Southern Cross Institute (SCI) recently delivered a professional learning session on the AI-Integrated Assessment Lifecycle for Open Assessments for academic staff, facilitated by Assoc Prof Anju Kalluvelil Janardhanan, Deputy Dean, as part of the Institute’s strategic response to the evolving role of Generative AI (GenAI) in higher education.

Developed and led by Assoc Prof Janardhanan, the session introduced the updated AI-Integrated Assessment Lifecycle for Open Assessments—a five-stage model that guides the appropriate, purposeful, and ethical use of GenAI throughout the assessment lifecycle. The model supports educators from assessment design and student guidance through to marking, feedback, moderation, and continuous quality improvement. Rather than viewing academic integrity solely as a submission compliance issue, the framework embeds responsible AI use throughout assessment design, implementation, and evaluation, enabling authentic learning while promoting fair, transparent, and consistent assessment practices.

The session equipped academic staff with practical strategies to implement the updated five-stage model, design authentic open assessments that appropriately incorporate GenAI, apply consistent and transparent marking and feedback practices across disciplines, and continuously enhance assessment quality through evidence-informed, student-centred approaches.

Recognising that assessment quality is strengthened through collaborative reflection, Assoc Prof Janardhanan also facilitated a collegial discussion during which academic staff shared their experiences of marking and providing feedback in SCI’s open assessments. These discussions identified current strengths, surfaced common challenges, and generated practical recommendations for improving consistency, transparency, and the overall quality of assessment and feedback practices across the Institute.

By translating contemporary scholarship and institutional experience into practical guidance for educators, the session strengthened assessment capability across SCI and fostered a shared understanding of responsible GenAI integration in assessment. The initiative demonstrates Assoc Prof Janardhanan’s educational leadership in leading institution-wide assessment enhancement, building colleagues’ assessment capability, and supporting the development of authentic, future-focused learning in an AI-enabled higher education environment.