This scope-review presents the milestones of how Hierarchical Rater Models (HRMs) become operable to used in automated essay scoring (AES) to improve instructional evaluation. Although essay evaluations--a useful instrument for evaluating higher-order cognitive abilities--have always depended on human raters, concerns regarding rater bias,…

This research investigates the effects of rater experience on performance ratings in language testing using a systematic review of studies published from 1985 to 2017. Based on a comprehensive literature search of 14 databases, we identified sixteen relevant papers. With these we conducted a narrative review to conceptualize a theoretical…

Studies on automatic scoring systems in writing assessments have also evaluated the relationship between human and machine scores for the reliability of automated essay scoring systems. This study investigated the magnitudes of indices for inter-rater agreement and discrepancy, especially regarding human and machine scoring, in writing assessment.…

We propose a new framework for conceptualizing measures of instructed second language (L2) pronunciation performance according to three sets of parameters: (a) the constructs (focused on global vs. specific aspects of pronunciation), (b) the scoring method (human raters vs. acoustic analyses), and (c) the type of knowledge elicited (controlled vs.…

This literature review attempts to survey representative studies within the context of L2 speaking assessment that have contributed to the conceptualization of rater cognition. Two types of studies are looked at: 1) studies that examine "how" raters differ (and sometimes agree) in their cognitive processes and rating behaviors, in terms…

We addressed Deville and Chalhoub-Deville's (2006), Schoonen's (2012), and Xi and Mollaun's (2006) call for research into the contextual features that are considered related to person-by-task interactions in the framework of generalizability theory in two ways. First, we quantitatively synthesized the generalizability studies to determine the…

An assumption that is fundamental to the scoring of student-constructed responses (e.g., essays) is the ability of raters to focus on the response characteristics of interest rather than on other features. A common example, and the focus of this study, is the ability of raters to score a response based on the content achievement it demonstrates…