Helping Teachers Succeed

How Does AI Grading Work?

One of the most common questions we get is “How does AI grading work?”. We’ve divided this section into easy-to-understand parts to help you fully grasp how automated essay grading works.

AI grading tools use utilize AI-powered algorithms to assess schoolwork. They are changing how teachers approach education, making it nearly possible to quickly and accurately grade student work. Here’s exactly how each AI grading tool works:

How Do AI Essay Graders Work?

AI essay graders leverage powerful algorithms to assess written work.

Functionality: They utilize natural language processing to evaluate essays on structure, content, and language usage.
Analysis: The system assesses coherence, adherence to the prompt, grammar, and spelling by comparing submissions to high-quality model responses.
Teacher Benefit: This technology saves hours of grading time, enabling teachers to focus more on providing personalized feedback and enhancing student interactions.

What Tech Is Behind AI Grading?

Machine Learning

Overview: Machine Learning (ML) is a core technology that enables AI grading systems to learn from data and improve over time.
Example: Consider a scenario where an AI system is exposed to a variety of essay responses graded by teachers. Over time, an AI essay grader learns to recognize the qualities in higher-grade essays from lower-grade ones.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

- Overview: NLP examines grammar, sentence structure, and content, enabling the AI to understand and evaluate written responses as a human would.
- Example: For an essay on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” NLP assesses not only spelling and grammar but also the depth of analysis and content relevance, grading based on this comprehensive evaluation.

Looking for a simple way to explain AI to a student? Read our article on how Roo the kangaroo makes an excellent analogy for understanding how AI works.

How Do AI Multiple Choice Graders Work?

Multiple choice questions are graded with straightforward, accurate methods.

Functionality: These AI multiple choice generators are programmed with the correct answers and match students’ responses against them.
Analysis: They also identify patterns in incorrect answers to help pinpoint areas where students commonly struggle.
Teacher Benefit: Provides immediate grading results, ensuring timely feedback that can inform teaching strategies and student support.

How Do AI Short Answer Graders Work?

Short answer questions require nuanced understanding and are adeptly handled by AI.

Functionality: This technology checks for key concepts and terms, analyzing how appropriately they are used within the student’s answer.
Analysis: It evaluates both the range of concepts covered and the depth of understanding displayed in student responses.
Teacher Benefit: Ensures consistent and objective assessment of open-ended questions, aiding in quick identification of instructional areas needing reinforcement.

Can't Decide What AI Grader is Right for You? No fret!

Choosing the right AI essay grader for your educational needs can be daunting. With so many options on the market, how do you ensure the tool you select is not only effective but also compliant with current standards?

That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive Free AI Tool Checklist to evaluate AI grading tools. This checklist helps you assess various aspects of AI graders, focusing on compliance, functionality, and the educational impact they offer.

Download free AI essay grader checklist

This AI essay grader evaluation checklist will help guide your AI grading tool decision making.