Marking for structure using Boolean feedback

Abstract

This paper presents evidence that marking student texts with wellconsidered checklists is more effective than marking by hand. An experiment conducted on first-year students illustrated that the checklists developed to mark introductions, conclusions and paragraphs yielded better revision results than handwritten comments. Additional benefits made possible by the technique make a strong case for the use of such a technique in the marking of student texts. The marks assigned to the student texts also make a strong case for focusing on these specific textual features.