Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI
Colleges in the US are reviving oral exams to combat the use of generative AI in homework, as students are turning in flawless essays but can't explain their work. Professors at Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, and New York University are among those adopting oral exams to assess students' actual learning.
Some US colleges are reviving oral exams to combat the use of generative AI in homework. Students are turning in flawless essays, but many can't explain their work, raising concerns about critical thinking skills. At Cornell University, Chris Schaffer's biomedical engineering class requires students to defend their assignments orally. The University of Pennsylvania's Emily Hammer pairs oral exams with written papers, while New York University faculty are using various oral assessments, including office hours and cold-calling students. Oral exams are not traditional in the US undergraduate system, but interest has grown since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. Professors say oral exams help determine what students are actually learning.
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