ABSTRACT
This paper focuses on the use of a natural language analytics engine to provide feedback to students when preparing an essay for summative assessment. OpenEssayist is a real-time learning analytics tool, which operates through the combination of a linguistic analysis engine that processes the text in the essay, and a web application that uses the output of the linguistic analysis engine to generate the feedback. We outline the system itself and present analysis of observed patterns of activity as a cohort of students engaged with the system for their module assignments. We report a significant positive correlation between the number of drafts submitted to the system and the grades awarded for the first assignment. We can also report that this cohort of students gained significantly higher overall grades than the students in the previous cohort, who had no access to OpenEssayist. As a system that is content free, OpenEssayist can be used to support students working in any domain that requires the writing of essays.
- Agudo-Peregrina, Á. F., Iglesias-Pradas, S., Conde-Gonzalez, M. Á., and Hernandez-Garcia, Á. 2014. Can we predict success from log data in VLEs? Classification of interactions for learning analytics and their relation with performance in VLE-supported F2F and online learning. Comput. Hum. Behav., 31, 542--550. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Alden Rivers, B., Whitelock, D., Richardson, J. T. E., Field, D., and Pulman, S. 2014. Functional, frustrating and full of potential: learners' experiences of a prototype for automated essay feedback. Proceedings of Computer Assisted Assessment international conference: Research into e-assessment, Zeist, The Netherlands, June 30--July 1.Google Scholar
- Bird, S., Klein, E., and Loper, E. 2009. Natural language processing with Python. Cambridge, MA: O'Reilly. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Black, P. and Wiliam, D. 1998. Assessment and classroom learning, Assessment in Education, 5(1), 7--74.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Butler, D. L. and Winne, P. H. 1995. Feedback and self-regulated learning: a theoretical synthesis. Rev. Educ. Res., 65(3), 245--281.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Chickering, A. W. and Gamson, Z. F. 1987. Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. American Association of Higher Education Bulletin, 39(7), 3--7. http://www.aahea.org/aahea/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm Accessed October 8, 2014Google Scholar
- Kluger, A. N. and DeNisi, A. 1996. The effects of feedback interventions on performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psychol. Bull., 119(2), 254--284.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Koedinger, K., Booth, J. L., and Klahr, D. 2013. Instructional complexity and the science to constrain it. Science, 342, 935--937.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Law, N. 2014. Is learning analytics a disruptive innovation? Paper presented at the 4th International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge, March 24--28, Indianapolis, USA.Google Scholar
- Mihalcea, R. and Tarau, P. 2004. TextRank: Bringing order into text. Proceedings of Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing EMNLP (pp. 404--411) http://aclweb.org/anthology//W/W04/#3200 Accessed 8th October 2014Google Scholar
- Narciss, S. 2013. Designing and evaluating tutoring feedback strategies for digital learning environments on the basis of the Interactive Tutoring Feedback Model. Digital Education Review, 23, 7--26 http://greav.ub.edu/der Accessed July 17, 2014Google Scholar
- Nelson, M. M. and Schunn, C. D. 2009. The nature of feedback: How different types of peer feedback affect writing performance. Instr. Sci., 37(4), 375--401.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Paulovich, F. V., Toledo, F. M. B., Telles, G. P., Minghim, R., and Nonato, L. G. 2012. Semantic wordification of document collections. Comput. Graph Forum, 31(3), 1145--1153. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Tempelaar, D. T., Rienties, B., and Giesbers, B. in press. In search for the most informative data for feedback generation: Learning Analytics in a data-rich context. Comput. Hum. Behav.Google Scholar
- Whitelock, D. 2011. Activating assessment for learning: Are we on the way with Web 2.0? In M. J. W. Lee and C. McLoughlin (Eds.), Web 2.0-Based-E-Learning: Applying social informatics for tertiary teaching (pp. 319--342). IGI Global.Google Scholar
- Whitelock, D., Field, D., Pulman, S., Richardson, J. T. E., and Van Labeke, N. 2013. OpenEssayist: An automated feedback system that supports university students as they write summative essays. The 1st International Conference on Open Learning: Role, Challenges and Aspirations, The Arab Open University, Kuwait, November 25--27, 2013.Google Scholar
Index Terms
- OpenEssayist: a supply and demand learning analytics tool for drafting academic essays
Recommendations
Write-and-learn: promoting meaningful learning through concept map-based formative feedback on writing assignments
LAK '17: Proceedings of the Seventh International Learning Analytics & Knowledge ConferenceA primary goal of higher education is to promote meaningful learning: the delivery of core academic content to students in innovative ways that allow them to learn and then apply what they have learned. As a pedagogical strategy, Writing-to-Learn (WTL) ...
Infusion of ABET — Specified professional and academic content into off-campus work experiences via distance learning modules
FIE '12: Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)Educating engineering students on ABET-required professional and nontechnical skills is usually a challenging task. The related challenges include finding a balance between the content, the delivery format, the time of delivery, and location in the ...
A system for knowledge discovery in e-learning environments within the European Higher Education Area - Application to student data from Open University of Madrid, UDIMA
In today's open and dynamic learning environment, a significant percentage of students have a preference for flexible learning systems whereby they can reconcile their academic pursuits with their job responsibilities and family obligations.Non face-to-...
Comments