Modeling Student Evaluations of Writing and Authors as a Function of Writing Errors
Roscoe, R. D., Wilson, J., Patchan, M., Chen, D., & Johnson, A. C. (2020). Modeling student evaluations of writing and authors as a function of writing errors. Journal of Language and Education, 6(2), 147-164. https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2020.10316
This study examined how college students evaluate essays containing different kinds of writing errors and how those judgments extend to perceptions of the author. Using a within-subjects design and exploratory factor analysis, the authors found that ratings of writing quality and author characteristics clustered into two correlated latent constructs rather than remaining fully separate.
Key takeaways
- Students tended to form holistic judgments that linked writing quality with perceptions of author ability.
- Author personality judgments formed a separate but correlated construct from writing quality judgments.
- Lower-level errors had a stronger effect on student raters than higher-level errors.
- The findings raise concerns about bias in peer assessment and the need for rater training.
Why it matters
Provides evidence that student evaluations of writing and authors are interrelated and susceptible to error-driven bias, with implications for peer assessment and writing instruction.
Coauthors
Rod D. Roscoe, Joshua Wilson, Melissa Patchan, Dandan Chen, Adam C. Johnson
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