Perusall: Harnessing AI Robo-Tools and Writing Analytics to Improve Student Learning and Increase Instructor Efficiency

Abstract

• Aim: The data collected by robo-tutor systems can provide human instructors with valuable insights into individual learners’ needs and give them more time and freedom to respond to student writing in ways that are informed by writing analytics and tailored to each “apprentice scholar” (Sommers, 2006). As an example of writing analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) in practice, the author will address significant findings from a research study on the use of Perusall in undergraduate general education writing and literature classes at High Point University. Perusall, a social reading and annotation platform available as a third-party plug-in through most learning management systems (LMS), allows students to annotate readings digitally and share their insights with other students. The platform uses writing analytics to automatically score student annotations, thereby enabling instructors to spend more time engaging students in meaningful conversations about their work. The platform also collects data about student reading and annotation patterns, data that instructors can use to further improve student performance in the classroom.