What is the CriterionSM Service?

The CriterionSM Online Writing Evaluation is a Web-based application that provides faculty, writing instructors and administrators at community colleges and four-year institutions with reliable evaluations of their students ' writing abilities. Students draft and submit essays and receive immediate feedback in the form of a holistic score and diagnostic annotations within each essay that guide instruction.

Who Uses the Criterion Service and Why?

Faculty: The Criterion service supports instruction by providing faculty with online, real-time access to faculty-specific writing assignments. With a variety of topics to select from, the Criterion service is a learning tool that does not increase workload and adds value to writing instruction by providing a teachable moment.

Students: The Criterion service provides instant diagnostic feedback and real-time scores on essay submissions to helps students improve skills and build confidence. Students can rewrite their essays using feedback they receive online from both the Criterion service and their writing professors.

 

How Does the Criterion Service Work?

The Criterion service is powered by e-rater ' s® automated scoring technology to provide students with immediate scoring and diagnostic feedback on essays they submit.

Holistic Scores are based on nationally recognized standards.

Trait Feedback Analysis focuses on grammar, usage and mechanics; style; and organization and development. This analysis provides both a summary and in-depth analysis of errors in an effort to pinpoint areas that require attention.

The Criterion Service for K-12 Education

What is it?

Who uses it?

Teachers and students just need an internet connection to access the service; the Criterion service is PC and Mac compatible. ETS offers per-student subscriptions for this web-based service to schools and school districts, academic institutions, online learning and assessment providers, and related service networks.

And to help teachers understand how the Criterion Online Writing Evaluation service can significantly increase students ' scores and writing abilities, ETS provides a downloadable .Teachers can see how easy it is to evaluate, discuss, and track each student’s progress towards improved writing scores.

How does the Criterion service help teachers and students?

The Criterion service gives teachers a tool to enhance writing instruction and provides students unlimited opportunities to improve their writing skills by submitting essays. Because the Criterion service is offered online, teachers and students can access it from school, home, or anywhere with an internet connection.

Students practice their writing and can make unlimited essay revisions in a non-threatening environment that encourages discussion with their teachers about the writing process; students can also receive comments via a private message board. Students can easily access numerous features, including an annotated version of their essay with both a holistic score and detailed diagnostic feedback in trait areas of Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, Style, and Organization & Development. A context-sensitive Writer’s Handbook is embedded for reference.

Teachers may select a topic from the Criterion library or create their own topic. The Criterion library encompasses grade-school to graduate-level topics, including English Language Learner prompts for high school and adult students.

The Criterion service is a very flexible tool that enables teachers to target instruction. It generates detailed reports so that teachers can easily track both student and class progress.

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