Background: Writing is integral to educational success at all levels and to success in the workplace. However, low literacy is a global challenge, and many students lack sufficient skills to be good writers. With the rapid advance of technology, computer-based tools that provide automated feedback are being increasingly developed. However, mixed…

Feedback is important to improve writing quality; however, to provide timely and personalized feedback is a time-intensive task. Currently, most literature focuses on providing (human or machine) support on product characteristics, especially after a draft is submitted. However, this does not assist students who struggle "during" the…

In this article, I introduce a collaborative annotation activity that supports students in critically examining AI-generated writing in relation to criteria including specificity and complexity. I engage students in collaboratively annotating the AI-generated essays, guiding students to identify instances in which the essays could be more…

The application of Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) has recently gained researchers' attention worldwide. However, the impact of AWE feedback on student writing, particularly in languages other than English, remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the impacts of Chinese AWE feedback and teacher feedback on Chinese writing revision,…

The present paper reports on the effectiveness and inclusiveness of human-delivered synchronous written corrective feedback (SWCF) in paired writing tasks. Replicating Yamashita, Study 2 and Study 3 each conducted a classroom-based quasi-experimental study in an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing program at an American university. In Study…

WriteRightNow (https://writerightnow.com) is an innovative digital platform meticulously crafted to enhance writing instruction across various curricula. Central to its design is the customization of instructional content, allowing for a multi-faceted approach that caters to diverse student needs, including those with special educational…

In the context of process-oriented writing instruction, the significance of engaging students in draft revision is widely acknowledged (McGarrell and Verbeem, ELT Journal 61:228-236, 2007). Nevertheless, L2 learners often exhibit limited motivation for writing, leading to inadequate revision efforts. This quasi-experimental study investigates the…

Automated writing evaluation (AWE) software is an increasingly popular tool for English second language learners. However, research on the accuracy of such software has been both scarce and largely limited in its scope. As such, this article broadens the field of research on AWE accuracy by using a mixed design to holistically evaluate the…

Whether dealing with their native or a foreign language, both teachers and students have consistently found writing skills to be difficult to achieve. Students are concerned about initiating and structuring their thoughts, while teachers struggle to inspire their students to improve their writing capabilities. Hence, this experimental study…

This study investigates how teachers understand and position AI tools in middle school writing instruction, drawing on 27 teacher interviews collected during a study called Project Topeka that used an interactive argumentative writing platform with AI-generated scores and feedback. Based on the interviews, we generate an initial theoretical…

"OpenEssayist" is an automated writing evaluation system (AWE) designed to provide immediate textual and graphical feedback to students to help them improve their academic writing. One of the graphical visualisations as part of "OpenEssayist," (named a 'rainbow diagram'), illustrates how well the key concepts within the writing…

This study mainly explored the effects of teacher feedback, peer feedback and automated feedback on the use of metacognitive strategies in EFL writing. Ninety-seven participants were recruited and divided into three groups, who received two months of feedback from teachers, peers and an automatic writing evaluation system, respectively, and then…

Although a number of studies examined the use of social networking sites (SNSs) in academic writing instruction, these studies mainly revolve around social media centered on microblogging features. Despite living in a visually dominated world, the potential of visual social media such as Instagram whereby the textual, the visual and the social can…

Automated Writing Evaluation systems have been developed to help students improve their writing skills through the automated delivery of both summative and formative feedback. These systems have demonstrated strong potential in a variety of educational contexts; however, they remain limited in their personalization and scope. The purpose of the…

This study examines the implementation of "Criterion," an automated writing evaluation system developed by ETS, as a source of diagnostic feedback on learners' linguistic performance in a Vietnamese EFL writing classroom. Thirty-eight second-year English majors had access to "Criterion" for a five-month period. Data include…