Is AI disrupting assessments or reshaping learning?

Resisting the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into education would be like trying to stop the sea tide – impossible and unproductive. Moreover, not equipping our students with AI literacy could disadvantage them in our globally-connected world, where technology is evolving at lightning speed.

Let's start from the top premise that education isn't a sprint; it's more of a marathon. The finish line isn't simply a certificate or diploma but the growth of a well-rounded individual who is also a lifelong learner. This education journey should be tailored to each individual, promoting inclusivity, creativity, problem-solving, cultural understanding, and ethical discernment. So, if AI seems to be upending our traditional assessment methods, we might need to revisit and reframe those methods, not reject the technology. After all, we all know that transformative artefacts like books, which revolutionized the spread of knowledge, once faced similar scepticism.

Let's take a trip down memory lane: not too long ago, research meant ordering academic papers from a library and waiting months for them to arrive. The advent of Google changed everything, making information instantly accessible at our fingertips. Today, AI models like ChatGPT have ushered in a new era of information extraction: ask a smart query, and you immediately get a comprehensive, well-articulated text response. Therefore, withholding AI knowledge from students would be as counterproductive as neglecting to teach basic skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Numerous AI tools are emerging daily, but even the best detection tools struggle to tell AI-generated content apart from the human-produced text. For instance, Originality.ai claims to identify AI-produced content with 96% accuracy but often mistakenly flags human-written text. The most striking example of this involves cases in which passages from the Bible were erroneously marked as AI-generated. This failure is one of many and only reflects the complexity behind the issue.

However, instead of instilling fear, we should direct our efforts towards creating AI usage guidelines that foster high-order level thinking skills, such as evaluation, synthesis, analysis, and application. Pedagogical approaches like the flipped classroom – where students learn new content independently at home, using class time for collaborative discussion and problem-solving – could be increasingly valuable in this context.

While traditional methods like quizzes, oral presentations, class discussions, peer reviews, project-based assessments, reflective journals, self-assessments, and portfolios remain effective, we must also explore and embrace innovative teaching strategies. These may involve activities that promote students' strengths and passions, like organising coding competitions (game jams), directing radio shows, designing a visual novel or even writing a poem. AI can be a beneficial tool that encourages creativity, supports active learning, and assists in organizing thoughts. It can even be a brainstorming partner, helping students expand their ideas. Therefore, knowing our students have access to these advanced tools and expect them to use them, we should also raise our expectations.

AI is not only a powerful tool for students, but it also equips teachers with innovative methods to enrich the learning process. It can simplify tasks like curating resources, personalizing learning paths, and generating new learning materials. Consider an English literature class where AI assists in creating unique prompts for drama, thereby encouraging creativity. In a history class, AI can easily roleplay as a historical character. It can act as an educator offering initial feedback when evaluating students' work, freeing-up teachers for more personalized student engagement.

In specialized subjects like biology or math, it can curate relevant resources or tailor learning paths to individual needs. Similarly, AI can offer instant translations in language classes to support language learning. It could fuse learning styles in art classes or generate coding challenges in computer science, nurturing creativity and problem-solving skills.

AI can bring subjects to life through the gamification of books or by creating challenging social simulations in an economics class. It can assist in processing large datasets in statistics, contribute to student well-being by addressing stress management queries in health classes, and even stimulate critical thinking by generating ethical dilemmas in philosophy.

The possibilities are vast and varied. Whether generating narratives for geography field trips or melodies for music composition, AI is an invaluable assistant in the education realm, paving the way for dynamic, interactive, and personalized learning experiences. It would be an untold tragedy if educators failed to use it.

The way forward is, without a doubt, to integrate AI into the curriculum. We must ensure transparency and set clear guidelines. Hands-on learning activities should go hand in hand with discussions about the potential impact of AI. Introducing real-world applications of AI encourages students to stay updated with technological developments and ensures that education stays relevant. Remember, the goal isn't to replace learning with AI but to use it to enhance learning experiences and outcomes.

Therefore, in the face of AI's influence on assessments, we should adapt our teaching and assessment methods rather than resist the technology, ensuring a holistic, personalized, and engaging learning journey for all.