Denmark Requires Oral Defenses for Students’ Written Work to Counter AI Cheating | Ukraine news

The policy takes effect immediately, but educators say the first response must evolve as AI tools keep advancing.

Danish high school students will be required to defend their written assignments orally under new government measures aimed at combating cheating with artificial intelligence.

The Ministry of Education said that an oral defense will become mandatory for all written assignments completed at home and that it will work closely with schools to develop the best framework for implementing these changes.

The regulation takes effect immediately and applies to upper-secondary students, who are typically around 16 years old. The measure concerns approximately 9,000 students enrolled in the two-year HF (Higher Preparatory Examination) program, who are required to submit major written assignments each year, the ministry said.

The ministry is also urging upper-secondary schools to use screen-monitoring tools during exams and introduce firewalls to restrict the content students can access during classes and final assignments.

In addition, schools are advised to have more assignments completed on campus under controlled conditions so that supervision can be more effective.

Reaction from the education community and next steps

Three organizations representing school leaders, teachers, and upper-secondary students welcomed the measures but called for more lasting solutions in response to the “rapid pace of technological development,” the association Danske Gymnasier reported on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, we have a problem with students using AI to cheat in upper-secondary schools. Action is needed now, and we are starting with these three initiatives. In the coming period, I will involve schools, teachers, and students in discussions about what can be done both in the short and long term to ensure that AI does not undermine students’ skills, their academic abilities, or, not least, their capacity for independent thought,”

– Magnus Heunicke

“These requirements include having students clearly state when AI has been used in major written assignments and ensuring that preparation for oral exams takes place without access to AI,”

– Anders Frikke

According to Oscar Tønsberg Hoffmann, chair of the Danish Association of Upper-Secondary Students (DGS), it is important that students have the opportunity to help develop long-term solutions and participate in shaping future policies.

“It is important that students have the opportunity to help develop long-term solutions.”

– Oscar Tønsberg Hoffmann

The Danish Association of Upper-Secondary Schools also emphasizes the need for a swift and considered response to technological development, while the Ministry of Education says that the three initiatives are only the beginning and that consultations with educational institutions, teachers, and students will continue in both the short and long term.

The government assured that efforts to prevent AI-assisted cheating and develop critical thinking and independent learning skills will remain a priority in reforming Denmark’s education system.