Ahmedabad: Earlier this year, a group of students for BSc (forensic science) at the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar was given a substance and were asked to identify it using chemical analysis. They were also asked to explain its relevance if found from a crime scene. It was part of their internal assessment.“At the time when AI can generate entire theses with a few prompts, for the universities it is important to ensure that the marks or assessments reflect the brilliance of a student and differentiate between a good student and a student who seems good on paper thanks to AI. Thus, what was earlier a term-end paper has now taken the shape of a practical exam for internal assessment ,” said Prof SO Junare, director of the Gandhinagar campus of NFSU.The advent of AI for the past couple of years has been both a boon and a bane for academia – while it comes in handy for quick summaries of academic papers or in-depth analysis of very complex datasets, it also ushered in a flood of AI-generated content that the professors have to wade through to find the substance in projects for internal assessment.Thus, the premier educational institutes based in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar are emphasising more and more on classroom-based projects, viva voce and continuous internal evaluation (CIE) to evade the AI trap.For example, at Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), engineering students are evaluated through prototype development and design demonstrations, science students through laboratory experiments and research presentations, and management students through case-based discussions and real-world problem-solving exercises.“Regular quizzes, project reviews and faculty interactions further ensure continuous assessment of students ‘ progress and individual learning. While we acknowledge the transformative role of AI in learning, research and skill development, use of AI-generated content in academic submissions is not permitted. We use specialised software to screen all submissions for plagiarism and originality ,” said Prof Anirbid Sircar, director of the School of Technology (SoT), PDEU.Prof Mona Mehta, associate dean (Arts), School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University, said, “By turning to more in-class assignments, what we have gained is the assurance that this is the students ‘ own work. What we have lost is the experience students once had of wrestling with ideas through their take-home essays and assignments .”At Ahmedabad University, the instructors are designing assessments that require students to explain how they arrived at an answer, how they reasoned through a problem, and how they engaged with the material, said officials.
