CityU’s SOE Led Educational Assessment Training in Malaysia, Supporting AI-Powered Education in the Asia-Pacific
In response to the global push for digital transformation in education and shifting approaches to assessment, the School of Education (SOE) of City University of Macau (CityU) recently traveled to Selangor, Malaysia: At the invitation of the Malaysian Examinations Council under the Ministry of Education and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), a delegation led by Dean Prof. Liying Cheng, and including Assistant Prof. Dr. Jiawei Zhang, participated in a three-day international workshop series on “Learning-Oriented Assessment (LOA)”. The team provided training to more than 50 senior education officials and master teachers selected from across Malaysia. The event highlighted the CityU’s expertise in educational assessment and reinforced the SOE’s role in shaping AI-powered education across the Asia-Pacific region.
Prof. Cheng, an internationally renowned expert in educational testing and assessment, delivered a keynote speech titled “The Paradigm Shift: From High-Stakes to Learning-Oriented Assessment”, stressing that “assessment is the bridge between teaching and learning”. In subsequent workshops, she introduced the LOA framework, offering practical and theoretical support for Malaysia’s ongoing classroom assessment reforms. Her presentation of the ICE (Ideas, Connections, Extension) model also offered fresh insights for improving student learning pathways.
Dr. Zhang led interactive workshops on “Formative Assessment and the Application of GenAI Tools”. Working closely with the participants, she demonstrated how GenAI can be used to create the “I Can” learning checklists and anticipate common student misconceptions. GenAI offers efficiency and power, but the direction and human dimension of education must remain with the teacher, she said. Formative assessment is fundamentally a dialogue between people. GenAI acts as a microphone in that conversation, making sure every student’s voice is heard. The blend of technological innovation and pedagogical sensitivity resonated strongly with Malaysian officials and educators in attendance.
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The workshop brought together scholars from leading Malaysian universities and experts from the Ministry of Education, for cross-national and cross-institutional dialogue on integrating formative and summative assessments, as well as practical responses to local reform challenges. Participants noted that the training shifted their understanding of generative AI’s role in education: the real value isn’t faster grading but enhancing the entire learning process. Practical tools introduced during the sessions, including “Two Stars and a Wish” and the TAG strategy, also gave educators fresh approaches to designing and delivering meaningful feedback.
The event received professional support and project funding from the International Language Testing Association (ILTA), marking a new phase of deep collaboration between CityU’s SOE and key Malaysian institutions including the Ministry of Education, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi MARA. By translating academic research into a driving force for regional educational development, SOE’s mission to Malaysia, through high-quality academic training, has strengthened its role in advancing the professionalization and internationalization of educational assessment. This trip helps to build an “assessment bridge” across borders, connecting the present and future of education.
Source: School of Education
