The University of Tasmania is now requiring students to prove what they have learned under supervised conditions, as part of a new standard it wants other universities to adopt in response to AI.
The Assured Assessment Standard, developed with certification body Proudly Human, is being used in all of the university’s courses, the university announced on Tuesday.
Under the standard, universities must set out the learning outcomes for each course. Students must then personally demonstrate every one of those outcomes in a secured, supervised assessment before they can get their degree.
Other assessments can still allow students to use AI, with acknowledgement, to build their skills.
Proudly Human will independently audit universities that adopt the standard and certified institutions can display a certification mark on marketing materials. They will continue to design their own courses and assessments.
Proudly Human say they are similar in spirit to Certified Organic and Fairtrade.
“We believe people have the right to choose human-created work,” their website states.
“When AI masquerades as human and we cannot tell the difference, we are denied that choice. Proudly Human restores it.”
Chairman of Proudly Human Dr Alan Finkel said the joint initiative was “a turning point for higher education”.
“It is unfortunate, but a passing grade is no longer enough to prove a student’s work,” the former Australia’s Chief Scientist said.
Vice-chancellor of UTAS Rufus Black said the university was “focused on keeping the human at the centre and defending the value of a true education in the AI age”.
“The response to AI is a defining moment for universities. We cannot overstate its importance,” he said.
“Proudly Human came to us with the concept of a sector-standard and we have worked with them to design the solution.”
Black said the standard drew on the university’s own frameworks and other practices, including the University of Sydney’s approach.
Australian Tertiary Education Commission chief commissioner Barney Glover said a balance had to be struck.
“We must get on the front foot to ensure our university graduates are genuinely equipped with the skills and competencies for them to succeed in their chosen field,” he said.
A study of more than 8,000 students across four Australian universities, published in June, found more than 80% had used generative AI for study-related tasks. Nearly half used it regularly.
The standard is now open to other universities for adoption and testing.
