Tackling student cheating by reimagining university assessment

In a recent Guardian article, pro Vice-Chancellor for student experience Professor Jon Scott discusses how the increasing availability of academic ghost writing will necessitate a new way for universities to assess their students.

In response to the growing problem that ‘essay mills’ are posing to HE institutions, the article explores one potential solution, “authentic assessmentsâ€, which evaluate students’ learning through assessments designed to replicate the types of problems that they are likely to face in the workplace.

Professor Scott said: “Authentic assessments allow the student to experience the tasks and demonstrate the skills that they are likely to require in graduate employment. When well-designed, such assessments can also reduce the marking time for academics.â€