AI and Assessment
AI can, for example, assist you in creating and grading exams, or it can even be an integral part of your teaching and learning objectives and thus be relevant to exams.
The following questions can provide helpful insights for reflecting on the possibilities of using AI in your exams:
- What policies does my institution have regarding the use of AI tools in exams and coursework?
- For which learning objectives of my course is it appropriate and permissible to allow the use of AI tools, and in which cases should it not be permitted?
- Where can and should I make the use of AI tools mandatory for an exam or course assignment? If this is possible from an institutional standpoint, do all students have equal access to the AI tool(s) I wish to make mandatory, and, if applicable, to training on these AI tools?
- Do I want my students to use AI tools
- for brainstorming,
- to formulate a research question,
- for research projects,
- to generate text,
- to create an outline or structure,
- for content revision and feedback,
- as a tool for creating an image, video, or other digital artwork?
For assessments conducted under uncontrolled conditions—such as term papers, practical assignments, or artistic projects—it must be determined whether and which AI tools may be used for the assessment or coursework, and how their use should be documented.
With regard to term papers, for example, there is strong support for the position that “written statements are, from now on, the results of co-creative collaboration with AI tools.” (Weßels, 2022)
Customize Declarations of Independence
You decide on the use of AI tools in accordance with the applicable examination regulations. This necessitates an adjustment to the declaration of originality that your students submit along with their exam or coursework.
The three most common cases are:
Basic concept:
Students may use AI systems to prepare for their exams, document their approach, and describe the insights they gain in the process. For example, students should compare the quality of the output from AI tools with that of traditional literature or with output from specialized databases.
To this end, it is necessary to specify the permitted aids in advance, i.e.:
- All tools are permitted. [or]
- A limited, explicit list of tools that may be used; all others are prohibited. [or]
- An explicit list of prohibited tools. All other tools are permitted. Legal recommendation: Option three is problematic because instructors may not be familiar with all tools: development is so rapid that a complete overview is virtually impossible.
Declaration of Originality:
“I have used only the permitted and documented tools. I certify that the disclosure of AI usage is complete. In the ‘Overview of Tools Used’ section, I have listed the AI tools used along with their product names.
In the appendix, I have
- listed the prompts I used, [or]
- listed all AI-generated outputs individually [e.g., links to prompt histories], [or]
- documented the use of the AI tools [see example on the following page],
that were relevant to the assignment.”
Example documentation of AI tool usage:
| AI Tool | Used for | Why | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elicit | Getting started with the topic | Find relevant papers for my research question | Initial literature review |
| DeepL | Translation of abstracts from English-language articles | Deciding which articles I want to use | during the literature review and selection process |
| ChatGPT | Have concept XY explained | Clarifying comprehension questions about… | while working on the theoretical section of my Term paper |
Source: dghd - Suggestions for declarations of originality when using AI tools
Basic Concept:
In this scenario, students already possess the basic subject-matter, writing, and tool-related competencies. The assignment is evaluated based on the students’ use of various methods and their ability to think independently.
Declaration of Originality:
“I have used only the permitted and documented resources. I take full responsibility for the selection, incorporation, and all results of the AI-generated output I have used. In the section ‘Overview of Resources Used,’ I have listed all AI tools used by their product names [and, as required by the instructor(s)], and in the appendix, I have listed the
- prompts I used in this paper
[and/or] - listed all AI-generated outputs used in this paper individually [e.g., links to prompt histories].“
Sample documentation of AI tool usage, including prompts used:
| AI Tool | Used for | Why | When | Prompts Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elicit | Find an introduction to the topic | Find relevant papers for my research question | Initial literature review | Complete documentation of the process, including a report or link to the review |
| DeepL | Translation of abstracts from English-language articles | Decide which articles I want to use | during the literature review and selection process | Original text, selected language, outcome |
| ChatGPT | Have concept XY explained | Clarifying questions of understanding regarding… | while working on the theoretical section of my Term paper | Complete documentation of the prompt history or a link to the prompt history |
| Sora 2 | Generating short video clips from text prompts | Part of the assignment | Ongoing throughout the process | Complete documentation of the prompt history or a link to the prompt history |
Basic idea:
Do not allow the use of AI tools at first, and emphasize the importance of professionally vetted and relevant sources.
Declaration of Originality:
“I have not used any output from [text-, image-, or code-generating] AI tools in this paper.”
Testing under controlled conditions
Exams administered under controlled conditions
include, for example:
- oral exams,
- practical exams,
- paper-based written exams, or
- online exams in the E-Assessment Center.
In the E-Assessment Center of the Teaching Service Center, AI tools are disabled by default. We are currently working on ways to allow the controlled use of AI and to document its use by students in a legally compliant manner. If you are interested in developing and testing this with us, please contact us at: www.uni-kassel.de/go/scl
Your AI assistant can analyze your paper based on specified criteria—such as its structure, accuracy of content, or use of academic language—and provide suggestions for feedback. The results are intended as suggestions and must always be critically evaluated by you. The final decision rests with you as the examiner.
Students can use a digital avatar to prepare for an oral exam.
As an examiner, this provides you with a good basis for reflecting on your own exam-taking behavior.