Generative AI and Assessment, and how to deal with it, goes to the very heart of deep questions around effective pedagogy. What is a given assessment for? What does it measure and what value does it offer students? It is incumbent on educators to engage with these questions and be able to restate the disciplinary, employability and personal value that a given assessment affords.

AI assessment brief guidance

When setting assignment and coursework tasks, be clear to students what AI technologies can and cannot be used to complete the assessment – and why! Talk to students in clear, unambiguous terms about your expectations for AI use and acknowledgement in their assessment, and remind students of our comprehensive AI guidance.

Take a look at our Writing an Effective Assessment Brief Guidance to see examples of how to include AI guidance in your assignment and coursework briefs, which you are encouraged to copy and customise for your context.

Reinforcing the importance of the learning process

In most learning design methodologies, assessment is used FOR learning, not OF learning. Help students to understand why they are being assessed and what they should be learning through their assessments. Explain to students what constitutes good and bad academic practice in your discipline, and continually stress the importance and value of the assessment process. Share any marking criteria and rubrics, give examples of good practice with AI, and share your expectations and recommendations for collaboration and the use of digital tools.

Students must also learn the fundamentals of their discipline to be able to understand and critically evaluate AI outputs. They need to be reminded of this, and careful scaffolding of formative and low-stakes assessments are encouraged to ensure learning outcomes are met.