It was a jam-packed program for the 2025 International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) Pathways Forum held in Melbourne last week, featuring twenty-three speakers across thirteen sessions. The Forum covered a wide range of topics focusing on pedagogy, GenAI and other technology integration, student support, and governance within the context of international education pathways.
A summary of some of the key highlights from the day were:
Technology integration: The use of technology, and especially Generative AI, is a hot topic in education and the Pathways Forum featured several sessions on this topic. Presentations including Fostering ethical and effective Generative AI use, Small Tech, Big Impact: Personalising Learning with AI-Enhanced Digital Notebooks and TikTok as a tool for study showcased the role of emerging technologies and how these can be used in the pathways classroom.
Innovative teaching approaches: Sessions such as Drama skills for other subjects and An innovative approach to embedding English language proficiency in diplomas highlighted creative approaches to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
Data-Driven Approaches: The session on Creating Data Dashboards for Pathway Programs demonstrated the importance of data analytics and how dashboards can be established to report on common KPIs for the pathways sector.
Student Support and Inclusion: Discussions on Nurturing Student Belonging and a presentation on an innovative pilot program at the Australian Catholic University, Building a Healthy Community, emphasized strategies to create supportive and inclusive learning environments for diverse student populations.
The day ended with a panel session (which I chaired) on access and inclusion in the pathways sector. Speakers from Trinity College, UQ College and Deakin College shared their experiences of an increased demand on services for students post-COVID and the challenges they face in identifying the needs of students before issues reach crisis point. Barriers including the stigma of mental health across cultures were discussed as well as measures in place to manage the needs of students once they are identified.
Congratulations to the IEAA Pathways Network team of Convenor Dom Harden and Deputy Conveners Clare Magee and Kate Gresham for another great program.
The program for last week’s event is available on the IEAA website.
