According to USA Today, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) recently presented evidence suggesting that its computer testing program can grade freshman writing placement tests as well as human beings can. Their study examined tests that were taken at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
The computer grading program, E-Rater, evaluated short essays that were completed in the SAT writing portion. The ETS found that the human grades and E-Rater grades corresponded strongly, according to the news source. Researcher Chaitanya Ramineni noted that "human scoring suffers from flaws."
Many companies and colleges use or plan to utilize the E-Rater tool to grade placement tests. Last November, for instance, Turnitin integrated E-Rater into its GradeMark tools to give students more detailed feedback, according to a report on eschoolnews.com.
However, Les Perelman, the director of MIT's writing across the curriculum program, has emerged as firm opposition to the automated grading tool. According to the news source, he feels the service punishes student creativity and encourages test-takers to use trite vocabulary over clear, concise language. For instance, because E-Rater examines the ratios of grammar and mechanical errors to the total number of words, longer essays - even poorly written ones - may score higher.
The answer most likely lies in between both solutions. Essay writers are best served by combining their own review of their work with an automated grammar and spelling check.
Students who are new to the English language can improve their speaking and writing skills if they are exposed to the language outside of class. According to a study that was completed at Sweden's University of Gothenburg, this type of "extramural" learning is essential for developing one's understanding of an unfamiliar lexicon.
Researcher Eva Olsson looked at the written work of 37 Swedish students writing in English. Each 16-year-old participant documented their daily exposure to the language, whether through films or computer games.
She found that the students who had a lot of exposure to English outside of their classes felt confident using the language in conversation and writing. She noted that these students used "longer sentences and a more varied vocabulary than those with less extramural exposure."
Olsson also added that "if you view a pupil's linguistic register as a palette, those pupils with extensive exposure to English in their spare time appear to have a richer palette with more different shades."
Teachers who want to help their students improve English writing and speaking may consider encouraging such extramural contact.
Non-native speakers who are trying to improve their translations to English may want to note the importance of absorbing a new language through aural mediums. Moreover, they may eventually benefit from a reliable online translator, as international employers and schools may demand proficiency in English writing.
