5th Annual Symposium 2024

Speakers

Keith Aquilina

Keith Aquilina specializes in digital education and quality assurance with over two decades in education. He holds a Master’s in Online and Distance Education from Open University, UK, and a diploma in computing in education. An expert in the European Commission’s IFREG advisory group, he serves as a digital evaluator with MFHEA and a visiting lecturer with IfE.

Susanna Azzopardi

Susanna Azzopardi is a lecturer at the Institute for Education. She has previously held the position of Head of School in the state primary sector for 13 years. She also worked as an Assistant Head and as a primary school teacher. Ms Azzopardi holds a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of Sheffield, UK; a Postgraduate Diploma in Education – Administration and Management, and a B.Ed (Hons) from the University of Malta. She also holds a Certificate in Proofreading in Maltese from the University of Malta. She is passionate about the Maltese language and her research interests include Early Childhood and Primary Education, Reading and Storytelling for Young Children, and Outdoor Learning.

Amanda Bezzina

Amanda Bezzina, Ph.D., is a Lecturer at the Institute for Education in Malta. For three years, she was the Head of Department in Personal, Social and Career Development (PSCD) with the Ministry for Education. For several years, she was a PSCD teacher and a guidance teacher. She is also a visiting senior lecturer at the University of Malta (UoM). Her areas of specialisation and research interests include holistic education, youth and community development, effective PSD-pedagogy strategies, facilitation and skills development.

Fabrizio Boldrini

Fabrizio Boldrini is an expert on education and media education. He wrote books about emotional intelligence and the impact of critical thinking in school curricula. He studied the impact of the Montessori approach in different fields, including Media education. Currently he is the director of Villa Montesca Foundation.

Maria Rita Bracchini

Maria Rita Bracchini is an economist specialized in social economy. In the Foundation Villa Montesca she is the Head of the European cooperation unit. She coordinated many projects in the field of education as a senior researcher.

Professor Alexiei Dingli

Professor Alexiei Dingli is an AI expert and Professor at the University of Malta. With over 20 years of experience in the field, he has helped numerous companies successfully implement AI solutions. His work has been recognized as world-class by international experts, and he has received numerous awards from organizations such as the European Space Agency, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the United Nations. In addition to his considerable peer-reviewed publications, he is also a member of the Malta.AI task force, working to position Malta as a global leader in AI.

Christine Fenech

Christine Fenech is the Senior Manager Research and Development at the Institute for Education, which aims at supporting teachers, parents, and students to address the challenges they face through evidence-based guidelines. Previously she worked as Manager for Research and Policy at the National Commission for Further and Higher Education. She holds a Magister Artium in History of Art, Political Science and Philosophy from the Free University of Berlin and a Master’s degree in Comparative Euro-Mediterranean Education Studies from the University of Malta. She is currently undertaking her PhD focusing on the academic achievement of migrant students in Malta.

Monika Frania

Monika Frania works as Associate Professor at University of Silesia in Katowice – Faculty of Social Sciences in the Institute of Pedagogy. She combines work as a researcher, academic teacher, and educator in media education and pedagogy. Her research interests are focused on the issues of broadly defined media and education and are part of the current media pedagogy and media literacy studies. In addition, her research is related to communication, new technologies in teaching and learning, information and media competence of children and youth, and cultural and social contexts of the media, which implies practical activity. MA – pedagogy (2005); MA – journalism and social communication (2007); PhD – pedagogy (2011).

Mario Mallia

Mario Mallia is a lecturer at the Institute for Education. He was a Head of a primary and secondary school for sixteen years, and a deputy head for three years. He was a teacher of Physics, Biology, Integrated Science and Maths. He holds a Master’s in Education, a Post Graduate diploma in School Administration and Management and a Bachelor in Education (Hons) degree from the University of Malta. He served as a board member of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality and of the Foundation of Educational Services, besides being active in the public and social sphere. His areas of expertise include Sociology of education, critical pedagogies, gender and race issues, diversity in education, multiculturalism, inclusion, leadership, policy sociology, sociology of work, building communities in schools, building cultures of encounter, intercultural dialogue, and access to learning.

Angele Pulis

Angele Pulis, Ph.D., is a lecturer at the Institute for Education in Malta where she is the Chairperson of the Ethics Board. Her research domains include educational leadership, quality assurance in schools, pupil voice and mixed methods research. She holds a PhD from the University of Leicester, a Master’s in Philosophy from the University of Wales, a Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Administration and Management and a Bachelor in Education (Hons) from the University of Malta. Her career in schools included various roles. She was a Head of a Primary school and an Assistant head of a sixth form and a secondary school in Malta. She has taught Integrated Science, Biology and Chemistry in various schools.

Clarisse Schembri Frendo

Clarisse Schembri Frendo is an educator; currently leading the Sciences & VETs department at a local private school. After graduating with a Bachelor of Education, she pursued a Master of Science in Cognitive Science. Besides leading her to a lecturing and supervisory role, this degree also equipped her with the required knowledge and skills to deliver workshops within various entities, such as Esplora. She also graduated with a PGCE in Educational Mentoring which fortified her competences in supporting NQTs. This positive experience has empowered Clarisse to embark on an educational journey leading to a doctoral degree through which she is focusing on science education, technology and educational neuroscience.

Professor Mike Sharples PhD, SMIEEE

Mike Sharples is Emeritus Professor of Educational Technology at The Open University, UK. He gained a PhD from the Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh on Cognition, Computers and Creative Writing. His expertise involves human-centred design and evaluation of new technologies and environments for learning. He provides consultancy for institutions worldwide including UNESCO, UNICEF, universities and companies. As Academic Lead for FutureLearn.com he led pedagogy-informed design of the open learning platform. He is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education. He is author of over 300 published papers in the areas of educational technology, learning sciences, science education, human-centred design of personal technologies, artificial intelligence and cognitive science. His recent books are Practical Pedagogy: 40 New Ways to Teach and Learn and Story Machines: How Computers Have Become Creative Writers both published by Routledge, and An Introduction to Narrative Generators, published by Oxford University Press.

Karolina Skop

Karolina Skop, PhD works as Assistant Professor at University of Silesia in Katowice – Faculty of Social Sciences in the Institute of Pedagogy. By education, she is a primary school educator and psychologist. She conducts scientific research and teaches classes for students. She collaborates with a kindergarten as a psychologist. MA – pedagogy; MA – psychology; PhD – pedagogy (2022)

Charles Tabone

Charles Tabone is an educator with a background spanning twenty-five years. After earning a Bachelor of Psychology and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Personal, Social, and Career Development (PSCD), he advanced his studies in multimedia authoring and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education. Presently, he is pursuing his master’s degree in comparative education, focusing his research on exploring lecturers’ attitudes towards the integration of generative AI in teacher education. Throughout his research, Charles has developed and implemented several educational custom Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs) to facilitate the application of generative AI in educational settings. His work primarily examines the adaptability and receptiveness of educators towards these innovative AI tools within pedagogical frameworks. Charles is also committed to advancing his academic pursuits, demonstrating a keen interest in researching the nexus between technology, educational strategies, and the future workforce.

Oswald Tanti Rigos

Oswald Tanti Rigos is a lecturer at the Institute for Education. Mr Tanti Rigos studied at the University of Malta where he obtained his undergraduate degree in education and a postgraduate degree in philosophy of education. He has presented works at various conferences both locally and abroad. Previously he worked as a lecturer of Philosophy at Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School and is still a visiting assistant lecturer at the University of Malta. At present he is conducting scholarly work primarily in the field of philosophy of education. His main areas of interest are the ethical, political, and epistemological issues raised by the theory and practice of schooling education.

Diane Vassallo

Diane Vassallo, PhD, is an academic lecturer at the University of Malta, within the Faculty of Education, Department of Technology and Entrepreneurship Education. Prior to this engagement she worked as a Computing educator. She also served as a curriculum educational leader where she had the opportunity to lead various curriculum initiatives. As part of this tenure, she also served as a member of the committee for the development of the national syllabus in Computing. She is currently involved in a number of research projects, including ERASMUS+ funded projects. Her areas of special interest include Computing Education, Computational Thinking, Curriculum Development and AI in education.

Edward Wright

Edward Wright, Ph.D., is a Lecturer at the Institute for Education in Malta, holds a Ph.D. from Bournemouth University, a Master’s in Media and Communications, and a Bachelor Honours degree in Psychology. He has post-graduate certificates in Education specializing in PSCD and the Learning Outcomes Approach. With a background as a teacher and Head of Department at the Secretariat for Catholic Education, he taught various subjects including PSCD, Social and Environmental Studies, Religious Education, and Media Literacy Education. He lectures on Religious Education methodology and pedagogies at the University of Malta’s Faculties of Theology and Education. His doctoral research explored the role of digital technologies in meaning-making and identity formation in adolescence through narrative pedagogies.

George Abdilla

Is a seasoned professional in digital literacy, project management, and public administration. As a Senior Manager at the DDLTS, he has led numerous EU and local projects. With an MFA in Digital Media, an MBA, and a background in education, he excels at strategic and creative initiatives related to socio-economic development and cultural enrichment.

Oliver Saliba

Is an expert in innovation and change management, currently serving as Manager 2 at the Directorate for Digital Literacy and Transversal Skills. He is pursuing a PhD in Innovation, focusing on institutional reactions to innovation. With over a decade of experience, he has developed research methodologies and conducted studies both in Malta and abroad.