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Validating an 'Unusual' Approach to Automated Formative Feedback
Mollaei, Hoda
Mollaei, Hoda
Description
A Master of Arts thesis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) by Hoda Mollaei entitled, “Validating an 'Unusual' Approach to Automated Formative Feedback”, submitted in May 2025. Thesis advisor is Dr. Philip McCarthy and thess co-advisor is Dr. Kristen Highland. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).
Abstract
This paper addresses the validity of Auto-Peer, an Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) tool designed to provide formative feedback by highlighting ‘unusual’ elements in student writing. Unlike traditional AWEs, which tend to focus on errors, Auto Peer encourages critical thinking and self-assessment by prompting students to modify their text or justify their choices. I analyzed 134 student papers and found that the number of highlighted issues by Auto Peer significantly correlated with human evaluations of writing quality. This suggests that Auto-Peer's approach of flagging the ‘unusual’ can be an effective indicator of student writing quality. The paper's findings are of interest to educators and researchers seeking to promote student autonomy and feedback literacy through technology-aided writing instruction.