AI Grader: Grading Written Assignments with AI Assistance

This guide explains how to use the AI Grader to help you grade written assignments while keeping you fully in control of final grades and feedback.

What AI Grader Does

AI Grader is an assistant that:

• Reads student assignment submissions (text-based).

• Uses your instructions and/or a rubric to generate:

• A suggested grade.

• Constructive, student-friendly feedback.

• Adjusts its language to the student’s grade level (K–12).

• Lets you review and change everything before students see it.

It does not replace you as the teacher; it simply drafts grades and feedback for you to approve or edit.

When AI Grader Works Best (and Its Limits)

AI Grader evaluates text only. It works best for:

• Essays and written responses

• Research papers

• Short constructed responses

• Text-heavy submission files

  • in PDF, DOCX, DOC, TXT, PPTX, PPT, ODT formats

  • Google Docs links (text content only - when shared with "Anyone with the link")

It cannot properly grade:

• Images, drawings, or scanned work where text can’t be extracted

• Design/layout, colors, animations, or slide aesthetics

• Visual elements such as charts, diagrams, or formatting quality

For Google slides and presentations, AI Grader reads the text content only, not the design.

You should always:

• Double-check grades and feedback.

• Make adjustments where the AI missed context or non-text elements.

Enabling AI Grader on an Assignment

You can choose which assignments use AI Grader.

1. Create or edit an assignment in your course.

2. In the assignment settings, find the AI Grade section.

3. Check Enable AI Grade.

4. Select the Student Grade Level (K, 1, 2, …, 12).

   This controls reading level and vocabulary of the feedback.

5. Select the strictness
   This controls how strictly the AI grades submissions. Standard; uses grade-level appropriate strictness. Override this if you want easier or harder grading regardless of grade level.

6. (Optional) Upload a rubric:

   • Accepted formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, or TXT

   • The AI will use this rubric as the primary grading guide.

7. (Optional) Customize the AI instructions for this assignment, or use the default instructions provided by the system.

   • “Use this rubric to score each criterion from 1–4 and explain why.”

   • “Focus especially on thesis clarity and use of evidence.”

8. Save the assignment.

Grading Individual Submissions with AI

To grade one student at a time:

1. Open the assignment and click View/grade single submission, or click the single grade icon on the submissions page.

   

2. Click the AI Grade button

3. The AI will:

   1. Read the student’s work.

   2. Apply your rubric/instructions and grade-level settings.

   3. Generate a suggested grade and feedback.

4. Review:

   1. Adjust the grade if needed.

   2. Edit the feedback comments for clarity, accuracy, or tone.

5. Click Save changes.

Nothing is final until you save; you remain the grader of record.

Choosing the Right Grade Level (K–12 and Lexile Support)

AI Grader tailors feedback complexity and expectations to the chosen grade level:

• K–2 (Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2):

  • Very simple, familiar vocabulary.

  • Very short, predictable sentences.

• 3–5:

  • Simple, concrete words, short sentences.

• 6–8:

  • Increasingly varied sentence structures and academic vocabulary.

• 9–12:

  • High school to college-prep vocabulary.

  • More complex, nuanced feedback and expectations.

As a rule of thumb:

• For younger students, pick their actual grade to keep feedback accessible.

• For advanced students, you can choose a grade level slightly above to gently stretch them.

Best Practices for Teachers

1. Use clear instructions.

2. Always review AI output.

3. Combine with your own comments.

4. Be mindful of limitations.

In the AI instructions for each assignment, tell the AI what you care about:

• Check that the grade matches your professional judgment.

• Edit feedback so it matches your classroom language, references rubric criteria students recognize, and addresses any non-text elements the AI might have missed.

• Add personal notes where needed (e.g., behavior, effort, participation) and give specific next steps.

• Don’t rely solely on AI grading for high-stakes assessments or where visual design/artwork is being graded.

Privacy and Data

The AI Grader plugin is designed with privacy in mind:

Data Sent to AI Service Providers

• Student submission text content

• Assignment name and instructions

• Uploaded rubric content (if provided)

• AI grader’s Grade level setting

Data NOT Sent to AI Providers

• Student names or identifiable information

• Student email addresses

• Course information beyond assignment context