S1:E10 Jenny Gillett on "Designing for the future: Systems transformation" PART 2

Education By Design

Education By Design
S1:E10 Jenny Gillett on "Designing for the future: Systems transformation" PART 2
Aug 05, 2025 Season 1 Episode 10
Phil Evans

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Join me as I dive into the future of education with Jenny Gillett, the lead architect of the International Baccalaureate's groundbreaking Systems Transformation pilot. In this episode, Jenny reveals how she and United World College communities co-create a two-year, transdisciplinary learning journey—tackling global challenges from biodiversity to river pollution—through systems thinking, design sprints, and challenge-based assessment

You’ll hear:

  • How students apply real-world problem solving under time pressure
  • Why only three deeply reflective artifacts can tell a richer learning story than any exam
  • The role of Principled Action, Systems Thinking, and Just Futures in empowering learner agency
  • Strategies for training teachers in IB Approaches to Teaching and co-creative facilitation
  • Insights on fairness, neuro-diversity, and scalable peer-powered professional development

Perfect for educators, school leaders, and innovators, this conversation showcases the power of collaborative innovation, accountable assessment, and community-driven change. Tune in and discover how to transform your classroom into a living lab of student-centered, systems-led learning.

To learn more about the pilot, visit Systems Transformation Pathway: Leadership for Just Futures or Leadership for just and sustainable futures A future-facing model for education

Here is a video featuring the student experience (YouTube)

You might also like to look at two curriculum overview documents: International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Subject Brief: Systems transformation – Leadership for change and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Subject Brief: Systems transformation – Leadership for just futures

Follow the EduByDesign Blog to explore the podcast topics, further.

And please let Phil know what resonates with you, in the comments.