Dr Kuva Jacobs
Learning Strategist | Co-Founder, Emergent Learning
I design learning that transforms — not just informs.
Blending evidence, creativity, and play, I help teams turn complex ideas into meaningful performance.
I'm Passionate About Learning that Sticks
Learning should feel vibrant and engaging.
I’m fascinated by the sweet spot between fun and effectiveness — where curiosity drives engagement, and smart design delivers measurable impact.
From gamified simulations to interactive storytelling and decision-making tools, my work explores how learning through doing and feeling changes how people think.
My Story
Research
A PhD That Sparked Curiosity
My journey began in academia with a PhD in mathematics, where I created interactive simulations that brought abstract ideas such as sorting algorithms and oscillations to life.
My research focused on demonstrating that these visual and interactive approaches not only helped students understand complex concepts but also improved learning outcomes.
The work was grounded in educational theory and evaluated for measurable impact, linking design choices to evidence of learning.
That experience shaped my belief that great learning blends creativity with rigour. It taught me to value curiosity, feedback and the science of how people learn.
Design
Building Learning for Impact
Curiosity eventually led me into the fast-paced world of corporate learning, where creativity meets purpose.
I learned that engagement depends less on what we teach and more on how concepts are designed, how information is structured, how visuals support meaning and how realistic scenarios help people apply what they learn.
Over the years, I have designed programs across infrastructure, defence, marketing, higher education and leadership.
Each project has reinforced the same lesson: powerful learning is both beautiful and functional, combining aesthetic clarity with the solid foundations of adult learning principles.
Lead
Harnessing Creativity
Today, as Co-Founder of Emergent Learning, I lead a team of learning designers, visual designers and project managers who build learning solutions that drive impact through engagement, aesthetic appeal and the thoughtful application of adult learning principles.
My focus is on methodology, frameworks and cohesion, ensuring each element connects seamlessly from analysis through to delivery.
I guide creative processes so that strong ideas rest on sound instructional design and purposeful storytelling.
Collaboration and client partnership sit at the centre of my role. I help organisations and teams align around a shared approach and create learning that feels consistent, human and effective.
Thoughts and Talks
Debunking Learning Myths
Scheer Group Podcast
Exploring common misconceptions in workplace learning and how evidence-based design creates measurable improvement in learning outcomes.
Balancing Science-Backed Learning and Performance Impact
A conversation with Charles Masuku & Dr Kuva Jacobs about applying evidence-based design to create learning that is engaging, visual, practical and built for real impact.
Meshing Design Thinking with Experiential Learning
Learning Uncut Podcast
Jason Davey from the Design Farm Collective and Dr Kuva Jacobs, a Learning Design Strategist discuss the meshing of design thinking and experiential learning on a project to design a contact strategy for a bank in the Philippines.
Advanced Clinical Supervision: Blended Virtual Learning Program
Learning Uncut Podcast
Kate Fraser from the Australian Association of Social Workers discuss a blended learning program for clinical supervisors developed in partnership with Family Safety Victoria. She is joined by Dr Kuva Jacobs who worked on the design and development of the program.
Case Studies
