This research was supported in part by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES).
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IES.
The Writing Pal (W-Pal)
An Intelligent Tutoring System that Provides Interactive Writing Strategy Training
What is W-Pal?
W-Pal is an automated, intelligent tutoring system that provides writing strategy instruction.
Who is it for?
The tool is primarily designed for high-school students (grades 7 through 12).
What is the goal of the project?
The goal of the project is to provide interactive and adaptive strategy training that scaffolds students toward independent use of writing strategies.
What is W-Pal made up of?
The W-Pal system consists of two principle components: Strategy Training and Essay Writing. The Strategy Training Component contains three sections corresponding to the three phases of the writing process: Prewriting, Drafting, and Reviewing. Training is provided for each phase. Prewriting strategies include (a) Free-writing, and (b) Planning. Drafting strategies include (a) Generating the Introduction and Conclusion, (b) Paraphrasing, and (c) Assessing Cohesion. The Reviewing strategy module will focus on evaluating how well the essay meets the assignment’s requirements. The Essay Writing Component scaffolds the writing of complete compositions by working through strategy modules and the feedback provided by the system.