My Journey into Learning Design and Development

Learning has always been at the heart of what I do. I’ve long been fascinated by how knowledge, skills, and experience shape our understanding of the world, and how we can intentionally design those experiences to help people grow.

As a musician, I’m constantly looking for new ways to improve. When I was studying for my Bachelor of Music, one of my professors told me I needed to memorise over 500 jazz standards. That challenge felt enormous, and it led me to ask: How exactly do we retain that much information? That was my first real deep-dive into the science of learning and the realisation that learning isn't an event; it's a process.

This curiosity opened a door to learning theory. I began exploring everything from Watson’s behaviourism, to Bloom’s taxonomy, to Piaget’s constructivism. I came to see learning as a dynamic ecosystem, one that depends on motivation, time, patience, and desire. At the time, I was already teaching music in schools and offering private lessons to adults. But I wanted to do more than just teach. I wanted to understand how to help people learn.

That’s what led me to pursue a Master of Teaching. I saw it as a chance to build a deeper understanding of how learning works. Whenever I grasped a new concept or theory, I’d apply it directly to my teaching and see how it played out in real time. It helped me find new ways to engage and motivate learners, and witnessing that moment when something clicks for someone became one of the most rewarding parts of my work.

Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating those moments for a wide variety of learners, young and old(er). I've supported learners across a range of cultural, linguistic, and professional backgrounds, including those with EAL needs and neurodiverse profiles. Each learner has taught me something new about adaptability, empathy, and the importance of creating safe learning environments. These experiences have deepened my belief that meaningful learning happens when people feel seen, supported, and understood.

I believe we are all lifelong learners. And everyone deserves to experience the joy of feeling successful. To make that happen, we need to understand our learners, meet them where they are, and find the right strategies to help them thrive.