============================================ The Essay (autograde) question type for Moodle >= 3.0

The essay (autograde) question type allows an essay question response to be given a preliminary grade that is generated automatically based on one or more of the following characteristics of the response.

* the number of words in the response

* the number of characters in the response

* the presence of one or more target phrases in the response

* the presence of common errors in the response

The automatic grade can be overridden by the teacher later.

Additionally, the teacher can set up grading bands that offer a non-linear grading scheme. In such a scheme, the grade awarded is that of the grading band in which the word/character count falls.

============================================ To INSTALL or UPDATE this plugin

1. get the files for this plugin from any one of the following locations:

    (a) GIT: https://github.com/gbateson/moodle-qtype_essayautograde.git
    (b) zip: the Moodle.org -> Plugins repository (search for "essayautograde")
    (c) zip: https://bateson.kochi-tech.ac.jp/zip/plugins_qtype_essayautograde.zip

   If you are installing from a zip file, unzip the zip file, to create a folder
   called "essayautograde" and upload or move this folder into the "question/type" folder
   on your Moodle >= 3.0 site, to create a new folder at "question/type/essayautograde".

2. log in to Moodle as administrator to initiate install/upgrade

    if install/upgrade does not begin automatically, you can initiate it manually
    by navigating to the following link:
    Administration -> Site administration -> Notifications

============================================ Further information

For more information and online discussion forums, please visit:
https://github.com/gbateson/moodle-qtype_essayautograde

============================================ Development history and credits

This plugin was originally commissioned by Matthew Cotter (Hokusei Gakuen Junior College, Japan) and Don Hinkelman (Sapporo Gakuin University, Japan) and then implemented by Gordon Bateson (Kochi University of Technology, Japan)

Functionality for Glossary of Common Errors was commissioned by David Campbell (Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan).

Thanks also to German Valero (Mexican National Autonomous University, Mexico) for his enthusiastic support of this plugin and creation of the Spanish language packs, and Matthias Giger (Switzerland) for bug reports and encouragement.

many thanks to all concerned!