Learning in the real world: what Children’s University teaches us about engagement

Education is full of talk about ‘what works’ but children rarely fit into neat formulas. Some thrive on praise, others on curiosity, others still on the chance to belong. Children’s University shows what happens when learning is designed with multiple pathways for engagement - and what schools can learn from that flexibility.

By Megan Lang, Research Fellow, University of Tasmania

There is no shortage of ‘evidence-based’ education programs for children. Much time is spent debating implementation of ‘what works’ both in and out of schools. Too often, ‘what works’ is reduced to tidy formulas that ignore the mess of real classrooms and communities.  

When we talk about educating children, we often slide into the trap of assuming homogeneity. “Children are motivated by praise”; “Children need curiosity sparked”. Both may be true, but neither is universal. In any given time and place earmarked for learning there is a unique mix of people, with a wide variety of goals and motivations.

Any educator will tell you that facilitating empowerment and engagement for a group of diverse young learners is a challenge. In a sense, education programs happen in the space between the people involved, whether old or young. Learning is not telegraphed from one person to another as pure information, but must negotiate emotions, personalities and identities. For this to happen successfully, children and young people need agency within a scaffolded, safe environment. They need ‘voice’. In this space, children are most likely to feel engaged, capable and ready for a challenge.

Children’s University is an example of such a space. At its heart, it is built on the idea that children learn everywhere - in official Children’s University Learning Destinations such as museums, sports clubs, and libraries, as well as community groups and even in the kitchen at home. Children aged 7-14 seek out activities for themselves and their families and record their hours of out-of-school learning in a ‘passport to learning’.

In Tasmania, research led by the Peter Underwood Centre at the University of Tasmania shows the variety of reasons children engage with Children’s University. For some, it begins with the passport: recording hours, collecting stamps, and watching the tally rise. The satisfaction is tangible and incremental. Recognition is also central, coming from teachers, peers, and family, culminating in graduation ceremonies where children cross a stage in university-style caps and gowns, often for the first time. The message is clear: your effort matters, and you belong here. Beyond stamps and ceremonies, children also highlight the enjoyment of the activities themselves - coding, drawing, playing music, gardening, or sharing experiences with friends at school lunch clubs. And underneath it all lies the social element: joining because siblings or friends are involved, or because it’s something they can do alongside family. Over time, these motivations shift and layer on one another: a child who starts out chasing stamps may discover they love the learning itself; recognition can spark aspiration; belonging reinforces persistence.

Importantly, none of these motivations are static. A child who begins with a narrow focus on “getting stamps” often discovers over time that they actually enjoy the activities themselves. Recognition sparks aspiration: once you’ve been on a university stage at age ten, the idea of higher education feels less distant. Choice and low-pressure learning leads to increased confidence, persistence, and a stronger sense of being a learner. Many Tasmanian schools include the program as part of their learning culture, celebrating children’s commitment to out-of-school activities.

A contrast with school learning

Schools, of course, cannot and should not replicate this model wholesale. Classrooms operate under necessary constraints: timetables, curriculum standards, whole-class teaching. Those structures are essential for equity and consistency.

But the contrast is instructive. Schools often rely on a limited motivational palette: grades, teacher approval, peer recognition, and (when things are going well) curiosity about the content itself. Many teachers go further, adding reward systems, project showcases, or alternative assessments - but the scope is bounded by time and curriculum.

Children’s University widens the palette. It shows what happens when you design for multiple points of participation and multiple motivational routes. Some children who struggle to find their spark in school discover it through Children’s University; others who already excel in class find new areas to extend themselves. The two systems complement each other.

The lesson for schools is not to abandon structure, but to protect teachers’ flexibility. When educators have room to adapt learning programs in ways that recognise children’s individuality, they open the same motivational doors that Children’s University has shown to be so effective. In the end, Children’s University reminds us that ‘what works’ is never singular. Engagement doesn’t come from a single formula but from giving children space to find their place in learning, drawing on a shifting mix of recognition, enjoyment, belonging, and aspiration for the future.

Moderator: Megan Lang