Using the Criterion Service in Teaching
How can the Criterion service help students?
Students get a response to their writing while it is fresh in their minds. They find out immediately how their work compares to a standard and what they should do to improve it. The Criterion service also provides an environment for writing and revision that capable and motivated students can use independently. This environment, coupled with the opportunity for instant feedback, provides the directed writing practice so beneficial for students.
How many topics are available?
Currently, there are 61 College Level I topics appropriate for first-year writing courses, practice and placement; 64 College Level II topics appropriate for second-year writing courses and practice; 10 College Preparatory topics; 14 GRE® topics; and 35 TOEFL® test topics.
The Criterion topics library also contains a group of basic skills writing assignments drawn from grade 11 and 12 topics called “College Level Preparatory.” These topics are graded against a lower-level scoring rubric and can be assigned to gradually move incoming freshman up to the first-year writing level.
In addition, when educators want students to write on a topic not available in the Criterion library, they can create and assign their own prompt for a student assignment. Although essays written on educator-created topics do not receive the holistic score, all of the features of diagnostic feedback will be reported when the essay is submitted.
Colleges and universities can also work with ETS to create new topics tailored to their needs.
The Criterion library of topics contains assignments representing the following writing genres: persuasive, informative, narrative, expository, issue and argumentative.
The Criterion service also offers a library of topics for high school, middle school and elementary school, beginning at grade 4.
Where do Criterion topics come from?
Criterion topics come from a number of sources, including ETS testing programs like NAEP®, the English Placement Test designed for California State University, The Praxis Series™ assessments, GRE and the TOEFL tests. Criterion topics have been developed based on representative samples that are mode-specific and that utilize 6-point holistic scales based on widely accepted writing standards.
How does the Criterion service handle an unusual writing style?
The Criterion service looks for specific features of syntax, organization and vocabulary. If the essay under consideration is not sufficiently similar to those in its database of already-scored essays, the Criterion service posts a warning, called an Advisory, saying that it is unable to give an accurate score. Advisories usually result from essays that are too brief or those in which the vocabulary is unusual or the content is off-topic.
Will the use of the Criterion service stifle creative writing among students?
Not necessarily. The Criterion service is designed to be used for evaluating writing done under testing conditions — situations in which even the most creative writers concentrate on “playing it safe” with straightforward and competent writing.
Will the Criterion service catch cheating or plagiarism?
No. The Criterion service simply evaluates the essay. It is up to the institution to ensure that students are working independently and submitting their own work.
Instructors can opt to display sample essays for some topics on the Create Assignment screen. Students can then view the samples and refer to them while they write their own essays. The sample essays are in a read-only format and cannot be copied and pasted into another document.
What information does the Criterion service report to educators?
Educators have easy and secure access to each student’s portfolio of essays, diagnostic reports and scores, as well as summary information on the performance of entire classes.
What information does the Criterion service report to students?
Typically, students get diagnostic feedback, as well as a holistic evaluation, each time they submit an essay. However, educators can block students from seeing their scores — and may choose to do so if they use the Criterion service for testing. Educators also have the option of allowing students access to their own portfolios of essays, diagnostic reports and scores.
Can professors limit student feedback?
Yes. Professors can elect to report all, some or none of the feedback analysis. When creating an assignment, professors turn the score analysis feature on or off, as well as select which diagnostic feedback to report.
Can professors limit access to assignments?
Yes, professors can limit access when selecting assignment options. For example, the date and time an assignment is available are selected by professors during setup. They can also limit how many times a student can write and revise an assignment.
Can professors impose time limits on assignments?
Yes. Many assignments available from the Criterion library of topics have time limits associated with them. When creating the assignment, professors select whether to impose a time limit, or they can turn off the time-limit function to allow unlimited writing time.
How is the Criterion service feedback different from Microsoft Word’s Spelling and
Grammar tool?
Microsoft Word’s Spelling and Grammar tool is often used by good writers looking for quick analysis of common errors. However, students who are learning to write need more accurate feedback, which the Criterion service provides.
What is the Writer’s Handbook?
The Writer’s Handbook is an intuitive online tool that a student can access while reviewing diagnostic feedback. It explains every error or feature reported by defining it and providing examples of correct and incorrect use. There are five Writer’s Handbook versions available for higher education including an ELL version and three bilingual versions: Spanish/English, Simplified Chinese/English and Japanese/English.
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