KUALA TRENGGANU, Oct 7: “An English test can locate a learner, but its real worth lies in what happens next.” With that challenge, Keith Thong, an advocate for embracing greater leading-edge education, has called on educators at the Malaysian Association of Applied Linguistics International Conference (MAALIC) 2026 to move beyond numbers and transform AI assessment into meaningful learning action.
Speaking at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin on Oct 5, Thong presented “Beyond the Score: Turning AI Assessment into Better Learning Decisions”, building on his 2025 MAALIC talk on artificial intelligence in language testing.
He mapped a journey from identifying skill gaps to guided practice and teacher review, stressing that assessment should be a springboard, not a finish line.
As Group Managing Director of University Book Store Malaysia (UBSM) and adjunct professor at UNITAR, Thong illustrated with a simple case: if a learner scores A2 in English, the next lesson must change. A skill‑by‑skill breakdown, he argued, gives teachers actionable insight rather than static labels.
He explored how AI could generate lesson‑matched reading materials, support local languages, and deploy agents that retrieve approved resources — always with human oversight in consequential decisions. His vision extended from classrooms to workplaces and community education.
The three‑day conference, themed “Applied Linguistics and Language Education in a Changing World: Equity, Diversity, Innovation”, drew educators, researchers, and practitioners from across the region, with UBSM among its partners.
For institutions considering AI, Thong advised starting small: one learner group, one clear goal. A short pilot could combine initial assessment, guided practice, work samples, and a later review, with teachers judging progress and refining the approach.
Fairness, transparency, and human responsibility, he stressed, must anchor every AI‑driven decision. His closing provocation was practical and urgent: “After receiving an AI result, what will a learner do differently tomorrow?”
WE