Back by popular demand, the University of Southern Queensland’s (UniSQ) PL-Connect program will return in 2026 with an expanded series of online professional learning sessions.
The program connects teachers and education professionals with leading researchers and practitioners through short, practical sessions focused on issues shaping classrooms right now, including literacy, numeracy, artificial intelligence, school attendance, trauma-informed practice, educator wellbeing, First Nations education and more.
Head of School and Dean of Education and Creative Arts Professor Peter Cook said the strong response to the inaugural program in 2025 reflected growing demand for accessible, evidence-based professional learning.
“PL-Connect offers relevant, timely and manageable learning opportunities for busy professionals,” he said.
“It is central to engaging with education at all levels and represents our understanding of the importance of professional learning. We use learning to remind us, update us and better prepare us for our evolving work as educators.”
Spanning 33 individual sessions on 11 different topics, the 2026 program is designed to once again provide practical strategies to real-world classrooms while remaining grounded in the latest evidence-based research.
Associate Head of Professional Engagement Associate Professor Ellen Larsen said the enthusiasm from the education community in the program’s first year had shaped a more extensive offering for 2026.
“The response from our professional community in 2025 was amazing, so I am really excited to be offering this program again,” she said.
Feedback from participants last year highlighted the impact of bringing educators and researchers together in a practical, accessible format.
Educators described the sessions as timely, practical and highly relevant to their work, with one secondary teacher noting the value of being able to engage with a variety of topics that would normally be difficult to access in a busy school environment.
Others emphasised the importance of connecting directly with researchers working in the field, with one Head of Teaching and Learning describing the sessions as a rare opportunity to engage with university experts whose work is shaping current classroom practice.
With registrations in the first year reaching thousands of educators across Queensland, interstate and internationally, the 2026 program is expected to further strengthen professional connections across the sector while continuing to translate leading education research into practical outcomes for schools and early childhood settings.
This year, all registrants can access the live sessions and session recordings, resources and Certificates of Participation for $30 per session.
