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Effects of an Automated Writing Evaluation Program: Student Experiences and Perceptions.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Effects of an Automated Writing Evaluation Program: Student Experiences and Perceptions.
Authors:	Pei-ling Wang¹ peiling@kuas.edu.tw
Source:	Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching. 2015, Vol. 12 Issue 1, p79-100. 22p.
Subject Terms:	Limited English-proficient students, Foreign language education, *Digital media, Writing automation, English language
Abstract:	The issue of whether automated writing evaluation programs facilitate student writing has provoked numerous discussions over the last two decades, but most findings are inconclusive. This study examines the degree of student satisfaction with the functions of Criterion®, how the program affects the revision practices of students, and why the program is helpful or unhelpful. The researcher surveyed 53 English major students at a Taiwanese university and examined 530 writing samples from them to discover the strengths and weaknesses of the program. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to collect the data. The results revealed that many students valued the instant scoring speed (93.8%), the error analysis of usage (75.5%), and the feedback for organization and development (71.4%). However, most students were dissatisfied with the program's scoring rubric (8.2%) and scoring summary (34.7%), the style error analysis (26.5%), and the 'Plan' tool (26.5%). The analysis of error correction rates in students' final drafts confirmed that the feedback for grammar and usage errors was much more useful for student revision than the feedback for mechanics and style errors. The researcher verification showed that the current Criterion® tool is limited in its ability to detect errors related to tenses, conjunctions, compound words, word choice, and word order of indirect questions. Another problem of the program is that it may occasionally generate false alarm messages. AWEs have both merits and drawbacks, which may explain why approximately two-thirds of participants believed that the combination of machine scoring with the teacher's explanations was the optimal implementation method for a writing class. Future studies may include more participants and investigate the extent to which these findings can be generalized to students with limited English writing proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	The issue of whether automated writing evaluation programs facilitate student writing has provoked numerous discussions over the last two decades, but most findings are inconclusive. This study examines the degree of student satisfaction with the functions of Criterion®, how the program affects the revision practices of students, and why the program is helpful or unhelpful. The researcher surveyed 53 English major students at a Taiwanese university and examined 530 writing samples from them to discover the strengths and weaknesses of the program. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to collect the data. The results revealed that many students valued the instant scoring speed (93.8%), the error analysis of usage (75.5%), and the feedback for organization and development (71.4%). However, most students were dissatisfied with the program's scoring rubric (8.2%) and scoring summary (34.7%), the style error analysis (26.5%), and the 'Plan' tool (26.5%). The analysis of error correction rates in students' final drafts confirmed that the feedback for grammar and usage errors was much more useful for student revision than the feedback for mechanics and style errors. The researcher verification showed that the current Criterion® tool is limited in its ability to detect errors related to tenses, conjunctions, compound words, word choice, and word order of indirect questions. Another problem of the program is that it may occasionally generate false alarm messages. AWEs have both merits and drawbacks, which may explain why approximately two-thirds of participants believed that the combination of machine scoring with the teacher's explanations was the optimal implementation method for a writing class. Future studies may include more participants and investigate the extent to which these findings can be generalized to students with limited English writing proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	02199874