Professor Kirstin Krauss Explores the Role of AI in Academic Assessments in a Guest Lecture

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Professor Kirstin Krauss who is currently Chief Digital Innovation Officer, Icano International, delivered a guest lecture around his recent experiment of using ChatGPT to generate a mini dissertation, sparking conversations about the future of education and the need to rethink traditional assessment methods.

Krauss detailed his experiment, in which he prompted ChatGPT to create a 36-page mini dissertation complete with a table of contents, abstract, literature review, and methodology section.

‘I was surprised by how well the tool performed with simple prompts, it generated accurate references and even conducted a thematic analysis. However, there were still limitations - particularly in aligning interview questions with research themes,’ he said.

His findings, which have led to invitations to conduct workshops at universities across the country, underscored both the strengths and challenges of using AI in academic contexts. ‘One area that stood out was the tool’s ability to assist non-native English speakers by correcting language. I found this incredibly useful in making academic writing more accessible but yet the overreliance on the tool can lead to the standardisation of writing styles and a loss of authenticity in ideas,’ he noted.

The discussion also touched on broader concerns about the role of AI in academia. Professor Manoj Maharaj echoed Krauss’s thoughts, emphasising that AI should be seen as a tool to enhance learning, not as a means to deceive. ‘The goal is to focus on learning, not just examining so traditional methods of assessment - centered on exams and rote learning, should and must evolve because if academia only focuses on transferring information it risks losing its core purpose.’

In conclusion, Krauss and Maharaj highlighted the need for a “paradigm shift” in how universities assess student learning, showing the need to explore how AI can be used to complement, rather than compromise, the integrity of academic assessments.

Words: Ayanda Radebe

Photograph: Supplied