University instructor suspects AI use in assignments, shocks students with an 'unorthodox' reassessment technique

In a striking move that has rattled students, a lecturer at New Zealand’s Lincoln University ordered more than 100 postgraduate finance students to retake part of their assessment in person. According to Stuff, the instructor suspected that a “high number” of submissions had been produced using artificial intelligence tools, prompting a complete re-examination to ensure fairness.

From Coding Assignment to Live Defense
The course, focused on big data and AI, originally required students to submit coding projects. But suspicions arose when multiple assignments appeared too advanced to have been written by students without extensive experience. In an email to the class, the lecturer wrote: “The rule is simple: if you wrote the code yourself, you can explain it; if you cannot explain it, you did not write it.”

Students will now be required to perform live coding, defend their solutions verbally, and answer follow-up questions. The sessions will be recorded, and any student unable to justify their work risks being reported to senior leadership.

Students Say Atmosphere Feels Like a “Trial”
While the lecturer stressed that the policy aligns with Lincoln University’s academic integrity rules, the decision has sparked frustration. Some students told Stuff that the collective punishment feels heavy-handed and has created a climate of mistrust. One postgraduate said the process feels less like an exam and more like an interrogation: “Being compelled to defend our work with the threat of disciplinary action if we falter is extremely stressful and unorthodox.”

A Sign of Changing Academic Times
The rise of AI tools such as ChatGPT has placed universities worldwide in a difficult position. Some institutions have embraced AI as a learning aid, while others have doubled down on strict anti-cheating measures. Lincoln University’s approach, however, is unusual in its scale. As Futurism notes, it is one of the rare cases where an entire class faces reassessment due to AI suspicions.

The controversy raises an important debate: how should academic institutions adapt in an era where AI can produce near-flawless work in seconds? For students, the incident at Lincoln University is a reminder that the future of exams may no longer lie in quiet halls and written papers, but in live demonstrations where human understanding must prove stronger than machine assistance.