Speakers Schedule Workshops Location
Become a Sponsor. Buy Tickets.

Speaker

Rebecca Cole

Speaker background pattern Rebecca Cole

Software Engineer

@Westpac

Rebecca Cole is a Software Engineer at Westpac who came to technology from a background in teaching, learning design, and media.

Before moving into software engineering, she co-created Virtual Village at UQ, an online onboarding and mentoring platform that supported more than 50,000 students during COVID, and spent a decade leading CHYFM, where she trained hundreds of young broadcasters and led programs recognised at local, regional, and national levels.

Her experience in education continues to shape the way she approaches software engineering, with a focus on making complex ideas accessible, fostering curiosity, and creating experiences that help people learn with confidence.

LinkedIn

Talk Category: Architecture

Think Like a Teacher,
Build Better Software

We've all used software that feels less like a helpful guide and more like a pop quiz we forgot to study for. Whether we intend it or not, every application teaches users how it works.

This talk explores how adopting a teacher's mindset can transform the way we design software, helping users navigate complex workflows with greater confidence, clarity, and success.
Discover how educational concepts such as scaffolding, cognitive load management, and feedback loops can be applied directly to software design and full-stack architecture.

Through practical examples, you'll see how this approach influences forms, dashboards, error handling, and workflow design, while exploring the balance between frontend guidance and backend authority that keeps systems trustworthy and consistent.
You'll leave with a practical framework for evaluating software through an educational lens.

Expect actionable techniques for designing clearer user experiences, creating more effective feedback mechanisms, and aligning frontend interactions with backend business rules. You'll also receive a practical resource pack to help apply these ideas in your own projects.
Ideal for early-career full-stack developers, product builders, and anyone responsible for shaping user experiences or workflow design.
View Schedule.

MORE 2026 SPEAKERS

Speaker background pattern Marcel Pociot
Marcel Pociot

CTO

Beyond Code

Speaker background pattern Marty Friedel
Marty Friedel

Head Code Monkey

Mity Digital

Speaker background pattern Greg Skerman
Greg Skerman

Director of Technology

iseekplant

Speaker background pattern Anaya Dodge
Anaya Dodge

Junior Software Developer

Rio Tinto

Speaker background pattern Sam Levy
Sam Levy

Software Gadabout

Determined Development

Speaker background pattern Mitchell Davis
Mitchell Davis

CTO & Cofounder

SixSides

Speaker background pattern Sam Greenwood
Sam Greenwood

Head of Engineering

LMG Asset Finance

Speaker background pattern Jaz MacDonald
Jaz MacDonald

Creator and host

Psych Attack Podcast

Speaker background pattern Matt Stauffer
Matt Stauffer

CEO

Tighten Co.

Speaker background pattern Rebecca Cole
Rebecca Cole

Software Engineer

Westpac

Speaker background pattern Joel Clermont
Joel Clermont

Owner

No Compromises

Speaker background pattern Austin Carpenter
Austin Carpenter

Co-Director & CTO

CMD Software

Speaker background pattern Ashley Hindle
Ashley Hindle

Founder

Fuel

Speaker background pattern Jai Kora
Jai Kora

CTO

Syncio

Speaker background pattern Mathias Hansen
Mathias Hansen

CTO & Co-Founder

Geocodio

SPONSORS

Support Laracon AU and connect with developers shaping modern Laravel applications.

Become a sponsor.
SCHEDULE TICKETS WORKSHOPS
Close

Subscribe

Subscribe for regular updates on the Laracon AU 2026 conference

Close

BECOME A SPONSOR

For 2026, Laracon Australia is offering even more ways for companies and open source projects to sponsor this year's event. Enter your details and we'll be in touch with our 2026 sponsorship prospectus, or contact us at sponsors@laracon.au if you have any questions.