Global Times Call for Global Measures: Investigating Automated Essay Scoring in Linguistically-Diverse MOOCs

Abstract

This paper utilizes a case-study design to discuss global aspects of massive open online course (MOOC) assessment. Drawing from the literature on open-course models and linguistic gatekeeping in education, we position freeform assessment in MOOCs as both challenging and valuable, with an emphasis on current practices and student resources. We report on the findings from a linguistically-diverse pharmacy MOOC, taught by a native English speaker, which utilized an automated essay scoring (AES) assignment to engage students in the application of course content. Native English speakers performed better on the assignment overall, across both automated-and human-graders. Additionally, our results suggest that the use of an AES system may disadvantage non-native English speakers, with agreement between instructor and AES scoring being significantly lower for non-native English speakers. Survey responses also revealed that students often utilized online translators, though analyses showed that this did not detrimentally affect essay grades. Pedagogical and future assignment suggestions are then outlined, utilizing a multicultural-lens and acknowledging the possibility of certain assessments disadvantaging non-native English speakers within an English-based MOOC system.

Adapting for Scalability: Automating the Video Assessment of Instructional Learning

“…Future studies should continue to utilize different samples to test the validity of the automated VAIL to verify that the current results consistently replicate. In light of recent findings that suggest automated scoring techniques differentially benefit native English speakers (Reilly et al, 2016), it would be advantageous to test the automated VAIL, and similar measures, in linguistically diverse samples to ensure validity. As previously mentioned the present study considered in-service teachers who were enrolled in coursework and/or coaching.…”

Nonnative English-Speaking Students’ Lived Learning Experiences With MOOCs in a Regular College Classroom

“…Nonnative English-speaking students read more slowly than native speakers and are likely to play a video slowly to understand instructors' lessons (Reilly et al, 2016) and may require more time to learn the content, sometimes falling behind (Sanchez-Gordon & Luján-Mora, 2014). Nonnative English-speaking students tend to achieve lower scores than Englishspeaking students in MOOCs (Engle et al, 2015;Reilly et al, 2016) Another concern is nonnative English-speaking learners' participation in social interaction, such as online discussion (Colas et al, 2016). In an analysis of online forum participation in a business course offered in Coursera, Gillani and Eynon (2014) found that European and North American participants not only achieved higher grades in forum participation than those from Asia but were also more visible in online forums, participating in discussions more actively than other participants.…”

“…Several researchers have argued that MOOC developers and educators should consider their needs. Because most MOOCs are offered in English (Shah, 2015a), the language barrier is a concern (Colas, Sloep, & Garreta-Domingo, 2016;Reilly et al, 2016;Sanchez-Gordon & Luján-Mora, 2014). Nonnative English-speaking students read more slowly than native speakers and are likely to play a video slowly to understand instructors' lessons (Reilly et al, 2016) and may require more time to learn the content, sometimes falling behind (Sanchez-Gordon & Luján-Mora, 2014).…”

“…Because most MOOCs are offered in English (Shah, 2015a), the language barrier is a concern (Colas, Sloep, & Garreta-Domingo, 2016;Reilly et al, 2016;Sanchez-Gordon & Luján-Mora, 2014). Nonnative English-speaking students read more slowly than native speakers and are likely to play a video slowly to understand instructors' lessons (Reilly et al, 2016) and may require more time to learn the content, sometimes falling behind (Sanchez-Gordon & Luján-Mora, 2014). Nonnative English-speaking students tend to achieve lower scores than Englishspeaking students in MOOCs (Engle et al, 2015;Reilly et al, 2016) Another concern is nonnative English-speaking learners' participation in social interaction, such as online discussion (Colas et al, 2016).…”

“…Among the 33,378 learners signed up for the MOOC, 15,310 students responded to the survey, 56.9% of whom reported that English was not their first language. In addition, in Take Your Medicine: The Impact of Drug Development, a course offered through edX, 1,090 students completed open-ended writing assignments, 64.74% of whom reported themselves learners of as English as a second language (Reilly et al, 2016). In terms of the growing power of the internet, the number of nonnative English-speaking learners in MOOCs is expected to grow rapidly as the total number of these courses dramatically increases (Shah, 2015a).…”