Automated Writing Evaluation: Overcoming Mechanical Engineering Vocational Education Students’ Difficulties in Academic Writing

Abstract

The need for automated writing evaluation tools leads students to overcome academic writing difficulties. Nevertheless, some research proved that automated writing evaluation only focused on students’ difficulties in academic writing, instead of how to overcome difficulties using the tools. As a result, the purpose of this research was to analyze how an automated writing evaluation tool may employ students’ difficulties in Mechanical Engineering Vocational Education of Universitas Negeri Jakarta who struggle with academic writing. The research used a qualitative survey, and the design of the study was descriptive analysis. The data sources were students writing articles and 30 students of Mechanical Engineering Vocational Education in the second semester in the English class. The online questionnaire was used to gain the data, which was interpreted and analyzed descriptively. The questionnaire, which was split into PART A and B, consisted of 21 items that were delivered to 30 students. The findings found that difficulties exist. The highest difficulty was in the Grammatical aspect, followed by Word Classes, Word Errors, and Word Formatting. Even if automated writing evaluation helps students’ difficulties, students are not advised to use it in the whole process of writing. It does not ensure to help 100% of the writing.