REVISING ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS IN OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION IN THE AGE OF AI

Authors

  • Kyriaki Rassia Hellenic Open University, Greece
  • Evangelia Manousou Hellenic Open University, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejae.v10i2.6212

Keywords:

distance assessment, academic regulations, artificial intelligence, study guides, academic integrity

Abstract

The proliferation of distance learning in higher education—accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and sustained by technological innovation—has brought assessment practices and academic integrity frameworks into sharp focus. However, institutional regulations and study guides often remain outdated, particularly in addressing the pedagogical and ethical implications of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT. This article explores how open and distance learning (ODL) universities are responding to these challenges. Through a comparative review of policies from twelve ODL institutions across Europe, Africa, and Australasia, the study reveals inconsistent regulatory responses, limited integration of AI-specific guidance, and a continued reliance on surveillance-driven assessment. These gaps not only jeopardize the validity and inclusiveness of evaluation methods but also undermine trust in the academic process. The article concludes with actionable policy recommendations, suitable for the revision of their academic regulations. These include the incorporation of transparent AI-use declarations, critical thinking–driven assessment design, and national-level coordination for ethical, inclusive, and future-ready evaluation models. In doing so, the study contributes to the broader discourse on policy reform and pedagogical resilience in the AI age.

Author Biographies

  • Kyriaki Rassia, Hellenic Open University, Greece

    Kyriaki Rassia is a certified Adult Educator graduate of Italian and Spanish Language and Culture. Holding Master’s degrees in “Educational Sciences” and in “Education and Technologies in Distance Learning Systems”, she is a PhD candidate at the Hellenic Open University specializing in Distance Education, with a research focus on reforming e-assessment in the humanities. With 25 years of teaching experience, she has served as an oral examiner for the Italian language certification exams, and currently she has been teaching Methodology at The Higher School of Pedagogical and Technological Education. She has also been elected as an EU Student Careers Ambassador, representing the Hellenic Open University in European career development initiatives.

  • Evangelia Manousou, Hellenic Open University, Greece

    Evangelia Manousou is assistant professor at the Hellenic Open University since 2023. She has done postgraduate studies in Educational Informatics at the National and Kapodistrian University and holds a PhD in Open and Distance Learning Education at the Hellenic Open University, specializing in Instructional Design. She is working as a Tutor Supervisor in the field of Distance Learning at the Hellenic Open University. She has written a great variety of educational materials (software, books, MOOCS, etc.). Her particular scientific interests are: Open and distance education institutions and functions, distance learning materials, instructional design, learning theories, skills development, evaluation in distance learning in the era of AI: exploring alternative forms.

References

Athabasca University, 2025. Academic integrity and assessment policy. https://www.athabascau.ca/policies/academic/integrity-policy.html

Atkinson-Toal A, Guo C, 2024. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) education policies of UK universities. ETLHE 2: 70–94. https://doi.org/10.62512/etlhe.20

Bali M, Nouri J, Conrad D, Joksimovic S, Eynon R, Selwyn N, 2024. Generative AI in higher education: challenges, opportunities, and the future. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 21(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v14-i3/25813

Bannister P, Urbieta A, Peñalver E, 2023. A systematic review of generative AI and (English Medium Instruction) higher education. Aula Abierta 52(4): 401–409. http://dx.doi.org/10.17811/rifie.52.4.2023.401-409

Burger B, Kanbach D, Kraus S, Breier M, Corvello V, 2023. On the use of AI-based tools like ChatGPT to support management research. European Journal of Innovation Management 26(7): 233–241. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-02-2023-0156

Chan C, Hu W, 2023. Students’ voices on generative AI: perceptions, benefits, and challenges in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00411-8

Dabis A, Csáki C, 2024. AI and ethics: investigating the first policy responses of higher education institutions to the challenge of generative AI. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03526-z

Delgado J, Manuel A, Jounou I, Moyano C, Rueda J, Guersenzvaig A, Puyol Á, 2022. Bias in algorithms of AI systems developed for COVID-19: a scoping review. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 19(3): 407–419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-022-10200-z

Figueroa B, Eaton S, Pethrick H, Hayden A, Brennan R, Wiens J, McDermott B, 2024. Academic integrity and artificial intelligence in higher education (HE) contexts: A rapid scoping review. CPAI 7(3). doi: 10.55016/ojs/cpai.v7i3.78123

Hellenic Open University, 2023. Regulation of studies. https://www.eap.gr/foitites/kanonismoi-kai-odigies

İskender A, 2023. Holy or unholy? Interview with Open AI’s ChatGPT. European Journal of Tourism Research 34: 3414. http://dx.doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v34i.3169

Khatri B, Karki P, 2023. Artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education: Growing academic integrity and ethical concerns. Nepalese Journal of Development and Rural Studies 20(01): 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3126/njdrs.v20i01.64134

Kong S, Lee J, Tsang O, 2024. A pedagogical design for self-regulated learning in academic writing using text-based generative artificial intelligence tools: 6-P pedagogy of plan, prompt, preview, produce, peer-review, portfolio-tracking. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning 19: 030. https://doi.org/10.58459/rptel.2024.19030

Lin M, Liu A, Poitras E, Chang M, Chang D, 2024. An exploratory study on the efficacy and inclusivity of AI technologies in diverse learning environments. Sustainability 16(20): 8992. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208992

Mariyono D, Hidayatullah A, 2024. Exploring AI's role in supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives in multicultural marketplaces. International Journal of Religion 5(10): 5549–5582. http://dx.doi.org/10.61707/apmwg008

McCarthy A, McNally C, Mitchell K, 2022. E-portfolio practice for student wellbeing in higher education: A scoping review. Ascilite Publications. https://doi.org/10.53761/7xwpq305

Mohammadi S, 2020. Classroom climate, academic self-concept, learning self-regulation, and academic identity status among EFL students: a structural equation modeling approach. International Journal of Research in English Education 5(3): 90–105. http://dx.doi.org/10.29252/ijree.5.3.90

Nkuyubwatsi B, 2016. A critical look at policy environment for opening up public higher education in Rwanda. Journal of Learning for Development 3(2). https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v3i2.141

Open University, 2024. Using AI responsibly in your studies. https://help.open.ac.uk/using-ai-responsibly

Porter Z, Zimmermann A, Morgan P, McDermid J, Lawton T, Habli I, 2022. Distinguishing two features of accountability for AI technologies. Nature Machine Intelligence 4(9): 734–736. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-022-00533-0

Pratiwi H, Suherman S, Ridha M, 2025. Between shortcut and ethics: navigating the use of artificial intelligence in academic writing among Indonesian doctoral students. European Journal of Education 60(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70083

Sheffield Hallam University, 2024. Guidance on AI in assessment: Artificial Intelligence Transparency Scale (AITS). https://lta.shu.ac.uk/assessment-and-feedback/high-level-requirements/guidance-on-ai-in-assessment

Sullivan M, Kelly A, McLaughlan, P, 2023. ChatGPT in higher education: Considerations for academic integrity and student learning. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching. 6. 10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.17.

Sun L, Zhou L, 2024. Does generative artificial intelligence improve the academic achievement of college students? A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research 62(7): 1676–1713. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/07356331241277937

University of Birmingham, 2024. Principles on the use of generative artificial intelligence in education. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/libraries/education-excellence/gai/principles-on-the-use-of-ai

University of Dundee, 2024. Get help using AI responsibly in your studies. https://www.dundee.ac.uk/guides/get-help-using-ai-responsibly-study

University of Reading, 2024. Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning. https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/artificial-intelligence

University of South Africa (UNISA), 2025. Online Assessment Strategy. https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Online-Assessment

University of West London, 2024. Artificial intelligence in education: Guidance for staff. https://www.uwl.ac.uk/staff/guidance-ai-use

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), 2025. Assessment regulations. https://www.uoc.edu/portal/en/studies/assessment/regulations/

Zhao X, Cox A, Chen X, 2024. Disabled students’ use of generative AI in higher education. OSF Preprints. http://dx.doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/gdphx

Downloads

Published

2025-08-16

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

 

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

 

  1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

 

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).