Which grading task do you wish could be automated?

General Classroom
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POLL: Which grading task do you wish could be automated?

I’m working on a piece about the future of grading technology and I want real educator inputs.

Which task would free up the most time if it were handled automatically?

:bar_chart: A) Score calculation (percentages, weighted grades)
:memo: B) Written feedback on essays/projects
:clipboard: C) Gradebook data entry and record-keeping
:mobile_phone: D) Parent communication about grades/progress

Your answers will directly shape what I I’ll share the full results with commentary next week.

This is exactly the kind of practitioner insight that should be driving EdTech development. Not the other way around.

Tag an educator whose opinion I should hear on this :backhand_index_pointing_down:
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A. Seems like it could be useful to be automated, but the teacher should have the final say.

B. While it may seem nice and would save a lot of time. Human feedback is much more thorough and interesting than automated feedback.

C. Now this seems useful, storing records of things automatically would help massively and won’t necessarily need human input

D. I don’t think this should be automated. A teacher has a closer connection and stronger ideas of their students. This should stay as is

Overall in my opinion it should be Option B. As it is a big time saver. And unlike option D, human connection and ideas is not important here as option B is similar to just saving files.

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If we are really looking at the future of grading technology, I would first suggest looking at the grading system in general. There’s an economic principle “Goodhart’s Law” that says “When the measure becomes the goal, it ceases to be an effective measure.”. With students more concerned about the grade than about the learning, grading is no longer effective as a measure of learning.

EdTech has a unique opportunity now, as the tension between “Technology is a monster” and “AI is the new messiah” gives us chance to rethink every aspect of assessments. We could very easily set aside grades in favor of portfolios and reflections, with students demonstrating mastery of content by articulating “I met this standard by __ as evidenced by __”. We could have agency and competency as motivators, with a way for colleges, universities and employers to evaluate candidates based on artifacts rather than abstract scores and grades.

If EdTech could work a miracle it would be to provide a platform for growth and exploration that students, parents, and teachers could use a way of showing the real work of learning.

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I would hands down vote for A and C. Just last week, I sat at my desk looking at a mountain of math tests, dreading the hours I was about to spend on manual score calculation and data entry. Then I used Class Grader, and it was an absolute game-changer. I was able to map out and grade the test for my entire class in practically one click. Automating those tedious, repetitive math steps completely protects our energy, saving us hours of administrative burnout every week so we can focus on actual teaching.