The traditional teaching and learning models are being reevaluated in the age of AI, with a focus on modernizing formative assessment to better understand student progress and worker readiness. Formative assessment, which is the ongoing process educators and workplace trainers use to understand where students are in their learning and how to adjust instruction accordingly, has been a silent engine for learning for decades.
However, the arrival of generative AI has made it difficult for instructors to determine what students genuinely understand, as AI tools can produce polished work instantly. Eighty percent of educators rate formative assessment as extremely or very important, but the real potential for progress comes from evolving assessment design itself. When assessments are built to prioritize the thought process rather than just the product, AI becomes far less disruptive and far more beneficial. Asking students to make their thinking visible—through reflections, revisions, or short explanations of how they approached a task—restores the instructional signal that AI might otherwise obscure. For educators, this means being able to spot misconceptions earlier, tailor feedback more precisely, and differentiate support without increasing workload. The shift is about adding clarity and modernizing assessment in ways that mirror the world students are entering, where AI assistance is not only allowed but expected.
For instructors, thoughtfully integrating GenAI within formative assessment can also reduce friction. Well-designed tools can automate repetitive tasks such as generating varied practice items, suggesting targeted feedback language, or providing examples at different proficiency levels. This allows educators to spend more time on the high-value interactions that deepen learning and provide individualized support. Additionally, AI can help surface patterns in student work, giving educators a clearer starting point for instruction and making teaching more adaptive and learning more personalized. Recent Pearson research reveals strategies for schoolteachers and higher education instructors to evolve their formative assessments in a GenAI era.
The transition to a new formative assessment model requires bold, collaborative action across school and higher-education leadership, administrators, and policymakers to ensure formative assessment evolves in meaningful and sustainable ways. This includes providing a clear AI strategy, supporting educator training, and shaping an ecosystem that aligns curriculum, instruction, and assessment with responsible GenAI use. According to Tom ap Simon, the president of higher education and virtual learning at Pearson, the future of formative assessment isn’t about outsmarting AI or pretending it doesn’t exist, but about ensuring AI strengthens reflection, feedback, and understanding, allowing it to become a partner, rather than a substitute for learning.
The integration of AI into teaching and learning can move us closer to what education has always aspired to deliver: deeper learning, clearer understanding, and better outcomes for every learner. With thoughtful action, formative assessment can remain fundamental to good teaching and effective learning, and AI can become a catalyst for insight that elevates the quality of teaching. The future of formative assessment is about embracing the potential of AI to enhance learning and judgment, and creating a more personalized and adaptive learning experience for every student.
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