ERIC Number: EJ1486522
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Oct
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0265-5322
EISSN: EISSN-1477-0946
Available Date: 0000-00-00
A Multi-Stage Interactive Writing Task for the Assessment of English Language Writing Proficiency
Andrew Runge1; Sarah Goodwin1; Yigal Attali1; Mya Poe2; Phoebe Mulcaire1; Kai-Ling Lo1; Geoffrey T. LaFlair1
Language Testing, v42 n4 p423-446 2025
A longstanding criticism of traditional high-stakes writing assessments is their use of static prompts in which test takers compose a single text in response to a prompt. These static prompts do not allow measurement of the writing process. This paper describes the development and validation of an innovative interactive writing task. After the test taker responds to an initial prompt, a large language model automatically analyzes their response to identify the prompt themes they discussed. The test taker then receives a customized follow-up prompt asking them to discuss one of the themes they did not address in their original response. Several experimental results support the task's validity. Results showed that prompt phrasing is important to elicit responses most consistent with the task expectations and that test takers are able to produce responses that are relevant. Regarding issues of fairness in administration, we found that scores are not negatively affected by the type of follow-up task. We found that an accurate theme-detection model ensures test takers are not asked to write about something they addressed in their initial response, which could threaten test score validity claims. This design brings high-stakes writing tasks into closer alignment with writing models that frame writing as a process.
Descriptors: Material Development, Writing Evaluation, Writing Assignments, Writing Skills, Writing Tests, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Writing Processes, English, Computer Assisted Testing, High Stakes Tests, Cues
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Duolingo, USA; 2Northeastern University, USA

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