National Consortium for Languages Education
UCL Institute of Education

NCLE Webinar: Languages, culture, and connection – building intercultural understanding

Wednesday 11th November 2026 4-5pm. Register for this webinar

 

AI and Assessment and Feedback in Foreign Language Education – Professor Mary Richardson and Dr Catarina Correia (UCL Institute of Education)

AI has collapsed the traditional distinction between assessor and instrument, becoming both simultaneously, and this carries serious implications for the teacher and their role. The authors’ qualitative research into candidates’ experience of the PTE Academic test (a high-stakes, AI-led English proficiency exam) reveals that many candidates believed AI scoring was fairer than human marking, even though AI is demonstrably biased. While trust in AI assessment is increasing, a human must remain in the loop, particularly where assessment outcomes are life-changing. 

  • Big picture  
  • Teacher agency & pedagogy 
  • Pedagogical principles   
  • Assessment 

Key words: Assessment; High-stakes testing; Candidate experience; AI bias; Human–in–the–loop; Assessment and digital literacy. 

Presentation recording

Presentation slides

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