Using AI to Mark VSA Exams

Using AI to Mark VSA Exams

Very Short Answer (VSA) questions allow students to demonstrate knowledge in their own words. They are a valuable assessment format in many disciplines, particularly in medical and higher education. However, marking VSA responses can present challenges because students may express correct answers in many different ways.

When creating marking criteria, examiners typically define expected answers in advance. In practice, however, students may provide alternative phrasing, synonyms, or other valid responses that were not originally considered during exam design.

This video demonstrates how using AI to mark VSA questions can help address this challenge. The AI analyses each response and compares it with the expected answers. It assesses whether the meaning of the response is likely to be correct and a whether it would allocate the answer a score. With clear confidence indicators it assists human markers by speeding up the process. They decide whether to accept, amend or reject AI suggestions, retaining full control.