Graide's impact report: understanding the ROI of AI-driven grading solutions

The best ways to make savings are often hiding in plain sight. Grading and assessment, for instance, is a central yet often overlooked area that impacts operational efficiency, educational outcomes, and the bottom line.

With institutions increasingly being asked to do more with less and having to justify every penny spent, it makes sense financially and educationally to let AI do some of the heavy lifting, especially when 70% of tutors spend 20-40% of their time marking assignments. That’s a significant portion of their workweek—and an institution’s payroll costs!

“That’s the way we’ve always done it!” no longer cuts it. Traditional grading methods are time-intensive, costly, and often inconsistent. AI-driven grading solutions like Graide can result in an 89% reduction in median grading times.

University of Birmingham - Graide Efficacy Research

The cost of traditional grading

Traditional grading takes up educators’ precious time and energy: time and energy they won’t get back, time and energy that could be better spent on what truly matters – student learning and engagement.

You may know them well, but let’s unpack the precise nature of those inefficiencies:

• High labour costs: Teachers spend hours on repetitive tasks, leading to increased payroll expenses, tired teachers, staff churn and burnout.
• Inconsistent feedback: Marker fatigue also compromises judgement and feedback quality, impacting student learning.‍
• Delayed turnaround: Turnaround times and student satisfaction go hand in hand.  Slow grading cycles prevent timely feedback.

 These challenges hit the bottom line and affect student engagement and learning outcomes, making the case for a more efficient, scalable solution all the more compelling.

Enter Graide: a technological solution to assessment challenges

Graide addresses these systemic inefficiencies head-on.

By leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms, the platform doesn't just automate grading – it reimagines the entire assessment ecosystem with a comprehensive suite of features that streamline grading and feedback processes.

Here’s how:

1. Efficiency gains

Graide’s AI automates repetitive grading tasks, significantly reducing the time educators spend on assessments.

This facilitates:

• Faster feedback cycles, improving student engagement
• Freed up faculty hours to focus on teaching and research

2. Enhanced feedback

With consistent grading rubrics and AI-powered insights, Graide ensures:

• Objective and uniform assessment outcomes
• Actionable feedback that supports student learning

3. Scalability and flexibility

Whether it’s a small department, a multi-campus institution, or a pilot programme, Graide scales effortlessly. Its integration with learning management systems (LMS) ensures seamless adoption across diverse educational contexts.

There was an 89% reduction in median grading times in our own efficacy research with the University of Birmingham, which compared manual and AI-automated grading. All without compromising quality - in fact, the number of words of feedback given increased by a factor of 7.2! 

Quantifying ROI: key metrics to track

Of course, you will want to quantify the success of these tools.

You could track the following to highlight Graide’s undoubted financial and educational benefits:

1. Time savings

• Metric: Hours saved per faculty member per term or semester
• Impact: Time lost to marking can be reallocated to high-value activities such as research, relationship-building, and curriculum development

2. Cost reductions

• Metric: Reductions in adjunct grader expenses and overtime pay
• Impact: Institutions can redirect savings to other priorities, such as student support services, technology upgrades, site facilities and maintenance.

Start your ROI analysis with a free consultation.

3. Feedback turnaround

• Metric: Average time from submission to feedback delivery
• Impact: Faster feedback enhances student satisfaction and learning outcomes 

4. Student retention and success

• Metric: Improvements in retention rates linked to timely, meaningful feedback
• Impact: Retention boosts institutional reputation, tuition revenue, and just as importantly in the long term, the morale of staff and students.

OXBRIDGE x Graide 

Online education provider Oxbridge and Graide conducted a pilot to assess the effectiveness of our AI-driven grading platform on English essays. The study evaluated 235 student responses to questions on Shakespeare's Othello, The Great Gatsby, and a poetry comparison anthology.

Key findings:

• Accuracy: Graide achieved up to 99% accuracy when compared to pre-marked submissions, with 100% congruence observed in the Othello essay assessments.
• Efficiency: The platform was able to mark effectively with as few as 15 essays, allowing individual educators to personalise the system by incorporating their own knowledge base, such as textbooks and lesson plans.
• Student satisfaction: Learner satisfaction increased by 15% in one quarter for those subjects using Graide.

Adopting AI assessments: actionable steps

1. Conduct a pilot programme

There is nothing wrong with starting small or road-testing the tech in a specific department or course.

Use the pilot to:

• Test features – interaction oversight, student analytics, and so much more
• Identify time and cost savings
• Gather feedback from faculty and students
• Evaluate the quality of AI-generated feedback

2. Build a business case

Use data from the pilot to create a business case for Graide’s institution-wide adoption.

Highlight:

• Time and labour cost reductions
• Improved grading consistency and feedback quality
• Alignment with accreditation and compliance standards

3. Leverage analytics

Graide’s analytics provide actionable insights into assessment trends.

Use this data to:

• Identify areas for improvement in teaching and learning
• Demonstrate the platform’s value to stakeholders

Beyond financial savings: the qualitative impact

The benefits of Graide extend far beyond the bottom line:

1. Enhanced feedback quality: By providing consistent, detailed assessments, students receive more illuminating insights into their learning.
2. Reduced educator burnout: Automating repetitive tasks allows educators to focus on what they do best—teaching, mentoring, and inspiring students.
3. Objective assessment: AI-driven grading minimises human bias, ensuring a more equitable evaluation process, something that students value and expect.

Implementation and scalability

Bespoke

Graide isn't a one-size-fits-all solution but a flexible platform deliberately designed to adapt to diverse educational contexts.

From vocational training, university-level humanities and STEM subjects, to typed and handwritten assignments, the system demonstrates remarkable versatility.

The future of educational assessment

Traditional grading is not only exhausting but increasingly unnecessary. With its increasing power and efficacy, AI is transforming assessment from an administrative burden to a more useful—and less onerous—part of the learning process. By reducing the repetitive nature of marking, these tools improve the everyday as well as educational outcomes in the long term.

AI offers an unparalleled opportunity to make those savings hidden in plain sight.

For faster, fairer, more consistent assessment, schedule a consultation today

Institutions interested in streamlining their assessment processes can:

• Request a personalised demo
• Conduct a pilot programme
• Integrate with existing learning management systems
• Receive comprehensive onboarding support

Find out how Graide can support your AI transformation.

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