Section 1

Executive Summary

Key findings from 2024–2025 research across AI-resilient assessment, pedagogy, and institutional policy in higher education.

Key Finding: The global consensus has shifted from "detect and punish" to "design for integrity." Every major quality assurance body (JISC, QAA, TEQSA, QM, QLT) now emphasizes that assessment redesign — not AI detection tools — is the sustainable path forward.

Design over Detection

Redesign assessments rather than relying on AI detectors.

Transparency is Non-Negotiable

Students need clear, assignment-level AI use policies.

Process over Product

Assess the learning journey, not just the final output.

Authenticity is the Strongest Defense

Local, personal, real-world tasks resist AI.

Oral + Multimodal = Resilience

Pair written work with live defense or video components.

AI Literacy as a Learning Outcome

Teach critical AI use as a professional skill.

Equity Must Be Centered

Address access disparities and detection bias at every level.

This report synthesizes research across three dimensions: AI-Resilient Assessment Frameworks, Practical Activity Designs & Pedagogical Models, and Institutional Policies & Quality Assurance. Use the sidebar to navigate each section.
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Section 2

AI-Resilient Assessment Frameworks

Seven frameworks and taxonomies for redesigning assessments to work with — or resist — generative AI.

Perkins, Roe, Postma, McGaughran, Hickerson — British University Vietnam (2024)

A five-level scale replacing binary "AI allowed/banned" with granular guidance. Annotate every syllabus with AIAS levels per assignment.

1

No AI

Complete the task entirely without AI tools.

2

AI-Assisted Ideation

AI for brainstorming/outlining only; all writing is human.

3

AI-Assisted Editing

AI for grammar, paraphrasing of human-produced work.

4

AI Co-creation

AI as collaborative partner; human direction + critical evaluation required.

5

Full AI Integration

Focus shifts to evaluating prompt design, output evaluation, and curation.

Danny Liu et al. — University of Sydney (2024)

Four design principles for evaluating and redesigning any assessment.

PrincipleKey Question
TransparencyAre AI expectations explicit and documented?
AgencyDoes the assessment give students meaningful choices about AI use?
CapabilityDoes it build enduring human capabilities AI can't replicate?
EquityDoes it avoid disadvantaging students with unequal AI access?

Building on John Biggs — Updated by Phillip Dawson (Deakin/CRADLE) (2023–2025)

Adds a fourth alignment dimension to Biggs' classic model:

  • Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) — rewritten for AI literacy
  • Teaching/Learning Activities — include structured AI practice
  • Assessment Tasks — intentional AI use/non-use aligned to ILOs
  • AI Affordances & Constraints — map what AI can/can't do per ILO
Practical tip: Run every assessment through ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. If all three earn B+, redesign the prompt before the semester starts.
Bloom's LevelAI CapabilityAssessment Implication
RememberExcelsRecall-based assessments are obsolete for measuring learning
UnderstandPerforms wellComprehension checks easily gamed; use oral/proctored formats
ApplyModerateMust contextualize to local/personal/current data
AnalyzeStruggles with nuanceRequire class-specific frameworks, peer data, local cases
EvaluateLacks genuine judgmentRequire personal stance, ethical reasoning, professional context
CreateGenerates but lacks originalityFocus on process documentation + personal integration
Critical insight: "Higher = harder for AI" is NOT perfectly accurate. The key factors are contextual specificity, process visibility, and personal integration.

Situated

Requires specific local context or real-time data.

Process-Visible

Requires documented thinking, drafts, iteration.

Relational

Requires interaction with peers, community, or stakeholders.

Building on Biggs & Collis (1982)

AI is strongest at the Multistructural level. It struggles at:

  • Relational — genuine integration of ideas across contexts
  • Extended Abstract — metacognitive reflection, personal theorizing, transfer to novel contexts
Design implication: Rubrics should explicitly reward relational integration and metacognitive commentary.

Phillip Dawson — CRADLE, Deakin University (2023–2025)

  • The arms race is unwinnable — detection tools will never reliably work
  • Threat model your assessments — systematically identify AI vulnerabilities
  • Layer defenses — process evidence + oral component + authentic tasks
  • Assessment conditions are design variables — supervised vs. unsupervised, timed vs. untimed

Ethan Mollick — Wharton School (2023–2025)

  • "Everyone gets an AI" — design assuming universal access
  • The Jagged Frontier — AI capabilities are uneven; target the gaps
  • Instructors must use AI themselves before designing assessments

AI Banned

No AI use permitted at any stage.

AI as Tool

AI as a specific, bounded utility.

AI as Collaborator

Human-AI co-creation with reflection.

AI as Focus

Critical evaluation of AI IS the objective.

oneusefulthing.org

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Section 3

Practical Activity Designs & Pedagogical Models

Concrete models and redesigned assignment examples across disciplines.

AI as Tutor

Explanations, Socratic dialogue.

AI as Tool

Brainstorming, data analysis, drafting.

AI as Subject of Study

Examining outputs, biases, limitations.

AI as Collaborator

Co-creation with critical reflection.

  • Mentor Guided, ongoing feedback.
  • Tutor Direct instruction with Socratic questioning.
  • Coach Metacognitive reflection prompts.
  • Teammate Shared task collaboration.
  • Student ⭐ Student teaches the AI — triggers elaborative interrogation.
  • Simulator Scenario-based learning environments.
  • Tool Specific technical tasks under student direction.
Power move: "AI as Student" is especially effective — explaining concepts to the AI is a proven deep-learning strategy.

The "Visible Process" Portfolio

  • Timestamped iterative drafts showing progression
  • Reflective metacognitive essays at each stage
  • AI interaction logs annotated with reasoning
  • Grading weight: 50–70% process, 30–50% product

Oral Defense / Viva Voce

  • 5–10 minute structured conversations about submitted work
  • "Walk me through" protocols targeting specific passages
  • Video-recorded explanations for scalability

The "Unfolding Case" Model

Problem revealed in stages over time. Decisions required at each stage, justified IN CLASS. AI cannot help because information is released in real-time.

DIEP Reflective Journal

  • Describe — What did I do? Did I use AI?
  • Interpret — What did I learn? How did AI help/hinder?
  • Evaluate — Was AI output accurate? What did I correct?
  • Plan — What will I do differently?
PrincipleLow Authenticity (AI-vulnerable)High Authenticity (AI-resilient)
LocalGeneric/decontextualizedLocally situated, student-collected data
LivedNo personal connectionRequires personal experience/reflection
LiveUnlimited, asynchronousSynchronous, staged, real-time

AI-Excluded

Supervised exams, handwritten work, live performances.

AI-Resistant

Process-heavy, personalized, original data tasks.

AI-Inclusive

AI use permitted, scaffolded, documented, critically evaluated.

AI-Integrated

Learning to use AI effectively IS the objective.

Recommendation: Use a mix across this spectrum in every course.
TraditionalAI-Era Redesign
5-page argumentative essay"AI Audit" Essay — Generate AI essay, write critical analysis of its weaknesses
"Dialogue with AI" — Multi-turn conversation + reflective essay on what AI missed
Situated Personal Narrative + Analysis — Personal experience analyzed through theory
Iterative Peer Review Workshop — Full draft cycle documented and assessed
TraditionalAI-Era Redesign
Problem sets, lab reports"AI as Lab Partner" — Evaluate AI's experimental design, identify 3+ flaws
Error Analysis — Find and correct subtle errors in AI-generated solutions
Data Storytelling with Original Data — Student-collected data + interpretation focus
Code Review + Refactoring — Review AI code for efficiency, security, edge cases
TraditionalAI-Era Redesign
Research paperOriginal Fieldwork — Interviews, ethnography in student's own community
Policy Brief for Local Issue — Local data + stakeholder interviews
"AI Bias Audit" — Systematically examine AI outputs for cultural bias
Simulation/Role-Play — Real-time decisions drawing on disciplinary knowledge
TraditionalAI-Era Redesign
Art history essayCuratorial Project — Select works, write wall text, justify choices
"Human vs. AI" Creative Workshop — Create alongside AI, write critical comparison
Site-Specific Art Response — Visit location, create response engaging with place
Annotated Creative Process Portfolio — Document every stage with reflective commentary
  • AI Foundations — what AI is, how it works, capabilities/limitations
  • AI Ethics & Social Impact — bias, fairness, privacy, environmental costs
  • AI Application — using AI tools effectively for learning and work
  • AI Evaluation — critically assessing outputs for accuracy and bias
  • AI and Human Agency — knowing when to use/not use AI

17 competencies across 5 themes: What is AI? · What can AI do? · How does AI work? · How should AI be used? · How do people perceive AI?

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Section 4

Institutional Policies & Quality Assurance

Positions from major quality assurance bodies, integrity frameworks, equity considerations, and competency-based education.

OrganizationKey Position
CSU SystemThree-tier approach (system → campus → course); QLT supplemental guidance for AI
UC SystemPedagogy over policing; faculty autonomy; no blanket AI bans
ACM/IEEEAssess process not product; AI as collaborator; mirror professional practice
AAC&UVALUE Rubrics are inherently AI-resilient; High-Impact Practices resist AI
TEQSA (Australia)Landmark "Assessment Reform for AI Age" — design spectrum: AI-proof → AI-resistant → AI-inclusive
QAA (UK)Assessment design first; student partnership; diversified methods
ICAIGraduated AI use policies; educate over sanction; detection tools as one data point only
UNESCOHuman agency; ethical use; inclusive design; critical AI literacy

CSU QLT (Quality Learning and Teaching)

  • Section 2 (Assessment): Must specify permitted/prohibited AI use
  • Section 6 (Technology): AI tools under instructional technology umbrella
  • Proposed AI Supplement: Explicit AI policies, AI-resilient design, critical AI evaluation

Quality Matters (QM) — 7th Edition

  • Standard 3: Assessment instructions must specify AI policies
  • Standard 5: Activities must state AI permission level
  • Standard 6: AI tools must be accessible with instructions
  • QM recommends AI Use Spectrum Statements in syllabi (Levels 0–4)

OLC Quality Scorecard

  • Assessment integrity by design
  • AI literacy as institutional competency
  • Ethical learning analytics with AI

Old Model

Detect AI use → Punish

New Model

Design assessments where AI use is either: (a) irrelevant, (b) impractical, or (c) the actual learning objective.

FindingEvidence
Detection should NOT be sole evidenceICAI, TEQSA, QAA, most researchers
High false positives for non-native English writersLiang et al. 2023; Columbia/Stanford research
Paraphrasing defeats detectionMultiple studies
Mixed human-AI text is unreliable to detectIndustry consensus
Detection is a losing long-term strategyDawson, Perkins, and others
StrategyAI Resilience
Oral assessments / vivasVery High
Process portfoliosHigh
Personalized/contextualized tasksHigh
In-class supervised workVery High
Multimodal assessmentsHigh
Scaffolded multi-stage submissionsHigh
AI-inclusive with critical analysisModerate–High
Collaborative/team assessmentsModerate–High
Why CBE works: It requires demonstration of mastery through performance, not just product submission.

Lumina DQP

Emphasis on applied/collaborative learning.

WGU Model

Performance-based assessment by expert evaluators.

C-BEN Framework

Assessments must measure human capability, not just output.

NACE Career Readiness

8 competencies assessed through experiential demonstration.

Open Badges / Micro-credentials

Tied to demonstrated skills.

IssueImplication
Digital dividePremium AI tools cost money; institutions should provide equitable access
Detection biasAI detectors disproportionately flag non-native English speakers
AI tool biasAI outputs embed training data biases; teach critical evaluation
Faculty workloadAssessment redesign burden falls disproportionately on contingent faculty
Student privacyFERPA implications of student work in third-party AI platforms
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Section 5

Cross-Cutting Themes & Consensus Principles

Seven principles emerging across ALL frameworks, organizations, and researchers.

These principles represent the intersection of multiple independent research streams, quality assurance bodies, and practitioner communities. Confidence in these is high.
1

Design Over Detection

Assessment redesign is more effective AND more equitable than AI detection. Detection tools fail technically and disproportionately harm non-native English speakers.

2

Transparency and Explicitness

Every assignment needs clear, specific AI use expectations. Use scales like AIAS to give students a shared vocabulary and remove ambiguity.

3

Process Over Product

The most AI-resilient assessments require evidence of the learning journey: drafts, reflections, iteration logs, and oral defense.

4

Authenticity is the Strongest Defense

Local, personal, real-world, and embodied tasks are inherently harder to outsource. Situated + process-visible + relational = the AI-resilience layer.

5

Oral + Multimodal = Resilience

Pairing written work with oral defense, video, or live demonstration significantly increases integrity without requiring AI detection.

6

AI Literacy as a Learning Outcome

Critical, ethical AI use is an emerging graduate competency across all disciplines. Build it into your course outcomes explicitly.

7

Equity Must Be Centered

Address access disparities, detection bias, and faculty workload inequity at the institutional level. Equity is not an add-on — it's a design principle.

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Section 6

Quick-Reference: Frameworks at a Glance

All 15 frameworks summarized in one table for fast lookup.

FrameworkAuthor / OrgTypeBest For
AI Assessment Scale (AIAS)Perkins et al.5-level scaleSyllabus annotation, policy clarity
TACE FrameworkLiu / U. SydneyDesign principlesAssessment review and redesign
Constructive Alignment 2.0Biggs / DawsonAlignment modelCurriculum-level redesign
Bloom's + AI MappingVariousTaxonomy updateIndividual assignment design
SOLO + AIBiggs & CollisTaxonomyRubric design, outcomes writing
Defence in DepthDawson / CRADLESecurity modelAssessment security audits
Jagged FrontierMollick / WhartonPractical pedagogyFaculty development
Local / Lived / LiveVariousDesign heuristicQuick assignment redesign
Process PortfolioEaton et al.Assessment methodWritten assignments
AI as InterlocutorFurze, MollickAssessment designAdvanced/capstone courses
Harvard AI PedagogyHarvard metaLABActivity databaseCross-disciplinary activities
7 AI RolesMollick & MollickPedagogical modelClassroom AI integration
UNESCO AI CompetencyUNESCOLiteracy frameworkProgram-level AI literacy
TEQSA Assessment ReformTEQSA (Australia)Policy frameworkInstitutional assessment policy
VALUE RubricsAAC&UCompetency rubricsAuthentic, developmental assessment
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Section 7

Recommended Next Steps

Prioritized actions for immediate use, course redesign, and institutional/program level.

1

Adopt AIAS

Tag every assignment with an AI Assessment Scale level. Gives students clarity and builds shared vocabulary.

2

Apply the "Local, Lived, Live" Test

Audit existing assignments against these three qualities. Any that fail all three need redesign.

3

Add Oral Components

Pair major written assignments with 5–10 minute structured conversations. Dramatically increases integrity with minimal grading burden.

4

Stress-Test Your Prompts

Run every assessment through AI before assigning it. If it earns a B+, redesign before the semester starts.

5

Use TACE as a Design Checklist

Review each assessment through all four lenses: Transparency, Agency, Capability, Equity.

6

Implement Process Portfolios

Shift grading weight toward documented process (50–70%). Timestamped drafts + reflections + AI logs.

7

Create an AI Use Spectrum Statement

Add to every syllabus — specify AI permissions per assignment using AIAS levels 0–5.

8

Design at Least One "AI as Interlocutor" Assignment

An assignment where critical evaluation of AI IS the objective. Builds AI literacy as a graduate competency.

9

Extend QLT Reviews with AI-Specific Criteria

Add supplemental AI criteria to existing QLT course review processes.

10

Add "AI Resilience Level" to Alignment Matrices

Include as a column in program-level outcomes alignment documentation.

11

Invest in Faculty Development

Educators must use AI themselves before they can design for it.

12

Ensure Equitable AI Access

Institutional licenses so no student is disadvantaged by inability to pay for premium access.

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Section 8

Key Resources & URLs

Essential links for further reading, tools, and implementation guides.

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