Muzzy Lane x AIxEd Conference 2026

On May 8–9th, the Muzzy Lane team joined education leaders, researchers, and assessment experts at Northeastern University for the AIxEd Conference, where we were proud to participate as a platinum sponsor. Over two days, we engaged in conversations about the rapidly evolving role of AI in teaching, learning, and most urgently, assessment. We also had the opportunity to share how our Author platform is helping institutions design authentic, AI-resilient assessments and experiential learning experiences at scale.

In this post, we share key takeaways from our team and what they've learned from the conference.

1. Redesigning Assessment in the Age of AI

A central theme throughout the conference was the need to fundamentally rethink assessment in an era where AI tools are widely available to learners, faculty, and employers alike.

“A big takeaway for me was the urgent need to redesign assessment in the age of AI. It’s coming from all angles (institutions, faculty, employers, students) and needs to be AI-resilient and student-centric.” — David McCool, CEO & President, Muzzy Lane

It was made clear that AI is making us rethink our strategies for assessing learners. Attendees expressed interest in using AI to create assessments that challenge learners to think critically and apply their skills in real-world contexts, ultimately fostering authentic learning.

AI can help create these assessments by:

• Designing real-world scenarios with virtual colleagues and storylines

• Incorporating challenging questions that mirror real-world decision-making

• Giving learners open-response interactions and roleplay that require applying judgment in context

These priorities align closely with our work on Muzzy Lane Author, which enables educators to create roleplay assessments that measure how learners can apply what they've learned in real environments.

2. New Use Cases for Simulation and Roleplay

Another recurring theme was the diverse ways AI tools can support instruction and assessment across disciplines.

“I really enjoyed learning about the many ways our tool can be used. Hearing new use cases was really interesting and will definitely shape product development moving forward.” — Eva Drotch, AI Engineer, Muzzy Lane

Conversations with attendees surfaced diverse applications for simulation and roleplay assessments, including:

• Supporting skills development across many (if not all) types of course areas and disciplines

• Designing formative assessments that give students instant, constructive feedback

• Adapting assessments to different programs, learner populations, and institutional goals

These discussions reinforced the need for intuitive authoring tools that allow faculty and instructional designers to quickly build, customize, and scale roleplay assessments across different educational institutions.

3. Understanding the Broader AI in Education Ecosystem

AIxEd also provided valuable opportunities to connect with universities, edtech providers, and other organizations working at the intersection of AI and learning.

“We were able to have conversations with universities and other businesses alike to better understand the ecosystem and how different AI strategies are being deployed.” — Mike Johnson, VP of Sales, Muzzy Lane

Across these discussions, we heard a consistent set of questions:

• How can AI support (not replace) the work of assessment creators?

• What does responsible AI use look like in assessment?

• How can institutions scale authentic assessment and prove that it actually works?

These conversations are central to how we design our tools, from our AI Production Assistant to our roleplay format that measures and builds durable skills.

4. AI for Real-World Scenario Simulations

A particularly exciting area of interest at AIxEd was the use of AI to power realistic, context-rich scenarios that assess learners’ ability to apply skills in real-world situations.

“I found it fascinating to learn more from educators and edtech professionals about how AI can be used as an effective tool to create real-world scenario simulations that assess authentic skills application.” — Christine Matta, Marketing Specialist, Muzzy Lane

Educators are looking for ways to:

• Move beyond multiple-choice and start creating assessments that actually encourage authentic, experiential learning

• Create safe environments where learners can practice decision-making in the areas they're studying

• Capture rich performance data to better understand student progress

This aligns directly with Muzzy Lane Author’s roleplay capabilities, which allow learners to interact with virtual stakeholders, make choices, and receive targeted feedback based on their decisions.

5. A Community Focused on Outcomes and Evidence

Finally, AIxEd highlighted how many experts are now focused on improving the quality and signaling power of assessments.

“It was great to see such a broad spectrum of educators at the event, and to learn how different teams are approaching the challenges and opportunities that AI presents. I was encouraged by the number of assessment experts looking for opportunities to improve signaling outcomes and overall effectiveness.” — Jeff Fiske, Vice President of Production, Muzzy Lane

There is a clear and growing emphasis on:

• Making assessment evidence meaningful to employers and other stakeholders

• Aligning assessment with durable, transferable skills

• Using data from simulations and roleplay to inform instruction and program design

As institutions look to connect learning outcomes to career and workforce readiness, we see strong alignment with our work on skills-focused assessments and microcredentials that validate performance in authentic scenarios.

Looking Ahead

Our time at the AIxEd Conference reaffirmed both the urgency and the opportunity in reimagining assessment for the AI era. Institutions are asking for:

• AI-resilient, student-centric assessment models

• Scalable, authentic experiences that mirror the real world

• Tools that integrate with existing systems while reducing development time and cost

We are grateful to AIxEd and Northeastern University for hosting a thoughtful, forward-looking event, and to all the attendees who visited our booth and shared their insights, questions, and challenges.

Next, we look forward to continuing these conversations at the Open edX Conference, where we will further explore how simulation, roleplay, and AI can work together to support meaningful, measurable learning outcomes.