AI Agents, Joyful Assessment, and Third Space: Rethinking Assessment in the GenAI Era

Le résumé fourni par la source

This paper argues that assessment reform in the generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) era should move beyond defensive approaches focused primarily on preventing misconduct or detecting AI use. Synthesizing scholarship on assessment validity, relational and compassionate assessment, third space theory, and AI agents, this conceptual paper proposes joyful assessment as a rigorous and learner-centered framework for assessment design in the GenAI era. Joyful assessment is defined as assessment that is safe, emotionally responsive, empowering, and supportive of student agency. The paper examines how AI agents designed for specific educational purposes can support joyful assessment by creating low-stakes opportunities for practice, feedback, reflection, personalization, and multimodal demonstration of learning. It further argues that when implemented within relational and ethically governed environments AI agents can help mediate third space assessment environments that connect formal curriculum with students’ interests, experiences, and learning needs. The paper demonstrates these ideas through a practical example and concludes by identifying ethical considerations and future research directions related to responsible design, learner experience, equity, validity, and relational assessment practice.

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