Via American Interest:
EdX is making this system available for free online to all schools that want it, and four states are already using a similar program in public high schools. Some like the new technology because it can provide students with instant feedback when human grading can take weeks. Others don’t
Points:
- “The software will assign a grade depending on the scoring system created by the teacher, whether it is a letter grade or numerical rank. It will also provide general feedback, like telling a student whether an answer was on topic or not.”
- “One longtime critic, Les Perelman, has drawn national attention several times for putting together nonsense essays that have fooled software grading programs into giving high marks. He has also been highly critical of studies that purport to show that the software compares well to human graders.”
- “The technology will probably never be a full substitute for a human teacher, but as a force multiplier, it could be quite useful.”
Ponder:
- Critics need to figure out how to get on board because the technology will not stop, especially in terms of making MOOCs more engaging so more people complete them. Will that eventually turn MOOCs into viable degree-granting sources?
- Will this replace the outsourcing of grading?
- Will this wipe out the non-rock star professors, i.e., robot teachers that have a grading capability?
- Will this make education so affordable the current bubble (rising tuition + rising student debt) will pop?
- If even knowledge/service professions like teaching can become roboticized, what will human careers look like?
