A project completed with tools: what should be assessed?

The options

The order shown is not a ranking of preference.

1. Option 1

   Evaluate with tool-free assignments

   Directly checks basic performance but looks less at field tool use and collaboration skills.

2. Option 2

   Require disclosure of the process and oral verification

   Sees the judgment process but increases the record-keeping burden and the cost of evaluation staff.

3. Option 3

   Evaluate mainly on real deliverables

   Sees the ability to produce real deliverables but makes it hard to distinguish personal understanding from outside help.

The situation as it stands

In practice, people use tools, but graduates must check the errors in the output themselves. Decision deadline: within 30 days, before the graduation assignment notice is posted.

2026 synthetic scenario · Recognizing students' use of generative tools as part of their competence. The people, organizations, figures, and events are fictional.

1. Premise 1In practice, people use tools, but graduates must check the errors in the output themselves.
2. Premise 2Records of the process can be kept, but individual record-keeping habits and the performance of the tools people can access differ.
3. Premise 3Evaluation without tools shows independent basic ability but misses part of real collaborative work.

Where it holdsTool use on assignments, oral verification, and evaluation criteria

What is still unknown

1. Unknown 1The essential judgments graduates must make independently
2. Unknown 2Gaps in tool access between individual students
3. Unknown 3The common criteria needed for oral verification

Signals to decide again

• Decide what observation, owner, and confirmation channel will verify the essential judgments graduates must make independently, and reconsider if new evidence changes the tradeoffs among the options.
• Decide what observation, owner, and confirmation channel will verify the gaps in tool access between individual students, and reconsider if new evidence changes the tradeoffs among the options.
• Decide what observation, owner, and confirmation channel will verify the common criteria needed for oral verification, and reconsider if new evidence changes the tradeoffs among the options.