Essay Grader for Android

This application (most recent download and install on January 5, 2013) is a great idea but nothing but frustration in trying to adapt it to one’s own set of assignments. The “database” starts off in an Excel/Numbers document that is saved, and then imported as a very picky .CSV file. Cannot get it to import one that has been generated by Numbers (which one would think would be Macky enough for this application) even though the CSV file has no “errors” in it such as special characters or blank fields. The solution suggested on their support web site is to de-install the app, then re-install and it should reset everything to a pristine condition. It doesn’t. Even after MacKeeper has cleaned up after the de-install. So now, the re-installed version just hangs on opening. This process was lathered, rinsed and repeated multiple times. The GUI is horrible. In the tutorial on how to use it, a big point is made on how simple and easy their design and workflow function was to be. They have totally missed the usability functionality of this app. The user is pretty much clueless as to what to do next or even how to do it. For what it is worth, the Mobile version is almost as picky. Blows up on that same custom CSV file. At least the Mobile version will reload their default database. But that database doesn’t help me with the assignments I wanted to use this with.

My first reaction when I saw the name of the app was "there is no way this app can possibly grade essays". I was right, but once I understood what the app could do I was sold. This is a brilliant idea that is very well-executed. What made this particularly useful to me was the ability to modify the database for my needs. My students wrote a 5 paragraph essay that would have taken me many hours to grade. With Essay Grader I was able to tailor the database to match the rubric I use. The comments are now specific to the essay I'm grading and, instead of writing out the same comment dozens of times, I now just click on the button. In fact, I set it up so that each tab corresponds to a different paragraph in the essay and, in the feedback page students receive they show up as a different paragraph. This way students can read through my comments as they look over the essay from start to finish. Students then receive detailed comments related to various parts of the essay and rubric. Once you play around with the app and you understand how it works you'll realize just how powerful and useful it is for the teacher and students. Granted, there is a small learning curve and there is some work you will need to put in to modifying the database for each particular assignment, but the time spent is well worth it. I did have a few questions early on that were not answered in the videos. I emailed Colin and he got right back to me with very useful, specific directions that got me back on track. I highly recommend this app to teachers looking to save time while also giving detailed, specific and useful feedback to students. I've recommended the app to other teachers at my school in our Social Studies Department as well as those in the English Department. If you tinker with the database to make it work for your needs you’ll have a powerful feedback tool that will make your life a whole lot easier while providing detailed, targeted feedback to students so they can improve in areas where they currently struggle.

Essay Grader keeps getting better all the time, but I really feel like it has reached its maturity with this update. This application has saved me an untold number of hours this year. I use it on both Android and Mobile. Generally, my students think I actually sit down and type out all of those comments specifically for them, which they love. I've also noticed that I don't have to have as many student / parent conferences now because my feedback on essays is so pointed and thorough, I love this app!

If you wish to reclaim your life and sanity, purchase Essay Grader. Anyone who is considering purchasing this program fully understands the immense workload placed on teachers today. All the numbers keep going up (number of students, number of classes, number of requirements, number of essays), but unfortunately time is a finite resource. As a college English professor, I have used Essay Grader since shortly after its release date. I can honestly say that this program has saved countless hours of my life and has enabled me to maintain my sanity while teaching as many as seven classes at a time. The irony is that with Essay Grader, I actually grade better. Version 4.1 is the best yet. They resolved some issues with Lion, and the CSV comment spreadsheet is now simple to modify. With this version, I can see how instructors in any discipline can easily modify the app's content and interface to align with their grading needs. The program is also more stable than ever, and some nagging bugs have been resolved. Those of us of a certain age remember seeing "In case of emergency, please break glass." I feel like that should be Essay Grader's motto . . . only it doesn't even have to be an emergency.

This app has saved me an unbelieveable amount of time and has made me do a much better job grading. They did have some compatibility issues with OSX 10.7, but this update has corrected all of that. The app compiles comments into one document so every student gets a comprehensive feedback sheet that tells him or her exactly where to can improve. I have two colleagues who use it so that they can actually assign more essays. I, on the other hand, already have a large enough load so that it just helps me survive. You can edit the comments to say whatever you'd like, even to grade projects and other types of assignments. After fifteen years of teaching, I never had students complement my grading until I started using Essay Grader (and they're AP students at that).