Across Performance Contexts: Using Automated Writing Evaluation to Explore Student Writing

Abstract

• Background: This exploratory writing analytics study uses argumentative writing samples from two performance contexts—standardized writing assessments and university English course writing assignments—to compare (1) linguistic features in argumentative writing and (2) relationships between linguistic characteristics and academic performance outcomes. Writing data from this study come from 180 students enrolled at five four-year universities in the United States. Automated writing evaluation (AWE) tools were used to generate linguistic features from students’ writing.