How Digital Technologies Are Changing Assessment Approaches in Education

Alongside numerous advantages, digital assessment also raises several important concerns:

Fairness – Not all students have the same digital skills or equal access to technology, which can lead to inequality.

Security and authenticity – Ensuring the authenticity of student work is becoming increasingly challenging, especially with the rise and availability of generative artificial intelligence.

Transparency – It is important to clearly communicate criteria and assessment methods to students, especially when algorithms and AI tools play a role in the process.

Return to traditional methods? – Due to increasing risks of plagiarism and AI-generated work, the question arises as to whether oral examinations or supervised in-person tests should be used more often again.

Digital competence of teachers – Given the rapid development of educational technologies, many teachers struggle to keep up and may not provide instructions or opportunities for students to practise using digital tools before expecting them to use those tools in assessment processes.

The key challenge is finding a balance between innovation and reliability.