Assessment is a critical part of the learning process and makes more difference to how students approach their learning than any other aspect of their studies, including the teaching. Assessment has an important role in determining whether a student has met the learning outcomes of their programme of study, however it has a much more important effect in guiding and motivating how students learn, particularly when coupled with the provision of high-quality and timely feedback.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools now offer great potential to assist with our assessment and feedback practices within higher education. This not only includes the provision of more rapid and efficient feedback at scale, but also the ability for staff to better identify and support student learning gaps, and for students to access feedback that is more immediate and dialogical in its nature. But careful consideration of their implementation is needed to ensure that the assessment of student work, and the associated provision of feedback, is an activity that remains the responsibility of academic members of staff based upon disciplinary expertise and academic judgement.
As a university we are keen to harness the potential of AI tools and technologies where they enhance and support student learning, all whilst ensuring their responsible and ethical implementation to protect users and their information. In alignment with our Guiding Framework for the Introduction of Generative AI Within Teaching, Learning and Assessment, these new University-wide principles aims to achieve a balance between encouraging and supporting innovation in the use of AI tools within assessment and feedback and managing potential risks associated with their ongoing development and use. They will be regularly reviewed alongside the Guiding Framework.
Principles
1. From the 1 September 2024, and upon the appropriate approval being first received, academic staff can utilise AI systems to support the assessment, grading and moderation of student work along with the provision of feedback. Where such tools are used, academic staff remain responsible for the academic judgements made on submitted student work and for any feedback they provide for learners.
2. Academic staff wishing to utilise generative AI tools within assessment and feedback should utilise only the University’s approved suite of digital tools for marking and grading, including Microsoft Copilot within Edge, a generative AI powered web chat tool that enables free access to GPT-4 and DALL-E 3 within a data protected environment. Before doing so, permission must be sought from their College Director of Education.
3. Academic members of staff who wish to utilise generative AI tools that are not part of the University’s approved suite will first need to seek permission from the Pro-vice Chancellor (Education).
4. Where generative AI tools are used to support assessment and in the provision of feedback:
5. If AI tools are used to support the marking of student work at levels I, H and M that contributes towards the final degree award, then samples of the student work, along with grading decisions, should be considered by the External Examiners and in line with the University’s Code of Practice External Examining (Taught Provision).
For the avoidance of doubt, these principles do not apply to the automated and computer-based marking of student quizzes and tests, where academic members of staff using their academic judgement, pre-programme rubrics to automatically grade student work and provide feedback. Common examples include the use of multiple-choice questions within Canvas and the use of computer algebra systems. Similarly, these principles do not apply to staff or students wishing to utilise generative AI tools in the development of their own learning, teaching, assessment, and support materials, however, the University’s Guiding Framework for the Introduction of Generative AI Within Teaching, Learning and Assessment and Student guidance on using Generative Artificial Intelligence tools ethically for study should first be consulted.
Sources of Support
Our Guiding Framework for the Introduction of Generative AI Within Teaching, Learning and Assessment contains details of the resources that have been developed to assist University staff in the ethical and responsible use of generative AI tools within teaching, learning, assessment, and support. It also contains details of the opportunities for members of staff to develop their knowledge and skills in the use of generative AI technologies.