision. That vision is to see education transformed to enable young people to thrive in the AI era.

Meet Viv-it: your personal professional development coach

Paul Browning

At Vivedus, we're thrilled to announce Viv-it, a revolutionary AI-powered professional coach designed specifically for educators. Built with OpenAI’s technology, Viv-it provides teachers with personalised coaching to enhance their professional skills, adapt innovative pedagogies, and ultimately impact every student's creative and cognitive growth.

Update October 2024

Paul Browning

It has been another busy month for the team at Vivedus.

Update September 2024

Paul Browning

As we reflect on September, we’re excited to share some incredible milestones and moments of learning that have shaped our journey at Vivedus this month.

Update August 2024

Paul Browning

Celebrating six-months of Vivedus! Six-month Report: 30 August 2024. Our vision: To activate creative intelligence (and transform education globally) Our purpose: to offer schools and educators a dynamic learning activation model that cultivates creative intelligence Our values: creativity, agency, collaboration and evidence

Update July 2024

Paul Browning

The Vivedus Team have made significant progress in our brand messaging and platform development in the last month. We were able to showcase the first module of our platform to a group of teachers who were thrilled with its usability.

Update June 2024

Paul Browning

Each month we intend on letting you know how things are going at Vivedus.

Announcement: Vivedus partners with the Blue Knot Foundation

Paul Browning

On 29 May 2024 the Chairman of Vivedus, Mr Lance Hockridge and the President of the Blue Knot Foundation, Dr Cathy Kezelman AM, signed a Heads of Agreement between the two organisations.

Update May 2024

Paul Browning

Each month we intend on letting you know how things are going at Vivedus.

From the Managing Director

Paul Browning

Since 2014, a group of educators have had a compelling vision. That vision is to see education transformed to enable young people to thrive in the AI era.

The hidden barriers to educational change: Why transformation feels impossible

Paul Browning

For decades, educational leaders, policymakers, and visionaries have been calling for a transformation of schools to prepare students for an unpredictable, AI-dominated future. Despite these calls, meaningful change has been slow and sporadic. Schools remain tethered to outdated models—standardised testing, rigid curricula, and top-down leadership structures. But why is change so hard? Let’s explore the key barriers holding back innovation and transformation in education.

Innovation and Creativity in the Workplace

Lance Hockridge

I grew up in a world in which technical and occupational skills were all important. The subjects we were taught and the approach to learning was about equipping us for the workforce of the late 20th century. While a breadth of knowledge was important, and schools and universities taught critical thinking, for the most part innovation and creativity were the domain of the arts.

A Fresh Perspective on the Future of Teaching

Paul Browning

Stepping out of a school has given me a different perspective, and I’m now more concerned than ever about the sustainability of teaching as a profession—and, by extension, the future of education.

The Age of AI intersects with the Industrial Model of Education?

Paul Browning

We are living in a brave new world, the Age of Accelerations. I’m going to be provocative when I say this, and I don’t mean to be insensitive, but I worry that too many people have their heads in the sand leaving them to be reactive rather than proactive when it comes to AI.

The Moral Machine

Professor Nigel Crook

Asimov was a professor in biochemistry at Boston University and a prolific writer of popular science and science fiction books and articles. He is most widely known for his series of short stories and novels that depict a futuristic world inhabited by both humans and robots. His robots all have ‘positronic brains’ and their behaviour is governed by the Three Laws of Robotics which formed a moral code designed to guarantee that robots would not harm humans, that they would obey orders, and protect their own existence. Asimov used short fictional stories as a way of exploring some of the consequences of equipping robots with a moral code. In my book, Rise of the Moral Machine: Exploring Virtue Through a Robot’s Eyes, I thought it appropriate to continue in this tradition and have included four short fictional stories about robots and morality. Here’s the first story:

What is Education?

Paul Browning

Education should draw out of a young person their given talents that then can be used wisely, in humility for the benefit of the common good; that is, all aspects of what makes for a rich and harmonious society, not just its economic prosperity.

Creativity in Higher Education

Edward Brooker

I should have been in my element, teaching Business Creativity and Innovation courses to both two-year college diploma students and four-year college degree students at a community college located west of Toronto. The school itself was internationally known for its animation program, but also offered a plethora of other offerings. Its tagline was “Get Creative” perhaps in line with its one standout program. The reality was very different.

The Imminent Influence of AI and Robotics on Education: Are We Prepared?

Gabrielle Kempton

In recent weeks, I have received two video links demonstrating the remarkable capabilities of robotics and AI technology. Both presented powerful examples of the imminent and ubiquitous influence technology will increasingly have over our everyday lives. I watched, mesmerized, as Open AI demonstrated speech-to-speech reasoning and marvelled at its multitasking capabilities.

A solution to the Teacher Workload Crisis

Paul Browning

A young teacher in his second year in the classroom is going to leave the profession at the end of this year. His name is Ethan. He loved the idea of teaching but is so exhausted he cannot go on.

Embracing change in education: Moving from ‘What is’ to ‘What might be’

Gabrielle Kempton

With AI revolutionising nearly every field, educators are now preparing students for a future where AI is an integrated part of life and work. This shift presents an unparalleled opportunity for schools and teachers to rethink traditional education, envisioning new approaches where students not only acquire and reproduce knowledge but grow their creative intelligence while being empowered to work with and generate innovative solutions and ideas.

A framework for change: The Rider, the Elephant, and the Path

Paul Browning

Education is often seen as a highly change-resistant industry, with teachers feeling weary from political interference and increasing demands on their time. How can school leaders inspire educators to embrace new approaches despite these challenges?

One coin … two sides

Nigel Grant

The provocation for this article was an article I read recently (and a subsequent conversation with the lead author and with my ViVEDUS colleagues, Paul Browning and Gabrielle Kempton). The article was “The creative-being model: the role of negative emotion in creative flourishing and the impact on positive education”1 and the lead author was Katie Beresford.

Teaching for Creativity and Shifting Assessment Practices: Transforming Learning in Schools

Gabrielle Kempton

In contemporary educational discussions, promoting creativity in students and reforming traditional assessment methods are considered crucial for transforming school learning. These concurrent developments not only boost student engagement but also equip learners with vital critical thinking and problem-solving abilities needed for the 21st century.

Co-design and student engagement towards 2050

Dr Ian Thompson

Wandering (aka Vacilando) – A Key Component of Creativity

Edward Brooker

To wander is to invite creativity, to allow serendipity, and to ponder other options.

What do you do with an idea?

Gabrielle Kempton

Schools are full of ideas; they form a large part of the daily hum - the laughter, learning, play and relationships comprising of activity generated by children. When we are young, ideas tend to flow endlessly from our imagination, they develop through natural curiosity and our expansive sense of wonder and playfulness. The capacity to generate, hone and capitalise on ideas is a manifestation of creativity, but how can we be sure we are supporting students to build this essential competency?

The dreaded word, “Appraisal”

Paul Browning

Appraisal, KPIs, performance bonuses, accountability, these are all terms people working in the corporate sector are familiar with. It is part of their daily experience as they work for a company continually wishing to improve productivity and increase profitability. But this is not typically the experience of a teacher working in a school. These words make for fear, panic, and anxiety.

On worldviews and wisdom [1]

Nigel Grant

In my last article for ViVEDUS newsletter (which you can read here), I offered a response to the question “What really matters in education?”. I suggested that if we were to believe politicians and newspaper editors, we might form the view that the only thing that really matters is academic achievement as expressed in the form of an ATAR score (or NAPLAN results in years 3, 5, 7 and 9). I offered an alternative view, that schools ought to prioritise the nurturing of creativity, interdisciplinary learning and holistic education (recognising that human beings have bodies and souls, as well as minds).