The Future of the Future Anything Capabilities
by Leighann Ness Wilson, Project Manager, Future Anything
During 2024, Leighann Ness Wilson took a deep dive into the critical capabilities that underpin Future Anything’s programs for primary and high schools, scanning the globe for the latest thinking in capability-led pedagogy. In the closing blog for this fascinating project, she shares an insight into her research methodologies and the project outcomes.
Six months ago, I joined the Future Anything team, with a remit to develop a research base from which to refine the capabilities framework used to guide and measure the suite of programs on offer.
Thus our Capabilities Project 2024 was born, and though nothing at this stage was predetermined, the project would eventually comprise six distinct phases with associated reporting documents, developed to meet the goal of “ensuring Future Anything’s programs remained both research-informed and research-led.”
Future Anything Capabilities Project 2024
As Project Manager for the Future Anything Capabilities Project 2024, I worked in multiple modes; at times collaborating with, and seeking feedback from the team, and at others going hermit-style, deep-diving into more focussed research and contemplation.
I enjoyed the autonomy to shift between these phases, and in this blog I will reflect on and present the research methods associated with each phase involved in refining and developing the Future Anything Capabilities Framework.
Phase 1: Framework Research Summaries
In Phase 1 more than 19 learning frameworks were collated and summarised in regard to how they present, define and measure learner capabilities.
Frameworks were sourced from Australia, USA and the UK from the contexts of primary, secondary and tertiary education.
Single page visual summaries were created, reporting documents were sourced, and the individual capabilities within each of the frameworks were coded using inductive thematic analysis.
The frameworks were then also coded back to the current Future Anything Capability Framework using a method which enabled me to map them in terms of associated terminology and definitions, hierarchical distributions, and identify distinctions and opportunities.
Visual Summary of the Frameworks summarised within Phase 1.
Phase 2: Capabilities Research Summaries
Phase 2 involved deeper research into the seven capabilities that were currently being measured within the current Future Anything Capability Framework.
A literature review was undertaken to explore curiosity, creativity, adaptive mindset, communication, critical thinking, project management, innovative problem solving as well as agency.
A database of capability-aligned literature was progressively created and the resulting summaries for each capability included referenced definitions, associated concepts, subskills, and research insights.
An internal reading list was also compiled with key literature for each of the seven existing capabilities, a brilliant platform for the Future Anything team to use in the design of future program development and resourcing.
Phase 3: Recommendations
In Phase 3 the existing capabilities were realigned, using the clarity resulting from the initial two research phases.
A reconfiguration of the sub-skills and a number of reimagined visuals were developed to accompany and communicate a relignment to the current Capability Farmework.
At the end of Phase 3, I was then encouraged to take the conceptual design beyond the existing framework. Rather than creating the research backing to support the current Future Anything Capability Framework, I was encouraged to follow the research and consider the possibility of an entirely new Capability Framework that might better reflect best practice.
Phase 4: Framework Concepts
At this point, five distinct conceptual options were developed and presented visually. Each concept drew on and referenced a specific element of the research base:
- Option 1: Existing Hypothesised
- Option 2: Theory-led
- Option 3: Disposition-led
- Option 4: Design-led
- Option 5: Personalised
Option presented as part of Phase 4.
Phase 5: Future Anything Capabilities 2024
From the options presented, it was decided that Option 4 was most reflective of the work of Future Anything, and had the greatest potential to support schools and systems to embed a whole-school approach to Capability Development that is research-backed and resourced.
As such, this concept was developed in more detail to re-map the associated sub-skills under each Capability.
This has been a critical part of the Future Anything Capability Framework Development. Each of the six ‘Capabilities’ has five identifiable and ‘actionable’ sub-skills that can be practiced to build confidence in the Capability.
From here a master list of self-reflective questions was developed for teachers and students to guide the measurement of student and teacher confidence in the sub-skills.
The research base from Phase 2 was critical here, and the same structure and sources were re-mapped to the new structure. Again, this work resulted in a series of capability summaries that included definitions, associated concepts, research insights and a research database, this time created to suit the refined structure.
For each capability six questions were developed. The questions were initially written in response to the research insights before being overlaid with, and informed by the existing Future Anything question list. Questions were coded and visually mapped to the existing question framework to check for oversights.
The questions went through multiple iterations at both a structural and word-based level and involved collaboration with a broader range of the Future Anything team.
Phase 6: Capabilities Framework and Refined Research Base
Phase 6, the final phase, presented the fully refined research base of the NEW Capabilities Framework for 2024.
There was an extended period between Phase 5 and 6, where the framework was considered from multiple angles and iteratively discussed and reworked.
Ultimately, there are now six capabilities that constitute the new Future Anything Capabilities Framework. These are:
- Curiosity
- Creative thinking
- Critical thinking
- Communication
- Action
- Agility
The question framework was developed even further to include a key piece of reach aligned to each question, and sub-skill.
All of the informing research papers have now been collated into a Future Anything Capabilities Research Database and a singular key research paper has been selected for each of the six capabilities.
The question framework comprises six questions for each capability, three of which have been identified as most appropriate for our primary-aged students.
Where to from here?
Currently the task of how to visually present the refined Capability Framework is being undertaken by a team of graphic designers. Future Anything looks forward to launching and sharing this graphic in 2025.
Ultimately, the six research phases described above tell the story of a unique, responsive, and agile research methodology.
Each phase was informed by those that preceded it, and developed as part of an agile process that, satisfyingly highlighted the capabilities themselves: requiring the work to be approached with constant curiosity, creative and critical thinking, clear written and visual communication, strategised action, and the all-important agility to adapt and respond within each phase in order to meet the research goal.
In summary, there were three key elements of the research design that have contributed to the successful refinement of the Future Anything Capabilities:
- Informing Research Base – drawing on and learning from contemporary and seminal literature, relevant to learner capabilities.
- Situatedness – exploration of the education ecosystem as a platform for understanding how learner capabilities are defined, described and presented.
- Visual Synthesis – clear visual summaries aimed at providing clarity developed from the abundance of information regarding each capability.
Final Words
As this fascinating Future Anything research project concludes, my focus now shifts back to my own PhD research at the Queensland University of Technology, where I’m investigating the impact of design thinking on Australian pre-service primary teachers.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Future Anything team and working on this project in particular and I’ll always feel extremely proud to have helped shape and define the capabilities of the Future Anything programs!
About the author: Leighann Ness Wilson
Leighann Ness Wilson is an experienced educator, designer and researcher, motivated by opportunities to inspire creativity across the curriculum. Leighann is currently a PhD candidate at QUT with a thesis exploring the impact of design thinking on the capabilities and self-efficacy of Australian pre-service primary teachers.
During 2024, Leighann was Project Manager at Future Anything, leveraging her research expertise to lead the Future Anything Capability Research Project.
Future Anything’s Activate in-curriculum program and student workshops build confident communicators of all ages, by empowering young people to develop, and then persuasively pitch, innovative social enterprise solutions to the problems they care about.
Find out more about our programs here.
