Introduction:
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, technological advancements have consistently played a pivotal role in shaping how knowledge is imparted and assessed. The rapid integration of various digital tools and communication networks has revolutionized educational methods and significantly transformed assessment techniques. The unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic further expedited the adoption of technology within education, making digital learning and evaluation indispensable even in less developed regions. Among the various technologies influencing education today, artificial intelligence (AI) stands out as a transformative force, offering innovative solutions for personalized learning and secure online assessments. This article delves into the multifaceted applications of AI in educational evaluations and explores ethical considerations to ensure its responsible use.
Evaluation and the Contemporary World
Educational methods have been influenced by different types of digital content and communication networks, and as a result, assessment methods are also evolving accordingly. Additionally, learner access through internet connectivity has become readily available and easily accessible.
The occurrence of the global COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the alignment with technological advancements in various aspects, especially in education. Even less developed countries were forced to provide learning conditions for a wide range of learners. Alongside the development of tools and hardware, various learning management systems and digital content were produced and made available.
The Emergence of Artificial Intelligence
In recent years, with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the availability of its various applications in different fields, including education, many professions have been affected. On the one hand, the benefits and applications of AI in enhancing the quality of education and school management can be considered, and on the other hand, there is a concern about whether schools and schooling will exist as they used to in their previous conditions in the future.
Read more: Objective Assessment in Education
Application of Artificial Intelligence in Evaluation
The experience of conducting assessments during the COVID-19 period and finding solutions to face various difficulties and challenges led to the creation of different ideas for secure online exams. With the development of AI usage, the realization of these ideas and their availability to the general public were accelerated. Generally, the application of AI in evaluation can be examined from the following aspects:
Question Design
Significant capabilities have been provided in the design of exam questions enabling users to generate fresh questions for the desired topics in various formats such as descriptive, true/false, multiple choice, etc., along with correct answers, using related tools. AI Exam Generation Tools allow users to produce questions with different difficulty levels suited to their needs.
Question Presentation
After designing the questions using AI, these tools provide capabilities for better presentation to the audience, including presenting at a specific time or to particular individuals or groups, making the space interactive for the audience, converting text questions to voice, using enjoyable formats such as games or fun activities, and designing the appearance of generated questions to be more attractive.
Read more: Subjective Assessment in Education
Personalization
One of the important capabilities of using AI is personalizing questions and their difficulty levels based on diagnosing user abilities. Based on how users respond to evaluation questions or previous assignments and by reviewing their history, suitable questions can be provided specifically for each individual.
Continuous Assessment
With the recording of each individual's evaluation history, it becomes possible to display their learning path and progress on the desired subjects, enabling conditions for continuous assessment. In fact, all these stages are created automatically by the machine, and the teacher can monitor the class and each student's status through a report dashboard.
Providing Feedback
In addition to speeding up the correction of exams and their analysis, AI can automatically provide feedback to individuals based on their continuous evaluation response history. This feedback can suggest the appropriate learning path for each individual and even offer and customize suitable content for each person. Additionally, it allows for more accurate and automatic grading by the teacher based on each student's individual conditions, progress, and improvement, essentially serving as an assistant to the teacher.
Security in Conducting Evaluations
One of the challenges in conducting online exams, particularly during the COVID-19 period when such exams were inevitable, was maintaining exam security and preventing cheating. Various methods were examined and tested at that time. Currently, AI-based tools can monitor this process more accurately. These capabilities include:
- Identity Verification: One solution is facial recognition or fingerprint scanning using touch tools before starting the evaluation.
- Test-Taker Behavior: During the exam, eye movements, screen touches, and voice recognition are monitored to prevent cheating, such as talking with others or viewing other media around the test-taker. In case of any issues, the AI tool can trigger an alert.
- Reporting: Based on monitoring conducted during the exam, the test-taker's behavior, activities performed on the screen, and events that occurred are analyzed and, processed and provided for each individual.
Ethical Considerations
Despite all the advantages and applications of AI in designing evaluations, grading, analyzing results, providing automatic feedback, and personalization, the following ethical considerations must be taken into account to ensure better use of these capabilities:
Protecting Personal Information
Assessment platforms should be designed so that access to individuals' personal information, including their academic evaluation results, is strictly available only to authorized individuals.
System Errors
Considering that AI reveals its capabilities through executing complex algorithms, it is always necessary to be cautious about systemic and algorithmic errors and to predict ways to minimize these errors, including re-evaluations.
Transparency
Schools must be transparent with students and their parents regarding the types, approaches, and frequency AI is used. They should accurately specify which tools are used in the evaluation or teaching processes and encourage their users to use them appropriately. Creating a guide for the correct use of AI can remind students of their responsibilities.
AI and DoExam
DoExam is a complete exam center platform with significant features in using AI for question design and receiving correct answers related to the desired learning goal. By entering the desired educational topic, DoExam users can receive questions generated by AI connected to the software and answer sheets, add them to the question bank, and select them for designing the desired exam.
The unique feature of this process is the automatic conversion of AI-generated questions and answers into the software's desired format, eliminating the need for user editing. Moreover, it enables the analysis of scores and recording of each individual's results, allowing the teacher to continuously assess students and personalize conditions.
Conclusion:
The integration of AI in educational evaluations heralds a new era of personalized learning, continuous assessment, and enhanced security in online exams. From designing tailored questions to providing real-time feedback and maintaining academic integrity, AI significantly enhances the evaluation process. However, with the myriad benefits come crucial ethical considerations related to data privacy, system errors, and transparency. As AI continues to evolve, its responsible deployment in education will be paramount to ensure that it serves as a valuable tool for educators while safeguarding the interests and privacy of students.
One exemplary application of AI in this domain is the DoExam platform. DoExam utilizes cutting-edge AI technology to streamline every step of the evaluation process. It offers features such as AI-powered question design, automatic conversion of generated questions into the desired format, and comprehensive analysis of student performance. This platform enables educators to continuously assess and personalize learning conditions, ultimately enhancing the quality of education. By providing detailed insights into each student's progress, DoExam acts as an indispensable assistant for teachers, allowing them to focus more on teaching and less on administrative tasks.
The future of education lies in striking a balance between leveraging technological advancements and upholding ethical standards, paving the way for a more effective and inclusive learning environment. Platforms like DoExam exemplify how AI can be responsibly and effectively integrated into educational evaluations, ensuring a brighter and more adaptable future for both educators and students.