Rethink student assessment as AI transforms classrooms, teachers told

As artificial intelligence reshapes the classroom experience, teachers across the Eastern Caribbean have been challenged to overhaul student assessment methods — shifting the focus from memorisation to innovation, application, and the ethical use of technology.

AI in the classroom was a central topic for the Eastern Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Education (ECJBTE) as its two-day annual meeting opened on Thursday at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management under the theme Repositioning Teacher Education as Engaged Scholarship.  

Director of Tertiary Education in the Ministry of Training and Tertiary Education, Dr Roderick Rudder, told the educators that traditional methods of assessment are no longer sufficient in an era where students are increasingly skilled in using technology and artificial intelligence for educational purposes.

“What we are experiencing is the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence globally,” he said, noting that within education and learning spaces, AI “has a significant role to play as we seek to address the learning needs of both teachers and students”.

He stressed that AI is unavoidable and should be embraced as a teaching and learning tool, but with clear changes in how students are evaluated.

“We cannot avoid artificial intelligence. It’s an important tool to aid in learning, to aid in teaching,” he said, adding that teachers must now focus on how students apply knowledge rather than simply reproduce it.

“No longer can we focus attention on the traditional approaches to assessing students,” he explained. “We now have to see how they apply the knowledge that is generated to solve problems and to come up with innovative solutions to challenges that they may meet in their own environments, in their learning spaces, in their home environments and communities.”

Addressing concerns around AI use in schools, he pointed out that students are already using the technology to aid in research for their School-Based Assessments (SBAs) and assignments.

“Students have been utilising AI to assist them in doing research in relation to the SBAs,” he said, reinforcing the need for “more authentic assessments” and “higher order questioning techniques”.

Dr Rudder further underscored the responsibility of teacher training institutions to modernise their curricula.

“It is imperative that teacher training institutions get on board and look at the curriculum as to how we prepare our teachers for the modern classroom,” he said, calling for a stronger blend of theory, practice and effective use of modern tools, particularly AI.

“We need to enhance or increase the number of persons who are leaving school adequately certified so that they can make a meaningful contribution to the economic and social development of the country,” he said.

Dr Rudder said that productivity begins with fully maximising opportunities within the school setting, saying that technology now presents a timely way to improve learning outcomes. In many cases, he noted, young people are “smart“ even if they may “not necessarily be considered to be book smart”, pointing out that outside the classroom they regularly demonstrate how “to solve problems” and “to find solutions” within their natural environments.

Highlighting students’ everyday engagement with technology, he added: “Whether they’re gaming or surfing the internet, they’re using technology every day. So how can we take that interest… and turn it into learning experiences?”