Georgia Institute of Technology: Key Strategies to Elevate Assessment and Learning Through AI

The idea of Artificial Intelligence has been around for more than 70 years but has recently taken center stage in the education space. As AI and Generative AI such as ChatGPT and chatbots become increasingly more accessible, institutional leaders are keen to harness AI’s ability to process learning analytics, individualize learning experiences, and transform assessments. While AI offers significant opportunities to impact teaching and learning, it is not without risks. Plagiarism, loss of critical thinking, increasing the digital divide, and conversations around ethics and integrity are just a few concerns institutions must navigate. 

Samba Diop, Sr. Digital Learning Manager at Georgia Institute of Technology, recently shared how they have embraced artificial intelligence through unique and innovative programs and partnerships without sacrificing academic integrity.

Spread Awareness and Encourage Exploration of AI

Georgia Tech is no stranger to AI’s ability to automate complex tasks, extract insights from data, and interact with users through natural language interfaces. In the spring of 2016, they launched Jill Watson, their first AI teaching assistant through Canvas, their learning management system. Jill Watson is deployed in over 40 online classes with more than 12,000 students. Today, they are developing Jill+, a more scalable tool for teachers and learners powered by ChatGPT. 

To ensure continuous and conscientious institution-wide adoption, they have implemented a three-part strategy for all of their AI initiatives:

  • Strategic collaboration: Boosting their AI capabilities through knowledge-sharing
  • Responsible adoption: Driving adoption through a complete understanding of AI
  • Intentional access to tools: Empowering students, faculty, and staff to leverage AI effectively

This strategy sets the foundation for their work to change the conversation around AI. It is informed by Georgia Tech’s AI Guidelines, set by the Office of Information Technology. The guidelines aim to list all available tools vetted for security, privacy, and accessibility standards and share the privacy and data security implications that should be considered when using these tools. 

AI Training and Pedagogy

The Center for Teaching and Learning has taken a proactive approach to educating faculty on best practices and pedagogy for using AI and implementing it into Universal Design for Learning. They use it to create course content and brainstorm ideas for unique assessments. The recent focus has been on using Generative AI. The Center for Teaching and Learning has provided three strategies for how to use GenAI to boost the learning experience effectively:

  • Instructional Assistant: Leverage GenAI to develop entirely new courses with unique syllabus items, rubrics, and engaging assessments
  • Learning Assistant: Allow students to use GenAI tools like Microsoft Copilot to help with brainstorming and instant feedback on assignments
  • Student Assignments: Use GenAI within assignments so students learn about AI within their discipline

The Center continues to find ways to educate faculty on using AI to create inclusive, culturally responsive learning focused on student well-being and success.

Advance AI through Discovery

The AI Hub at Georgia Tech leads the development of new paths to educate and train the next generation of the AI workforce. Established to advance AI through discovery, interdisciplinary research, responsible deployment, and next-generation education, it has seen over 500 AI researchers and hundreds of students studying AI.

Establish Partnerships in AI

The AI Makerspace gives students access to computing resources typically available only to researchers or technology companies. Established in collaboration with NVIDIA, this innovative sandbox aims to:

  • Prepare students to be the new generation of AI professionals
  • Help students understand and use artificial intelligence in the classroom
  • Impart the essential principles of AI to all students

The Future of AI at Georgia Tech

AI is a foundational tool at Georgia Tech that supports new academic and research opportunities, boosts learning experiences, and impacts campus operations. But what does the future look like? Georgia Tech is looking beyond the classroom and identifying ways to use AI to process data analytics in new facets, like student retention. 

Prevent and Deter Improper Use of AI

Georgia Tech is at the forefront of artificial intelligence, and they understand it’s impact on the teaching and learning experience. There are instances where educators are looking to deter and prevent the use of AI to evaluate students’ critical thinking skills and creativity. With over 19,000 undergraduate students and vast online programs, Georgia Tech chose Honorlock to help prevent and deter improper use of AI during assessments.

Honorlock’s innovative online proctoring service combines AI technology with live, human proctors to effectively detect and deter improper use of AI tools and uphold exam integrity. Honorlock can protect against prohibited use of AI, when needed, by:

  • Restricting access to other browsers, extensions (such as Transcript or ChatGPT), and applications so AI tools can’t be used when not allowed
  • Listening for commands that activate voice assistants, such as Siri or Google, which could be used to leverage AI
  • Preventing test takers from pasting pre-copied text from AI tools into exams and assignments
  • Checking the room for unauthorized secondary devices like cell phones
  • Recording desktop screens to identify the use of AI tools

For an in-depth look into their comprehensive AI strategy, watch the full webinar:

Additional Resources on AI

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Finding the Right Remote Proctoring Approach for Professional Education

In today’s rapidly changing Industry 4.0 world, professional education plays an increasingly important role in preparing the workforce for the demands of this next phase of the industrial revolution and providing a pathway to career progression and skill-set advancement. 

To maximise the impact on workforce readiness and opportunities for upskilling, professional education must be flexible, convenient, and affordable. The same holds true for validating the newly acquired skills of candidates.

Shifting from in-person to remote proctoring

Historically, professional education, certification, and licensure programmes have relied on traditional face-to-face proctoring in a brick-and-mortar setting, often in physical testing centres. 

The pandemic prompted the need to experiment with remote proctoring, also called online proctoring, which uses software and/or live remote proctors to:

  • Record and monitor test takers’ behavior
  • Verify identity
  • Protect test content
  • Prevent cheating

Different types of proctoring

There are several different types of remote proctoring, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.​

Browser lockdown software

While this entry-level proctoring software helps prevent access to other browsers and keyboard shortcuts and is relatively cheap, it doesn’t really prevent cheating since test takers can still use their cell phones and other resources during the exam.

AI remote proctoring

Uses artificial intelligence to monitor remote exams, with no human oversight, which can negatively impact the experiences of test takers and exam administrators. For example, when the AI proctoring software uses sound detection (not voice detection) if a test taker sneezes, the AI flags the noise and could even kick them out of the proctored test. 

For sound detection alone, imagine how many unimportant noises (coughing, tapping the desk, dog barking) could be flagged during tests that exam administrators must review afterward. Navigating through a tremendous amount of false flags is the greatest complaint about AI-based proctoring solutions.

Live remote proctoring

A live remote proctor monitors one or more test takers at once. Typically, this format is the most expensive, but not always the most effective as proctors may watch as many as 10 or 12 test takers simultaneously. For test takers, being watched can be distracting and stressful (and creepy).

Additionally, exam scheduling can be challenging for test takers in this format.

Additional live proctoring pitfalls in professional education

Traditionally, professional education programmes relied on live, remote proctors. These providers boast low proctor-to-test taker ratios but ignore their shortcomings, such as low efficacy, inconvenience, rigidity, and high costs.

This preference has resulted in challenges for certification and licensure proctoring, such as failure to launch, exam scheduling and rescheduling issues, and human error.

Failure to launch exams

A quick scan of Reddit or a Google search uncovers many “Failure to Launch” and “Human Error” examples documented in articles and reviews and surfacing within online discussion threads.

We have uncovered horror stories from candidates whose remotely proctored exams failed to initiate and who had trouble reaching support or a timely resolution. Test takers often report that proctors do not show up for the scheduled examination time or disappear after a break, leaving the candidate high and dry. They face the difficulty of rescheduling their exams, bearing the burden of a rescheduling fee, through no fault of their own. 

Human error

When test takers are lucky enough for the proctor to show up and for the exam to launch successfully, certification programs suffer from the limited efficacy of live proctors, who are subject to natural fallibility, which may result in failed accreditation audits, hefty fines, and/or bad press for organizations after the proctors miss violations and fail to protect the integrity of the certification or licensure assessment.

Honorlock’s smarter proctoring approach

The perfect blend of live proctoring & AI

In contrast to other online proctoring services, Honorlock provides the perfect blend of live human proctors augmented by artificial intelligence

Instead of over-relying on our live proctors, Honorlock’s unique best-of-both-worlds approach bolsters their efficacy and responsiveness. Strengthening our live proctors with smart technologies elevates efficacy while reducing costs, resulting in a scalable and highly effective live proctoring solution. 

Our new “Pro Mode” further blends the concept of a live human proctor and AI, creating a unique, symbiotic relationship. This symbiosis makes possible the real-time feedback and real-time intervention, based on human decision-making, that professional education programmes need. 

To follow best practices and meet or exceed the high standards of accrediting bodies, your proctoring solution must recognize and respond to infractions immediately, such as:

  • Having prohibited devices, notes, or tools in the workspace
  • Wearing headphones or a smartwatch when not permitted
  • Moving one’s face out of the frame or looking down at notes 
  • Appearing to have or use a phone

Flawless execution simply isn’t possible with human proctors alone.

On-demand live proctoring & support

Honorlock’s unique approach frees online test takers from the burden of scheduling (and rescheduling) proctored online exams. Our live test proctors and support team are available 24/7/365 so participants can take their exams when and where is most convenient and beneficial for them, without introducing obstacles such as driving, traffic, parking, waiting, or unexpected delays.

Intentionally different proctoring with a truly unique approach

No other remote proctoring service innovates and improves the online assessment experience by leveraging the best of both worlds—humanity combined with the power of our highly trained and responsive AI.

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