Most exams today require students to write an essay, much like this one. Because of the sheer number of essays to be graded, some universities are experimenting with a computerized grading system. Students feel that a machine cannot comprehend a student’s argument. On the other hand, the argument goes, a computer can determine whether the student addressed a specific question and can judge the essay’s structure. In your view, how can this situation be resolved? Carefully explain the rationale for your position.
Essay:
Essays are written to persuade a reader on a particular argument. Essays include facts and counterarguments that support the position the writer has taken. An essay is written from the heart and mind and therefore cannot be graded by a machine. A machine is only accurate when there is a right and wrong answer, which is not the case when it comes to essays. In addition, every student has a different way of thinking and writing essays. To get the most accurate results, essays should be read and graded by hand.
When taking a multiple-choice test, students are to choose the correct answer. There is only one correct answer and the rest of the options are incorrect. This is the ideal situation for using a computer to grade students’ understanding. A computer can only be programmed to determine what is right and what is wrong. A computer cannot think or understand the content in an essay. A computer cannot determine whether a student addressed a specific question because there are different ways to answer a question.
No two people are alike. There are many different answers and solutions to the same problem. Because of this, essays should be graded by hand. A person reading an essay can comprehend a student’s argument much better than a computer. A person would never ask a computer to write an essay. Why? It is impossible for a computer to write an argument in a cohesive manner. Computers are filled with information that humans put into it. A computer has to be told what to do with all the information because a computer will never be able to think on its own and comprehend what the information means. Since computers cannot write essays, why should they be used to grade them? The results would be inaccurate and poor.
Only a human being should grade essays, not a computer. Computers should only be used to grade questions that have a right answer and wrong answer. Computers were created to make our lives easier, but not to take over our lives. An argument in an essay cannot be understood by a machine, and so therefore, essays cannot be accurately graded by a computer.
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