In this episode of Assessment in Focus, host Ishan Kolhatkar sits down with Dr. Alison Purvis, Associate Dean for Learning, Teaching, and Student Success at Sheffield Hallam University.

Bringing decades of higher education leadership and sector-level experience with Jisc and the OfS, Alison breaks down the critical boundaries between using AI for learning enhancement versus relying on it for high-stakes academic judgment.

Is policing AI futile? While acknowledging that generative AI can rapidly produce structured formative feedback, Dr. Purvis emphasises that it lacks the context, accuracy, and nuance required for reliable summative grading, and asks how we can rethink assessment design by embedding authentic, higher-order critical thinking tasks and collaborating with employers to align with modern industry practices.