Traditional small scale tests, exams, surveys and questionnaires are scored manually. It's too expensive to generate and print special “forms” that can be recognized by commercial optical scanners. When large scale surveys and tests are undertaken, forms are designed to fit special Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) requiring specific columns across a special form paper. The paper tests or surveys must use a commercial printer at high expense. The OMR scanners are specialized and can only tally the forms with a custom program that was used to generate the questionaire form.
The picture below is a screen shot of a digital image of a ballot captured showing how the system is tallying the selections. Similar technology can be used for scoring tests. The captured digital images of tests allow easier, distributed grading of essay type questions. It also allows easier peer review of prviously scored exams.
When doing surveys, digital images may be posted for public review enhancing public confidence.
Below is a typical commercial-off-the-shelf cost effective document scanner for use for even the largest public tests, surveys, and polls. A properly configured system with 10 of these units could tabulate over 1,000,000 double-sided tests or surveys in less than 24 hours.
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Daily Duty Cycle: |
10,000 pages |
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Grayscale: |
Yes |
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Feed Capacity: |
500 Sheets |
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Document Size - Width: |
2.2in - 12in |
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Document Size - Length: |
2.8in - 17in |
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Thickness - auto feeding: |
14 - 32 lb |
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Scanning Resolution 200: |
Yes |
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Scan Speed Duplex 200 dpi: |
150 ipm |
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Long Document Scanning: |
39.4in |
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Recommended Connection: |
SCSI |
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Scanner Drivers: |
ISIS, TWAIN |
AUTOMATIC DATA CAPTURING AND TABULATION OF ANSWERS FOR SCORING STANDARDIZED OR CUSTOMIZED TESTS AND SURVEYS
(AVANTE Patented US 6,892,944; 7,077,313 and other patents imaging pending)
The 2006 SAT test scoring errors by the tabulation company engaged by the College Board highlights the need for upgrading the technology. The test scoring errors were attributed to the moisture induced paper expansion and the inability to resolve lightly marked “bubble marks”.
The inability to resolve lightly marked “bubble marks” and errors due to paper expansion or shrinkage is a chronic industry problem. Combined with paper alignment errors, approximately 1.5% of the SAT tests were tallied incorrectly. The largest error rate was 450 points or 19% on a test of 2400 points or 25% for a 1600 point test.
Mostly unknown to the public, similar error rates appear in tallies of votes in US elections when paper ballots are used. The Federal Voting System Standards of 2002 specifically mandates voting systems to have less than 1 error in 1.5 million marks when the paper ballot is marked correctly (i.e. properly filled “bubble marks”). Systems using discrete sensor/OMR technology have problem meeting this requirement.
AVANTE International Technology's test and survey scoring solution spins off from its EAC certified system for tallying voting ballots using pixel count and document imaging technology. AVANTE Optical VOTE-TRAKKER™ was the first to pass and exceed federal testing with 0 errors in 1,500,000 marks. The same technology can be used for scoring tests, tabulating surveys and questionnaires.
The discrete Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sensor technology relies on completed documents passing through the scanner “exactly” straight. The width marking positions must line up “correctly” and timing must be exact for reading the length of the paper. With the use of advanced document imaging technology, AVANTE uses fiducial markings to scale for paper orientation and expansion/shrinkage variations. The quantitative use of counting pixels in each “bubble mark” also provides automatic self-checking for possible light markings or other smearings or errors. The following table is a summary of differences between traditional discrete sensor OMRs and imaging with quantitative pixel counting technologies.
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AUTOMATIC DATA CAPTURING AND TABULATION USING AVANTE's PATENTED PIXEL-BASED DOCUMENT IMAGING SYSTEM |
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REQUIREMENTS |
TECHNOLOGIES AND/OR PROCESSES |
COMMENTS
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1. Fast and automatic data capturing from customized surveys and questionnaires |
§ More accurate automatic data capturing using patented pixel-imaging equivalent to that of the OMR. Data entry time is reduced. § Takes less than 5 seconds for 5-page questionnaires. § Data is captured automatically immediately after scanning. |
o Each questionnaire is uniquely identified with barcodes. o Each multiple page is linked to the unique form identifier. o Fiduciary marks for automatic page and form deciphering. |
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2. Multiple pages for any single survey or questionnaires (no limits to the number of questions per survey set) |
§ AVANTE uses unique barcode for each page of each form. § No specific order or stacking is required. § Captures form and page image. § Automatic deciphering of data immediately after scanning. § Automatic compilation of data to provide statistics. |
o Saves time and reduces errors when many forms and pages are scanned. o Proven by independent labs and United States elections to have less than one error in 1,500,000 marks. o US patent (US 6,892,944 and allowed US pending patent 10/410,824) |
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3. May be used to accurately capture data from customized surveys and forms or questionnaires |
§ The speed of scanning and thus data capturing is as fast as 90 pages per minute. § It takes less than 3-5 seconds for a 5-page form with more than 1000 questions. |
o It is effective capturing millions of surveys and questionnaire forms. o Multiple systems may be linked to provide instant tabulation of statistics. |
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4. Automatic compilation to provide results and statistics based on specific questions, demographics and other parameters |
§ AVANTE’s proven system has been tested and certified by a US Independent Testing Authority for use in elections. § Compilation of tallies of each questionnaire has been proven for millions of forms. |
o Proven by independent lab and national elections in the US with less than one error in 1,500,000 marks (no error was recorded during the official testing for certification). |
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5. Ideal for small and large institutions |
§ AVANTE OPTICAL scanning data capturing system is scalable for large surveys and questionaires. § Examinations or tests may be individualized or standardized. § Standard office laser or commercial printers are equally effective. § Multiple printers and scanners may be networked and scaled to the application. |
o Paper surveys and questionnaires may be printed locally using standard laser printers. o Each survey and questionnaire may be individualized for automatic results posting. o Scanner can range from 20 pages per minute applications to as fast as 90 pages per minute. |
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