Lessons learnt from interactive oral assessments at scale in a first-year molecular biology unit

The advances in generative AI technologies have made it difficult to rely on written tasks to evaluate understanding, as students increasingly turn to generative AI to create submissions. Molecular Basis of Life is a first-year molecular biology unit with over 600 students at Flinders University. Students are enrolled in a broad range of degrees, including the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Medical Science and Bachelor of Heath Sciences. Students attend a two-hour weekly inquiry-based practical in classes of 100 and record results in a laboratory book. Students have previously written a report based on one practical. To address the use of generative AI, in 2025 the report was replaced with an interactive oral assessment (IOA). Described as a two-way interactive, genuine and unscripted conversation between assessor and student, IOAs allow students to demonstrate learning through agile and critical analysis in a conversational manner.