Reflective practice holds critical importance, for example, in higher education and teacher education, yet promoting students' reflective skills has been a persistent challenge. The emergence of revolutionary artificial intelligence technologies, notably in machine learning and large language models, heralds potential breakthroughs in this domain.…

Despite the plethora of studies on the role of noticing in second language learning, little is known about the role of AI-operated feedback in noticing errors and uptake "during" and "after" writing. To address this gap, this study primarily aimed to investigate the impact of feedback modes and timing on L2 students' noticing…

Much research has applied automated writing evaluation (AWE) systems to English writing instruction; however, understanding how students internalize and apply this feedback to reduce writing errors is difficult, largely due to the personal and private nature of this process. Therefore, this research utilized eye-tracking technology to explore the…

Within the context of Chinese university education, effective communication in the field of second language writing heavily relies on lexical complexity, yet the role of writing feedback perception in relation to lexical complexity remains elusive. This study introduces a comprehensive writing feedback perception model encompassing perceptions of…

In recent years, various strategies have been employed to integrate ChatGPT into the field of second language (L2) teaching and learning. In line with such efforts, this study investigates the potential of ChatGPT as an automated writing evaluation (AWE) tool for L2 assessment, given the lack of systematic and quantitative investigation into human…

Checking essays written by students is a very time consuming task. Besides spellings and grammar, they also need to be evaluated on their semantic content such as cohesion, coherence, etc. In this study we focus on one such aspect of semantic content which is the topic of the essay. Putting it formally, given a prompt or essay-statement and an…

While studies on teacher written feedback and automated writing evaluation (AWE) feedback have proliferated in recent decades, little attention has been paid to how AWE-teacher integrated feedback would influence students' engagement and their writing performance in second language (L2) writing. Against this backdrop, a quasi-experimental design…

It is imperative to use new technologies in a supportive manner to meet the learners' and teachers' demanding needs as educational environments change in the digital age. The continuous expansion of online learning and distance education opportunities responds to the demands of learners and teachers while pioneering the use of technology in…

Writing achievement is crucial for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners due to its impact on language skills, overall proficiency, academic success, creativity, and critical thinking. However, the teacher feedback may be problematic due to timing, subjectivity, overemphasis, and alignment with learning goals. Automated feedback, on the…

This study aims to explore to what extent syntactic complexity predicts holistic scores generated by China's two prominent automated writing evaluation systems--"pigai" and "iWrite," the results of which will have some implications for the validity of these two systems. In the meanwhile, this study targets how syntactic…

The role of internet technology in higher education and particularly in teaching English as a Foreign language is increasingly prominent because of the interest in the ways in which technology can be applied to support students. The automated evaluation scoring system is a typical demonstration of the application of network technology in the…

Automated writing scoring can not only provide holistic scores but also instant and corrective feedback on L2 learners' writing quality. It has been increasing in use throughout China and internationally. Given the advantages, the past several years has witnessed the emergence and growth of writing evaluation products in China. To the best of our…

Ethical considerations, including transparency, play an important role when using artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Explainable AI has been coined as a solution to provide more insight into the inner workings of AI algorithms. However, carefully designed user studies on how to design explanations for AI in education are still limited. The…

Automated writing evaluation (AWE) has been used increasingly to provide feedback on student writing. Previous research typically focused on its inter-rater reliability with human graders and validation frameworks. The limited body of research has only discussed students' attitudes or perceptions in general. A systematic investigation of the…

Recent years have witnessed an increasing interest in the use of automated writing evaluation (AWE) in second language writing classrooms. This increase is partially due to the belief that AWE can assist teachers by allowing them to devote more feedback to higher-level (HL) writing skills, such as content and organization, while the technology…