ACADEMIA
MU Students Jump Two Letter Grades With Help of Essay Grading Program
Computer program provides feedback to help students improve their grades -- Normally, teachers offer writing advice and grade essays. In Ed Brent’s introductory sociology course at the University of Missouri-Columbia, writing tips and grades are generated by a computer program, which he credits with helping to improve student academic performance. Developed by Brent, SAGrader is a web-based program that can determine how well student essays meet the goals of an assignment. It originates from Qualrus, another of Brent’s data management applications that last year received worldwide attention for its ability to analyze and manage qualitative data. SAGrader works in a similar way to its predecessor. Brent, a professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Science, tested the essay grading program by studying the academic performances of 78 students in his sociology class, which requires numerous writing assignments throughout the semester. Providing multiple opportunities for students to revise their essays based on detailed feedback from the program, Brent found that when compared to the first submission, student grades improved. He said the average score was 70 following the first review and 90 upon final submission. A total of 1,595 essays were analyzed. The average number of submissions per student was 2.4. Expecting a five- to 10-point increase, Brent was surprised and pleased by the results of the study. He said the 20-point improvement shows the program is having a positive effect.
“It creates a learning environment where everybody can do better,” said Brent, noting that he reviews each essay for content and grade accuracy. “It levels the playing field and proves that if you’re willing to work hard, you can do better. The process of rewriting their papers better helps students understand sociology. The fact that scores were 20 percent higher shows that students are learning the material.” SAGrader works by scanning data for keywords, phrases and various terms selected by the instructor. The program examines each essay, making sure content and terms expected by the instructor were included and appropriately used in the assignment. Students submit their essays online using a Web browser, immediately receiving scores and comments about their work. Assignments in Brent’s class ranged from short answers to a 15-page term paper. Although he allowed multiple revisions, Brent said the program can be configured to accept any number of drafts. “We’re trying to create a better learning environment so that students can get quick, quality feedback on their writing assignments,” he said. “The idea is to help students learn more by giving them opportunities to improve their work.” Brent said SAGrader currently is being used or piloted by several colleges and universities.
“It creates a learning environment where everybody can do better,” said Brent, noting that he reviews each essay for content and grade accuracy. “It levels the playing field and proves that if you’re willing to work hard, you can do better. The process of rewriting their papers better helps students understand sociology. The fact that scores were 20 percent higher shows that students are learning the material.” SAGrader works by scanning data for keywords, phrases and various terms selected by the instructor. The program examines each essay, making sure content and terms expected by the instructor were included and appropriately used in the assignment. Students submit their essays online using a Web browser, immediately receiving scores and comments about their work. Assignments in Brent’s class ranged from short answers to a 15-page term paper. Although he allowed multiple revisions, Brent said the program can be configured to accept any number of drafts. “We’re trying to create a better learning environment so that students can get quick, quality feedback on their writing assignments,” he said. “The idea is to help students learn more by giving them opportunities to improve their work.” Brent said SAGrader currently is being used or piloted by several colleges and universities.