In this experimental study, 151 middle school students explored 3 historical controversies, first reading and discussing primary source documents in groups, then writing arguments on their own. Students were either randomly assigned to an experimental condition, using argumentative schemes and critical questions as guides during discussions, or to…

Comments on the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), a new component of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Examines the AWA's historical significance and addresses questions regarding the relevance of the writing test for management education. Finds that the AWA is of limited value as a writing assessment and will meet only some of…

Analyzes the Analytical Writing Assessment's (AWA) contribution as a performance assessment. Critiques its potential usefulness as a diagnostic tool for management education. Concludes that the AWA does not meet the expectations of GMAT-user schools who endorsed the test as a diagnostic instrument for identifying student deficiencies. States that…

Uses essays from the Analytical Writing Assessment of the Graduate Management Admission Test to develop a set of analytical tools to diagnose students' potential problems in MBA (Masters of Business Administration) writing assignments. Finds students learned about problems in their writing and about ways to address these needs, as well as improved…

Finds that 86% of the 59 MBA programs completing a survey used scores from the Analytical Writing Assessment of the Graduate Management Admission Test to refine their admissions decisions, but only a few schools used the test diagnostically in making such other decisions as placing students in writing-development courses, waiving communication…

Describes the new GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), including its evaluation and the results schools receive. Reviews uses of the AWA scores and essays that have ramifications for management communication. Suggests why it is vital for communication instructors to become involved in decisions about how…

Describes the addition of a writing performance assessment to the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and how development of the Analysis of Argument measure and the Persuasive Adaptiveness measure helps explain the holistic writing score given during grading of the GMAT. Correlates holistic and analytic scores, revealing a positive…

This report provides a two-part evaluation of the IntelliMetric[SM] automated essay scoring system based on its performance scoring essays from the Analytic Writing Assessment of the Graduate Management Admission Test[TM] (GMAT[TM]). The IntelliMetric system performance is first compared to that of individual human raters, a Bayesian system…

Essays for the Graduate Management Admissions Test must be written with a word processor (except in some foreign countries). The test sponsors, the Graduate Management Admissions Council, believed that this is fair because some word processing skill is a prerequisite for advanced management education. Furthermore, it might also be unfair to…