Abstract
Post-entry language assessments (PELAs) have been commonly used in the Australian and
New Zealand university contexts to identify students who may require academic language
and literacies support (for review, see Read, 2015). PELAs have been proven to be effective,
valid instruments in achieving their aims. However, several PELAs, such as Bond English
Language Assessment (BELA; Lydster, 2024), often require students to submit a piece of
academic writing and are self-administered by students online. This raises potential academic
integrity concerns, especially given the increasing development and use of Generative AI
(Gen AI) amongst students.
This poster presents two iterations of PELAs created in response to the use of Gen AI, such as Chat GPT, Copilot, and Perplexity, namely BELA-AI and Bond Essay Skills Task (BEST). BELA-AI, a formative assessment item incorporating Gen AI, was developed for the Bachelor of Medicine program. The 60-minute assessment requires students to write an academic essay, generate an essay and, finally, write a brief critical reflection analysing the two essays. BEST, in contrast, is integrated into the core subject, Critical Thinking & Communication and requires students to write an academic essay with reference to at least one of two prompts on a controversial topic.
BEST Essays are written via Cadmus, a platform embedded into the learning management system of the subject, providing integrity assurance by allowing stakeholders to view integrity analytics and work behaviours of students. Although further research is necessary, initial discussions with stakeholders suggest preliminary evidence that the two PELAs have reduced academic integrity concerns regarding the original BELA, whilst continuing to be the initial “conversation starter” for students with advisors at the Academic Skills Centre.
New Zealand university contexts to identify students who may require academic language
and literacies support (for review, see Read, 2015). PELAs have been proven to be effective,
valid instruments in achieving their aims. However, several PELAs, such as Bond English
Language Assessment (BELA; Lydster, 2024), often require students to submit a piece of
academic writing and are self-administered by students online. This raises potential academic
integrity concerns, especially given the increasing development and use of Generative AI
(Gen AI) amongst students.
This poster presents two iterations of PELAs created in response to the use of Gen AI, such as Chat GPT, Copilot, and Perplexity, namely BELA-AI and Bond Essay Skills Task (BEST). BELA-AI, a formative assessment item incorporating Gen AI, was developed for the Bachelor of Medicine program. The 60-minute assessment requires students to write an academic essay, generate an essay and, finally, write a brief critical reflection analysing the two essays. BEST, in contrast, is integrated into the core subject, Critical Thinking & Communication and requires students to write an academic essay with reference to at least one of two prompts on a controversial topic.
BEST Essays are written via Cadmus, a platform embedded into the learning management system of the subject, providing integrity assurance by allowing stakeholders to view integrity analytics and work behaviours of students. Although further research is necessary, initial discussions with stakeholders suggest preliminary evidence that the two PELAs have reduced academic integrity concerns regarding the original BELA, whilst continuing to be the initial “conversation starter” for students with advisors at the Academic Skills Centre.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 38-38 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Jun 2025 |
| Event | Student Success conference 2025 - Cairns Pullman International, Cairns, Australia Duration: 30 Jun 2025 → 2 Jul 2025 https://unistars.org/proceedings/ |
Conference
| Conference | Student Success conference 2025 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Cairns |
| Period | 30/06/25 → 2/07/25 |
| Other | In 2025, we are celebrating the 11th year of STARS and the 16th year of the related Student Success journal. It is our second consecutive year of collaboration with EPHEA and NAEEA to offer the conference. The new name - the Student Success Conference - recognises this collaboration and clarifies the focus of the conference to a broader audience. Once again, our overarching Conference themes are: Students, Transitions, Achievement, Retention, and Success. These themes provide the conceptual framework for our annual gatherings and guide our analysis of tertiary curriculum, programs, practices and culture. The themes are at the centre of our consideration of how our higher education institutions in Australia are creating environments that enable students, in all their diversity, to realise their potential through post-secondary education. |
| Internet address |