EssayCritic: Writing to Learn with a Knowledge-Based Design Critiquing System

This article presents a study of EssayCritic, a computer-based writing aid for English as a foreign language (EFL) that provides feedback on the content of English essays. We compared two feedback conditions: automated feedback from EssayCritic (target class) and feedback from collaborating peers (c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational Technology ＆ Society 2017-04, Vol.20 (2), p.213-223
Main Authors: Mørch, Anders I, Engeness, Irina, Cheng, Victor C, Cheung, William K, Wong, Kelvin C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Authorship
Classroom Communication
Collaborative learning
Computer Assisted Instruction
Elementary school students
English (Second Language)
English as a second language
Essays
Expert systems
Feedback
Feedback (Communication)
Feedback (Response)
Foreign Countries
Foreign languages
Grades (Scholastic)
Knowledge bases (artificial intelligence)
Learning
Machine learning
Mixed Methods Research
Peer Evaluation
Posttests
Pretests
Pretests Posttests
Second Language Instruction
Second Language Learning
Second language writing
Secondary School Students
Special Issue Articles
Statistical analysis
Students
Study and teaching
T tests
Teachers
Teaching Methods
Technology application
Writing
Writing Improvement
Writing Instruction
Writing processes
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Summary:This article presents a study of EssayCritic, a computer-based writing aid for English as a foreign language (EFL) that provides feedback on the content of English essays. We compared two feedback conditions: automated feedback from EssayCritic (target class) and feedback from collaborating peers (comparison class). We used a mixed methods approach to collect and analyze the data, combining interaction analysis of classroom conversations during the writing process and statistical analysis of students' grades. The grades of students in both classes improved from pre-test to post-test but in different ways. The students in the target class included more ideas (content) in their essays, whereas the students in the comparison class put more emphasis on the organization of their ideas. We discuss our findings to identify strengths and weaknesses of our approach, and we end the paper by suggesting some directions for further research.
ISSN:1176-3647
1436-4522
1436-4522