Comparative Study About the Impacts of Chinese Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) Feedback and Teacher Feedback on Middle School Students’ Writing Practice

Abstract

The application of Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) has recently gained researchers’ attention worldwide. However, the impact of AWE feedback on student writing, particularly in languages other than English, remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the impacts of Chinese AWE feedback and teacher feedback on Chinese writing revision, writing quality, and writing motivation among 7th grade students. Using an experimental design, the study found the following results: (1) compared to students receiving teacher feedback, those receiving Chinese AWE feedback conducted fewer revisions, showed a higher proportion of low-level revisions, exhibited a higher frequency of “deleting” behavior, and had a lower success rate of revisions. (2) Both Chinese AWE feedback and teacher feedback could significantly improve students’ writing quality from the first to the final draft. However, the effect sizes in the AWE group were smaller than those in the teacher feedback group. (3) Chinese AWE feedback positively impacted students’ writing motivation. Students receiving Chinese AWE feedback exhibited significantly higher writing confidence and persistence in the post-test compared to those receiving teaching feedback. Chinese AWE has the potential to facilitate personalized writing instruction and evaluation. The trend toward human–computer collaboration in writing education is expected to gain popularity in the future.