Students' perceptions of artificial intelligence as a transformative tool in tertiary assessment

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually integrated into tertiary education assessment systems influencing how students complete academic tasks and how institutions design evaluation structure. This research examines students’ perceptions of AI in tertiary assessment, focusing on their general attitudes toward its implementation. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 176 university students. Descriptive statistics and reliability analysis through SPSS were used to analyse the data. The General Perception scale established acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .747). The findings imply that students generally hold positive perceptions of AI integration in tertiary assessment (M = 3.108, SD = 0.386). All four items recorded mean values above 3.00, suggesting agreement that AI can complement traditional assessment practices and has the potential to transform assessment systems. These results suggest that students increasingly recognise AI as a supportive academic tool rather than a threat to learning processes. The findings provide crucial implications for tertiary education institutions in developing suitable AI integration policies and designing assessment structures that promote academic integrity while leveraging technological innovation.