President Welcome
Dear Colleague, Most educational bodies have grappled with two major challenges over the past three years - a global pandemic and the implications of Artificial Intelligence. For programmes of assessment, and in particular for high stakes professional Examinations, these have been enormously challenging.
At the CAI, we have been very fortunate in the exceptional leadership and adaptivity shown by Professor Michael Giffin, Chair of the Examinations Committee and Ms Ruth Flaherty, Manager of the Examinations Department. Leading a large team of staff and volunteer Examiners and Leads, they have enabled the College to consistently deliver valid and reliable examinations of different type, format and discipline.
Moving from in person to remotely administered exams and (partially) back again has required imagination and meticulous planning.
We are very grateful to all those who co-ordinate, lead and administer exams as well as those who develop questions, set standards and actually examine!
Particular thanks are due to Dr Gareth Morrison whose expertise in education and the science of assessment has been invaluable. The rigor which Dr Morrison brings to the design and evaluation of assessments has had clear benefits not just for the anaesthesiology exams, but those in Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Medicine also.
We are very grateful to all those who co-ordinate, lead and administer exams as well as those who develop questions, set standards and actually examine!
The implications of AI for examinations generally are enormous, and like many other education and training bodies, we are grappling with the immediate and practical challenges (e.g detection of cheating ), and the longer term issues ( is AI simply another tool, the use of which requires evaluation?). For now, and with colleagues elsewhere, we are attempting to frame our thinking simply in order to ask some of the right questions.
Professor George Shorten
President , CAI