Assessment and Generative Artificial Intelligence

Assessment designs can mitigate the risks of GenAI by incorporating high-security elements that validate learning outcomes and teaching students to use GenAI critically in accordance with educational and professional standards.

Some types of assessment are more vulnerable to GenAI. However, at-risk assessment types do not necessarily need to be removed from subjects, as there are design approaches that can mitigate or reduce the potential risks of GenAI being used within the assessment. Designing for high security assessment at key points across a course, which provides rigorous evidence of student achievement and assurance of course learning outcomes, is essential and can offset lower security assessment approaches.

For some assessment tasks, it may be appropriate to design for students to use GenAI in ways that align with the subject learning outcomes, course learning outcomes, and professional or disciplinary requirements. However, ensuring students are prepared to evaluate and critically analyse the value, role and appropriateness of using GenAI within their learning and future professional practice is important.

The following workflow can offer guidance when reviewing assessments using the 3Rs Methodology:

image of worklflow for renew, redesign or remove (3R) Methodology

*For Renew and Redesign, please see the table below and Rethinking assessment strategies in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) for more information about mitigating or redesigning assessment in light of generative artificial intelligence.

Assessment Type (CDAP)Considerations More robust alternatives
Quiz (MCQ) Online Test MCQ can be used within assessment plans as low-stakes, low security assessment to guide student learning but should not be used as assurance of SLOs without other more rigorous assessment types. MCQ should be updated every session. MCQs can be used for self-testing or formative assessment.
  • Application-based questions move beyond recall of information and instead require students to apply knowledge in unique ways or within prescribed circumstances, making it harder for them to find pre-written answers online or using text generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.
Essay/Report Written

Essays and other extended written responses can still be used within assessment plans. Providing specific templates or writing prompts can potentially make extended written responses more reliable.

Consider requiring students to submit drafts, or concept maps, to show their working, and specifying some of the references to be included within the essay.

  • Case-based assessments present real or hypothetical cases that require students to analyse complex situations, make decisions, and defend their choices. The case studies that drive these types of assessment can be written to reflect professional practice situations students may encounter. These assessments can be designed to elicit student performance in a variety of modes or mediums, such as portfolios, videos, practical demonstrations, etc.
  • Authentic text types mimic the types of artefacts students may be expected to produce in their professional careers, such as business plans, reports, videos, risk assessments, etc. They can also be written for different audiences and be used to encourage students to apply their knowledge in practical situations.
  • Personalised assessment where students have choice and agency over aspects of the assessment and how they represent their learning can also be used to engage adult learners.
  • Presentations, oral assessment and multimedia creation, such as videos, websites, etc., can be designed as more robust alternatives to extended written responses.
Reflection Written/ Portfolio

Reflection tasks can be used effectively within assessment plans to support students to analyse their experiences, learning and skills. These types of tasks can support students to evaluate their abilities and identify areas for improvement.

Reflections can be created in many formats and can draw upon evidence of their learning and their evolving professional practice.

  • Reflection tasks or learning journals can be used within other forms of assessment to prompt students to provide reflection upon their learning process to accompany the assessment artefact. Reflection tasks and learning journals can be used to engage students in thinking about how they learn and how they wish to improve.
  • Reflections based on professional experiences or work-integrated learning opportunities are based on personalised experiences and can be designed to minimise the use of GenAI.
Presentation Oral/ Multi- media/ Visual Presentations can be used within assessment plans can give students the opportunity to present their learning in non-written formats.
Presentations can be created in multiple formats, such as websites, multi-media, live or recorded presentations. Some of these approaches can allow for a variety of ways for students to represent their learning.
  • Design for Q&A within the presentation, or centred on the presentation artefact (website, video, etc.), to allow for unscripted demonstration of learning and understanding of the topic of the presentation.
  • Personalised assessment approaches can also be used to allow students choice over topic or format.
Examination Invigilated Exam/ Non- invigilated Exam Examinations can still be used within subjects where there is an accreditation need or when it is the only way to assess the subject’s learning outcomes.
  • Project-based tasks, portfolios, presentations, work-integrated tasks and other assessment types can be effective ways to assess student learning and can offer students multiple ways to demonstrate their learning in authentic contexts.

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Assessment and Generative Artificial Intelligence

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