It is vital to explore the most innovative educational research and practices in both developed and developing countries because they have potential for pushing forward the frontiers of education and effective learning. The traditional strategy for expanding high-quality education has been to build more schools and employ more teachers. However, the high cost of this solution limits it to the most affluent nations. What at first may seem “off-the-wall” ideas, emerging from different corners of the world, show potential for reinventing learning and overcoming financial and geographical obstacles. They may bring about new, low-cost, participative learning models in the most deprived areas through, for example, mobile technology. Alternatively, advances in cognitive science may offer insights into the processes and functions of learning, or games technologies may be integrated into education. These innovations could well be the first tentative steps towards major advances in the design and delivery of education. The real challenge will be to share, manage and upscale these quantum leaps in thinking.