1 - 1:50 p.m. (12:30 - 1:20 p.m. ADT)

Authentic Pedagogy and Assessment

AI and Online Assessment and Evaluations and Best Practices

A working group of professors teaching at an online campus created a Community of Practice to address the impact of evaluating and assessing student work given the rise in the number of students using GenAI to complete assignments. The significance of this work was to develop a list of best practices to address this issue that could be easily implemented into current evaluation and assessment practices and look to future practices as they evolve in the reform of undergraduate STEM education.

The approach involved discussing what were the key elements in trying to evaluate and assess student work that would result in students having to perform and complete assessments with a reduced reliance on GenAI.

The evidence of this work resulted in creating assessments that directed students to complete assignments directly without copying and pasting GenAI created content into the university’s Learning Management System.

This session will focus on some best practices in assessing and evaluating student work in the age of generative artificial intelligence in the online environment. Participants will review several software tools and other strategies that require students to directly engage in course materials, reducing their ability to leverage generative artificial intelligence in providing answers during assessments and evaluations including discussions. Not only will participants see some direct examples of these tools and strategies, but it will also allow them to think about alternate ways to assess and evaluate students in the context of their own digital classrooms.

The expected learning outcomes for the audience are:

1. Analyze ways to best evaluate and assess student work in the age of AI.
2. Identify assessment activities that reduce AI usage.
3. Construct online discussions that reduce AI usage.

Presenter(s): Dr. Trevor Adams, Department of Geography & Environmental Studies

Affiliation: Saint Mary's University

Session Format: Presentation

Making Assessment Meaningful: Rethinking Learning, Process, and Community Connections

In an era where generative AI challenges traditional pedagogies and assessment methods, how do we ensure our teaching remains meaningful and our assessments truly reflect student learning? This panel brings together three educators from diverse disciplines—music and inquiry studies, psychology, and veterinary science—to engage in a candid, conversational exploration of authentic and process-focused assessment for first-year and transitional students. Drawing from practical classroom experience, the panelists will share how curiosity-driven projects, real-world community engagement, and innovative use of AI tools can make assessment both more relevant and more resilient. We will discuss the challenge of defining “authentic assessment,” navigating the loaded nature of educational jargon, and ensuring process takes precedence over mere product—especially when AI can generate answers instantaneously. Panelists will present case studies: from inquiry-based learning scenarios requiring collaboration with community clients, to scalable feedback mechanisms powered by custom-built AI tools in large-enrollment courses, and practices that emphasize student reflection, transferable skills, and lifelong learning over rote memorization. Together, we aim to address core questions: How do we prepare students for uncertainty and ambiguity beyond university walls? What does meaningful assessment look like now, and how can it adapt as technology and learner needs evolve? We invite session participants into a dynamic dialogue, hoping they leave with more questions than answers—and with practical ideas to adapt, adopt, and share in their own teaching. Join us as we explore process, possibility, and purpose in higher education assessment.

Presenter(s): Stacey MacKinnon, Professor, Psychology, Ryan Drew, Instructor & Katy Proudfoot, Professor

Affiliation: University of Prince Edward Island

Session Format: Panel

SoTL and AI-Accelerated Research

AI literacy where it can do the most good: research productivity and the mechanisms of agency

In this session, a team of librarians from the University of New Brunswick will give an overview of the current AI driven search tools available to students (via the library, or individual subscriptions). This will include a brief demonstration of the tool Consensus AI in a secondary research context and a subsequent group conversation on how this affects instruction and best practices on finding, evaluating and using sources. We will conclude by presenting on how the library can support in navigating these conversations with students.

Presenter(s): Catherine Gracey, Open Scholarship ad Copyright Librarian, Marc Bragdon, Head, Harriet Irving Research Commons & David Ross, Head of Hans W. Klohn Library

Affiliation: University of New Brunswick

Session Format: Short Paper (20 Min)

Integrating AI in the Research Journey: Balancing Research Productivity with Ethical Responsibility

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more ubiquitous than ever and its integration into the field of academic research has been growing. This session will explore how AI can boost research productivity that is balanced with our requirement to comply with ethical considerations advocated by the academy and the field.

Presenter(s): Jim Tuff, Educational Developer, CITL

Affiliation: Memorial University

Session Format: Short Paper (20 Min)

Workshop

Adopt, Adapt, or Build?

This session shares Dalhousie University's ongoing work adapting an AI Literacy Framework for educators. Following a brief overview of the emerging framework, participants will explore, critique, and help shape the competencies educators may need for teaching and learning in the age of Generative AI.

Presenter(s): Shakir Hussain, Associate Director of Education Technology & Digital Innovation

Affiliation: Dalhousie University

Session Format: Workshop