Key takeaways:
- Pearson's Assessment Evolved research explores how formative assessment is evolving for an AI-enabled future.
- Moving beyond bans and detection, educators can guide the ethical and thoughtful use of generative AI, helping students demonstrate understanding and build critical skills.
- AI literacy is key to unlocking its potential and preparing students for their careers ahead.
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Trent Workman, Managing Director,
Pearson School Assessments, US K12
Formative assessment strengthens learning. It's the ongoing feedback that guides day-to-day understanding – homework, essays, quizzes, classroom tests, and assignments. It helps students improve, helps teachers pinpoint material to revisit or celebrate, prepares classes for formal exams, and reinforces self-reflection. It depends on data educators can trust – well-grounded insights that are instructionally relevant and aligned to what students are expected to learn.
In this era where Generative AI (Gen AI) can give students instant answers, educators are asking how to best use these tools: how to deter misuse and deter cheating, whether homework policies need updating, and how to harness AI to turn disruption into a tool for growth. Pearson's Assessment Evolved report – based on insights from 1,000 US and UK educators and global AI experts – shows we're at a crossroads. Educators value formative assessment, and many are optimistic about AI: 58% of school and half of higher education instructors feel positive about it. But optimism isn't enough. Without reliable data, expert guidance, and clear instructional intent, AI can accelerate misinformation or produce insights that look useful but aren't instructionally valid.
Here are my three key takeaways:
Ground innovation in good teaching and meaningful learning
Educators overwhelmingly value formative assessment: 80% say it's extremely or very important, and most use it regularly. Done well, it supports self-regulated learning, timely feedback, and preparation for summative exams. While GenAI is transforming assessment, our study shows around half of educators are integrating Gen AI tools into learning activities, lesson planning, and assessment design. The goal is not to discard familiar methods, but to evolve them so they continue to measure meaningful learning. Before adopting new tools, we should anchor in what works. Formative assessment is fundamental to meaningful learning. That grounding means insisting on evidence that is reliable, defensible, and instructionally meaningful – especially as AI-generated insights become more prevalent.
Invite AI into the classroom – design for it, not against it
The instinct to lock down, detect, and prohibit AI is understandable. 68% of schoolteachers and 82% of higher education instructors are moderately to highly concerned about students using Gen AI to complete assignments when it is prohibited. But what if we designed formative assessment for AI? When we intentionally design tasks for AI's presence, the learning shifts from instant, copy-paste answers to critique, reasoning, and reflection. Our research shows effective use of GenAI requires students to "critique, refine and build on AI outputs" by questioning them and consulting external sources. GenAI can be a "force multiplier for formative assessment, by supporting self-reflection, feedback, and deeper understanding". It also prompts educators to ask: "What do I want to assess, and does the task elicit evidence of that learning?"
Focus on AI literacy for educators and students
Educators, families, and students need to see the value of what they've learned beyond the classroom. AI literacy means equipping people to use AI with purpose and confidence— framing strong prompts, interpreting outputs thoughtfully, and connecting AI-generated insights to high-quality evidence, curriculum, and learning goals. By integrating AI into assessment and encouraging students and educators to use it responsibly, we can better prepare students for the future of work. As we strive to close the global skills gap, formative assessment connected to real-world skills and the future of work can empower students to see themselves and their value in an AI-enabled future.
The Educator Guides that accompany our report are full of clear, actionable strategies for harnessing Gen AI to enhance learning. Pearson is committed to supporting educators on this journey. Educators are ready to embrace AI but need the right resources and support to evolve their assessments. Assessment builds trust – in people, skills, and the systems we depend on – and that trust depends on reliable data, defensible insights, and alignment to what students are expected to know and do. When formative assessment evolves to better measure deep knowledge alongside uniquely human skills, aided by responsible AI, it becomes a bridge to future skills.
Let's work together to build an assessment framework that not only assesses what students know but prepares them for what they can become. Join the conversation and share your experiences using the hashtag: #AssessmentEvolved
Learn more about our research on our Assessment Evolved page.
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Trent Workman is Pearson's Managing Director, US K12 School Assessment