What happened
Brown University Professor Roberto Serrano changed his ECON 1170 course's spring 2026 midterm and final to take-home exams, leading to an enrolment increase from under 30 to 86 students. The midterm, administered March 5, yielded an average score of 96%—historically 65-80%—with 40 perfect scores. Serrano noted this exam was harder than past midterms, which typically averaged 65-80%.
Why it matters
Unproctored assessments, when combined with AI assistance, can lead to inflated academic performance, potentially masking a lack of actual learning. For educational institutions and curriculum designers, this risks undermining academic integrity and the validity of student evaluations. This follows June 2026 research indicating AI use degrades medical expertise, highlighting a broader challenge to skill development.
