MyAccess is a writing program
created by Vantage Learning. This program provides writing prompts and
assessment to enhance composition skills. While its best application is in
assisting writing development in the areas of grammar and punctuation, I am
really not a fan of the program at all. If I was not mandated to use it, I
would avoid it. It is, however, a favorite of some supervisors.
Before I address the elephant in the room, I will
begrudgingly admit its upsides. MyAccess has numerous prompts from hundreds –
if not thousands – of topics from which you can select. Topics can be thematic
or novel related. Although it is sometimes difficult to find a writing prompt
that precisely fits the topic you’d like to assign, you do have the option of creating
your own prompt.
Once the account is set up for you, there are multiple
avenues you can take in terms of assignment creation. You can choose a 4 or 6
point rubric, you can determine a due date, times the students are allowed to
access the prompt and choose a number of submissions. When we do the latter, the
“tutor” will suggest ways to improve the scores for each draft.
It also grades using a holistic scale/rubric in five categories.
I also like it because it gives immediate feedback upon submission. It informs
you of the readability and grade level of the writing. And shows a score for
each of the five categories in addition to providing a cumulative average
score.
MyAccess fails because technology (at least in this program)
has not achieved a level where it can grade for content. MyAccess claims it
uses artificial intelligence to help score the prompts (only specific ones
already in the system). However the AI really only functions by identifying
keywords in the students’ writing. I have proven this to be impractical and
immaterial. If I assign a persuasive essay about school uniforms a student a
student will receive a score for it. The grammar will be checked as well as
mechanics. However, I can also submit a short story about how a child came to a
new school where he had to wear a uniform, and it will score it similarly.
These are two completely different forms of writing and the program is unable
to differentiate the two. And quite frankly, that is a monumental problem. If a
student receives an excellent score on one paper, they can resubmit it for
another prompt and receive another good score even if it has nothing to do with
it. And while a teacher should always check the writing before assigning his or
her own score, the grade from the program is not always accurate or indicative
of the writing that has been submitted.
If; however, the teacher uses the program as a way for the students
to improve his or her grammar, then MyAccess has advantages. It can also look
for diction and conventions which are important while making suggestions for
how to improve.
But even with this program, nothing replaces the eye of a
teacher.
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