Abstract:

Throughout the years, technology has been increasingly adopted in assessment practices to support the process of data gathering, analysis, and interpretation. However, the application of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), to digital assessment goes beyond the mere administration of data and has the potential to enhance the overall assessment experience for both students and educators. The qualitative research underpinning this paper utilises thematic analysis to explore the views of educational technologists on the role of AI in digital assessment. Four educational technologists took part in a focus group to explore their underlying perceptions, potential benefits, and challenges of AI in digital assessment practices. The results suggest that there is a positive understanding amongst the participants on the potential application of AI to support and enable various assessment processes and underpinnings, including:
(i) real-time feedback,
(ii) personalisation,
(iii) adaptivity,
(iv) authenticity and
(v) administration.

The identified themes evidence that AI has the potential to transform digital assessment practices, especially through the provision of:
(i) immediate and just-in-time feedforward
(ii) individual attention and differentiation according to the students’ learning needs,
(iii) adaptive and scaffolded approaches
(iv) authentic assessment contexts, and
(v) enhanced validity, reliability, and efficiency.

However, there are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed before the full potential can be realised. These include access to datasets in the right formats, availability of computing resources and human expertise, and issues revolving around explainable AI. Consequently, the presented research and findings suggest that AI has the potential to play a significant role in enhancing digital assessment practices, however this requires the need for adequate professional development for educators on how to best integrate AI into their assessment practices. With continued research and development in the field of AI especially for digital assessment purposes, it is envisaged that the application of AI will result in enhanced assessment practices, for all involved stakeholders, particularly students and educators.

Keywords:

Artifical Intelligence, Digital Assessment.