Arbor Update

Michigan Dept. of Ed proposes computer essay grading

24. January 2005 • Murph
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The Freep reports that state Education officials are proposing to use computers to grade essays in K-12 classrooms, following an model that Indiana education officials have claimed success with.

Using computers instead of people to grade essays could save time and money, educators say. It also could help students become better writers because computers can provide quicker feedback.

But the plan faces skepticism from those who say the human element should remain in essay evaluation. Educators don’t doubt the computer software’s ability to grade spelling and punctuation, and say it would save time for teachers, who often are stuck grading essay questions after school on their own time.

But they have misgivings about the computer program’s ability to evaluate content, which often is subjective and subject to debate.

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1. Jesus Christ, could this educational system get any more fucked up?
   
   Someone find a way to blame this on teachers’ unions, or we might actually be on the way to progress. It certainly can’t get much worse.
   
   AP
      —Alyssa P.    Jan. 25 '05 - 06:23AM    #
   
2. Wait, wouldn’t it cost less if instead of educating students, teachers just taught robots? Another great idea from me!
      —js    Jan. 25 '05 - 07:28PM    #
   
3. Being a teacher sucks. This is obvious.
   
   Instead of cutting the need for quality teachers, we need to make teaching a respectable and viable career. We need to spend a lot more time worrying about education and a lot less time worrying about social security and welfare.
      —Sam M    Jan. 25 '05 - 11:00PM    #
   
4. Um… How about we spend a lot more time worrying about education, and a little less time trying to build a space laser that fights missiles?
      —js    Jan. 26 '05 - 02:10AM    #