Perth start-up Circular Learning has just announced English Australia affiliation and points partnership for their online professional development platform, The Learning Circle.
Sandra Houghton, Koala contributor, and business partner Kelly Pattison are building on 20 years’ experience in the international education and English language teaching industry. They have formed the organisation Circular Learning, to offer learning design and consultancy services in Australia and internationally.
Last year, they started running online Hackathons to offer collaborative teacher training events and were overwhelmed by their popularity. Registrations came in from academics in 17 different countries, and institutions began paying teachers to attend the workshops.
Sandra says it is unsurprising teachers are looking for new experiences and support in the current climate. ‘There’s a lot going on in education…the challenges and possibilities from Gen AI, new modes of learning, and a better understanding of diverse learner needs. Teachers clearly value up-to-date professional development and the opportunity to share ideas, resources, and experiences. So we started talking about building a dedicated space to meet those needs and facilitate global connections’.
Circular Learning won a scholarship to attend Curtin University’s 2023 executive education program, Ignition, where The Learning Circle project was workshopped. Industry affiliation and CPD alignment were key goals in their start-up timeline.
‘We’re aiming to work closely with institutions to identify the professional development needs of the current and next generation of teachers and build on our current suite of micro-credentials to allow a personalised learning experience. Aligning our courses with The English Australia CPD framework is vitally important to that aim and we’re proud to support industry goals with The Learning Circle’, she says.
The Koala congratulates Sandra and Kelly and looks forward to seeing Circular Learning go from strength to strength.
To learn more about Circular Learning, see here.
