Page 159 - Composition in Convergence The Impact of the New Media on Writing Assessment

126 CHAPTER 5

worse, writing instructors are witnessing the entrance of computer-
ized essay grading, as in the growing use of ETS' E-Rater and Crite-
rion systems as well as the highly publicized Intelligent Essay
Assessor. This shift illustrates a change in the way writing assess-
ment is conducted. Consequently, those faculty members interested
in cultivating a different pedagogical focus using computers and as-
sessment technologies must show others in the institution how the
transformation will benefit them socially, politically, or economi-
cally. As I noted in chapter 4, programs like the Online Learning Re-
cord and TOPIC/ICON are fledgling models of deep assessment. Until
such time that more widespread recognition of these online assess-
ment models occurs, sound-bite projects like E-Rater and the Intelli-
gent Essay Assessor will continue to receive great attention in the
media and from administrations. This is because the underlying con-
cepts of the latter programs meld computers and writing assessment
in directions that institutional heads view as being beneficial politi-
cally and economically (the machine can efficiently score more es-
says per hour compared with a reader, thus saving costs and
showing accountability to various stakeholders). Likewise, the me-
dia will always hop on stories along these lines because this blending
of technologies illustrates shifts in education, which in the current
social climate tends to garner newsworthiness.

Regulations and Legal Actions

If the technological transformations cause sudden shifts in the
status quo, suggested Winston (1998), we should expect to see the
occurrence of rising political clout and legal or governmental ac-
tions as a backlash. Clearly, with the Communications Decency
Act of 1996, the U.S. Patriot Act of 2002 and the U.S. Patriot Act II,
and other attempts at Internet-curbing legislation, this backlash
is happening. Similarly with assessment there is an equal political
and governmental push to move "back to basics" and focus on
standardized skill- and-drill testing or normed writing exams.
The growing number of K-12 challenges to the No Child Left Be-
hind Act now occurring across the country illustrates the difficul-
ties such forms of accountability have in an era of technological
convergence.
This legislative backlash happens even though educators at all
grade levels generally promote authentic assessment practices in the