Impact of AWE Rubrics and Automated Assessment on EFL Writing Instruction

Abstract

This paper addressed a gap in research literature on rubrics by investigating how the formative use of rubrics of an automated writing evaluation (AWE) tool, the Writing Roadmap, along with a novel type of meta-cognitive activity, i.e., automated assessment, assisted EFL writing instruction. A one-year teaching experiment incorporating the use of the tool was undertaken at the tertiary level. A mixed-methods research approach in the form of questionnaires, interviews, and the participants' interim project reports was employed to evaluate the efficacy of the teaching experiment. The research demonstrated that formative use of AWE rubrics along with automated assessment mediated writing instruction via offering timely and objective assessment, aligning teaching and assessment goals, aiding the feedback process, increasing student-teacher interactions, and promoting learner autonomy.