Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
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On 15 August 2025, the HERDSA Assessment Quality SIG came together for our first Lightning Round session of the year. It was energising to see colleagues from across institutions engage with the pressing challenges and possibilities shaping assessment today.
Our session highlighted three distinct yet interconnected perspectives. Assoc Prof Anne-Marie Chase and Dr Kelly Galvin (Swinburne University of Technology) opened by sharing their pilot research on the risks of outsourcing to generative AI. Their presentation reminded us of the fine balance between embracing new technologies and safeguarding academic integrity.
Watch their talk at https://youtu.be/2eEDfb4av0M.
Dr Tam Dinh (Monash University Malaysia) followed with an innovative teaching redesign where postgraduate students were invited to critically evaluate, and even challenge, GenAI responses. This provocation sparked lively discussion about how we might help students build evaluative judgement and independence in an age of algorithmic answers.
Watch Tam’s talk at https://youtu.be/AZZmYYCnf54.
Closing the session, Dr Edward Lock (Victoria University, Melbourne) introduced a mapping approach that makes program learning outcomes more visible through their alignment to assessment tasks. His talk reinforced the importance of program-level coherence and demonstrated how curriculum mapping can clarify progression and purpose for both staff and students.
Watch Edward’s talk at https://youtu.be/XqcX8HpsSyo.
Across these talks, a common theme emerged: the need for assessment that is both future-focused and grounded in integrity, transparency, and inclusivity. As one participant noted in the discussion, “the challenge is not only how we respond to change, but how we lead it in ways that serve our students and institutions.”
This Lightning Round was a reminder that while assessment is evolving rapidly, through AI, curriculum shifts, and new approaches to feedback, our collective capacity to learn from one another is what will ultimately shape its future.
Resources, discussion notes, and presentation slides are available on our Padlet:
Access the Padlet here
Join the conversation beyond the event
We’ve launched the new HERDSA Assessment Quality SIG LinkedIn group, open to both members and non-members. This space is designed to connect colleagues, share resources, and continue discussions sparked by our events.