Meet our new genAI Research Fellows
6 March 2024
Introducing Dr Jack Walton and Dr Thomas Corbin
Jack and Tom have recently joined CRADLE as Research Fellows working on a two year program of research ‘Assessment in a time of genAI’.
About Jack
Jack Walton joins CRADLE from the University of Queensland and holds a Bachelor of Music. Jack’s PhD developed a theorisation of assessment in university music education.
His main research interests include assessment, judgement, and creative practice.
About Tom
Thomas Corbin joined CRADLE from Macquarie University, where he was a lecturer in the Philosophy Department.
His research focus is on education and assessment design at the intersection of genAI and work. In his spare time, he conducts research on Australian species of Cicada.
What is Assessment in a time of genAI?
The program consists of two distinct projects which aim to contribute to the field of higher education research, through building a theoretically and empirically grounded body of work exploring the intersection of genAI and assessment.
The overall program of research aims to understand how, in a time of genAI, higher education assessments can assure, promote and sustain learning across diverse cohorts, whilst enhancing inclusive practices.
Project #1 – Assessment Design
The first project, led by CRADLE Co-Director Professor Phill Dawson, investigates assessment design to examine how assessment can assure and promote learning in the context of increasingly widespread use of genAI. This project will investigate how the integrity and validity of assessment can be maintained and enhanced when students use genAI, and how assessment can prepare students for a world where genAI will be commonplace.
Project #2 – How students work with genAI
The second project will investigate how students work with genAI, in relation to the graded and formative tasks they undertake in their courses, with a particular focus on how they make judgements about the quality of work. This qualitative project will use ethnographic methods to follow students through their studies, across traditional and work-integrated learning units. This project will be led by Professor Margaret Bearman.
Jack and Thomas will support all research activities associated with the research projects in close consultation with Phill Dawson and Margaret Bearman.
Both projects will contribute to the field of higher education research, through building a theoretically and empirically grounded body of work exploring the intersection of genAI and assessment. In addition, the findings from the two projects will facilitate the collaborative design of assessment which supports students and teachers to optimise the opportunities afforded by genAI, and minimise its challenges.
We welcome Jack and Thomas and look forward to working with them on this timely and fascinating research.
