Exploring AI-driven feedback as a cultural tool: a cultural-historical perspective on design of AI environments to support students' writing process
Open accessAbstract
This study draws on the cultural-historical perspectives of Vygotsky and Galperin to examine the role of AI-generated feedback within the Assessment for Learning (AfL) process in fostering students’ development as learners. By leveraging Galperin’s concept of cultural tools and the developmental role of human activity, elaborated in his dissertation written almost a hundred years ago, this study elucidates how this theoretical framework can enhance our understanding of the pedagogical value of individually tailored feedback from AI, ultimately contributing to human development and inspire the Design Principles (DPs) of AI-based educational technologies. Essay Assessment Technology (EAT), designed according to the suggested DPs, is presented to illustrate the application of AfL strategies in schools, highlighting its potential to enhance students’ learning and their development as learners.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Emerging frameworks emphasize process-oriented assessment that documents iterative revision, reflective decision-making, and AI integration strategies rather than solely evaluating final products.
“Emerging frameworks emphasize process-oriented assessment that documents iterative revision, reflective decision-making, and AI integration strategies rather than solely evaluating final products (Engeness and Gamlem, 2025; Tseng and Lin, 2024; Wang, 2024).”
From Reimagining writing assessment for the AI era: a systematic review on balancing AI support and authentic skill growth (2026) · cites this paper as Engeness and Gamlem, 2025
The Role of Feedback in the Writing Process (page unavailable) calls for attention to revision and how students respond to feedback. The Empirical Snapshot and Concluding Reflections (pages unavailable) describe successive drafts, reflection on AI feedback, and guidance during writing rather than feedback only on completed work. The paper does not, however, describe an assessment framework that documents students’ reflective decisions or AI-integration strategies. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007) · Review of Educational Research · doi:10.3102/003465430298487 · Cited by 12,905 · see citing works
Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems
Sadler, D. R. (1989) · Instructional Science · doi:10.1007/bf00117714 · Cited by 4,285 · see citing works
Developing the theory of formative assessment
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2009) · Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability · doi:10.1007/s11092-008-9068-5 · Cited by 3,301 · cited 4× · see citing works
“This innovative understanding of feedback extends and transforms traditional conceptualisations, which often positioned it as a post hoc pedagogical tool aimed at fostering reflection on completed work (Black & Wiliam, 2009; Hattie & Timperley, 2007).”
InfluentialMind in Society: Development of Higher Psychological Processes
VYGOTSKY, L. S. (1980) · doi:10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4 · Cited by 3,123 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…the quality of cultural tools to be of primary importance in students’ learning and development (Arievitch & Haenen, 2005; Stetsenko & Ari-evitch, 2002 ) by emphasising their psychological significance, for example, in his discussion about tools and signs (Engeness, 2021b; Vygotsky, 1980, 1981 ).”
The development of student feedback literacy: Enabling uptake of feedback
Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018) · Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354 · Cited by 2,428 · see citing works
State of the art and practice in <scp>AI</scp> in education
Holmes, W., & Tuomi, I. (2022) · European Journal of Education · doi:10.1111/ejed.12533 · Cited by 1,093 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…machine learning have significantly altered the educational landscape; they are widely regarded as a turning point for educational methodologies (Holmes & Tuomi, 2022) and are identified as revolutionary tools that indicate a paradigm shift in education (Gentile et al., 2023; Guan et al., 2020;…”
Artificial intelligence innovation in education: A twenty-year data-driven historical analysis
Guan, C., Mou, J., & Jiang, Z. (2020) · International Journal of Innovation Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijis.2020.09.001 · Cited by 665 · see citing works
Handbook of Formative Assessment
Andrade, H. (2010) · doi:10.4324/9780203874851 · Cited by 663 · see citing works
The power of internal feedback: Exploiting natural comparison processes
Nicol, D. (2021) · Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/02602938.2020.1823314 · Cited by 402 · see citing works
Barrot, J. S. (2023) · Computer Assisted Language Learning · doi:10.1080/09588221.2021.1936071 · Cited by 248 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The emergence of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini and others is expected to enhance ACF tools by providing more accurate and comprehensive feedback (Barrot, 2023).”
Student perceptions of classroom feedback
Gamlem, S. M., & Smith, K. (2013) · Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice · doi:10.1080/0969594x.2012.749212 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Self-citationActivity Theory in HCI: Fundamentals and Reflections
Kaptelinin, V., & Nardi, B. (2012) · Synthesis Lectures on Human-Centered Informatics · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-02196-1 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Who Wrote This?: How AI and the Lure of Efficiency Threaten Human Writing
Baron, N. S. (2023) · doi:10.1515/9781503637900 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Moltudal, S. H., Gamlem, S. M., Segaran, M., & Engeness, I. (2025) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2025.1509904 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 38
- Arievitch, I., & Haenen, J. (2005). Connecting sociocultural theory and educational practice: Galperin’s approach. Educational Psychologist, 40 (3), 155–165.
- Asiri, A. S., & Khadawardi, H. A. (2024). Teachers’ perceptions of electronic corrective feedback and its impact on EFL learners’ uptake. Arab World English Journal, Special Issue on CALL (10), 204–218.
- Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education, 5 (1), 7–74.
- Brandmo, C., Panadero, E., & Hopfenbeck, T. N. (2020). Bridging classroom assessment and self-regulated learning. Assessment in Education: Principles Policy & Practice, 27 (4), 319–331. 10.1080/0969594X.2020.1803589 · DOI
- Butler, D. L., & Winne, P. H. (1995). Feedback and self-regulated learning: A theoretical synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 65 (3), 245–281.
- Dikli, S. (2006). An overview of automated scoring of essays. The Journal of Technology Learning and Assessment, 5(1).
- Ding, L., & Zou, D. (2024). Automated writing evaluation systems: A systematic review of Grammarly, Pigai, and Criterion with a perspective on future directions in the age of generative artificial intelligence. Education and Information Technologies, 29 (11), 14151–14203.
- Ellis, R. (2009). A typology of written corrective feedback types. ELT Journal, 63 (2), 97–107.
- Engeness, I. (2018). What teachers do: Facilitating the writing process with feedback from EssayCritic and collaborating peers. Technology Pedagogy and Education, 1–15. 10.1080/1475939X.2017.1421259 · DOI
- Engeness, I. (2020). Teacher facilitating of group learning in science with digital technology and insights into students’ agency in learning to learn. Research in Science & Technological Education, 38 (1), 42–62. 10.1080/02635143.2019.1576604 · DOI
- Engeness, I. (2021a). Developing teachers’ digital identity: Towards the pedagogic design principles of digital environments to enhance students’ learning in the 21st century. European Journal of Teacher Education, 44 (1), 96–114.
- Engeness, I. (2021b). Tools and signs in massive Open Online courses: Implications for learning and design. Human Development. 10.1159/000518429 · DOI
- Engeness, I. (2021c). PY Galperin’s development of human mental activity: Lectures in Educational Psychology (p. 126). Springer Nature.
- Engeness, I., & Lund, A. (2020). Learning for the future: Insights arising from the contributions of Piotr Galperin to the cultural-historical theory. Learning Culture and Social Interaction, 25, 100257. 10.1016/j.lcsi.2018.11.004 · DOI
- Engeness, I., & Mørch, A. (2016). Developing writing skills in English using content-specific computer-generated feedback with EssayCritic. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 10 (02), 118–135.
- Engeness, I., Thomas, G. L., & Podolskiy, A. (2021). Demands and realities: Significance and implications of galperin’s legacy for learning and teaching in 21st century. In Cultural Psychology of Education (Vol. 14, pp. 105–121).
- Galperin, P. I. (1968). Towards research of the intellectual development of the child. International Journal of Psychology, 3 (4), 257–271.
- Galperin, P., Engeness, I., & Thomas, G. (2023). Psychological Significance and Difference Between Tools Use by Humans and Animals: PY Galperin’s Dissertation (Vol. 16). Springer Nature.
- Gamlem, S. M. (2014). Tilbakemelding som støtte for læring på ungdomssteget. [Feedback as support for learning at lower secondary school]. Doktorgradsavhandling nr.2017 [Dissertation nr.217], University of Stavanger.
- Gamlem, S. M. (2015). Feedback to support learning: Changes in teachers’ practice and beliefs. Teacher Development, 19 (4), 461–482. 10.1080/13664530.2015.1060254 · DOI
- Gamlem, S. M., & Munthe, E. (2014). Mapping the quality of feedback to support students’ learning in lower secondary classrooms. Cambridge Journal of Education, 44 (1), 75–92.
- García-Carmona, A. (2020). From Inquiry-Based Science Education to the Approach based on Scientific practices. Science & Education, 29 (2), 443–463. 10.1007/s11191-020-00108-8 · DOI
- Gentile, M., Città, G., Perna, S., & Allegra, M. (2023). Do we still need teachers? Navigating the paradigm shift of the teacher’s role in the AI era [Review]. Frontiers in Education, 8. 10.3389/feduc.2023.1161777 · DOI
- Hopfenbeck, T. N., Throndsen, I., Lie, S., & Dale, E. L. (2012). Assessment with distinctly defined criteria: A research study of a national project. Policy Futures in Education, 10 (4), 421–433.
- Huang, J., Shen, G., & Ren, X. (2021). Connotation analysis and paradigm shift of teaching design under artificial intelligence technology. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 16 (5), 73–86.
- Linn, M. C., & Eylon, B. S. (2011). Science learning and instruction: Taking advantage of technology to promote knowledge integration. Routledge.
- Miettinen, R., & Paavola, S. (2018). Reconceptualizing object construction: The dynamics of Building Information Modelling in construction design. Information Systems Journal, 28 (3), 516–531.
- Mørch, A. I., Engeness, I., Cheng, V. C., Cheung, W. K., & Wong, K. C. (2017). EssayCritic: Writing to learn with a knowledge-based design critiquing system. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 20 (2), 213–223.
- Sadler, D. R. (1998). Formative assessment: Revisiting the territory. Assessment in Education, 5 (1), 77–84.
- Shadiev, R., & Feng, Y. (2023). Using automated corrective feedback tools in language learning: A review study. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–29.
- Smith, K., Gamlem, S. M., Sandal, A. K., Engelsen, K. S., & Tong, K. (2016). Educating for the future: A conceptual framework of responsive pedagogy. Cogent Education, 3 (1), 1227021. 10.1080/2331186X.2016.1227021 · DOI
- Shi, H., & Aryadoust, V. (2024). A systematic review of AI-based automated written feedback research. ReCALL, 36(2), 187–209. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/recall/article/systematic-review-of-aibased-automated-written-feedback-research/28A670C4C7F2F1F30C7EA36EC489F867
- Storch, N. (2018). Written corrective feedback from sociocultural theoretical perspectives: A research agenda. Language Teaching, 51 (2), 262–277. 10.1017/S0261444818000034 · DOI
- Ur, P. (1996). A course in language teaching: Practice & theory. Cambridge University Press.
- Weigle, S. C. (2013). English language learners and automated scoring of essays: Critical considerations. Assessing Writing, 18 (1), 85–99.
- Weinstein, Y., Madan, C. R., & Sumeracki, M. A. (2018). Teaching the science of learning. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 3 (1), 2. 10.1186/s41235-017-0087-y 29399621 PMC5780548 · DOI
- Wiliam, D., & Leahy, S. (2007). A theoretical foundation for formative assessment. In H. McMillan (Ed.), Formative assessment classroom: Theory into practice (pp. 29–42). Teachers College.
- Zimmerman, B. J. (2008). Investigating self-regulation and motivation: Historical background, methodological developments, and future prospects. American Educational Research Journal, 45 (1), 166–183.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Abdellatif, M. S., Alshehri, M. A., Lamouchi, A., Rahmath, M., & Nemt-allah, M. A. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1809174
“Emerging frameworks emphasize process-oriented assessment that documents iterative revision, reflective decision-making, and AI integration strategies rather than solely evaluating final products (Engeness and Gamlem, 2025; Tseng and Lin, 2024; Wang, 2024).”
- Authors
- Engeness, I., & Gamlem, S. M.
- Affiliations
- Østfold University of Applied Sciences (NO)
- Volda University College (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Engeness, Irina
- Venue
- Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science
- Published
- 2025-02-01
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 23-23
- ISSN
- 1932-4502 (ISSN-L)
- 1936-3567
- PMC
- PMC11787257
- OpenAlex
- W4407060439
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 11
- FWCI
- 80.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ostfold University College
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Student Assessment and Feedback
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Artificial Intelligence in Education
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Adaptive Learning
- Keywords
- AI-generated feedback, assessment for learning, cultural tools, Galperin, Vygotsky, historical-cultural theory, writing process, essay scoring, student development, personalized feedback
- MeSH terms
- Artificial Intelligence, Culture, Feedback, Humans, Learning, Students, Writing, Educational Technology
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review