Episode Overview
In this special DATTA QLD Conference preview episode, Stephen Anderson speaks with two presenters who are exploring powerful and innovative approaches to Design and Technology education.
First, Nick Kelly from QUT discusses why design should be considered one of the most important subjects in school. The conversation explores creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and the growing importance of design capability in a future shaped by artificial intelligence and automation.
Nick argues that many of the so-called “21st century skills” schools aim to develop are fundamentally design skills, and that design education deserves a far more central place in modern schooling.
The second conversation features Richard Neville from Babinda P–12 School, who shares a collaborative game design project connecting primary and secondary students.
Students work together to design and build a multiplayer arcade-style game that requires players to cooperate in order to succeed. The project combines coding, systems thinking, collaborative problem solving, and iterative design while also encouraging students to work across year levels.
This episode offers practical insights, big-picture thinking, and inspiring examples of what Design and Technology education can look like when creativity, collaboration, and authentic problem solving are placed at the centre of learning.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe
About the Bridge Building Podcast
“This is the place where we dissect and then discover the many ways ITD teachers all over this country are using their passion to create passionate students. We talk of measuring and manipulating a multitude of materials of design and divergent thought, of creation with our minds and with our hands. And most of all, we talk of growing great young people because of course that is what we do.”
So what does that mean other than I like to show off my alliteration skills? Since coming back to teaching a few years ago the thing that strikes me most, and frankly scared me most is how lonely this job is. How little we know about what is happening in our subject area. The classroom next door, a class in the next school, let alone the next town are a mystery to me. I know there are teachers out there doing incredible things and this (the podcast) is a way for me to find out and be inspired. I would like to invite you along to listen and learn, to be inspired by some of the sensational teachers I speak to on the “Bridge Building Podcast – from technology to the trades”
About the Podcast Host
Stephen Anderson is a Design Technology, Trade Training and accidental Science teacher at a small high school 2 hours North West of Brisbane.
Over To You
If you know someone who is doing something spectacular or just great fun in design and tech or in trade training, I would love to know about them.
Contact me through my email osaerial@gmail.com
Music by:
Viola Pink