Generative AI exposes longstanding flaws in the use of essay assessments in a mass system

Francis, Nigel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4706-4795, Smith, David, Campbell-Karn, Kevin and Rutherford, Stephen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5572-8854 2026. Generative AI exposes longstanding flaws in the use of essay assessments in a mass system. [Online]. WonkHE: WonkHE. Available at: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/generative-ai-exposes-lon...

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Abstract

For centuries, essays were a prompt for dialogue, not a silent test of writing skill. As mass higher education stripped away that conversation, the essay became a hollowed-out assessment, and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has exposed the problem. Rather than trying to defend a broken model, Francis et al. argue it’s time to stop assessing the product and start assessing the process.

Item Type:	Online Content
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Biosciences
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Publisher:	WonkHE
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	8 April 2026
Last Modified:	08 Apr 2026 13:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186148

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