The Andhra Pradesh government will be setting an example to other States in using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) by deploying digital smart devices (pens) for better evaluation of answer sheets of higher educational institutions.
The Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (ITE&C) Department has already invited Request for Proposals for ‘instant marks capturing at answer sheet evaluation centres’.
It fixed October 28 as the last date for both submission and the opening of bids. A few start-up companies recently approached the ITE&C Department and expressed keenness on partnering with the Department of Higher Education in getting the answer sheets evaluated with the help of digital pens.
According to Secretary (ITE&C and CMO) P.S. Pradyumna, the digital pens will expand the horizon of the emerging field of social media, mobile, analytics and cloud in Andhra Pradesh.
Analytics model
“The objective of the project is to develop a model of analytics in the higher education sector. The patterns of evaluation and the answers submitted by students can be extrapolated. This database helps in making the necessary improvements in content development and delivery and the system of examinations,” he asserted.
Digital pens facilitate the monitoring of quality of evaluation, attendance of the examiners, the number of answer scripts corrected and the progress thereof, automatic identity masking (hides details of candidates) and generate other such valuable data.
The A.P. Technology Services Limited (APTSL) will roll out the technology on behalf of the ITE&C and the RFP document has been hosted on the APTSL website for accessing by prospective bidders.
An official of the ITE&C Department said the purpose of digital evaluation of the answer sheets was to extend artificial intelligence-based services in the State in tune with its endeavour to provide real-time e-governance to the public.
The devices will cut down the manual interface in the correction of answer sheets drastically thereby reduce the scope for malpractice. The APTSL will track implementation of the project for improving it.
