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13 Tips for Quick Essays Grading & 8 Top AI Solutions to Try

June 7, 2024

Are you tired of spending endless hours grading essays, only to feel overwhelmed by the workload? I get it. As a teacher, you want to provide valuable feedback to your students while ensuring your grading process's efficiency. In this blog, we'll explore tips for quick essays grading, which will help you reduce the time spent on essay grading without lowering the quality. Whether you're looking for ways to streamline your grading process or seeking tools for teachers to help you provide effective feedback, this article is for you.

EssayGrader's solution, is a valuable tool that can help you reduce the time spent on essay grading without lowering the quality. By leveraging this tool, you can streamline your grading process, provide personalized student feedback, and ultimately enhance your overall teaching experience.

Are You Spending Too Much Time on Essay Grading?

clock ticking - Tips for Quick Essays Grading

Manual essay grading is an extremely time-consuming process for teachers and instructors. Reading through a large amount of papers, providing valuable feedback, and assigning grades can be an arduous and lengthy task. For instance, grading 80, 3-page papers can take up to 80 hours, equivalent to two 40-hour work weeks. 

This immense amount of time spent on grading essays can significantly impact a teacher's workload. Teachers spending an exceptional amount of time grading essays can interfere with other important responsibilities such as lesson planning, meeting with students, and conducting research.

The Traditional Grading Process

The traditional method of grading essays involves reading through each essay to understand the content, providing constructive feedback, and assigning grades based on a set of criteria. This process is time-consuming and can take a lot of effort, especially for large classes or courses with multiple writing assignments. Grading essays manually can consume a substantial amount of time, which can be detrimental to teachers' workloads, affecting their ability to concentrate on other crucial tasks.

Challenges Faced by Teachers

Grading essays manually can be a daunting task for teachers and instructors. The time and effort required to provide detailed feedback on each essay can be overwhelming. For example, spending 80 hours grading 80 papers could significantly impact a teacher's work-life balance. This substantial time spent on grading essays could make it challenging for teachers to focus on research-related activities and other essential tasks.

The Impact of Excessive Grading Time

Excessive grading time can negatively affect teachers' workloads, making it difficult for them to concentrate on other important aspects of their jobs. Spending an excessive amount of time on grading essays can lead to burnout, negatively impacting their overall well-being. The time spent on grading essays could be utilized more effectively in other areas of teaching and research. Teachers need to balance providing valuable feedback to students and managing their workload effectively.

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13 Tips for Quick Essays Grading

person looking at time - Tips for Quick Essays Grading

1. Explore Alternative Grading Techniques

Streamlining your grading process begins with exploring alternative grading techniques. Think beyond traditional letter grades. Consider adopting standards-based grading, where students are assessed on specific “learning targets.” Mastery-based education is another option, allowing students to advance when they master the material. 

For younger learners, an E-S-N-U system could be more effective. Weighted grading is common in high schools, rewarding students for taking more challenging courses. A pass-fail system shifts focus from grades to learning. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Be open and flexible.

2. Honor Deadlines

Set clear deadlines for assignments, mandating all work be submitted by a specific day and time. Avoid grading late submissions, as this can save you hours. Provide additional assignments for students to make up missed work. This rule encourages students to take responsibility for completing tasks on time and helps streamline your grading process.

3. Create Clear Rubrics

Design assignments that require students to adhere to a rubric or checklist. Detail how points can be earned, length and citation requirements, and other critical expectations. Hold students accountable for following these guidelines. For instance, forums without citations could earn zero points. Clear rubrics help students understand what is expected and facilitate streamlined grading.

4. Establish Dedicated Grading Time

Designate a specific day for grading. Having a routine helps both you and your students. For example, all work can be due by Monday mornings at 8 a.m., with grading beginning promptly. This consistency allows students to anticipate feedback and encourages timely submissions. Creating a structure in your grading process can help streamline the process.

5. Employ Comment Banks

Save time by creating a comment bank containing commonly used feedback phrases. Instead of rewriting basic suggestions for every assignment, simply copy and paste from your comment bank. This allows you to personalize feedback while expediting the overall grading process. Comment banks are a valuable tool for teachers who regularly grade similar assignments.

6. Utilize Dual Monitors

If grading online, consider using dual monitors for increased productivity. A second screen allows you to multitask effectively. For example, you can have a roster of students on one screen and online assignments on the other. This setup makes it easier to input feedback and streamline your grading process.

7. Just Do It!

Avoid overthinking the grading process. Stick to clear rubrics and grading guidelines. If a student receives a certain grade, ensure it aligns with the rubric. Treating everyone fairly based on established guidelines can save time and streamline grading. Simplifying your approach to grading can enhance efficiency.

8. Limit Assignments

Consider assigning fewer writing projects to reduce the number of assignments requiring grading. Instead of numerous essays, focus on high-quality, impactful assignments. Provide students with opportunities to practice writing through low-stakes assignments. This approach boosts student writing skills while streamlining your grading workload.

9. Focus on Key Comments

Provide minimal, strategic feedback to help students identify key areas for improvement. Avoid overwhelming students with excessive comments. Instead, concentrate on significant strengths and weaknesses in their work. Strategic feedback enhances student learning and simplifies the grading process.

10. Offer Collective Feedback

When observing recurring mistakes in student work, provide collective feedback rather than individual comments. Address common issues during class time to benefit all students. For instance, if many students struggle with thesis statements, review this topic in class. Collective feedback enhances learning outcomes and minimizes the need for extensive individual comments.

11. Implement Audio Feedback

Consider using audio feedback instead of written comments. Recording online feedback can be a more efficient way to communicate with students. Audio feedback allows for a holistic approach and helps convey tone effectively. This method streamlines feedback provision and simplifies the grading process.

12. Take Breaks

To boost productivity and overall well-being, take regular breaks while grading. Extended periods of grading without breaks can lead to stress and fatigue. Incorporating short breaks can replenish mental resources and improve efficiency. Prioritize self-care to maintain optimal grading performance.

13. Automate Feedback

Utilize programs like TextExpander to automate frequently used feedback comments. You can streamline the feedback process by creating snippets attached to keyboard shortcuts. This automation saves time and reduces the need for repetitive comments. Implementing automated feedback tools can expedite grading and enhance efficiency.

8 Incredible AI Tools for Automated Essay Grading

AI in action - Tips for Quick Essays Grading

1. EssayGrader

EssayGrader is the most accurate AI grading platform trusted by 30,000+ educators worldwide. On average it takes a teacher 10 minutes to grade a single essay, with EssayGrader that time is cut down to 30 seconds That's a 95% reduction in the time it takes to grade an essay, with the same results. 

With EssayGrader, Teachers can:

  • Replicate their grading rubrics (so AI doesn't have to do the guesswork to set the grading criteria)
  • Setup fully custom rubrics
  • Grade essays by class
  • Bulk upload of essays
  • Use our AI detector to catch essays written by AI
  • Summarize essays with our Essay summarizer 

Primary school, high school, and even college professors grade their students' essays with the help of our AI tool. Over half a million essays were graded by 30,000+ teachers on our platform. Save 95% of your time for grading school work with our tool to get high-quality, specific and accurate writing feedback for essays in seconds. 

Get started for free today!

2. Gradecam

GradeCam is an online grading and assessment tool designed to simplify the process of evaluating student performance. It offers a range of features that make it easy for teachers to create, administer, and grade assessments efficiently.

3. CoGrader

Cograder Co-Grader is an AI-guided system for grading student work imported from Google Classroom. CoGrader imports students’ assignments from Google Classroom. Teachers then grade the work and provide feedback. Teachers define grading criteria using rubric templates aligned with state standards or their specific requirements. Cograder analyzes the document to detect instances of ChatGPT usage and provides class data analytics. Teachers have the final say, allowing grade adjustments and feedback to ensure personalized attention.

4. Smodin AI Grader

The Smodin AI Grader is a smart tool that acts like your own personal writing coach. It’s great because it gives you help right when you’re writing, so you can make your work better on the spot. If you’re worried about your teacher being tough, this grader won’t take sides—it scores your paper just by looking at what’s actually written.

5. Class Companion

Class Companion is an AI-powered tool that helps teachers assess student writing and provides real-time feedback on student writing. Teachers craft assignments, students submit their work, and the AI provides feedback, suggestions, hints, and more. Class Companion enables teachers to identify areas where students need improvement and provide targeted feedback.

6. TeacherMate.ai

Teachermate.ai is an AI-powered assessment tool that helps teachers assess student work. Teachers can leverage GPT4 technology to generate detailed and human-like responses to students’ writing. Teachers can paste or upload student work and also input their own assessment criteria.

7. Vexis

Vexis is an advanced grading system that uses artificial intelligence to provide teachers with detailed grading evaluations and personalized student feedback. Vexis AI's Personalized Feedback feature provides individualized comments on student work, while the Detailed Reports feature provides teachers with a comprehensive overview of student performance.

8. Canvas SpeedGrader

Integrated within the Canvas Learning Management System, SpeedGrader utilizes AI for efficient and seamless essay grading. Key features include a streamlined workflow, multimedia feedback options, and collaborative grading among educators.

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7 Best Practices for Using AI to Grade and Give Feedback

TA working from his dorm - Tips for Quick Essays Grading

1. Choosing the Right AI Grading Tool

Selecting an AI grading tool that aligns with your curriculum is essential. Ensure it fits well with your class and integrates seamlessly with your existing learning management systems for a smooth workflow.

2. Setting Specific Parameters for AI Grading

Defining expectations clearly is crucial. Outline what the AI should look for in student submissions to ensure alignment with your grading criteria. Also, the AI’s settings can be customized to handle various assignments appropriately.

3. Blending Human Expertise with AI Capabilities

Automate the first draft grading using AI. For more subjective or complex responses, prioritize applying your own expertise to provide nuanced feedback.

4. Optimizing Feedback with AI Assistance

Immediate feedback is essential for students’ learning. Use AI to provide prompt responses and detailed feedback, helping students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.

5. Educating Students on AI Grading

Help students understand how the AI grading tool works and set realistic expectations. Advise students on effectively presenting their work to meet AI grading criteria while maintaining originality and critical thinking.

6. Regularly Updating and Refining AI Tools


Keep the AI system updated with the latest data and algorithms to maintain its grading accuracy. Continuously refine the AI tool based on feedback and results to meet educational goals better.

7. Ensuring Ethical Use and Data Security

Choose AI tools that adhere strictly to educational data privacy regulations. Ensure robust security measures are in place to protect sensitive student data.

Save Time While Grading Schoolwork — Join 30,000+ Educators Worldwide & Use EssayGrader AI, The Original AI Essay Grader

EssayGrader streamlines the time-consuming process of grading written assignments, empowering educators to focus on other critical tasks. By harnessing advanced AI technology, EssayGrader delivers precise and prompt feedback, saving teachers hours of manual evaluation. With this tool, grading essays becomes a seamless and efficient process, allowing educators to enhance the quality of their teaching.

Customized Grading Rubrics for Tailored Feedback

EssayGrader enables educators to create personalized grading rubrics to meet the unique requirements of their specific courses. Teachers can provide targeted feedback that aligns with their instructional goals by setting clear and concise grading criteria. This feature enhances the accuracy and consistency of grading, ensuring that students receive constructive comments that support their learning and growth.

Bulk Essay Upload for Simplified Grading

EssayGrader simplifies the grading process by allowing teachers to upload multiple essays simultaneously. This bulk uploading feature saves educators valuable time, enabling them to evaluate many assignments efficiently. By automating the grading of multiple essays, teachers can provide prompt feedback to students, fostering continuous improvement in their writing skills.

AI Detector for Plagiarism Prevention

EssayGrader includes an AI detector that identifies essays generated by AI, safeguarding the integrity of the grading process. By flagging potentially plagiarized content, this feature helps educators uphold academic honesty standards and maintain the credibility of their assessment practices. By leveraging AI technology to detect plagiarism, teachers can ensure that students submit original work that reflects their authentic learning and thinking.

Essay Summarizer for Efficient Feedback Delivery

EssayGrader offers a powerful summarization tool that condenses essays into concise summaries, facilitating efficient feedback delivery. By generating brief overviews of students' written work, this feature allows teachers to pinpoint critical strengths and areas for improvement quickly. With the essay summarizer, educators can provide focused feedback that helps students enhance their writing skills and achieve academic success.

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