"Watering the Plants, Not Just Building Fences": Rethinking Assessment in the AI Era

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“We might be building a really strong fence around the garden, but neglecting watering the plants.”

That’s how Dr. Vincent Liardi, Global Lead for Industry Engagement & Advocacy at Pearson International, framed the challenge for institutions in the age of AI at the Digital Education Council (DEC) Executive Briefing #018: The Next Era of Assessment.

In conversation with Danny Bielik, President of DEC Dr. Liardi discusses how universities can move beyond policing academic integrity and embrace assessment as a tool for cultivating human potential.

Looking Beyond Academic Integrity

Much of the conversation around AI in assessment has focused on preventing cheating. For Dr. Liardi, that’s just one part of a bigger picture. “The question for me is not about academic integrity, but it’s more about how we can thrive in an AI-augmented world.”

He urged universities to look beyond simply preventing misconduct and to redesign assessment as a way to foster the capabilities that matter most in an AI-driven society.

Equity and the New AI Divide

Dr. Liardi raised concerns about equity and access, noting that not all students will benefit equally from advances in AI.

“And so I worry, with this AI transformation and proliferation, there could be sort of a rebound effect or another effect on that, in terms of disparity of access.” 

He stressed the need to integrate AI thoughtfully, ensuring students are not left behind while still providing all learners with opportunities to develop essential new skills.

Personalised Feedback and the Shift to Mentorship

But it is not just about access, Dr. Liardi pointed to personalised feedback as AI’s real value in assessment: “Something Pearson's really trying to lean in, is leaning into personalised feedback. I think that's the nugget. That's the nut that we can crack, that can really open up, and transform education to another level.”

For Dr. Liardi, this isn’t only about improving grades or efficiency, it is about freeing up educators to do what matters most. “So if I can use AI to kind of help me with some of the other pieces, some of the course design and content creation, then I have more time to be a mentor for a student, and talk about my experiences."

Embracing Diversity in Assessment

Dr. Liardi does not expect a single, uniform approach to assessment in the years ahead. Instead, he sees value in exposing students to a range of assessment types to prepare graduates for a world shaped by AI. 

As he puts it, “My hope is that the [students] are exposed to different ways of assessment, so that they can start to pick up different techniques and different practices to become agile learners.”