How MKTG 409 made AI use assessable, not invisible

Scale was solved. Then AI changed the assessment problem.

MKTG 409 had already used Cartedo to scale hands-on marketing practice across an 800+ student course. Students were completing simulations, receiving personalized feedback, and reaching career-readiness benchmarks through repeated practice.

Then AI changed the assessment problem. By Spring 2025, large language models were part of how students worked. Written submissions became more polished. Scores rose. But student thinking became harder to see.

Dr. Troy did not want to ban AI. That would not prepare students for the workplace. MKTG 409 needed a way to let students use AI while still assessing whether they could apply marketing knowledge, critique AI output, and defend the final decision.

Written answers were no longer enough

A polished response could look strong on the surface, but it did not always prove the student understood the work. For Dr. Troy, the assessment question changed.

Students could use AI — but they had to walk the talk

With TedoGPT, students used an integrated AI assistant inside the simulation to brainstorm, compare options, draft recommendations, and refine their thinking.

But Cartedo did not stop at the written answer.

Students then entered Chat Defense, where a simulated stakeholder asked personalized follow-up questions based on their own submission. The stakeholder could challenge assumptions, ask for evidence, introduce a curveball, or dig into weak reasoning.

The assignment changed from polished submission to live reasoning.

Cartedo made student thinking visible again

MKTG 409 didn't have to ban AI. Students could use it — but they still had to apply marketing knowledge, critique outputs, make decisions, respond to feedback, and defend recommendations under challenge.

Based on student reflections and Dr. Troy's independent Qualtrics Survey, April 2025.

For MKTG 409, that shift made AI part of the learning experience instead of only a cheating concern. Students could use tools — but they still had to think.