# AI Annotation Orchestration: Evaluating LLM verifiers to Improve the Quality of LLM Annotations in Learning Analytics

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.09785 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.09785/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 14 of its 58 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 12 Nov 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 14 of 14)

- [Judging LLM-as-a-Judge with MT-Bench and Chatbot Arena](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.05685/) (2023)
- [Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.11366/) (2023)
- [Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17651/) (2023)
- [G-Eval: NLG Evaluation using GPT-4 with Better Human Alignment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.16634/) (2023)
- [WebArena: A Realistic Web Environment for Building Autonomous Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.13854/) (2023)
- [A Survey on LLM-as-a-Judge](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.15594/) (2024)
- [Justice or Prejudice? Quantifying Biases in LLM-as-a-Judge](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.02736/) (2024)
- [Garbage In, Garbage Out? Do Machine Learning Application Papers in Social Computing Report Where Human-Labeled Training Data Comes From?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1912.08320/) (2019)
- [Exploring Knowledge Tracing in Tutor-Student Dialogues using LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.16490/) (2024)
- [The TalkMoves Dataset: K-12 Mathematics Lesson Transcripts Annotated for Teacher and Student Discursive Moves](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.09652/) (2022)
- [Large Language Models in Qualitative Research: Uses, Tensions, and Intentions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.07362/) (2024)
- [Keeping Humans in the Loop: Human-Centered Automated Annotation with Generative AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.09467/) (2024)
- [From Lazy to Prolific: Tackling Missing Labels in Open Vocabulary Extreme Classification by Positive-Unlabeled Sequence Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.08981/) (2024)
- ["All that Glitters": Approaches to Evaluations with Unreliable Model and Human Annotations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.15634/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Codebook-Injected Dialogue Segmentation for Multi-Utterance Constructs Annotation: LLM-Assisted and Gold-Label-Free Evaluation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.12061/) (2026)
- [Domain-Adapted Retrieval for In-Context Annotation of Pedagogical Dialogue Acts](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.03127/) (2026)
- [The Rise of Verbal Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.01597/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly used to annotate learning interactions, yet concerns about reliability limit their utility. We test whether verification-oriented orchestration-prompting models to check their own labels (self-verification) or audit one another (cross-verification)-improves qualitative coding of tutoring discourse. Using transcripts from 30 one-to-one math sessions, we compare three production LLMs (GPT, Claude, Gemini) under three conditions: unverified annotation, self-verification, and cross-verification across all orchestration configurations. Outputs are benchmarked against a blinded, disagreement-focused human adjudication using Cohen's kappa. Overall, orchestration yields a 58 percent improvement in kappa. Self-verification nearly doubles agreement relative to unverified baselines, with the largest gains for challenging tutor moves. Cross-verification achieves a 37 percent improvement on average, with pair- and construct-dependent effects: some verifier-annotator pairs exceed self-verification, while others reduce alignment, reflecting differences in verifier strictness. We contribute: (1) a flexible orchestration framework instantiating control, self-, and cross-verification; (2) an empirical comparison across frontier LLMs on authentic tutoring data with blinded human "gold" labels; and (3) a concise notation, verifier(annotator) (e.g., Gemini(GPT) or Claude(Claude)), to standardize reporting and make directional effects explicit for replication. Results position verification as a principled design lever for reliable, scalable LLM-assisted annotation in Learning Analytics.
