Third International Conference: The Problem of Learning: Rethinking Assessment for a Changing Higher Education Landscape

The Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences at Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, is pleased to host the Third International Conference on "The Problem of Learning: Rethinking Assessment for a Changing Higher Education Landscape" on February 9, 2026. This hybrid conference brings together educators, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to critically examine the complex relationships between learning theories, pedagogical practices, and assessment methodologies in higher education.

In the evolving landscape of 21st-century education, assessment has emerged as one of the most critical yet contested aspects of learning. This conference interrogates how assessment shapes and is shaped by our understanding of learning itself, with particular focus on Departments of English Language and Literature. As artificial intelligence transforms educational landscapes, traditional assessment objects (linguistic accuracy, stylistic polish, formal correctness) have become trivially achievable, exposing a deeper crisis in higher education. The conference addresses the urgent need to redefine what we assess, shifting toward intellectual capacities that truly matter: interrogative capacity, epistemic humility, synthetic judgment, dialogic engagement, and critical AI literacy.

The conference welcomes empirical research, theoretical contributions, methodological innovations, and critical reflections across eight key themes: theoretical perspectives on assessment and learning; alternative and authentic assessment; technology-enhanced assessment; assessment, equity, and social justice; assessment policy and accountability; disciplinary and contextual approaches; feedback and assessment for learning; and assessment validity, reliability, and fairness. Keynote speakers include Prof. Darir Hassane and Prof. Abdellah El Haloui from the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Cadi Ayyad University.

The conference coordinators are Prof. Rachid Ed-Dali, Prof. Said Khalid, and Prof. Abdellah El Haloui. The abstract submission deadline is January 10, 2026, with a full paper deadline of February 1, 2026. All submissions and presentations must be in English. Selected papers will be published in special journal issues following a double-blind peer review process. There are no registration fees, and the conference offers both in-person and virtual participation options.

For more information and to submit your abstract, please contact flshm.conference2026@gmail.com or reach out to rachid.eddali@uca.ac.ma / khalid.said@uca.ac.ma. Phone: +212 670 099 194.