Source : Perth Now news
Tens of thousands of Victorian high school students will sit final exams amid warnings that AI technology could make it easer to cheat.
Year 12 students are set to take English as their first main written exam at 9am on Tuesday.
More than 80,000 students will take more than 160 exams over the testing period that runs until November 18.
As the major exams kicked off, La Trobe University education academic Therese Keane said AI was an increasing factor at play.
“AI adds another dimension to an issue that examination systems have always faced – how to ensure students cannot gain an unfair advantage through technology,” Professor Keane said.
“The technology may have changed, but the principle has not: the work submitted in an examination must be the student’s own.”
She said “we should not assume that a phone is the only technology we need to worry about”.
“Devices are becoming smaller, smarter and less visible, and examination procedures need to keep pace with that changing technological environment,” she added.
As AI advances, states have scrambled to deal with the impact on education, including on testing.
In NSW, authorities have gone as far as proposing bans on take-home assignments to curb a surge in AI cheating.
It was crucial that students and families had confidence in the integrity of the VCE system, Prof Keane said.
“After months of preparation, they need to know that examination papers are accurate, processes are rigorous, and when mistakes occur there is transparency and accountability,” she said.
“Students get one opportunity to sit these examinations, so it is reasonable for them to expect the system around them to have done its homework too.”
While AI posed risks, it could also be a “powerful study partner” when used responsibly, she said.
“AI should not do the thinking for students; it should help them become better thinkers.”
