Handwriting bias in human Comparative Judgement
Handwriting bias in traditional human marking
Back in 2018, the English exam regulator Ofqual published a fascinating study looking at the thinking processes of experienced examiners in English Language GCSE. Here are some of the comments the examiners made about the scripts they were marking.
I see football, I see band 4, straightaway.
If you read none of these words, and you see they’ve done two-and-a-half sides, it’s written in paragraphs, the handwriting’s readable. And a candidate who gets 5 out of 8 for question one looks like that often.
— There’s a lot going on there. Doesn’t like to stretch himself too much, this is definitely a boy.
— You’re right it is a boy.
— Scruffy writing, can’t be bothered writing too much
So yes, handwriting bias exists, even amongst experienced examiners!
