INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
MINDCHAMPS
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s education about curricula and measurement, or is it developing a way of thinking? David Chiem, the founder of the MindChamps learning model, believes there needs to be a shift in mindset from the way children have been taught to think. Popular perceptions about learning techniques were developed about 20 years ago, he points out, and today’s digital world needs a fresh approach. And it’s one that harnesses creativity. “If art is a mirror for society, it’s not enough to be a mirror alone. Education should be a toolbox to building the future,” he says. MindChamps’ teaching philosophy is based around research on how the brain learns. And for teachers to not understand the learning process is like a director not understanding how to work with actors, he says. This is something he’s familiar with. The Vietnamese refugee came to Australia with his family aged nine, and as a 14-year-old was the first Asian to
appear in a lead role in a popular TV series [Butterfly Island]. Despite his father’s preference he take up medicine, the academic high achiever went on to study acting, securing roles in iconic TV shows A Country Practice and Sons and Daughters. It was when he was exposed to the idea of learning the craft of film-making that he had a mindshift himself. Chiem realised learning is a craft that could be taught, and there was a gap in teaching that limited the ability of many students to fulfil their potential. He began researching neuroscience and educational psychology, and how theatre skills could have a role in creating a learning mindset. And so the idea of MindChamps was born. At the heart of the teaching philosophy are three distinct elements: The Champion Mind celebrates an individual’s uniqueness, going beyond conventional wisdom and overcoming adversity to achieve success. The Learning Mind provides strategies on learning how to learn that actively assist any learner to understand, store, recall and
synthesise information and concepts. The Creative Mind connects multiple perspectives and integrates them to solve problems and generate new, creative ideas. A lot of the work behind the tutoring business is based on empirical evidence, he says, and he has published six books on the topic. “It’s nurturing every individual to be the best. There’s no point in comparing kids. It’s about celebrating what is uniquely them. The measure is that they are not afraid to be themselves,” he says. “The value system at MindChamps is 100 per cent respect of ideas but zero fear.” It’s important to keep teachers inspired to learn, and there’s a global buddy system for teachers. Although Chiem set up the MindChamps concept 20 years ago in Sydney, he took the business to Singapore to test it in the highly competitive education market. Now there are 40 centres there and Chiem claims more than a third (38.5 per cent) of the preschool market; the business is about to roll out a year K–12 program, and then add tertiary education. MindChamps is a global business today,
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