Friday 26 March 2021
On Wednesday 24 March, AEAS held the first webinar in a brand new series of Australian School Professional Development seminars.
The seminar series offers school staff the opportunity to hear from expert practitioners on a range of professional development topics to support the recovery of the international school sector in Australia post COVID-19.
AEAS has been the leading provider of testing services for international students and the schools that enrol them for over 35 years. Our reputation for quality and integrity, and our long-standing relationships with schools, agents and key stakeholders allows us to bring together the brightest minds and expert practitioners in the school sector to share ideas and opportunities to grow the industry and respond to the changing needs of families and students.
In Wednesday’s seminar, school representatives heard from the following expert speakers
Professor Ly Tran
Professor in the School of Education at Deakin University
Professor Tran’s research focuses on international education, student mobility, international student graduate employability, Australian students’ learning and engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, and staff professional learning in international education.
She presented the findings from a paper she recently published in the International Journal of Educational Development entitled International students in the first years of senior secondary schooling in Australia: Longing for belonging, which examined:
- How international school students reconcile their longing to belong, while building and maintaining connectedness
- The role that social media plays in supporting international students in their new setting
- How international students cope with building English proficiency, friendships, loneliness and online activity
David Ferguson
Deputy Head of International Operations, John Paul College, Queensland
David has been involved in international education in various capacities for over 10 years from teaching to leading international programs and teams.
He currently oversees all international operations at John Paul College, Queensland, and is the very first NEAS Master Practitioner in ELT. This certification acknowledges his considerable experience in applying quality assurance principles in daily professional practice.
David’s presentation focused on:
- English language development in school students and the suitability of various testing options for school students
- The importance of quality English language proficiency and general ability testing for international students and how schools can best use the results when making enrolment and placement decisions
- Validity and reliability of testing methodologies, and the value of face to face testing
- The challenges of online testing for international school students and the challenges
- Test preparation and practice and the impact on the accuracy of test results
Both presentations were insightful and thought-provoking, and we thank Professor Tran and David very much for the time and effort they invested in preparing their content and sharing it with us.
The feedback from participants has been exceedingly positive, and we look forward to offering even more opportunities for schools to connect with academics and expert practitioners from across the school sector.
If you missed the first webinar you can access the slide deck and webinar recording via the buttons below:
The next webinar in our Australian Schools Professional Development Seminar series will be held in mid-May.
Keep an eye on our website for more details, or email [email protected] to ensure you receive an invitation to participate.
