Higher education assessment practice in the era of generative AI tools
This addresses challenges in higher education assessment for educators and institutions, but it is incremental as it builds on existing concerns about AI in education.
The paper assessed the impact of generative AI tools on higher education assessment practices, finding that these tools can demonstrate subject knowledge and skills but may limit learning if used unethically, and that assessment design in certain disciplines reveals limitations of the tools.
The higher education (HE) sector benefits every nation's economy and society at large. However, their contributions are challenged by advanced technologies like generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive assessment of GenAI tools towards assessment and pedagogic practice and, subsequently, discuss the potential impacts. This study experimented using three assessment instruments from data science, data analytics, and construction management disciplines. Our findings are two-fold: first, the findings revealed that GenAI tools exhibit subject knowledge, problem-solving, analytical, critical thinking, and presentation skills and thus can limit learning when used unethically. Secondly, the design of the assessment of certain disciplines revealed the limitations of the GenAI tools. Based on our findings, we made recommendations on how AI tools can be utilised for teaching and learning in HE.