The impact of GenAI explanations on educators’ grading and feedback practices

GenAI-generated natural-language grading explanations led to significantly higher feedback quality from educators compared to no AI support or traditional AI “important-word” highlights. While grading accuracy improvements were not statistically significant, natural-language insights showed greater potential to enhance accuracy than important-word highlights. Educators reported much higher satisfaction and willingness to use natural-language explanations. Prior exposure to AI-powered insights helped educators develop more effective assessment practices in later tasks, even without AI support, but further research is needed to confirm long-term effects.

Li, Y., Shan, Z., Raković, M. et al. When AI explains in natural language: Unveiling the impact of generative AI explanations on educators’ grading and feedback practices. Educ Inf Technol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13741-z