{"id":3386,"date":"2015-02-27T18:39:15","date_gmt":"2015-02-27T18:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.classtools.net\/blog\/?p=3386"},"modified":"2016-07-16T12:34:47","modified_gmt":"2016-07-16T12:34:47","slug":"use-the-keyword-checker-to-ensure-student-essays-cover-the-essentials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.classtools.net\/blog\/use-the-keyword-checker-to-ensure-student-essays-cover-the-essentials\/","title":{"rendered":"Use the ‘Keyword Checker’ to ensure student essays cover the essentials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Factual knowledge is the bedrock of good history writing. Without it, meaningful opinions cannot be formed or substantiated.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, I developed the Keyword Checker<\/a> at ClassTools<\/a>. Simply input the essential terms, names, dates and events in one box, and paste the essay into the other. The application will then check the essay and provide a quick rundown of exactly\u00a0which terms have been included, and which have been left out.<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/p>\n

Best of all, terms can be organised under key headings (indicated by an asterisk). In this way, the coverage of particular themes in the essay can be separately assessed. For example, in an essay on the causes of the Spanish Civil war, the following terms might be considered\u00a0particularly important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*RELIGIOUS<\/strong>
\nJesuits
\nGil Robles
\nCEDA(etc)<\/td>\n		*SOCIO-ECONOMIC<\/strong>
\nDepression
\nLatifundia
\nTragic Week(etc)<\/td>\n		*POLITICAL<\/strong>
\nAlfonso XIII
\nNational Front
\nPopular Front(etc)<\/td>\n		*REGIONALISM<\/strong>
\nBasque
\nCatalonia
\nAsturias(etc)<\/td>\n		*MILITARY<\/strong>
\nCuba
\nMorocco
\nAnnual(etc)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Keyword Checker will give a quick breakdown in the following format:<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Taking it further<\/h2>\n

The KeyWord Checker is not just useful for\u00a0giving teachers a quick impression about how much hard factual knowledge has been included in an essay. Two additional ways it could be used are:<\/p>\n