Students at Mazenod College Use AI in English Assessment
Mazenod College 學生在英文評估中使用 AI
Introduction
A large number of Year 12 students at a secondary school in Melbourne were found to have used artificial intelligence during an English oral exam.
墨爾本一所中學的大量 12 年級學生被發現在英文口試期間使用了人工智慧。
Main Body
The incident took place at Mazenod College in Mulgrave. Teachers began an investigation after they noticed unusual patterns in the students' work. This review revealed that about 25% of the Year 12 students—up to 50 people—had used AI tools to avoid doing the work independently. Principal Paul Shannon emphasized that these tools are not allowed during exams because tests are designed to measure a student's own understanding. Although many students were involved, the school stated that they did not plan the activity together. Consequently, the students involved were interviewed and their marks were reduced.
該事件發生在 Mulgrave 的 Mazenod College。教師在注意到學生的作品出現異常模式後開始調查。此次審查顯示，約 25% 的 12 年級學生（多達 50 人）使用了 AI 工具以避免獨立完成作業。校長 Paul Shannon 強調，由於測試旨在衡量學生自身的理解能力，因此在考試期間不允許使用這些工具。儘管許多學生參與其中，但校方表示他們並非共同策劃此活動。因此，涉事學生被面談並被扣分。
From a regulatory point of view, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) states that using AI without permission can be a violation of academic honesty. VCAA Chief Executive Andrew Smith asserted that teachers are the best people to detect AI-generated content because they know their students' abilities well. While the VCAA is keeping the current exam system for now, the agency mentioned that it might change the assessment rules in the future. This would happen if teachers provide feedback showing that changes are necessary to keep the system fair.
從監管角度來看，維多利亞州課程與評估局 (VCAA) 指出，未經許可使用 AI 可能是對學術誠信的違背。VCAA 首席執行官 Andrew Smith 主張，教師是偵測 AI 生成內容的最佳人選，因為他們非常了解學生的能力。雖然 VCAA 目前維持現行的考試制度，但該機構提到，若教師提供的反饋顯示為了維持制度公平而有必要進行變更，未來可能會修改評估規則。
Conclusion
The school has penalized the students involved, while the VCAA continues to monitor how AI affects the validity of exams.
學校已對涉事學生採取懲處，而 VCAA 則繼續監控 AI 如何影響考試的有效性。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The 'Sophistication Leap': Moving from Simple to Complex Logic
An A2 student says: "The students used AI. They got lower marks. The school is sad."
To reach B2, you must stop using short, choppy sentences. You need Logical Connectors—words that act like glue to show how ideas relate to each other. Let's look at the 'Power Trio' found in this text:
1. The Result-Maker: Consequently
Instead of saying "so," use Consequently. It signals a formal cause-and-effect relationship.
- Example from text: "...the students involved were interviewed and their marks were reduced. Consequently, [the result happened]."
- B2 Upgrade: "I forgot to study for the exam; consequently, I failed the test."
2. The Contrast-Builder: While
Stop using "but" for everything. While allows you to balance two different facts in one elegant sentence.
- Example from text: "While the VCAA is keeping the current exam system for now, the agency mentioned that it might change..."
- B2 Upgrade: "While I love living in the city, I often miss the quiet of the countryside."
3. The Condition-Setter: If
B2 fluency requires talking about possibilities. The text uses a conditional structure to explain future changes.
- Example from text: "This would happen if teachers provide feedback..."
- B2 Upgrade: "I would move to Melbourne if I found a job there."
💡 Quick Pro-Tip: If you want to sound like a B2 speaker, try to combine three short A2 sentences into one long B2 sentence using While and Consequently.
A2: I used AI. I got caught. I am sad. B2: While I thought using AI would help me, I got caught; consequently, I feel very disappointed.