Australian universities to allow AI in assessments
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The reading
The increasing ubiquity of artificial intelligence in our lives is creating waves in academia. Three universities in Australia have adopted what seems like a landmark policy. The three institutions are allowing students to use AI when taking assessments, albeit under strict conditions. Professor Romy Lawson said: "Instead of banning students from using such programs, we aim to assist academic staff and students to use digital tools to support learning." The Internet abounds with AI text generators. These can be used to create essays that look authentic enough to fool examiners. The content created by these AI tools evade detection by even the smartest of anti-plagiarism tools.
Artificial Intelligence is posing huge challenges to exam integrity. It is the biggest disruptor since calculators were allowed into maths tests. The latest quandary for educators comes from a language processing chatbox called ChatGPT. This can produce highly authentic human-like content on any subject in seconds. It has sparked fears that students will use it to write essays. The University of South Australia's Dr Vitomir Kovanovic said teachers needed to embrace AI. He said: "You cannot stop it. The alternative is the Middle Ages – going to pen and paper." He added that universities needed to change with the times. He said: "It's like having a driving school, but teaching people how to ride horses."
Sources:
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/21/south-australian-universities-to-allow-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-assignments-if-disclosed
- https://www.wionews.com/technology/explained-use-of-ai-forces-australian-universities-to-conduct-pen-and-paper-tests-551685
- https://theconversation.com/the-dawn-of-ai-has-come-and-its-implications-for-education-couldnt-be-more-significant-196383
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