Making Thinking Visible Again: Why Formative Assessment Matters More Than Ever
Imagine this scenario.
A student's homework is always complete and submitted on time. Their paragraph responses hit all required expectations. They earn nearly 100% on multiple-choice checks. They appear confident and prepared.
Then the proctored test arrives.
Suddenly, that same student struggles to explain their reasoning, construct a coherent argument, or recall content they seemed comfortable with during homework.
For many students, the issue is not necessarily dishonesty. Rather, they never fully engaged in any productive struggle—the thinking process that helps develop true understanding and skill mastery. When AI completes the practice for them, they miss out on the learning that practice develops.
This scenario is becoming increasingly common as students offload portions of their learning to generative AI. In the first two blogs of this series, I argued that the real concern surrounding AI is not cheating, but rather, lost learning and that AI literacy and thoughtful classroom culture must be part of the solution. But what does that look like day to day?
AI literacy alone does not ensure students are actually doing the learning. That is why AI-resilient formative assessment is critical to protecting the learning process. More than ever, the process matters as much as the product, and the process deserves our attention.
Cognitive Offloading vs. Cognitive Augmentation
A useful framework for this discussion is the distinction between cognitive offloading and cognitive augmentation.
Cognitive offloading occurs when students rely on AI to do the core thinking or problem-solving for them rather than using it to support understanding. Signs that this may be happening include polished work students cannot explain, limited ability to describe their reasoning, and little evidence of drafting or revision (Schwartz and Diliberti).
Cognitive augmentation, by contrast, occurs when AI supports deeper thinking rather than replacing it. This may look like students brainstorming after generating their own ideas, critiquing AI responses, identifying limitations or errors, revising drafts, or using AI to practice and review content. In these situations, AI supports learning rather than eliminating the productive struggle that learning requires (Pearson: School Educator Guide).
As teachers redesign formative assessments, the question shifts from:
"Did students use AI?"
to:
"How can I design formative assessments that require students to do the thinking?"
Why Formative Assessment Matters More Now
Traditionally, formative assessment has been used primarily to monitor progress and assess mastery.
Today, it serves another critical role: making student thinking visible.
As discussed in Blog 2, trust, transparency, and AI literacy are essential. But those values only matter if students have opportunities to actively demonstrate their thinking. When redesigning formative assessment for an AI-enabled classroom, a useful question becomes:
How do I make student thinking visible during the learning process?
Formative assessment gives teachers a window into how students are learning. It reveals misconceptions, creates opportunities for feedback and discussion, and allows students to practice responsible AI use while their understanding is still developing.
What Visible Thinking Looks Like
For many teachers, making thinking visible begins by reconsidering their learning environment. Some are eliminating technology entirely for portions of learning and returning to paper-based work. This is one great way to ensure thinking remains visible.
When that is not practical or desirable, another approach is to shift expectations away from answers and toward reasoning.
Rather than only asking:
"What is the answer?"
ask:
"Why is this the right answer?"
Even better, ask students to explain their reasoning orally or through video reflections. Those forms of evidence are significantly more resistant to AI substitution because they require students to articulate their own thinking.
Evaluate Your Existing Formative Assessments
One helpful exercise is to run your own formative assessments through a commonly used large language model.
For example:
"I am a 10th-grade student who received the following assignment: 'Identify the main idea of Chapter 9 of The Great Gatsby and explain why in 4–5 sentences.'"
Most AI tools will provide a polished, grade-appropriate response almost instantly.
Knowing this, consider revising the task:
- Ask AI to generate three possible main ideas from the text.
- Select one.
- Support your choice using evidence from class discussion or the text itself.
- Reflect on how AI influenced your thinking.
This revision shifts the task from answer generation to analysis, judgment, and reflection.
Four Small Upgrades Any Teacher Can Try
- Require Drafts and Checkpoints - Learning lives in drafts, feedback, and revisions. Consider how those moments can become visible through handwritten work, oral check-ins, revision histories, or staged submissions.
- Ask Students to Explain Why or How - The quality of a student's explanation often reveals far more than a correct answer. Prioritize reasoning alongside accuracy.
- Use Reflection Prompts or AI Logs - Ask students to reflect on specific class discussions, connect ideas to their own experiences, or document when and how they used AI during the learning process. Reflection and transparency support both learning and integrity.
- Vary Assessment Formats - Mix oral responses, video explanations, observation notes, written reflections, collaborative discussions, and annotations. Different formats provide different windows into student understanding.
When AI Can Do the Task: Examples of Redesigned Formative Assessment
Consider the two following formative assessments. After running them through an LLM, a teacher sees AI can easily produce the task. They want to improve this formative assessment and make it more AI resilient. In doing so, the teacher must consider what the focus of the assessment is, and therefore what learning they want to make visible.
Formative Assessment Example 1: World History
Original Formative Assessment submitted to an LLM:
I am a 9th student in a World History course. I have received the following assignment:
Write a two- three paragraph argument comparing the positive and negative long-term impacts of the Treaty of Versailles. Begin your paragraphs with a thesis statement responding to the question, "Was the Treaty of Versailles successful long term?" as part of a WWI unit.
Generate the answer/s a response to this assessment and make sure it matches my grade level.
Potential Revisions Based on Learning Goals
Close Read Focus: Have students print or download an article they find and add original, handwritten annotations.
Reflection Focus: Ask students to respond to a report with their personal reflections including ethical implications.
Data Analysis Focus: Require students to create their own visualization of the data they find.
- Perspectives Focus: Students are directed to prompt AI to react to the Treaty of Versailles from different viewpoints—one of its creators, a German citizen, an American politician, etc., and then orally compare those perspectives.
Content Mastery Focus: Require a verbal defense in class to the whole class, one on one, or to peer groups.
Formative Assessment Example 2: AP Environmental Science
Original Formative Assessment submitted to an LLM:
I am a 12th grade student in AP Environmental Science. I have received the following assignment:
Find a news article from the last two years about an advancement in CRISPR or other Genetic engineering that includes data analysis. Cite the article in MLA and then summarize the article in 1 paragraph. Then, make one original analysis of a data point in the article as part of the Unit 3: Populations in APES.
Generate the answers/a response to this assessment.
Potential Revisions Based on Learning Goals
Close Read Focus: Have students print or download an article they find and add original, handwritten annotations.
Reflection Focus: Ask students to respond to a report with their personal reflections including ethical implications.
Data Analysis Focus: Require students to create their own visualization of the data they find.
Perspectives Focus: Students are directed to prompt AI to explain an article they find from different viewpoints—scientist, policymaker, environmentalist, and then they orally compare those perspectives.
Content Mastery Focus: Require a verbal defense in class to the whole class, one on one, or to peer groups.
Looking Ahead
Remember, this can start small.
Choose one or two formative assessments in a unit and experiment. See what works. Continue the conversation with students and remember that many of them care deeply about developing their own critical thinking (Schwartz and Diliberti; Walton Family Foundation et al.).
Design for process. Let students into your thinking. Learning integrity will follow.
If formative assessment helps us make learning visible, a new challenge emerges:
What happens when it is time to evaluate learning?
How do we rethink projects, essays, presentations, and other product-based assessments when AI can contribute so heavily to the final result?
That is the focus of the next blog in this series.
Stay tuned.
References:
Pearson. Assessment Evolved: Redefining Formative Assessment in a Generative AI Era. Pearson, 2026.
Pearson. School Educator Guide: Redefining Formative Assessment in a Generative AI Era. Pearson, 2026.
Schwartz, Heather L., and Melissa Kay Diliberti. More Students Use AI for Homework, and More Believe It Harms Critical Thinking. RAND Corporation, 2026.
Walton Family Foundation, GSV Ventures, and Gallup. Gen Z Is Using AI—But Reports Gaps in School and Workplace Support. Walton Family Foundation, 2025.
About the author
Morgan Lieske
Morgan Lieske holds a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction and brings a decade of experience teaching, coaching, and leading curriculum initiatives in college preparatory K-12 education. As an educator, department chair, and instructional leader, Morgan has designed engaging learning experiences that foster critical thinking, inquiry, and student ownership of learning. Her work spans social studies and interdisciplinary studies, where she developed a passion for creating dynamic curriculum that connects learning across disciplines and prepares students for success beyond the classroom.
Throughout her career, Morgan has championed student-centered learning practices that promote collaboration, authentic learning, and higher-order thinking. As an Advanced Placement educator and facilitator of school-wide programs, including National History Day, she has helped students engage deeply with content while developing the skills needed for college, career, and civic life. She also has experience leading curriculum alignment efforts and instructional improvement initiatives, supporting educators in creating rigorous, engaging, and technology-enhanced learning environments.
A Fulbright Scholar and lifelong learner, Morgan enjoys exploring new ideas both professionally and personally. She lives in Minneapolis, where she can often be found attending live music events, biking, waterskiing, or painting.
