I'll help you generate the show notes for this episode. Let me first read the transcript to understand the discussion points.Based on the transcript, here are the show notes for this episode:

In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Zeynep Urkun, a language assessment specialist with over 30 years of experience in English language testing and evaluation, based in Istanbul. They discuss:

• The impact of AI on language assessment and the challenges of keeping assessment methods current with workplace requirements
• The importance of selecting authentic assessment tasks that reflect real-world language use and mediation skills
• Technology adoption in Turkey and considerations around digital equity and access in education

Zeynep shares insights from the Assessment Now conference in London, where professionals across various fields grappled with similar concerns about AI integration. She discusses the mismatch between traditional assessment methods and modern workplace requirements, particularly for students at English-medium universities in Turkey who need B2-level proficiency. The conversation explores promising developments in AI-assisted assessment, including chatbots for spoken language evaluation and AI scoring comparisons with human raters.

Zeynep emphasises the need for more holistic, skills-blended approaches to language assessment, moving away from siloed testing of reading, writing, speaking, and listening towards integrated tasks that mirror real-world communication. She highlights how Turkey is embracing innovation in educational technology, with institutions conducting various AI-related projects, whilst acknowledging ongoing challenges around internet connectivity and the global digital divide. The discussion also touches on lingering effects of the pandemic on education and the rapid pace of technological change in the assessment field.

Connect with Zeynep Urkun on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeynep-urkun-36056015/

Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/

If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat

Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events

Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts

Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace

Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Catherine Whitaker, Global Director Online Learning at the British Council, and Louella Morton, Co-founder and Co-CEO of TestReach. They discuss:

Authenticity and Assessment in the Age of AI - How AI is accelerating the debate around skills-based assessment versus knowledge regurgitation, and what assessment should look like in an AI-enabled world

Cross-Sectoral Learning and Collaboration - The value of bringing together schools, higher education, and professional qualifications sectors to share challenges and opportunities, breaking down industry silos

Digital Transformation in the Exams Industry - The rapid rate of change in assessment over the past 10-15 years, the role of organizations like the EAA in providing thought leadership, and how examining bodies can navigate innovation while managing risk aversion

Tim provides a recap of the Assessment Now conference organised by the British Council in London, featuring about 100 delegates from awarding organizations, higher education institutions, and assessment experts. Catherine shares insights on the British Council's unique position as both an assessment provider and exam deliverer for over 140 organizations, and discusses their new AI-powered speaking assessment bot with 90% positive feedback. Louella discusses the importance of best practice and guidance as the industry navigates uncharted waters with new technologies, and the balance between innovation and the cautious approach many organizations take.

Connect with Catherine Whitaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-whitaker/

Connect with Luella Morton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louellamorton/

Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/

If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat

Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events

Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts

Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace

Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Dr. Aftab Hussain, an education technology pioneer and founder of Second Mesh. Aftab has been a teacher since the mid-1990s and recently completed his doctorate researching AI in education at Bolton College, where he conducted groundbreaking work on chatbots and safe AI systems.

They discuss:

Aftab's pioneering work developing AI chatbots for education in 2017, years before ChatGPT, including creating robust safeguarding protocols to ensure concerning conversations were properly flagged to appropriate college teams

The critical gaps in the DfE's AI guidelines for education—why most EdTech companies don't fully comply with the recommendations and the fundamental challenges around data governance, privacy, and institutional oversight

Second Mesh's mission to provide locally-hosted, open-weighted AI models that give schools and colleges complete control over their AI services, moving away from risky third-party commercial platforms that handle sensitive student data

Aftab shares his unique journey from putting Business Studies materials online in the 1990s to addressing the growing complexity of multiple information systems in colleges. He explains how his team at Bolton College pioneered safeguarding approaches for AI interactions that are only now becoming mainstream considerations. Through Second Mesh, he's combining product development with applied research to create AI solutions specifically designed for educational institutions—focusing on affordability, sustainability, and ensuring that education leaders maintain proper governance over AI services rather than surrendering control to external providers.

The episode also features Wall Street Journal bestselling author Sheena Yap Chan discussing her upcoming presentation at Beyond Multiple Choice 2025. In "Visible Confidence," Sheena explores how confidence, visibility, and authentic leadership must remain at the core of equitable assessment design as AI revolutionises assessment practices. Drawing from her books The Tao of Self-Confidence and Bridging the Confidence Gap, she shares how assessment designers can centre empathy and clarity whilst leveraging AI innovations, ensuring that assessment tools remain not just efficient—but fair, transparent, and human-centred.

Join Sheena at BMC 2025: https://www.beyond-multiple-choice.app

Connect with Dr. Aftab Hussain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aftab-hussain-phd-7145444/

Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/

Learn more about Second Mesh: https://secondmesh.com

If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat

Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events

Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts

Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace

Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with David Lay, founder of SkillSync AI and an expert in medical education assessment. With extensive experience in delivering and developing assessment software for both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, David shares his insights on transforming portfolio-based learning.

They discuss:

• The challenges with current medical ePortfolio systems and why 60-65% of trainees don't see value in them

• How AI can move beyond simple item generation to enable passive, authentic assessment approaches

• The future of medical assessment using technology like body cameras and voice-activated daily logs

David explains how medical assessment in the UK currently works, from formative workplace-based assessments and ePortfolios to summative exams and OSCEs. He highlights a critical problem: medical trainees often view ePortfolios as a chore rather than a valuable learning tool, with some even postponing their careers because of the administrative burden.

The conversation explores how AI offers opportunities to simplify assessment by allowing doctors to focus on patient care whilst passively capturing learning moments. David describes SkillSync AI's MVP, which lets trainees speak or type daily logs that automatically align to curriculum requirements and identify completed assessments. Looking ahead, David envisions using existing technologies like body cameras in A&E departments to analyse patient interactions across multiple data sources, creating authentic assessments without disrupting clinical practice.

Read the Vibe Coding Cheating Article: hhttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/creating-cheating-apps-vibe-coding-its-so-easy-tim-burnett--vtnke/?trackingId=OKm9%2Bo1%2BRBuABJIUJUdg%2BA%3D%3D

Connect with David Lay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lay1/

Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/

If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat

Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events

Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts

Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace

Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network

This debate examines whether assessment organizations should rapidly transition to fully digital delivery or maintain paper-based or hybrid approaches based on evidence and risk management.

Security Against AI Threats: With 88% of learners using AI for exam prep, paper offers no defense—only digital platforms enable keystroke analysis, browser lockdowns, and AI detection tools.

Accessibility and Inclusion: Digital formats provide screen readers, adjustable colors, and adaptive interfaces that paper cannot match, making assessments genuinely inclusive rather than discriminatory.

Operational Sustainability: The massive logistical effort of printing, shipping, and storing millions of paper documents annually is environmentally and operationally unsustainable compared to digital efficiency.

Innovation Opportunities: Digital platforms enable interactivity, rich media, and the ability to modernize outdated assessment models for the 21st century.

Scalability: Full digital transformation is the only realistic path for large-scale, secure, and inclusive assessment delivery.

Construct-Irrelevant Variance: Rushing to digital risks measuring the wrong skills—the test format itself (typing speed, screen navigation) may interfere with accurately assessing the intended competencies.

Subject-Specific Validity: Certain subjects like advanced mathematics and physics require complex diagrams and working calculations that are better suited to paper; forcing all subjects onto screens compromises measurement integrity.

Privacy and Compliance Risks: GDPR concerns around biometric data collection and online proctoring are serious; AI detection tools need proven reliability and known false positive rates before high-stakes deployment.

Infrastructure Vulnerabilities: Digital systems introduce new risks—server failures, connectivity issues, and the need for specialized technical support that may not be universally available.

Environmental Trade-offs: The green argument isn't clear-cut; 80% of a laptop's carbon footprint comes from manufacturing, potentially trading paper waste for serious e-waste problems.

Need for Validation: Format decisions must be grounded in comprehensive risk assessments and validation studies comparing candidate performance across modes, not driven by technological enthusiasm.

The debate centers on whether urgency (security threats, accessibility needs, operational efficiency) justifies rapid digital transformation, or whether protecting assessment validity, candidate rights, and ensuring evidence-based implementation requires a more measured, potentially multimodal approach tailored to different subjects and contexts.

Key Arguments For Rapid Digital AdoptionKey Arguments For Evidence-Based CautionThe Central TensionTranscript:

https://testcommunity.network/debate-digital-vs-paper-assessment-delivery

Summary: The Online Proctoring Debate

This debate examines whether increasingly sophisticated remote proctoring technology represents necessary security evolution or an invasive arms race that compromises candidate privacy and equity.

Security Necessity: Escalating cheating threats, particularly AI-enabled tools, require multimodal monitoring (video, audio, device checks) to maintain certification credibility. Sophisticated cheaters use virtual machines and secondary devices, necessitating countermeasures like lockdown browsers and multi-camera systems.

Audit Trail Requirements: Without defensible, auditable evidence of test integrity, certifications lose their value entirely.

Usability Improvements: Providers are investing in low-bandwidth solutions and browser-native delivery to reduce technical barriers, while hybrid AI-human review systems minimize false positives and ensure fair outcomes.

Surveillance Overreach: Deep proctoring systems employ continuous facial recognition, microphone monitoring, and OS-level activity detection—this constitutes surveillance rather than mere integrity assurance.

Data Privacy Risks: Collecting biometric data, ID scans, and continuous screen captures creates a "data honeypot" with massive PII liability and GDPR compliance burdens.

Equity and Access Issues: Requirements for specialized equipment, high-speed internet, and modern computers effectively exclude disadvantaged candidates, creating unequal access to certification.

Candidate Stress: Constant monitoring generates anxiety and leads to false positives that force innocent candidates through stressful appeals processes.

The debate ultimately centers on balancing assessment integrity against candidate well-being, privacy, and equitable access—a challenge that will define the future of remote certification.

Key Arguments For Enhanced ProctoringKey Arguments Against Current TrajectoryThe Central Tension

In this week's episode, Tim Burnett chats with Nena Hollis, Paddy McLaughlin, Hugh McNeela, and Anna Kate Phelan at the EATP conference in Dublin. Nena works in the ATP operations team, Paddy served as chair of the EATP conference, Hugh is a first time attendee from ReadSpeaker, and Anna is an ATP volunteer and eAA Director working at Eintech focusing on user experience design in assessment platforms.

They discuss:

The success of the EATP Dublin conference, which saw a 25% increase in attendance, and the importance of ATP's volunteer-driven model across its 15 division committees

Accessibility and inclusion in assessments, including text-to-speech solutions, women-specific barriers in assessment, and human-centred design principles

Innovation in the assessment sector, from AI-powered immediate feedback platforms like Surpass Tutor to virtual professional discussions and the ongoing challenges of preventing cheating in the AI era

The conversations highlight the vibrant community at EATP Dublin, with delegates sharing insights on upcoming ATP events including webinars, coffee chats, and the Innovations conference in New Orleans (1-4 March 2026). All guests emphasised the personal and professional benefits of volunteering in industry organisations like ATP.

Key topics included Mary Richardson's opening keynote on the importance of humanising assessments, the challenges facing disengaged younger learners (particularly females), and how organisations are incorporating accessibility and inclusive design into their assessment workflows.

Anna's presentation on "Breaking Barriers: Women in Assessment" generated significant discussion about menopause, gender parity, and the need for supportive male allies in the industry.

Hugh shared insights on text-to-speech technology's role in creating fair and accessible assessments, whilst Paddy reflected on the responsibilities and rewards of conference leadership.

Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annakatephelan/

Connect with Paddy:https://www.linkedin.com/in/paddy-mclaughlin/

Connect with Hugh:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughmcneela/

Connect with Nena:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nena-hollis-mba-938994265/

Connect with Tim Burnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tburnett/

If you would like to join Tim on a future episode or sponsor the Test Community Network then get in touch with Tim to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/educationtech/15min-teams-chat

Events: https://www.testcommunity.network/upcoming-events

Podcasts: https://www.testcommunity.network/podcasts

Marketplace: https://www.testcommunity.network/marketplace

Subscribe to the Test Community Network here: https://www.testcommunity.network