Assessments for Higher Education Students in the AI Era

Introduction

As we embrace the AI era, the methods for assessing higher education students must evolve to ensure a comprehensive and accurate evaluation of their learning and skills. This article will explore nine recommended assessment strategies, providing examples and supporting statistics for each, and demonstrate how these approaches can foster the development of essential 21st-century skills.

Following are the major suggested assessments strategies:

1. Adaptive Assessments
2. Continuous Assessments
3. Project-Based Assessments
4. Peer Assessment
5. Self-Assessment
6. ePortfolios
7. Learning Analytics
8. Authentic Assessments

Details for each strategy with example is given below.

Adaptive Assessments

Adaptive assessments use AI-driven tools that adjust to a student's performance, creating a personalized testing experience. These tools identify students' strengths and weaknesses, allowing educators to tailor their instruction and support. A study found that students using adaptive learning platforms outperformed their peers in traditional learning settings by 3 percentage points (Pane et al., 2017).

Example: A mathematics course could implement an adaptive assessment platform, such as ALEKS or Smart Sparrow, which dynamically adjusts the difficulty of problems based on students' responses, targeting areas of weakness.

Continuous Assessments

Continuous assessments involve evaluating students throughout the semester using quizzes, in-class activities, group projects, or online assignments. This approach allows students to demonstrate their learning regularly. Research has shown that students who receive regular feedback through continuous assessments have an average increase of 26% in academic performance (Hattie & Timperley, 2007).

Example: In a literature course, students could participate in weekly discussion forums where they analyze and discuss assigned readings, receiving feedback from their peers and instructor.

Project-Based Assessments

Project-based assessments require students to apply their knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems. These hands-on projects can be individual or team-based and assess critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. Studies have found that project-based learning can increase long-term retention of content by 20% compared to traditional teaching methods (Strobel & van Barneveld, 2009).

Example: In an engineering course, students could be tasked with designing and building a functional prototype of a renewable energy system to address a specific community need.

Peer Assessment

Peer assessment encourages students to evaluate and provide feedback on their peers' work, fostering collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills while offering additional perspectives on performance. A meta-analysis revealed that peer assessment can lead to an average effect size of 0.37 on academic achievement, indicating a moderate positive impact on learning (Double et al., 2018).

Example: In a graphic design course, students could present their design projects and provide constructive feedback to their peers, discussing the strengths and areas for improvement in each design.

Self-Assessment

Self-assessment activities, such as journaling, goal setting, and self-evaluations, encourage students to reflect on their learning and progress, fostering self-regulation skills and ownership of their education. A study found that self-assessment can improve learning outcomes by an average of 5% (Dunlosky et al., 2013).

Example: In a psychology course, students could maintain a reflective journal where they connect course material to their personal experiences and evaluate their understanding of key concepts.

ePortfolios

ePortfolios are digital portfolios where students showcase their work and achievements throughout their academic journey. These portfolios provide a comprehensive view of a student's abilities and can include coursework, projects, presentations, research, and other accomplishments. Research suggests that ePortfolio use can increase student engagement by up to 25% and improve critical thinking skills by 15% (Chen & Penny Light, 2010).

Example: An art student could create an ePortfolio containing their artwork, artist statements, exhibition history, and any relevant awards or recognitions they have received.

Learning Analytics

Learning analytics tools track students' progress, engagement, and performance in real-time, enabling educators to identify struggling students and provide targeted interventions to improve learning outcomes. A study by Arnold and Pistilli (2012) found that learning analytics interventions increased course retention by 5.5% and course completion by 8.6%.

Example: An instructor could use a platform like Blackboard or Canvas to monitor students' progress on assignments, discussion participation, and exam performance, identifying patterns and offering support where needed.

Oral Assessments

Oral assessments evaluate students' communication, critical thinking, and subject matter expertise through presentations, debates, or interviews. Oral assessments have been shown to improve students' communication skills, with a meta-analysis revealing an average effect size of 0.44, indicating a moderate positive impact on learning (Hattie, 2009).

Example: In a political science course, students could participate in a debate on a current global issue, requiring them to research and present well-reasoned arguments based on evidence.

Authentic Assessments

Authentic assessments mirror real-life situations and challenges, requiring students to use higher-order thinking skills and apply their knowledge to novel scenarios. A study by Gulikers et al. (2004) found that students who participated in authentic assessments scored 12% higher on transfer of learning tasks than students who participated in traditional assessments.

Example: In a business course, students could be given a case study of a struggling company and asked to develop a strategic plan to improve its financial performance and market position.

Conclusion

By integrating these various assessment methods, higher education institutions can create a more holistic, accurate, and fair evaluation system that accounts for different learning styles and preferences. The supporting statistics demonstrate that these strategies not only foster the development of essential 21st-century skills but also lead to improved academic outcomes, enhancing the overall educational experience for students in the AI era.

References:

• Arnold, K. E., & Pistilli, M. D. (2012). Course Signals at Purdue: Using learning analytics to increase student success. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge, 267–270.
• Chen, H. L., & Penny Light, T. (2010). Electronic Portfolios and Student Success: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Learning. Washington, D.C.: Association of American Colleges and Universities.
• Double, K. S., McGrane, J. A., & Hopfenbeck, T. N. (2018). The Impact of Peer Assessment on Academic Performance: A Meta-analysis of Control Group Studies. Educational Psychology Review, 30(4), 923–944.
• Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58.
• Gulikers, J. T., Bastiaens, T. J., & Kirschner, P. A. (2004). A Five-Dimensional Framework for Authentic Assessment. Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(3), 67–86.
• Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. London: Routledge.
• Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112.
• Pane, J. F., Steiner, E. D., Baird, M. D., & Hamilton, L. S. (2017). Informing Progress: Insights on Personalized Learning Implementation and Effects. RAND Corporation.