School Guide

Empowering Your Child For Future Success

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Apr 22, 2021

Check out this 360° view of AISM's Junior Classroom

Over the years, and more recently, we have seen significant changes in the education sector regarding the approach to learning implemented in different schools. Choosing the right educational approach for your child is vital because it is the key to ensuring they are inspired and motivated by their entire learning environment. Australian International School Malaysia (AISM) emphasises a child-centred framework where children are actively involved in their learning process.

AISM uses the Australian Early Years Learning Framework and the Reggio Emilia philosophy at their Early Learning Centre (ELC) to expose children aged between 3 to 5 to a variety of learning experiences and opportunities that are play based with strong learning intent.

The Early Years Learning Framework offers a vision where 'all children experience learning that is engaging and builds success for life'. Likewise, the Reggio Emilia approach encourages children to develop their personality during the early stages of childhood. This inquiry-based learning will grow your child to be an active thinker, help them build their confidence and teach them skills that complement the 3R’s (Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic).

The children are given the freedom to explore, discover and construct knowledge through many different modes of learning to deepen their understanding of the world. They record their learnings through dialogue, questioning, creating artwork and investigating objects collected from class outings. Children at the ELC learn through real-life and hands-on experiences to build their inquiry skills and aid in their discovery of how they can  maximise their learning to prepare them for the next step in their education.

Commonly, student learning is assessed using exams or tests. These days, schools are trying to move towards continuous assessments rather than a single task on a particular day that determines the students' understanding. The Australian International School Malaysia (AISM) takes pride in their more balanced and effective approach towards learning assessment; a student’s grade is based on a combination of continuous assessment and more formal assessments. It is this forward thinking that makes them different from other international schools in Malaysia.

Assessing learning for further growth and success is equally as important as assessing for mastery and hence this balanced approach results in stronger academic rigor for students.

The different types of assessments that are implemented in Junior School are Formative Assessment, Ongoing Assessment and Summative Assessment. Formative Assessment requires your child to sit for standardised diagnostic assessments to help identify their current level of understanding, while Ongoing Assessment features the learning and assessment cycle through observation, projects, assignments, tests, quizzes and presentations. The Summative Assessment is carried out twice a year to gauge individual academic growth of the students.

AISM begins implementing the assessment approach in Junior School for children aged between 6 to 11 by using  the data  from the International Schools Assessments (ISA). The ISA which is widely adopted by international schools worldwide, enables AISM to ensure that their internal assessments are aligned with international expectations of performance, whilst monitoring student progress over time.

The ISA assessment data  helps AISM to focus on the gaps in students' knowledge and how to close them. How does AISM do this? The scaled ISA scores enable the school  to compare students’ results and track changes in student performance across grade levels over time. This will ensure teachers  have a clear understanding of the kind of skills their students have mastered and those they need to learn, which in turn will help students improve their performance.

As AISM believes in the importance of close relationships between parents and the school, this assessment approach ensures parents are more involved with their children’s performance and overall progress.

The ISA Individual Report shows parents the level at which their child is performing overall in Mathematics, Reading, Writing and Science. The report also helps parents identify the skills their child has learned and those that they need to develop. Parents can track their child’s progress over time because the ISA scores can be compared from year to year.

This  assessment approach is similar  to what students will experience in university. In other words, AISM prepares the children for university level from as early as junior school. Most courses in universities are not fully exam-based. What better way to prepare children for university life than to make them experience it from an early age?

Making the Right Educated Choice

A year after the pandemic struck, AISM has proven that remote learning does not have to negatively affect their students' performance. As the first certified ‘Visible Learning School’ in the world, AISM practices the approach in which the students take a central position in their learning process, instead of being passive recipients of instructions from the teachers.

While it was challenging to adapt to virtual learning mode and complete their syllabus from behind the screen, the students knew how to manage the situation as they had learned to be independent and responsible for their learning within the school setting prior to the pandemic.

When students are actively engaged in their learning process, they are able to retain information longer than when they are simply receiving information directly from the teacher. The learning process becomes memorable and impactful. The Visible Learning approach adapted by AISM has greatly helped the students to become independent learners and active problem solvers.

AISM is excited to report that students have improved in almost all areas, across all year levels, in addition to scoring results that place them well ahead of their international peers. AISM students exceeded international benchmarks in the overall school results based on the International School's Assessment (ISA) in the 2020 academic year.

Involving students in their learning process can really help them to fully understand the subject matter they are focusing on, thus leading them to learn with clarity. It is important for a student to absorb information in the right manner because ultimately, knowledge only becomes useful when it is well-understood and applied in real life. AISM 2020 ISA outstanding results are a reflection of the effectiveness of the Visible Learning approach.

A key purpose of school is to prepare children for life beyond school. AISM understands the importance of that and translates it into action. The school has successfully enriched students’ educational experience by giving them the responsibility of being the master of their learning process while AISM’s dedicated educators stand beside them to give the guidance and direction they require to be successful.

Enjoy up to 75% fee waivers worth more than RM 15,000*, and installment payment options when you apply before 30 April 2021. Visit our website at www.aism.edu.my or contact our admissions team on 03-89495000 or email us on enquiry@aism.edu.my.

*Terms and conditions apply.