Generative AI and Authentic Assessment in Higher Education: Evidence from Ghanaian Universities

This research aims to examine the impact of the use of generative artificial intelligence on authentic assessment and academic integrity in the selected universities in Ghana. It reflects on how students are utilizing GPTs to enhance course content comprehension, information processing and academic tasks, as well as issues of plagiarism, dependency on technology, equity in evaluation and critical thinking. The study is a mixed method study which involves the use of questionnaires, interviews, open-ended responses and analysis of assessment practices. The results indicate that generative AI can be helpful in the learning process, such as explaining abstract concepts, providing feedback to students, and aiding them to think through their ideas and learn at their own speed. Yet, when it is used recklessly, students' thinking capacity is lowered and it becomes hard for lecturers to distinguish between knowledge and ability learnt by students and that learnt through plagiarism. The study presents evidence that authentic assessment should deal with the application of knowledge, problem solving, thinking about learning, collaborative work, and the processes by which students develop their work, as well as the presentation of ideas and the results. It also calls for the creation of guidelines for the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI), to enhance the awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) by students and lecturers in Universities in Ghana, and to keep human oversight. Ultimately, students should be provided opportunities to express their thinking, their work, and their mastery of applying knowledge in the real world.