An AI-powered digital platform designed for edTech organizations, enabling the digital capture of pen-and-paper test transcripts and scores. This facilitates the enhancement of student learning outcomes by allowing for the personalization of educational offerings.

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My Role

- 2021, Product Manager, Byjus -

I worked with our multidisciplinary team to take AssessEd from implementation to growth, maturity and retirement (replacing with an enhaced platform). I conducted research, user interviews, managed onboarding, oversaw AI training, and worked closely with the CEO, product designer and engineering managers to enhance, mature and integrate the system with multiple existing systems.

Introduction (Origin Story)

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a seismic shift in the education sector, propelling online learning to the forefront. While this transition offered several advantages, it also posed challenges, particularly concerning traditional pen and paper tests. Education boards were hesitant to abandon the tried-and-tested offline mode of assessments due to its numerous benefits. In response to this dilemma, a groundbreaking test-taking platform was developed, seamlessly merging the advantages of both online and offline assessment methods.

The Challenge: Problem Statement

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the online education sector experienced an unprecedented boom, leading to a significant decrease in offline interactions. However, pen and paper tests continued to hold importance due to the following four notable benefits:

  • Authenticity and Security: Pen and paper tests provide a tangible experience, ensuring the authenticity of the examination process. With controlled environments and invigilation, the integrity of the assessments remains intact.

  • Physical Interaction: Offline tests foster face-to-face interactions between teachers and students, facilitating a more personal and engaging educational experience. Non-verbal cues and direct communication enhance the learning process.

  • Cognitive Retention: Research suggests that taking notes by hand improves information retention and understanding. The act of writing on paper helps students synthesize knowledge, boosting memory and comprehension.

  • Equality and Accessibility: Pen and paper tests ensure equal access for all students, regardless of their socioeconomic background or internet availability. They level the playing field, minimizing the disadvantages faced by students lacking reliable internet connections.

The Solution

To address the challenges faced in conducting pen and paper tests during the online education boom, a comprehensive test-taking platform was developed. This innovative solution enabled teachers to conduct assessments and allowed students to attempt tests using both online and offline modes, combining the best of both worlds.

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The Product features:

The test-taking platform introduced a dual interface that catered to the needs of both teachers and students. Here’s an overview of the features and benefits it offered:

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  1. Auto-creation of Assessments: Teachers can easily create assessments within the platform, with smart-assist by the system specific to the students.

  2. Seamless Test Distribution: Teachers could distribute assessments digitally or in physical format, depending on the mode of interaction. Online distribution made it convenient for students to access assessments remotely, while physical copies catered to offline classroom scenarios.

  3. Hybrid Answer Sheet Upload: Students had the freedom to answer questions on physical answer sheets or within the platform’s digital interface. For Homeworks, students scanned their answer sheets through app and uploaded them, while teachers collected and scanned physical answer sheets in an offline test setting.

  4. AI-Driven Image Server: The system employed an AI-driven image server to read, segment, and evaluate the answers within minutes. This automation streamlined the evaluation process, making it swift, efficient, and effortless.

  5. Insights for Personalized Learning: By digitizing answer scripts and scores, the platform gathered valuable insights. These insights were fed into a student data-lake, enabling the creation of personalized learning models and assessments. Students could benefit from tailored educational content, catering to their unique needs, and enhancing their learning outcomes.

Metrics

  1. 10k+ personalized offline assessments are conducted each week for 200k+students. More practice leads to better outcome

  2. The collective outcome of the students average scores improved by 7 percentage points over an academic year

  3. The time taken to conduct, evaluate and publish the evaluated papers were made to 2.5 days by ingesting technological benefits in the offline test taking medium