A newly introduced tool named Writable, leveraging ChatGPT to assist in evaluating student essays, is now broadly accessible to educators across grades 3-12. Since ChatGPT’s inception, educators have discreetly utilized it for grading, but its adoption and endorsement by schools are growing. Writable, recognized as a labor-saving instrument for educators, was acquired last summer by the educational powerhouse Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, whose resources are employed in 90% of K-12 schools. This tool allows teachers to process students’ compositions through ChatGPT, assess the AI-provided critiques, and relay them back to the students.
The process is as follows: an educator assigns a writing task, such as “What I did over my summer vacation,” which students submit digitally. The educator then forwards these essays to Writable, which subsequently uses ChatGPT for analysis. ChatGPT provides feedback to the educator, who is expected to refine this feedback before sharing it with the students. Writable ensures student anonymity by “tokenizing” their information, preventing the submission of personal details to the AI system.
In a broader context, educators are already utilizing ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies for creating lesson plans, syllabi, curricula, grading papers, and verifying student work for AI-assisted plagiarism and other dishonest practices. However, the introduction of formal AI grading solutions aims to formalize and regulate such practices.
There are alternatives to Writable, such as Crowdmark, EssayGrader, Gradescope, and direct use of ChatGPT. Nevertheless, the implementation of AI grading solutions may encourage shortcuts among educators, potentially depriving students of substantial feedback. While diligent educators might treat ChatGPT’s suggestions as preliminary guidance, others might transfer the feedback directly to students.
As educational institutions navigate establishing AI policies, debates arise over the academic integrity of using ChatGPT for grading and its impact on students. Ed-tech companies argue that tools like Writable aim to provide educators with additional leisure and flexibility, allowing them to focus on crafting inventive lessons and fostering closer relationships with students.
Despite the controversy surrounding AI-generated comments on report cards, parental opinion is divided, with 45% in favor of using AI for evaluating students’ academic performance, as per an October poll by the National Coalition for Public School Options. Historically, AI’s role in grading has predominantly targeted larger high school and college classes, not lower grades where personalized teacher feedback is deemed crucial. A 2020 Campus Technology article highlighted Connect, a tool utilizing AI for automatic scoring based on content and writing style, offering immediate feedback according to instructor-defined rubrics.