(ATAS) A government program providing supplementary tutorial assistance and other kinds of study
ABSTUDY
Aboriginal Study Assistance Scheme. A government scheme providing financial assistance to indigenous students in school or further education
Academic advisor
A person working in an educational institution who assists students to choose and plan their study program.
Academic award
Also called: credential. A qualification granted for the satisfactory completion of an accredited course. See also Australian Qualifications Framework.
ACCI
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Accomplishments
these are the achievements you have had in your career. These key points really help sell you to an employer -- much more so than everyday job duties or responsibilities. In your cover letters, resumes, and job interviews, focus on key career accomplishments -- especially ones that you can quantify
Account manager/director
client facing and largely responsible for servicing the clients needs in terms of taking the brief, management of the process at the agency and presenting work back to the client. Most digital agencies emply a hybrid of account management and project management.
Achievement
The attainment of a specified standard of performance.
ACIBC
Australian Council of Independent Business Colleges.
Action learning
Learning by working on real problems, implementing solutions, and reviewing and reflecting on the learning process.
Action Verbs
The building blocks of effective cover letters and resumes. These concrete, descriptive verbs express your skills, assets, experience, and accomplishments. Avoid nondescriptive verbs such as "do," "work," and forms of the verb "to be." Instead, begin each descriptive section with an action verb. Almost every resume book has a list of great action verbs to choose from.
Activity Supervisor
(Electronic classroom/Internet) The person who supervises forums and chat sessions so that content proposed by users can be screened for suitability and adherence to standards.
Administrative Assistant
Performs administrative and office support activities for multiple supervisors. Duties may include fielding telephone calls, receiving and directing visitors, word processing, filing, and faxing. Extensive software skills are required, as well as Internet research abilities and strong communication skills. Staff in this category also may have the title of department assistant, coordinator, or associate.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens
A common soil bacterium that causes crown gall disease by transferring some of its DNA to the plant host. Scientists alter Agrobacterium so that it no longer causes the disease but is still able to transfer DNA. They then use this altered Agrobacterium to ferry desirable genes into plants.
alternative assessment
An assessment in which students originate a response to a task or question. Such responses could include demonstrations, exhibits, portfolios, oral presentations, or essays
analytical trait scoring
A method for assigning a summary score to a product, performance, or work sample based on a prior analysis that defined the key traits, dimensions, or characteristics possessed by the class of objects being scored. The object is scored independently against each dimension, and a summary score is calculated following a set formula. The summary score may be a simple total (or average) across dimensions, a weighted total, or a more complex algorithm. An example might be the scoring of a piece of persuasive writing on such traits as attention to audience, correct use of grammar and punctuation, focus on the topic, and persuasiveness of argument.
Anti-sense technology
The use of an RNA molecule to block gene expression by interfering with protein production. This technique is used commercially in tomatoes to slow ripening for better shipping and longer shelf life.
Antibody
A protein produced in response to the presence of a specific antigen.
Assay
A method for determining the presence or quantity of a component.
Assessments
These tests ask you a series of questions and try to provide you with some sense of your personality and career interests. You shouldn't rely on the results of these tests by themselves, but the results can be a good starting point for discovering more about yourself and your interests and considering careers you may not have thought of.
at risk
A term applied to students who have not been adequately served by social service or educational systems and who are at risk of educational failure due to lack of services, negative life events, or physical or mental challenges, among others
authentic task
School assignment that has a real-world application. Such tasks bear a strong resemblance to tasks performed in nonschool settings (such as the home, an organization, or the workplace) and require students to apply a broad range of knowledge and skills. Often, they fill a genuine need for the students and result in a tangible end product.
