ABSTRACT This article outlines a learning intervention which the authors call Learning by Design.
The goal of this intervention is classroom and curriculum transformation, and the professional learning
of teachers. The experiment involves the practical application of the learning theory to everyday
classroom practice. Its ideas are grounded in pedagogical principles originally articulated in the
Multiliteracies project, an approach to teaching and learning that addresses literacy and learning in the
context of new media and the globalizing knowledge economy. The need for a new approach to
learning arises from a complex range of factors - among them, changes in society and the economy;
the potential for new forms of communication made possible by emerging technologies; and rising
expectations amongst learners that education will maximize their potential for personal fulfillment,
civic participation and access to work. The authors first brought together the Learning by Design team
of researchers and teachers in 2003 in order to reflect upon and create new and dynamic learning
environments. A series of research and development activities were embarked upon in Australia and,
more recently, in the United States, exploring the potentials of new pedagogical approaches, assisted by
digital technologies, to transform today's learning environments and create learning for the future -
learning environments which could be more relevant to a changing world, more effective in meeting
community expectations and which manage educational resources more efficiently. One of the key
challenges was to create learning environments which engaged the sensibilities of learners who are
increasingly immersed in digital and global lifestyles - from the entertainment sources they choose to
the way they work and learn. It was also about enabling teachers to explicitly track and be aware of the
relationship between their pedagogical choices and their students' learning outcomes.
This is the case for instructional coaches. 90% retention vs. 10% retention. Incredible.
up to 90% of what teachers learn alongside coaches will be retained. This means, that unlike traditional professional development where Knight's research shows that teachers lose 90% of what they learn, coaching can provide an enormous impact.