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…

Background: With the growing trend of integrating technology into teaching environments, using Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) in writing instruction has been extensively studied over the last two decades. The studies on AWE mostly investigated its impact on students' writing proficiencies and revealed conflicting results. However, very few…

This paper introduces "CTutor", an automated writing evaluation (AWE) tool for detecting breakdowns in local coherence and reports on a study that applies it to the writing of Chinese L2 English learners. The program is based on Centering theory (CT), a theory of local coherence and salience. The principles of CT are first introduced and…

The introduction of digital literacy practices has created a tension in academia, with many academics challenging the view that critical thinking can be fostered on social networks. A quasi-experimental study was conducted on two sections of university-level writing classrooms to determine if there were meaningful differences in the quality of…