Reimagining Assessments in the Age of Generative AI

Originally published February 6, 2026

Starting Questions

As student use of generative AI becomes widespread, instructors are increasingly called to reimagine assessment practices in higher education (Khlaif et al. 2025). In recent years, with each new release of gen AI models, these tools are developing multimodal capabilities, accomplishing more creative and complex tasks (Shahriar et al. 2024). As a result, assessment tasks that were initially assumed to be more resistant to gen AI are now more vulnerable to these tools (Perkins et al. 2025).

With growing concerns about assignment vulnerabilities and academic integrity, there is also increasing interest and curiosity in the potential of AI tools to support student learning. Rather than focusing on punitive or time-consuming surveillance approaches, instructors can make thoughtful adjustments, whether small or large, to reimagine and strengthen their assessments.

In this context, TEI invites you to consider the following three starting questions to support your assessment design thinking:

1. What learning outcomes am I trying to assess, and does this task still validly measure it? Evidence suggests that shifting from detection and deterrence to aligning assessments with learning outcomes through authentic task design and transparent expectations enhances student success (Kirsanov et al. 2026). 

2. To what extent is this assessment task vulnerable to gen AI? Studies show that gen AI tools perform most effectively on tasks that are generic and loosely connected to specific course content. If an assessment can be completed without reference to course context, it is highly vulnerable.

3. How might the assessment be designed to make the students’ thinking and learning process visible? Shifting assessments toward tasks that make students’ thinking process visible can address gen AI challenges more effectively than approaches focused on ongoing surveillance (Akbar 2025).

Taken together, these questions highlight that assessment redesign in this context is less about control and more about intentional alignment with learning.

Find more ideas and considerations designing assessments in the age of gen AI >>

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