Teachers and instructors alike are flocking to AI to help them grade student work - it’s just one of the ways that AI is rapidly transforming education, for better and for worse.
While these tools offer teachers a fast and efficient way to assess student work, they are risky and far less accurate than most tools boast, especially without the correct setup.
One significant risk of using AI tools to grade essays is the potential hallucination and bias in the underlying GenAI models such as GPT4o.
Despite its clear benefits, AI grading tools come with several risks and challenges. One significant concern is the potential for biases in the GenAI model that it is using. We’ve all seen the hilarious mishaps and biases that existed within earlier models of Gemini.
Accuracy is another issue. While AI can be highly accurate in many cases, it may struggle with unconventional writing styles or creative approaches that a human grader would appreciate. This lack of nuance can lead to lower grades for students who think outside the box or are ESL students.
Ethics also play a role in AI grading. Students may feel undervalued if they believe their work is merely processed by an AI without human consideration. Teachers need to be transparent with the use of AI otherwise students may be disincentivized to take assignments seriously.
A good grading rubric can play a significant role in reducing the risks associated with AI essay grading.
Teachers should ensure that the grading criteria are clear and detailed. This helps the AI system understand what to look for in student work. Include numerical conditions whenever necessary.
For more information on crafting effective rubrics, refer to creating an effective rubric for AI.
The accuracy of any AI output is only as good as the human input. If you didn’t use a rubric and provide enough nuance, you can’t expect the AI to be consistent from one paper to the next.
The concept of human-in-the-loop has been around for a while and is much more prevalent in the world of AI. The idea is that the teacher or instructor is constantly involved in the grading and feedback process. One is to check for inaccuracies and one is to reaffirm to students that you are not disinvolved in the process. You should be the one in control.
Teachers should avoid tools that boast about flawless accuracy since grading is subjective. Instead, it's better to choose tools known for their reliability and ethical considerations.
While TimelyGrader also uses fundamentally GPT4o, we’ve gone out of our way to reduce bias and hallucinations. We don’t claim perfect accuracy because that depends on instructor input. That’s why we support the ‘full circle’ user experience for students and instructors. Our goal is to streamline time-consuming aspects of grading and providing feedback such as creating an AI-friendly rubric and generating first-pass feedback but ultimately the decision and control are at the hands of the instructor.
Enhancing education with AI-powered grading and feedback.
