Does Automated Feedback Improve Writing Quality?
Wilson, J., Olinghouse, N. G., & Andrada, G. N. (2014). Does automated feedback improve writing quality? Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 12(1), 93-118.
This study examines whether automated feedback in a statewide computer-based benchmark writing assessment was associated with improved writing quality across revisions and with transfer to later writing tasks. Writing quality improved across revisions, but the gains decelerated over time and the study found no strong transfer effects to subsequent first-draft performance.
Key takeaways
- Students' writing quality improved across revision cycles when automated feedback was available, though the growth rate slowed over time.
- The study did not find clear transfer effects to improved first-draft performance on a follow-up writing prompt.
- Automated feedback appeared most useful as revision support within a writing task rather than as a stand-alone route to generalized writing gains.
Why it matters
This article is one of Dr. Wilson's early empirical contributions on automated feedback, helping establish a more realistic evidence base about what AWE can and cannot do for student writing improvement.
Coauthors
Joshua Wilson, Natalie G. Olinghouse, Gilbert N. Andrada
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