Leveraging Online Formative Assessments Within the Evolving Landscape of Artificial Intelligence in Education

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize education, the use of AI to complete online assessments poses a considerable challenge to assessment analytics. With a goal to support and improve the assessment process, assessment analytics involves deriving meaningful insights from assessment data related to student knowledge and instructional effectiveness. However, when students utilize machine learning to complete online assessments, the validity of assessment data as an accurate representation of student knowledge diminishes. This chapter explores the strategic use of online formative assessments to both enhance understanding of student knowledge and deter the inappropriate use of AI. While there is always a risk of academic dishonesty, online formative assessments offer a unique avenue for teachers to gather empirical evidence of student engagement, current comprehension, and critical thinking. By adopting the PICS framework for personalized, informal, constructivist, and short online formative assessments, educators can harness assessment analytics to gain valid and valuable insights into student knowledge. This approach facilitates proactive engagement with students who may be grappling with content and tempted to seek assistance from artificial intelligence, fostering meaningful conversations that aim to address learning challenges and promote academic integrity in online education.