GenAI has not broken assessment. It has exposed it
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has not broken university assessment, but has exposed its existing flaws by making it easier for students to produce high-quality work without understanding the material. The issue lies in assessment design, which often rewards polished outputs rather than critical thinking and intellectual independence.
University assessment was already under strain before generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) emerged. GenAI has widened the gap between a student's output and their understanding, making an existing crisis impossible to ignore. Students can now produce high-quality academic work with ease, and where assessment rewards polished outputs, it is logical to prioritize producing those outputs efficiently. The misalignment between what higher education claims to develop and what its assessment systems reward is the deeper issue. Critical thinking, intellectual independence, and judgement are stated goals, but judgement is rarely what assessments are designed to reveal. Assessment design is the primary driver of student behaviour, and where it includes genuine moments of accountability, GenAI tends to be used in ways that support learning. If understanding is not required, GenAI makes it rational not to learn.
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