Prof Therese N. Hopfenbeck Presents "AI-enhanced assessment: From theory to evidence-based practice", ACER 2025
Prof. Therese N. Hopfenbeck presented at the ACER Conference 2025 on Friday 7 February, emphasising the need for theory to evidence-based practice in AI-enhanced assessment.
This year's conference, "Transforming Learning Systems—Enabling Holistic Growth for All Students," focused on enabling holistic growth for all students by building sustainable capacity within education systems. It also centred on fostering a shared language, understanding, and commitment to continuous improvement in practice.
AERC Director Prof. Therese N. Hopfenbeck gave a presentation emphasising evidence-based strategies for transitioning from theoretical discussions to practical AI applications. These strategies aim to improve assessment outcomes for learners and educators alike.
Abstract:
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational assessment presents both opportunities and challenges for formative assessment practices. AI has the potential to enhance feedback processes, support individualised learning paths, and analyse complex data to provide insights into student progress. These capabilities align with key themes in contemporary educational assessment, such as competency-based education and formative assessment technologies.
However, challenges remain, including the need for teacher professional development in AI literacy, development of critical thinking and self-regulation, ethical considerations in AI use, and ensuring that AI complements rather than replaces human judgement in assessment. As institutions lift initial restrictions on AI, there is a pressing need for evidence-based strategies for integrating AI into assessment practices. In this Presentation, I will share theoretical and empirical studies demonstrating how educators and researchers explore AI's effectiveness in formative assessment. The goal is to shift from discussion to evidence-based implementation, leveraging AI to improve assessment outcomes for learners and educators alike.