From Product to Process: Re-Thinking History Assessments for Authentic Learning
Practical Strategies for Scaffolding, Dialogue, and Student Agency
The rapid rise of Generative AI has highlighted a fundamental vulnerability in traditional higher education assessments: when we evaluate only the final, polished paper, the student's actual learning journey remains an opaque "black box". In this interactive presentation, we will explore how shifting our focus from product to process can strengthen academic integrity while fostering deeper student agency and authentic learning. Drawing on Winstone et al.’s (2026) research on Black Box Assessment, we will discuss structural assignment designs, built around scaffolding, structured dialogue, and iterative reflection, that make student historical reasoning, source evaluation, and cognitive growth visible throughout the semester.
Anna Yocom, ASC Office of Distance Education
