Abstract—Much research on automated writing evaluation (AWE) has been centered on psychometric issues, especially its validity, mostly by program developers. Most studies regarding AWE conducted in Taiwan have been concerned with college students’ perceived effects of using AWE programs for improving English writing. However, little research has been carried out on real gains in various aspects of student writing, especially in the aspect of organization. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to find out changes in discourse elements of learner essays before and after AWE use. The research was designed as a case study, wherein a class of part-time English majors from a university of science and technology in northern Taiwan participated in this yearlong investigation. Findings showed students’ significant improvement in revising main points, supporting ideas, and conclusion elements. Besides, background and thesis elements in the student essays might need writing teachers’ more attention.

Index Terms—automated writing evaluation, computer-assisted writing, second language writing, self-regulated learning

Cite: Bin-Bin Yu, "Organization and Development of Computer-Assisted Writing: A Case of Part-Time English Majors in Taiwan," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 110-115, December 2015. doi: 10.18178/ijlt.1.2.110-115