Keynote speech by Professor Cath Ellis from Western Sydney University argued higher education is going through a paradigm shift in assessment, whether institutions are ready or not.

Academic assurance in a world of generative AI took centre stage at the Advance HE Teaching and Learning Conference 2026 in Sheffield, UK, this week.

Nearly 350 delegates from around the world heard Professor Cath Ellis, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Quality and Integrity at Western Sydney University, give a challenging and thought-provoking keynote speech on the “revolution” which needs to occur in assessment and feedback.

Prof Ellis said: “Assessment and feedback is all wrong. I hear from a lot of teachers saying, ‘I lost the joy of teaching’ and questioning the value of university.

“Some students are trying to avoid assessment, but marking is also the first thing teachers look to buy out, because they don’t enjoy it.”

She suggested that the way we think about assessment is back to front, and that teachers are the ones who do the assessment, not the students.

“For much of the modern university era, assessment is organised around the evaluation of external artefacts, such as essays, exams etc. To students, it is all about getting the artefacts done.

“This worked until recently, because producing a convincing artefact was a reliable measure of good thinking. Due to the external assistance now available, this is not necessarily true.

“We need to place the learner at the centre of the assessment model, with artefacts not the end in themselves, but merely evidence of learner capability. Assurance goes beyond grades to professional, academic judgement of competence. This is the return of academic judgement.”

Prof Ellis also said that such paradigm shifts are hard; they are often resisted due to political pressure and they are emotionally charged. However, she said higher education has no choice but to engage in the development of modern assessment and feedback methods, or risk the degree becoming “increasingly valueless”.