Will AI make tests and exams more inclusive?Tests and exams are sometimes criticised as being written by the majority and being biased against some minorities. With assessments a gateway to life chances in education and work, it’s crucial they are designed for everyone. This article explores whether AI will improve diversity and inclusivity or worsen it.TESTS AND EXAMS NEED TO WORK FOR EVERYONEIn an ideal world, every learner should be able to use their exam results to showcase their skills and help them reach life goals in education and the workplace.In the real world, many learners do leverage exam results to obtain education or work opportunities. The difficulty is that some learners struggle to demonstrate their competence in tests and exams.There is increasing understanding that in the past tests were often created by the “majority” or from a mainstream view, without taking into account minority needs. For example, making the exam fair and inclusive to people such as non-native speakers, those with accessibility challenges and those coming from different cultures and demographics was not always a priority.According to the 2021 census, around 91% of people in England have English as their main language, but this means that around 9% speak another language. Despite this, almost all tests and exams in England (across different sectors and areas) are presented in English with little accommodation or support for non-English speakers. So, unless speaking and writing good English is part of the construct being tested, non-native speakers are likely disadvantaged.There can also be cultural or demographic bias within exams. A widely reported recent example was when a UK GCSE German exam asked students to describe the advantages and disadvantages of a skiing holiday. Of course, the issue with this question is that less affluent students will be less familiar with skiing than those from families who can afford holidays abroad.A GLOBAL CHALLENGETests needing to be more inclusive is not just a UK issue, it is a challenge globally. In the US, for example, there is controversy around college and other admissions exams favouring the children of more affluent families. US universities and colleges are increasingly becoming “test-optional”, where you can take an admissions test but do not need to.Internationally and in the UK, there is a lot of movement in this area. In 2022, Ofqual, the English exam regulator, published some excellent guidance on making assessments accessible for students. When I am talking to international colleagues about good practice in making assessments inclusive, I often share Ofqual’s world-leading guidance. .However, despite the wealth of good information on inclusivity, there are still significant challenges for many test takers. Simply put, tests and exams need to be fairer and more inclusive. And until they are, some people are going to miss out on life opportunities.WHAT ABOUT AI?As we all know, AI is rapidly changing the landscape of learning and assessment. We are at the very beginning of the AI revolution and already there are huge impacts. Could this help with inclusivity and diversity efforts?AI is already being used to create questions. For example, my company Learnosity has produced a tool called Author Aide , which allows generative AI to be used to increase the productivity of item writers. And many other assessment organisations are starting to use AI to write questions or help increase the size of item banks.Of course, AI can also be used by students to subvert tests and exams. Generative AI like ChatGPT can be used to write take-home essays or even to answer multiple choice and other objective questions.That said, there are two sides to the AI coin. For example, AI is also being used to try to detect cheating via programs like automated remote proctoring systems.It’s also being used to attempt (not always successfully) to identify whether essay text written for an exam has been written by a...
