Bond University Increases Student Support While Decreasing Educator Workload

The Challenge

Bond University embarked on a pilot with Cadmus to deepen its understanding of the student experience and better support students at risk before submission—delivering a positive end-user experience alongside meaningful, in-journey interventions. The university sought guidance from Cadmus to reimagine assessment delivery, in line with its 2023–2027 Strategic Plan and its commitment to creating seamless, personalised, authentic, and inspirational learning experiences that encourage self-discovery, demonstrate capability development, and embody lifelong learning, inclusion, and integrity.

Rather than focusing solely on outcomes at the point of submission, Bond aimed to monitor the learning and assessment process more effectively—using assessment analytics and Cadmus functionality to identify potential integrity issues early and to support relevant, ethical integration of generative AI. This proactive stance aligns with Bond’s strategic priorities to continuously develop innovative teaching formats that meet learner needs and workforce demands, and to ensure graduates have the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to succeed in the world of future work as ethical leaders and responsible contributors to global sustainability.

To deliver at scale:

• 6 faculties adopted Cadmus for assessment: Bond University College, Faculty of Society and Design, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond Business School, Transformation CoLab, and Faculty of Law.
• 80 educators delivered 49 assessments across 18 subjects—many running across multiple semesters.
• Within a 5,000+ student university, approximately 1,275 students were involved in the pilot—representing 22% of the total cohort.

The Solution

In one streamlined environment, Cadmus enabled Bond University to deliver authentic assessments at scale while reducing educator workload and ensuring a positive student experience. It provided rich analytics to improve educator understanding of the learning process, offered early support for at-risk students, and strengthened academic integrity through proactive detection of risks. The platform also guided students toward the relevant and ethical integration of generative AI, aligning with the university’s commitment to innovative teaching and future-ready graduate skills.

Step 1: EVIDENCE-BASED TEMPLATES TO INCREASE ASSESSMENT LITERACY

Using Cadmus templates, educators were able to quickly redesign assessments that maintained high academic standards while reducing the time and effort required to implement them. There was a 100% uptake of Cadmus Assessment Templates to scaffold the learning process among participating educators. This not only eased educator workload but also ensured assessments were consistently learning-centred and aligned with Bond’s focus on authentic, future-ready education.

For students, assessments were scaffolded with clear drafting stages, structured guidance, and supportive prompts built into the Cadmus environment. This helped students better understand expectations, engage more deeply with the learning process, and build confidence as they progressed. By embedding integrity into the design from the outset—through authentic tasks and guided steps—students were set up for success, while risks of misconduct were minimised through prevention rather than punishment.

Step 2: SCAFFOLDED STUDENT SUPPORT BUILT INTO THE ASSESSMENT JOURNEY

Within the Cadmus platform, students were supported throughout the assessment process with checklists, notes, and integrated resources tailored to each task. This scaffolding helped students build self-efficacy, manage their own learning, and approach assessments with confidence. Educative nudges guided students on best practices and ethical decision-making, reducing the likelihood of academic misconduct.

For the university, this approach meant assessments were completed more effectively, with students better prepared and supported, while integrity risks were minimised. At the same time, educators benefited from clearer insights into student progress and engagement, allowing for timely interventions and more efficient management of assessment processes.

Step 3: USING CADMUS DRAFTS TO PROACTIVELY SUPPORT STUDENTS

The Cadmus Drafts function allowed educators to support students more effectively by providing early visibility into their work. By reviewing draft submissions, educators could identify challenges and offer targeted feedback before the final assessment, making one-on-one interactions more meaningful and productive. For students, the ability to submit drafts and receive timely feedback empowered them to refine their work, build confidence, and engage in authentic, learning-centred assessments. Setting up draft submissions was simple, removing administrative burdens for educators while creating a structured feedback process that directly enhanced student learning outcomes.

Step 4: RICH ANALYTICS IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF STUDENT LEARNING PROCESSES

A key goal for Bond University was to better understand how students engage with their learning and to provide timely support for those at risk. With Cadmus Analytics, educators gained visibility into student progress throughout the assessment process—seeing not just final submissions but how assessments were constructed and when students began their work.

This allowed educators to identify students who had not yet started and to send timely nudges before key milestones, encouraging earlier engagement and reducing the likelihood of misconduct. The Cadmus Class List functionality made it easy to contact students whose progress required attention, providing more targeted support.

At both the class and individual level, Learning Assurance Analytics offered deeper insights. Reports highlighted patterns across the cohort, revealing how individual students developed their work—giving the university stronger evidence to address concerns and uphold academic integrity.

For students, this meant earlier interventions, clearer support, and a greater chance of success. For the university, it strengthened integrity processes, improved oversight, and ensured at-risk students were supported proactively rather than reactively.

Step 5: EDUCATION ON ETHICAL AI INTEGRATION

Bond University aimed to support students in using Generative AI appropriately within their assessments. With Cadmus, assessments were redesigned using templates that included explicit guidance on when and how AI could be used responsibly. Additional support was embedded directly into the platform through the Cadmus Manual, linking students to Bond University’s own resources and policies.

For students, this provided clarity and confidence around ethical AI use, helping them develop skills that align with future workplace expectations. For the university, it ensured consistent messaging on academic integrity, reduced the risk of misconduct, and reinforced Bond’s commitment to preparing graduates as responsible, future-ready professionals.

The Approach

EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH CLEAR, SUPPORTIVE AI GUIDANCE

To address the challenges posed by emerging AI language models, Cadmus worked closely with Bond University to design proactive integrity measures within the student assessment experience. The Bond student workspace was embedded with clear, pre-assessment educational guidance outlining the appropriate and inappropriate use of generative AI tools. This included tailored explanations of expectations, examples of acceptable practices, and explicit reminders about academic standards.

TRAINING ON CADMUS’S LEARNING ASSURANCE ANALYTICS IN A DIGITAL AND GENERATIVE AI ERA

As part of the partnership, Cadmus took a proactive approach to building educator capability with Learning Assurance Analytics. Comprehensive training and education sessions equipped Bond University staff with the knowledge and confidence to interpret and apply these insights in their teaching. By focusing on the process students followed to construct their assessments—rather than just the final submission—educators were able to verify authentic learning, strengthen academic integrity, and provide more targeted support when needed.

TRAINING ON CADMUS PROGRESS ANALYTICS

One of Bond University’s key goals was to better understand how students engage with their learning and construct their assessments. To support this, Cadmus delivered extensive training for educators on how to use Progress Analytics and related tools. Educators learned how to track student engagement throughout the assessment journey, identify students who had not yet started, and send timely nudges before milestones to encourage earlier participation. Training also covered the Class List functionality, enabling staff to reach out directly to students needing additional support. This proactive approach built educator confidence in using data-driven insights, while helping Bond achieve its goal of supporting students earlier and more effectively in the learning process.

TAILORED ASSESSMENT REDESIGN SERVICES

Cadmus’s Assessment Design Team worked with educators from 18 subjects within the faculties of Society and Design, Health Sciences and Medicine, and Law, as well as Bond Business School and the Transformation CoLab—with many subjects running over multiple semesters. Cadmus helped redesign assessments for a digital environment, ensuring assessments aligned with the university’s objectives of providing a supportive student experience to deter academic misconduct before submission.

DEDICATED LOCAL SUPPORT

The Cadmus Learning team and the Cadmus Support team provided ongoing, tailored support and guidance to the pilot participants through the Cadmus Support Channel, as well as via email, Zoom and over the phone.

The Outcomes

Harnessing Cadmus to deliver scaffolded, authentic, and learning-centred assessments while supporting students and reducing educator workload, Bond University achieved the following results.

UNIVERSITY OUTCOMES

The Cadmus pilot delivered measurable benefits across Bond University. With 22% of the total student cohort and 80 educators engaged, the pilot demonstrated impact at scale while maintaining a positive user experience. Every educator involved adopted Cadmus templates to scaffold learning, leading to more consistent, authentic assessment design. This translated into a 55% uplift in educator productivity and an estimated $148,000 in cost savings across 49 assessments—freeing staff to focus more on teaching and student support while delivering efficiencies for the university as a whole.

EDUCATOR OUTCOMES

Educators reported clear benefits from the Cadmus pilot, particularly in their ability to understand and support students. Approximately 81% felt they had greater visibility of student progress and engagement and could help reduce student workload—an area where there were no negative responses in the survey. In addition, 92% of educators agreed Cadmus improved their assessment design, while 84% highlighted the ease of setting up, tracking, and managing assessments. Notably, 77.8% of educators also reported increased student progress and engagement, reinforcing Cadmus’s role in enhancing both teaching efficiency and student learning outcomes.

STUDENT OUTCOMES

Students reported a strongly positive experience with Cadmus, with 84% rating it good to excellent—showing that the platform not only supported their learning but also made assessment less stressful. Clarity was a key benefit: 73.1% of students said it was easy to understand how to complete their assessment, while 76.9% felt confident knowing where to find the resources they needed. With clearer guidance and better access to support, students were able to focus more on their learning and demonstrate their knowledge more effectively. This translated into real academic gains, with average grades rising by 4.3% across all semesters—evidence that Cadmus helped students feel more prepared, capable, and successful.