That is why the technology is successful. The computer is introduced to a series of writing samples that have been scored by the teacher panel, and then asked to grade others to ensure that the computer's score moves closer and closer to the score determined by the teachers. Unlike human scorers who may give different grades to the same essay depending on the time of day they read it, IntelliMetric gives the same score every time. It doesn't get tired. Although Data Recognition's Trent said she was unfamiliar with the technology Vantage was using, she was leery of the company's claims.
Humans are flawed, but that is what writing is for - another person to read it.
Colleges use AccuPlacer to determine the level of courses that new students should take, while WritePlacer measures their writing abilities. This school year, Edison Schools signed a four-year contract with Vantage to use IntelliMetric and related products to develop, administer and grade the Benchmark Assessments that students in the company's 113 schools take each month. They put together a proposal, and . . . Vantage had processed nearly 5,000 practice exams for the Lawrenceville, N.J., company. Moscowitz said prospective graduate students registering for practice exams at Peterson's Web site take their exams without realizing that Vantage is really administering it.