Assessment Design Institute: Meaningful AI Integration to Support Learning

Assessment Design Institute: Meaningful AI Integration to Support Learning 

Description

This Assessment Design Institute invites instructors to explore how generative AI can be thoughtfully integrated into course assessments to foster critical thinking and reflection, develop students’ AI literacy, and support deeper learning and the development of disciplinary knowledge and skills. We recognize the importance of having different types of assessments in courses, with some assessments encouraging student learning with AI as a partner, and other assessments supporting students’ demonstration of knowledge, skills, and learning without the use of AI (see Sydney Assessment Frameworks’ Secured vs. Open assessment types). This Assessment Design Institute focuses specifically on assessments for learning and assessments as learning, that intentionally support and scaffold the use of all available and relevant tools, including generative AI, while also valuing human insight, evaluation, and reflection. 

The Institute is a hands-on, collaborative, and creative space for assessment innovation — supported by structured facilitation, peer discussion, and practical design tools, including AI. We invite faculty, instructors, staff, postdocs, and graduate students at the University of Guelph, Guelph-Humber, and Ridgetown campuses who are actively revising or developing a course assessment.   

Schedule 

This Assessment Design Institute takes place over two half-days. Participants are asked to bring a laptop or other device, and one current assessment that they intend to redesign during this institute.  

Day 1 - June 17th, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Participants will explore current goals and challenges in assessment design in the context of generative AI through collaborative discussions and hands-on activities. Participants will critically examine one of their own assessments by experimenting with generative AI tools to see what outputs students might access. Using this as a starting point, participants will reflect on the core purpose of their assessment within the broader context of their course and course learning outcomes, considering how their assessment might be reimagined to align with their goals, the course goals, and students’ goals, needs, and experiences. Through guided activities and discussion, they will consider how AI can be thoughtfully and meaningfully integrated into the assessment in ways that foster AI literacy, develop disciplinary knowledge and skills, and support learning, critical thinking, evaluation, and reflection. Participants will also reflect on how their assessment design, grading approach, and feedback practices can evolve to support student learning in an AI-enhanced environment.  The session includes dedicated work time to begin drafting a redesigned assessment using guided prompts and peer support and using GenAI meaningfully to support assessment development. 

Day 2 - June 18th, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Participants will share their redesigned assessments in small peer feedback groups to discuss their ideas, questions, and potential challenges. We will also discuss strategies to transparently communicate the goals and intentions of their assessments with students, and prepare and support students for the AI literacy skills required in the assessment. The session will wrap up with practical next steps for piloting and implementing, and assessing the effectiveness of the revised assessment. 

Register for the Assessment Design Institute here 

Registration closes June 3, 2025. Space is limited.

Learning Outcomes: 

By the end of the Assessment Design Institute, participants will be able to: 

1. Critically evaluate the purpose, design, and goals of an existing course assessment in the context of generative AI tools and their capabilities. 
2. Redesign a course assessment to thoughtfully and meaningfully integrate generative AI in ways that align with course learning outcomes and support deeper learning, the development of disciplinary knowledge and skills and AI literacy, critical thinking and reflection, and authentic student engagement. 
3. Reflect on and revise grading and feedback practices to align with revised assessment goals and support student learning in an AI-enhanced environment. 
4. Communicate transparently with students about the purpose and expectations of AI-integrated assessments, including the role of human insight, critical reflection and evaluation, and academic integrity. 
5. Explore the potential uses of AI tools for instructors to redesign assessments.  
6. Collaborate with peers to prototype and refine transparent, purpose-driven assessments that integrate AI, building a network of educators focused on understanding teaching and learning in an AI-enhanced environment, and leveraging these tools in appropriate ways to encourage student engagement and learning.