Weekly Newsletter

Practical AI Strategies

Exams are not the answer

Hi everyone,

I admit I got a bit angry this week. The media coverage of AI in education has been hostile for a while now, and if you teach in Australia you've no doubt seen an increase in articles blaming schools and universities for "not doing enough" in the face of so-called AI cheating.

But I boiled over when I saw an article in The Age - a prominent Australian mainstream paper - criticising a Melbourne school for students apparently cheating en masse in an "English oral exam".

Many of you will know that I was an English teacher for fifteen years. For half of that time I was also an examiner. I can confidently tell you that there is no such thing as an oral exam in Victoria. The article conflated an item of coursework - which most schools require students to prepare for out of class - with an examination to make it more contentious and headline grabbing. "Students cheat in exam" is becoming just another throwaway term used by the media to insult educators.

We know better. We know that schools and universities are working hard to come to terms with AI. We know educators are trying to find ways to coexist with a technology that none of us asked for. And we know that media narratives like this will only lead to more exams and antagonism between teachers and students.

So I've started a two-part article writing about why exams are not the answer. This week, I focus on why the media narrative is harmful to more important conversations about assessment.

Practical AI for Curriculum Leaders: Term 3 Early Bird Access Closing

This weekend is the last opportunity to grab early bird access to the Term 3 cohort of Practical AI for Curriculum Leaders. The cohort is capped at 25 people and open to K-12, higher education, and vocational/adult education around the world.

For six weeks from July 21st we have live & recorded one-hour sessions structured around developing a strategy for curriculum leaders working with GenAI in their teams.

In Term 2 I was overwhelmed by the sharing of ideas and skills from educators in Australia, Canada, and elsewhere. For Term 3 we're already looking at a diverse and international mix of educators: come and join us in July!

Cheers,

Leon

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