Ellis Batten Page

Who was Ellis Batten Page?

Ellis Batten “Bo” Page Ed.D. is widely acknowledged as the father of automated essay scoring, a multi-disciplinary field exploring computer evaluation and scoring of student writing, particularly essays. Page’s development of and pioneering work with Project Essay Grade software in the mid-1960s set the stage for the practical application of computer essay scoring technology following the microcomputer revolution of the 1990s.

Born in San Diego, CA, Page, a United States Marine Corps veteran, graduated from Pomona College and taught high school English while pursuing his M.A. degree in English at San Diego State University. He received his Ed.D. degree in educational psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1958.

Page served as professor of education and psychology for several academic institutions before joining the University of Connecticut in 1962 as Professor of Educational Psychology and Director, Bureau of Educational Research. It was during his tenure there that Page began the development of PEG software, inspired by the convergence of computational linguistics, artificial intelligence technology, and his own experience as a high school English teacher.