Top Benefits of Using an Onscreen Marking System for Educational Institutions

A critical part of an education system is an effective evaluation mechanism, without which it becomes challenging for teachers to analyse student progress. Schools and colleges have pre-established guidelines for conducting formative and summative examinations.

Nevertheless, the conventional pre- and post-examination processes are tedious and time-consuming. That is where the digitalised solution of the onscreen marking system is an ideal substitute for the physical answer sheet checking process.

But what is so different about the onscreen marking system, and how does it contribute to student evaluation? Let us find out:

Onscreen Marking System: Modern Evaluation Tool

The onscreen marking system, or OSM, is a technology-enabled mechanism that teachers and examiners can use to check exam answer sheets digitally. It usually entails an online web-based software wherein scanned copies of the answer sheets are uploaded.

Consequently, examiners can evaluate the digitised copies and mark them accordingly, accelerating the speed of paper-checking. Therefore, it reduces the extended time usually involved in declaring and publishing results online and offline.

When teachers implement OSM as a part of ongoing formative assessments, it allows them to provide real-time feedback to students. Hence, students are able to understand their shortcomings and recurrent issues, so they take measures to overcome them as per teachers’ suggestions.

What Goes Into the Onscreen Marking System?

The smooth and accurate functioning of the onscreen marking system relies on teamwork and proper implementation. Therefore, adhering to the following steps is beneficial for educational institutes:

1. Scanning Answer Sheets

• Digitalising the post-examination system requires teamwork, which is instrumental in lessening teachers’ administrative work overload.
• The first step includes scanning the answer sheets for which the admin or a separately created group of individuals can execute the particular task.
• After completing the scanning of sheets, the team must conceal the student’s identity by hiding the student’s information (name, roll number, division, etc.).
• They must upload all the scanned answer sheets into the software according to crucial details like student ID, number or roll number, subject code, etc.

2. Streamlining the Post-Examination Activities

The system will provide the necessary assistance in reducing manual work and increasing efficiency, but the institute team members must continue to oversee the process. An institute’s administrative department must work together with the Controller of Examination (CoE) to streamline the end-to-end examination process.

Besides, the CoE is responsible for organising various activities like preparing exam timetables, determining the question paper designing procedures, etc. Also, they handle the conduction of examinations, post-examination evaluation, and result declaration.

The onscreen marking system can prove to be a useful tool for them as it provides a central dashboard, helping to track the answer sheeting checking process conveniently. As opposed to the traditional paper-based process, the system has detailed analytics, enabling CoE to check the overall evaluation process progress.

3. Systematic Evaluation

A considerable amount of time and effort goes into the conventional answer sheet-checking process, which the OMS can resolve efficiently. The examiner can check the digitised exam answer sheets from anywhere and anytime.

Whether they are internal examiners (full-time teachers/professors) or external examiners (guest faculty from other institutes), they can check and grade the paper remotely. In effect, it eliminates the need to carry the answer papers home or come to the campus to evaluate them in person.

All they need is stable internet connectivity and a computer or a laptop, thereby allowing the examiners to carry out systematic evaluations through OSM.

4. Rechecking

Rechecking a particular number of answer sheets is a strategic measure that institutes implement to ensure the thoroughness of the evaluation. Moderators recheck the paper and conceal the marks that the first-level evaluators assigned, which is followed by second-level evaluation or moderation.

Fortunately, they can leverage the onscreen marking system to generate a new copy of the answer sheet for second-level checking or further moderation.

The Advantages of the Onscreen Marking System

1. Assured Efficiency and Productivity

Tackling a heap of exam answer sheets while ensuring correct evaluation individually for each student is crucial. The examiner needs to check the sheets on the campus within a stipulated time to deliver the results accordingly.

However, the onscreen marking system facilitates a digitalised post-examination process, which curtails the need to sort or tackle answer sheets physically. In effect, teachers can check the sheets remotely, eliminating the chances of misplacing the papers.

What’s more, the system accelerates the grading and score calculation process and allows teachers to provide constructive feedback. Besides, it saves time, which teachers can invest in formulating strategic techniques to improve teaching and learning.

2. Lack of Inconsistencies

Students’ dissatisfaction with the obtained marks in the exam often leads to them applying for reevaluation of their answer sheets. Consequently, the re-checking leads to identifying errors, and timely correction of them results in increased marks in particular classes.

In contrast, the OSM platforms have advanced features like automated marking for objective questions, standardised rubrics, and zoom-in ability to check minor details. Therefore, it reduces errors and helps to facilitate a consistent and accurate evaluation and grading system.

3. Personalised Feedback

Conventional examination and grading systems offer little scope for providing in-depth feedback to students. Besides, it can become particularly tiresome to check papers manually and add appropriate suggestions.

Fortunately, the digitalised platform allows teachers to check papers conveniently and provide in-depth feedback effectively. For instance, they can incorporate audio annotations and comments and emphasise key areas that require further improvement. As a result, students get a clear understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses.

4. Improved Efficiency

Conducting a traditional examination system is a manually intensive process and requires institutes to collect and store answer sheets. On the other hand, conducting a tech-enabled evaluation system ensures operational efficiency and reduces time and effort.

5. Performance Analytics

The digitalised evaluation software has built-in features that collect data on student performance and ongoing progress of students. Educators can use the analytics data to determine the specific areas that require necessary mitigation.

Hence, teachers can prepare personalised teaching or learning plans with formative assessments that align with students’ learning levels.