ChatGPT is in classrooms. How should educators now assess student learning?
ChatGPT is in classrooms. How should educators now assess student learning?
Publish Date: 2026-02-02 11:56:00
Source Domain: theconversation.com
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is now a reality in higher education, with students and professors integrating chatbots into teaching, learning and assessment. But this isn’t just a technical shift; it’s reshaping how students and educators learn and evaluate knowledge.
Our recent qualitative study with 28 educators across Canadian universities and colleges — from librarians to engineering professors — suggests that we have entered a watershed moment in education.
We must grapple with the question: What exactly should be assessed when human cognition can be augmented or simulated by an algorithm?
Research about AI and academic integrity
In our review of 15 years of research that engages how AI affects cheating in education, we found that AI is a double-edged sword for schools.
On one hand, AI tools like online translators and text generators have become so advanced that they can write just like humans. This makes it difficult for teachers to detect cheating. Additionally, these tools can sometimes present fake news as facts or repeat unfair social biases, such as racism and sexism, found in the data used to train them.
Read more:
I used AI chatbots as a source of news for a month, and they were unreliable and erroneous
On the other hand, the studies we reviewed showed AI can be a legitimate assistant that can make learning more inclusive. For instance, AI can provide support for students with disabilities or help those who are learning an additional language.
Because it’s nearly impossible to block every AI tool, schools should not just focus on catching cheaters. Instead, schools and post-secondary institutions can update their policies and provide better training for both students and teachers. This helps everyone learn how to use technology responsibly while maintaining a high standard of academic integrity.
Participants in our study positioned…
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