TOWARD A THEORY OF COMPUTER ESSAY GRADING

A principal components analysis was conducted to determine whether the measures of essays made by the computer could be grouped into factors. Six factors (fluency, spelling, diction, sentence structure, punctuation, and paragraphing) were identified. Factor scores were computed for the original essays, and two sets of papers were identified for each factor: papers with high scores and papers with low scores. The selected papers had average scores for all other factors. The high and low papers were then compared to determine what attributes of interest to humans were being reflected by the factors. The attributes found were: quantity of thought, spelling, range of vocabulary and word choice, structure of sentences, emphasis through subordination, and paragraph organization.     

Quality Through Robust Design

The programme in quality improvement and engineering design at City University, London is presented. Interdisciplinary design and quality are linked in a number of ways from case-studies in experimental design methods to statistical simulation linked to computer aided design. The new Engineering Design Centre and Quality Unit collaborate with several departments within the School of Engineering where quality and reliability are real issues: civil engineering (structures) and electrical engineering (instrumentation) provide examples. The Engineering Design Centre and Quality Unit undertake work with industry and examples of these are given in the paper.