90-5 Mitigating Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in online exams

Session: Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals, Part I

Presenting Author:

Author:

Abstract:

With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), administering authentic assessments in some learning environments has become challenging, if not impossible.  Recent exam scores in my asynchronous online classes in Earth Science and Astronomy have risen considerably, while the time needed to take them has decreased.  Further analyses have shown that the percent of the questions that the entire class has answered correctly has dramatically increased, accompanied by a decrease in the number of questions that were challenging (less than 50% of the class answered correctly).  These data are used to indicate the use of AI during exams, despite warnings that AI use is considered plagiarism.

Exam questions where over 90% of the class has answered them correctly have been evaluated and re-written in the last two semesters to deal with this increased AI usage.  Several question types and formats have been identified that appear to minimize the effectiveness of AI use during exams.  Results of these AI minimization techniques will be discussed.

Finally, since this is a problem that affects all of geoscience education, please come ready to offer techniques you have used to counter AI usage in your classes.  Techniques used in asynchronous online classes will be most appreciated.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

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