Recent rhetoric around assessing student learning, like much of the world’s discourse, has been highly polarised with binary arguments adopted. Students are either all treated like cheats by default, or afforded trust; assessment is seen as either flexible and adaptive, or having academic integrity; assessment is either online or all in person; students must either have an official accommodation, or no choice and agency; assessment is either of learning, or for learning; either all exams are proctored, or we will not offer any online courses. The list goes on, but what is usually missing from the conversation is recognition of the messiness of the human condition, nuance, and what is best for the students involved. Additionally, scholars of assessment will also argue that there is far too rarely any discussion or understanding of the properties of reliability and validity of the assessment strategies chosen, and that the term ‘academic integrity’ is often used when what is meant is ‘assessment security.’ Without an understanding of these fundamental elements of assessment, assessment strategies are rarely able to meet their goals.

This workshop will address some of the basic principles of assessment, before exploring notions of inclusivity and exclusion in assessment practice. We will consider the powerful emerging and constantly evolving digital contexts that must shape not only our practice as educators, but also be recognised as the reality of the society our students will help to shape beyond our institutional walls. The rich diversity of learners that are now enrolled in higher education also means that we have a moral obligation to provide conditions that allow them to accurately demonstrate their skills, knowledge and abilities, rather than attributing under-performance to that same diversity. Similarly, students who perform well are often treated with suspicion and penalised by having their grades reduced to meet an arbitrary and unfounded grading curve that decouples student achievement against learning outcomes from the grade they receive. Rarely, it seems, do we question the reliability or validity of the assessment itself, positioning results instead as a problem of the student. Using principles of inclusive design and social justice can transform assessment practice, centering equity and ensuring that both the process and outcomes of assessment are fair and just.

Such is the speed of change that if I were to offer this session even 8 or 9 months ago, this workshop would have had a very different title. Let me say from the off, I am not in the King Canute school of thought regarding AI. The reality is that we now live in an era that has hitherto unimaginable technological possibilities and it is foolish to try and think or act otherwise. I am especially mindful that given the rate of change, this workshop is intended to be a shared space for discussion and peer sharing of existing practice and suggestions for future practice. We will discuss alternative assessment approaches, as well as some of the opportunities and considerations for incorporating AI in assessment and explore some successful case studies of alternative assessments. Participants are encouraged to bring along an existing assessment they have or plan to use, and we aim to collaboratively redesign it using alternative formats.

This workshops draws on my work as an educator, a researcher and a member of the board of ePortfolio Ireland. The workshop is intended to be a dynamic and hands-on event designed to encourage faculty to consider how to integrate various forms of ePortfolios into their teaching practices for both summative and formative assessments. Through interactive discussions, practical demonstrations, and collaborative activities, participants will discover different ways to leverage ePortfolios as versatile tools for enhancing student learning, engagement, and assessment outcomes. As with all my sessions, I am wary of portraying myself as a seer; I am merely a conduit to share some practical ideas, but also to encourage the sharing of the attendee's practice and insights. The aim is that by the end of the workshop, we will have a more developed understanding of how better to use ePortfolios to facilitate both summative assessments for evaluation and formative assessments for student growth, leading to more engaging, reflective, and effective learning experiences.