This week, We’re yabbering on about Australia and Edtech. Crikey!

Australia is a significant player in global education innovation and for many reasons.

First off, it has high quality education and notable pedagogical thinkers, such as John Hattie, Professor of Education and Director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, Australia – he of VISIBLE LEARNING FAME

Next up, Australia invests in its education and educational infrastructure. Whilst all government investments are always disputed as to whether they are, in fact, meaningful investment or paper shuffling, the Turnbull Government recently reported a net increase of 6.1%, or more than $41.8 billion dollars investment in Education and Training for 2016-17.

With investment and pedagogical rigour comes a good foundation and framework for innovation. Australia has recently been responsible for creating value businesses like lifelong learning and training company Academy Xi and supply teacher app TeacherIn and pushing them out into the international edtech space. Not only can these companies support learning in the Australian market, but they are also launching to the UK and beyond, while reviewing the sizeable Chinese education opportunity.

Headlines abound like “Australian edtech sector eyes $51 billion China online market” or Frost and Sullivan’s “Australia’s edtech market is expected to reach 1.7 billion Australian dollars by 2022” In addition, for english-speaking education companies, Australia acts as an interesting gateway to Asia without the presupposed barriers to entry of China. Notable companies going in, include General Assembly and Firefly.

In this episode, I explore all of this educational and economic exchange with John Angley – Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner at Australian Government, Riley Batchelor, CEO of accelerator Edugrowth and start up founder, Isuru Wanasinghe, of Life is Yellow. Summer Howarth, Learning Director at previous podcast guests Education Changemakers sets us up in the introduction.

Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter to find out about our upcoming meet up drinks, cool jobs currently circulating, and other announcements. For full references, show notes and book recommendations go to theedtechpodcast.com and, for competitions and more go to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/podcastedtech.

If you like what you hear why not drop us a loving review on iTunes? And come back next time for our following episode featuring further focus on Australia and Edtech!

What’s in this episode?

• Message from this week’s episode sponsors, Qatar Foundation International and Class Central
• Sophie Bailey: introduction
• Summer Howarth, Learning Director at Education Changemakers 
• 1:1 interview with John Angley, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Australian Government
• Riley Batchelor, CEO of accelerator, Edugrowth
• Start up Founder of Life is Yellow Isuru Wanasinghe,
• Sophie Bailey: outro – what’s next in the series?

Don’t forget to also check out the reference links below for more follow-up videos, podcasts and reading on this topic!

References

Feedback:

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