Computers just as good as humans in grading essays —but much faster

Students may soon have to brace for the possibility of having their essays graded —and possibly their egos crushed— by a computer.

 

A researcher found this out after running more than 22,000 middle- and high-school essays through software from eight firms and one open-source algorithm.

 

Popular Science reported researcher Mark Shermis, an education researcher at the University of Akron, found the programs' results "indistinguishable from those of humans—just much faster."

 

"With that kind of efficiency, robot graders could mean more homework for students everywhere," it said.

 

The programs used in the study track content, organization and style, Popular Science said.

 

PopSci also noted that since 2009, Utah used computers to grade essays on a state student-assessment test.

 

It added testing companies use essay-evaluating software as one of two graders on graduate-school admissions exams such as the GRE.

 

Robots subbing for teachers in SoKor

 

An earlier PopSci report in 2010 cited an article on Yonhap News that South Korea was forced to roll out $45 million for robotic teaching assistance, following a shortage of English teachers.

 

"The robotic teachers would deploy in 500 preschools by 2011, and 8,000 preschools and kindergartens by 2013. In the short run, that could help address the lack of English teachers in rural areas or remote islands," it said.

 

It cited a Korean Times report as saying South Korean robotics experts in 2010 predicted that robots could replace more than 30,000 native English teachers in Korea's language institutes "within the not-so distant future." — TJD, GMA News