Kopi AIs: AI as Learner Mentor for Scaffolding and Formative Assessment of Essay-Based Assignments

Kopi AIs: AI as Learner Mentor for Scaffolding and Formative Assessment of Essay-Based Assignments

Introduction

Kopi AIs has been receiving a great response, leading to the Center for Academic Development and Leadership Excellence (CADe) planning to launch more sessions. The next initiative named the CADe Lead Café series will include a variety of programs. Among these, Kopi AIs' "Exploring AI for Digital Resilience and Readiness in Teaching and Learning" will continue to delve into AI applications. Other sessions will include Techpresso, Blended Brewing, H5Pacino, and Chocoberry Smoothie, covering topics like digital tools for blended learning, interactive learning enhancement, and outcome-based education. Stay tuned for more exciting sessions and opportunities to enhance your teaching and learning experiences.

Session Overview

Dr. Wan, CADe's director, opened the session on AI as a learner mentor for scaffolding and formative assessment of essay-based assignments. The focus is on using AI technology to improve students' writing skills through objective evaluations. Dr. Wan emphasized the importance of leveraging generative AI to share and benefit educators in enhancing teaching and learning practices.

Tools and Exploration

Dr. F, the presenter, shared insights and personal experiences with various AI tools aimed at providing feedback on essay-based assignments. Key tools explored in the session include:

1. Quillbot: Useful for grammar checking but limited in providing detailed feedback.
2. PaperRater: Offers objective evaluation scores and detailed feedback but may have issues with specific formats like acronyms.
3. Essay Grader (with and without dash): Provides more specific feedback and suggestions for improvement. The free versions are limited but the paid versions offer customizable rubrics and other advanced features.

Dr. F emphasized that these tools, while not perfect, can help students improve their writing by providing objective evaluations and feedback that educators can later supplement with specific comments.

Recommendations

Dr. F advised educators to prepare sample essays of varying quality to test the effectiveness of these AI tools. This experimentation can help determine the best tool for individual needs and how well these tools differentiate between good and bad quality essays.

Keywords

• Kopi AIs
• CADe Lead Café
• AI tools
• Essay grading
• Formative assessment
• Scaffolding
• Generative AI
• Writing improvement
• Quillbot
• PaperRater
• Essay Grader
• Objective evaluation

FAQ

Q: What is the primary goal of using AI tools in essay-based assignments? A: The primary goal is to provide objective evaluations and feedback to help students improve their writing skills.

Q: Are these AI tools free to use? A: Most tools offer free versions with limited features. Paid versions come with more advanced features and greater flexibility.

Q: Can AI tools detect formatting errors in essays? A: AI tools can detect some formatting errors but may not catch all. Custom rubrics and manual check by educators might still be necessary.

Q: How can educators determine the best AI tool for their needs? A: Educators should experiment with different tools, using sample essays of varying quality, to determine which tool provides the most useful feedback for their specific needs.

Q: What are some limitations of AI tools in grading? A: AI tools might not be able to provide feedback on deeper content aspects, ideas, or arguments. They also have limitations in handling specific formats and might not ensure complete privacy and data security.

Q: Can AI tools offer detailed feedback? A: Some tools like Essay Grader without the dash provide more specific feedback and suggestions for improvement compared to more general feedback from other tools.