A photo of the VTU campus.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: In a major examination reform, the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has decided to use artificial intelligence (AI) for framing question papers.
The university plans to pilot with MBA exam papers and gradually extend the use of AI to evaluation of answer sheets.
It may be recalled that the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) had a similar plan, but the varsity decided to drop it considering technical challenges.
As per the current system followed by the VTU, a team of subject experts prepares the question papers for all technical courses, including engineering and MBA.
"If AI is able to do the job that our teachers are doing when it comes to setting question papers, why should it not be used? We have received proposals from a few companies which have successfully done academic activities through AI. However, we are yet to decide on the company," said VTU Vice Chancellor Vidyashankar S.
The V-C said they have decided to begin with MBA, considering the fewer number of students compared to engineering courses. "In the first few attempts we will ask the AI to prepare the paper and the same will be cross-verified by our subject experts," Vidyashankar said.
The university is also interested in implementing AI for exam evaluation.
"In every semester we witness erratic evaluation by some of the faculty members and as per our examination and evaluation rules, we cannot initiate action against them if the difference in marks between the first and second evaluations is less than 15. Our idea is to have the second evaluation done using AI," the vice chancellor said.
He also felt the standard of question papers needed to be improved. "We feel if a proper command is given, AI will set a good quality question paper. In the AI era, being a technical university, we need to make proper use of this technology. We are waiting for the companies to submit reports on the task we have assigned to them to run a trail," Vidyashankar added.