What Teachers Need to Know About AI Grading Tools
AI grading tools are popping up everywhere, promising to alleviate one of our most time-consuming and tedious tasks. But before you join the bandwagon, you should know what AI grading tools can and cannot do and how to select the right tool for you.
We know that teachers spend countless hours poring over student work, scribbling comments, and assigning grades. For 15 school years, I spent every other Sunday afternoon scrutinizing and grading history essays. It's important work, but it often eats into time we could spend on lesson planning, working one-on-one with students, or, hey, with family.
AI grading tools are actually really good. They can assess student writing at a high level of consistency and efficiency. They can grade large volumes of assignments much faster than a human could. Furthermore, AI-powered grading tools offer immediate, targeted feedback, helping students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
Understanding AI Grading
The first thing to understand is that AI is particularly adept at analyzing "structured" writing, such as the (omnipresent) five-paragraph essay. According to experts from Georgia State University and Vanderbilt University, AI models can identify and evaluate the lead, position statement, supporting claims, and evidence in a five-paragraph essay "as well as a human." This is because AI is typically programmed to recognize and evaluate specific patterns and criteria of "logic and persuasion" – for instance, how well a five-paragraph essay is organized and how well arguments are developed.
However, that’s also one of its significant limitations: AI might be great at spotting patterns, but it doesn't really "get" meaning, nuance, and sarcasm like we do. A well-written but factually incorrect essay might score high with AI.
AI also isn't great (yet) at assessing really creative or original ideas that don't fit the expected pattern. That's where our human judgment is essential.
AI can sometimes carry the same biases found in its training data, which could put some students at a disadvantage.
The reasoning behind AI scoring might be hard to decipher and, therefore, hard to explain the results to students and parents.
Bottom line: AI grading can be an invaluable complement to teachers' professional judgment—but it should not be a complete replacement for it.
AI Grading Tool Considerations
Let's look at some important considerations in choosing an appropriate AI tool for grading and feedback, focusing primarily on essays and other forms of extended writing:
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1. LMS Integration: Does the AI grader sync with your Learning Management System? Many AI grading tools, like CoGrader , Enlighten AI, and Graded Pro, integrate with Google Classroom, while others like Timely Grader connect with Canvas. A few connect to more than one LMS. This integration can save significant time in uploading assignments and returning grades.
2. Multiple Grading Criteria Uploads: Can you upload multiple grading criteria documents to the AI grader? This is important if you want to include rubrics, standards, and perhaps writing guidelines for the AI to consider when grading. Many AI graders limit you to one upload, which can be restrictive. (Tip: Combine all the documents —rubric, standard, other(s)— into a single PDF.)
3. Standards Alignment: Does the AI grader support state standards and specific curricula like AP or IB? Most tools offer alignment with state standards. Graded Pro supports Common Core standards as well as IB curriculum, UK GCSE and A levels.
4.Assignment Generation: Can the AI tool also generate assignments? Some AI teaching assistants like MagicSchool offer both assignment generation and assessment capabilities, which can streamline your workflow. Class Companion includes many English, Social Studies, Science, and AP assignment templates.
5. Cost: AI grading tools come with varying price points. Some, like EnlightenAI, are currently free, while most operate on a freemium model. Consider your budget and the features you need most when making a decision. (Note: Turnitin’s Gradescope and Feedback Studio are impressive tools, but cannot be purchased directly by teachers — only by institutions.)
6. Additional Features: Consider whether the AI grader can assess handwritten essays (most can), allows batch uploading and grading, or can evaluate visual elements. These features can significantly enhance the tool's usefulness depending on your specific needs.
In addition, some AI graders enable you to “tag” grading criteria to adapt the feedback for different purposes, such as to reinforce a specific skill set or to offer encouraging suggestions.
Finally, new tools arrive frequently. The Kangaroo AI Grader has already amassed a following and high visibility, and it hasn’t even been officially released yet!
And the “Best AI Tool for Grading” is…
ChatGPT?
Most AI grading tools don't tell you which large language model (LLM) they use. This lack of transparency bothers me because the quality of the LLM is the most important determinant of how well the AI understands context, provides tailored content, and offers creative solutions. Most AI tools for education use the less advanced GPT-3.5 large language model, which can adversely affect their performance and accuracy.
ChatGPT, powered by the (much) more advanced GPT-4o model, is a powerful alternative to dedicated AI grading tools. It tends to offer better-tailored assessment and more targeted feedback due to its superior LLM. Plus, it lets you upload multiple files and integrates with Google Drive and Microsoft One Drive, giving you more flexibility than many dedicated AI graders.
GPT-4o is also multimodal, which opens a new realm of creative assessment possibilities. In theory, GPT-4o can evaluate the content, coherence, and creativity of any multimedia presentation that incorporates text, images, audio, and video. In a language learning scenario, GPT-4o could assess the verbal communication, body language, and even the creativity of a language video presentation. In practice, however, ChatGPT is ornery, claiming not to be able to access the file types that it says it can access. But it’s just a matter of time before multimedia assessment becomes an active part of its repertoire.
Oh, and ChatGPT is free.
But here’s the catch—some features that teachers deem desirable (if not essential), like LMS integration and specialized rubric tools, are unavailable. Effective ChatGPT use also requires you to be relatively adept at creating AI prompts.
Dedicated AI grading tools, while typically using less advanced LLMs, offer conveniences like streamlined prompting and other time-saving automation designed specifically for educational settings.
The Takeaway
So, here are my recommendations:
1. Take a critical look at the AI tools you're considering. Ask about the LLM they're using and how it impacts the quality of grading and feedback.
2. Consider using a mix of a dedicated AI grading tool and a more advanced AI tool like ChatGPT. This might give you both specialized, time-saving features and the highest-quality, most tailored feedback.
3. Always provide human oversight. While AI can be a powerful assistant, it shouldn't completely replace our judgment in grading and assessment.
4. Invest some time in understanding and improving your AI prompting skills. This could help you make the most of a more advanced LLM when needed.
5. Learn more about AI grading tools. I provide an extensive review of AI grading tools at AI Tools for Teacher Grading & Feedback and discuss the topic in detail in my book.
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