Using Automated Feedback to Improve Writing Quality: Opportunities and Challenges

• In Event: Technology Tools for Real-World Skill Assessments in Schools

Abstract

In the 21st century, writing skills are essential for academic success, college acceptance and completion, and stable gainful employment. Yet. more than two-thirds of students in grades four, eight, and twelve fail to achieve grade-level proficiency in writing (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2012; Persky, Daane, & Jin, 2002) and an estimated 6-22% of school-age students meet diagnostic criteria for specific learning disabilities in the area of written expression (Hooper et al., 1993; Katusic, Colligan, Weaver, & Barberesi, 2009). Recent reform efforts, marked by the adoption of the CCSS and its associated assessments, have moved writing instruction, and the application of technology within instruction, to the forefront of stakeholders’ minds in a way hitherto unseen in the 21st century. One promising technological application is automated essay evaluation (AEE) software. AEE employs automated essay scoring technology to provide students with immediate, reliable feedback in the form of essay ratings and individualized suggestions for improving writing in subsequent revisions. AEE systems are increasing their visibility and adoption as learning tools within school settings. However, there are mixed findings from empirical research on the effects of automated feedback on writing quality. To aid stakeholders interested in the use of AEE and automated feedback, this presentation will (1) Describe AEE, the underlying theory associated with its use, and praise and criticisms of this technology; (2) Review results of previous studies of automated feedback on writing quality and report results of a novel study of an AEE system called Project Essay Grade (PEG) for scaffolding improvements in the writing quality of students in grades 4-8; and (3) Discuss areas of future research related to AEE in instructional settings. 

Author

• Joshua Wilson, University of Delawarere