24/05/2025

SATURDAY | MAY 24, 2025

18

COMMENT by Prof Dr Manjit Singh Sidhu

Educational assessment in the AI age W E are living in a time of rapid technological transformation and few developments have made as big a splash in education as with AI is the norm, our assessments need to evolve to reflect that reality. Instead of focusing purely on rote memorisation or isolated performance, we should be thinking about how to evaluate:

generative AI. Tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Google Gemini and image generators like Midjourney are becoming as familiar to students as calculators and search engines once were. However, this shift is not just about new tools, it is changing the very fabric of how we teach, learn and assess. And nowhere is that more apparent than in how we evaluate students. Historically, the traditional assessment model has been about measuring what students know and how well they can apply that knowledge independently. Essays, quizzes, exams and presentations have been our go-to tools. They are familiar, easy to implement at scale and designed to gauge individual understanding. But here is the catch – these systems were created for a world where knowledge was scarce and locked in textbooks or libraries. Today, knowledge is everywhere and AI can write a five-paragraph essay, solve complex equations or summarise entire textbooks in seconds. So, what happens when the “doing” of learning is something a machine can replicate? Are we still measuring the right things? Is generative AI a disruptor or assistant? At first, many educators saw generative AI as a threat. Students could use it to write papers, solve problems or generate code. The fear was clear: if a student can outsource their work to AI, how do we know what they actually know? However, that framing misses a bigger point. Generative AI is not just a workaround but is also becoming an essential part of how people work and think. In the real world, professionals are increasingly expected to know how to use AI tools to be more effective. The skill is no longer just in producing something from scratch; it is in prompting, refining, curating and building on what AI can provide. This shift forces us to ask a deeper question: Are we assessing what matters for the future? Let us rethink what we measure. If students are going to enter a world where collaboration It involves not only mental toughness but also emotional flexibility – the capacity to recover from setbacks and keep moving forward. At its core, resilience is the psychological strength to stay balanced during times of change or hardship. When people hear about the many traumas I’ve experienced – from childhood into adulthood – their jaws drop. They shake their heads in amazement and say things like: “Wow, you’re so strong” or “You must be incredibly resilient.” What they don’t see is the internal struggle. I remember thinking: “I don’t want to be strong! I want to fall apart. I want someone to save me, to hold me up.” There were moments when I could not get out of bed or felt like giving up. Somehow, I managed to keep going – taking one step at a time. It was a mix of sheer determination and hours spent listening to motivational talks on my device that helped keep me focused and moving forward. When I began my journey of self-development, it opened the door to counselling and various forms of therapy. Whenever I was working and had some

0 Critical thinking: Can students evaluate the quality of AI-generated content? Can they spot bias, fact-check or improve upon what AI provides? 0 Prompt engineering: Do they know how to interact with AI tools effectively? Can they give clear, targeted instructions to get the results they need? 0 Creativity and originality: Are students able to generate unique ideas, perspectives or projects that go beyond what AI could produce alone? 0 Ethical use of AI: Do students understand when and how it is appropriate to use AI? Are they aware of issues like plagiarism, data privacy and responsible sourcing? 0 Process over product: Can students reflect on how they approached a task, what decisions they made and why, rather than just showing the final outcome? These are not easy things to measure but they are increasingly important. The goal of assessment should be to support learning, not just to sort or rank students. And that means shifting from a model of surveillance and gatekeeping to one of guidance and growth. So, what does this look like in practice? One approach is process-based assessment. Rather than grading just the final essay or code, educators can ask students to document their journey – what prompts they tried with AI, what worked and what did not, how they revised and improved the output. This turns assessment into a learning experience itself. Another strategy is collaborative assessment. Since real-world work is often team-based (and now, AI-assisted), we can create tasks where students work together with each other and with AI tools to tackle complex, open-ended problems. Think design challenges, simulations or multimedia storytelling. Then, there is oral and reflective assessments. Having students explain their work, their thinking and how they used AI in the process can be incredibly revealing. It also reduces the temptation to cheat because it is hard to fake genuine One day, an elderly relative remarked: “With all the money you’ve spent on therapy and courses here and overseas, you could have bought a house by now!” I gasped, put my hand to my mouth in mock shock and replied: “Oh my God, you’re right! And in that house I would have bought – if I had not spent the money on therapy – you would have walked in and found me hanging.” She did not take that comment well but it was the truth, stark as it may have been. I discovered what real resilience is after taking the Somatic Experiencing course 12 years ago. To truly grasp resilience at its core, we need to take a closer look at the nervous system. The foundation of genuine resilience is not rooted in positive thinking mantras or in telling ourselves to “just get over it”. True resilience lives in the nervous system – that intricate, biological network that governs how we respond to stress, danger and life’s inevitable challenges. What I have learned is that true resilience is not about gritting your teeth through hardship. It is about developing a nervous system that

Some institutions are exploring AI-inclusive assessments, where students are encouraged (or required) to use AI tools as part of the task. The focus then becomes not whether they used AI but how skilfully and ethically they did so. – REUTERSPIC

relevant ways to understand what students are learning and how they are growing. We are at a crossroads. We can adhere to outdated methods and try to police our way through the AI era or we can reimagine assessment to align with the world students are living in. That means embracing complexity, encouraging creativity and recognising that learning is more than just producing answers; it is about asking better questions, making thoughtful choices and becoming adaptable, ethical thinkers. And that is something no AI can do for us. Dr Manjit Singh Sidhu is a professor at the College of Computing and Informatics, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, fellow of the British Computer Society, chartered IT professional, fellow of the Malaysian Scientific Association, senior IEEE member and professional technologist with MBOT Malaysia. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com mechanisms that once served us well. The work I have done has not made me impervious to pain – that is not the goal. Instead, it has given me the capacity to feel without becoming overwhelmed and to process difficult experiences rather than just pushing through them. My recovery time has shortened dramatically. What once may have derailed me for weeks now may take only hours or days to integrate. This is the true resilience worth cultivating – not the ability to endure endless suffering but the capacity to feel, process and return to equilibrium. It is available to all of us when we turn our attention to healing the very system that is designed to protect us. We should explore practices that regulate our nervous system. This knowledge can transform how you respond to life’s challenges without relying on medication or numbing behaviours when stress hits. Understanding this biological foundation of resilience may be the most empowering investment you can make towards your well-being. Nahlana T. Kreshnan is a somatic psychotherapist and life and executive coach. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

understanding in a conversation. Some institutions are even exploring AI inclusive assessments, where students are encouraged (or required) to use AI tools as part of the task. The focus then becomes not whether they used AI but how skilfully and ethically they did so. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by these changes but the human role in education is not going away; it is becoming more vital. Teachers are no longer just content experts; they are coaches, facilitators and curators of meaningful learning experiences. That means designing assessments that are hard to cheat on not because they are surveillance-heavy but because they are deeply authentic. It means building trust with students and encouraging a culture of curiosity, integrity and reflection. And it means modelling thoughtful and ethical use of AI ourselves. Yes, generative AI is changing education but it does not have to undermine it. If we lean into the opportunity, we can create richer, more When our nervous system is well-regulated, we are less likely to be triggered by everyday stressors, and when we are, we are able to return to balance more quickly. This kind of neurobiological resilience is not something we are simply born with – it can be cultivated. Through practices like Somatic Experiencing, we can learn to recognise our activation patterns – the physical sensations that signal our nervous system when it is becoming dysregulated. Over time, we develop the capacity to stay present with discomfort rather than shutting down or spiralling out. For years, I mistook endurance for resilience. I could weather almost anything but at tremendous cost. My nervous system was perpetually on high alert – scanning for danger and bracing for the next blow. What appeared as strength on the outside was, in reality, a state of chronic physiological stress. Real resilience means building a relationship with our body’s signals. It means recognising when we are sliding into fight-flight-freeze responses and having the tools to guide ourselves back to safety. It means understanding that our reactions are not character flaws but protective

True resilience: Learning to feel without breaking RESILIENCE is the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant stress. income, I poured my resources into seminars, retreats, courses, self-help books, CDs and workshops. can navigate the storms without becoming overwhelmed.