Responding to Gen AI with Student-Centred Assessment Design

Originally published August 28, 2026

When it comes to gen AI and academic integrity in assessments, scholars note that the first question to ask is not whether to permit or prohibit gen AI use, but rather to determine what we need our students to know or be able to do by the end of term (Ludwig & Zakrajsek 2026; Laidlaw 2025; Eaton and Keyhani 2025; Perkins et. al. 2025). This learning-outcomes focus can shift assessment design away from a binary gen AI use (to allow or not to allow) to a course design framework centred on student learning where decisions around gen AI integration or mitigation are determined by how we can support students in meeting learning outcomes (Winstone et. al. 2026).

As students become more familiar with gen AI tools, prompting, and decision-making around when to use gen AI for studying or assignments, instructors can support student learning by considering the following guidelines and reimagining assessments in the age of gen AI:

Identify and Revise Your Learning Outcomes | What should students know or do?

What is the purpose of the assessment you are considering? What learning must students demonstrate to you?
Does your assessment align with your learning outcome(s)? Does one or the other need to be revised to help ensure accurate measurement of that learning?
How and where do we develop students’ gen AI literacy? Do your learning outcomes reflect the skills or knowledge that students will need in their program and future careers?

Determine How Gen AI Might Interact with Your Assessment | How might students use it?

Explore the new Gen AI Student Resource Hub to familiarize yourself with gen AI tools by seeing them from your students’ perspective. Find learning modules about ethical use and citational practices, along with guidance on building effective prompts to consider how students may (or may not be) using gen AI tools in their other courses.
Experiment with Co-Pilot or other gen AI tools to gain insights into its capabilities and limitations to better understand the kinds of outputs students might submit for your assignments. From running assignment questions through a gen AI tool for either supporting mitigation strategies or for designing for integration, testing gen AI for its challenges and possibilities can help to make informed decisions regarding assessment design.
Determine the role or level of acceptable AI integration in an assessment task using a gen AI assessment framework like the AI Assessment Scale that will still allow for students to meet their learning outcomes. Adapt the language provided by the tool to communicate AI use policies with students.

Create Assessments and Activities for the Developing Gen AI Context

Designing assessments and activities that provide critical skill development, additional evidence of learning and encourage progress towards course learning outcome achievement supports students with purposeful learning and academic integrity in the era of gen AI. Consider the following strategies:

Develop students’ evaluative skills and help them take responsibility for gen AI outputs. Ask students to apply the E.V.E.R.Y. framework to Evaluate, Verify, Engage, and Revise their assignments so students (the ‘You’) remain responsible for everything they submit. The AI Tools Report Card assignment or cover sheet can be used in a similar way to help develop their research skills in a gen AI-enabled environment. While the work students submit might be generated by or be in collaboration with gen AI tools, students can learn to see that they remain responsible and accountable for their submission (Chen 2026; Eaton 2023).
Provide students with time to work on assessments in-class, either individually or in groups to help support them in practicing the application of their learning (Andreopoulous in Afolabi & Taylor, eds. 2026). Students could work on case studies as a group or have a dedicated work period that leads to the submission of a portfolio or learning journal at the end of term.
Build and assess writing skills in class. Respondus Lockdown Browser can be used in-class to support the development of student writing over time, such as for a multi-day in-class writing assignment. With Respondus, students can still have access to key resources to support the content development of their assignment.
Explore oral assessments as an evaluative tool. Oral assessments are being practiced at various class sizes to support students in the learning process and to assess student understanding of course materials. This includes pairing written assessments with oral components before or after the submission of the assessment.

Teach Students About Gen AI Use

Reflect on your own orientation towards gen AI and clarify the reasons for your decisions on ‘if’ or ‘when’ for gen AI use in teaching, learning, and assessments. Whether you are more oriented towards gen AI resistance (refusal, resistance, restriction) or gen AI engagement (exploration, engagement or embrace), being ‘AI-Aware’ in your teaching approach can help you to best identify and communicate your rationale in your teaching and assessment design decisions and improve student understanding on responsible use (Vee, Watkins, and Bruff 2026).
Be clear about your gen AI policy and be prepared to reinforce those expectations throughout term. With 4-5 courses per term with varied gen AI use policies for each assessment across each course, students need clarity and reminders. Communicate gen AI use policies with students in dialogue with them. They’re not always intentionally trying to cheat (Gallant & Rettinger 2025), but they are getting confused and frustrated when they don’t understand why one instructor permits gen AI use and another doesn’t. Explore sample course syllabi statements that define acceptable use of gen AI in courses and refer to this course policy throughout term.
Invite students to develop and share their perspectives on gen AI use in relation to learning outcome achievement, and for connecting disciplinary relevance, academic integrity, and the purpose of higher education. Students will have varied familiarity with and ethical approaches to gen AI use, with their own orientations towards gen AI use refusal or active engagement. Exploring and developing student understanding can deepen trust and motivation in the learning community.
Discuss how and why to cite gen AI use to increase transparency and help students develop ownership and accountability over the work they submit as with any other discipline-specific citational practices.

Looking for strategies that better fit your course context?

Watch or listen to TEI’s snapshots on Gen AI and Assessments featuring Laurier faculty sharing their approaches to integrating gen AI into their assessments to develop students’ AI literacy and evaluative judgement skills for more ideas.

Reach out to an Educational Developer on the TEI team for one-on-one assessment support or explore further strategies in our Guide.