The assistant manager in the Academic Technology Support Center at the University of New Hampshire saw the 40,000 to 60,000 exams that his support center is in charge of scanning and grading each semester, and he looked to optimize their efficiency. After being referred to Remark Office OMR by a previous user, he and his staff have saved countless man hours and dollars.
Garrett Cypher is an assistant manager in the Academic Technology Support Center at the University of New Hampshire. In addition to providing software, networking, and general support for students and staff at the university, the academic technology support center (ATSC) administers and processes all exam scanning materials for the university.
The university previously completed the scanning duties using a third party and traditional OMR software that required special test forms and dedicated OMR scanners. However, because the ATSC staff is responsible for scanning exams for the entire university, processing tests became quite expensive in terms of time and money. The ATSC grades 40,000 to 60,000 exams each semester. Garrett sought to increase efficiency in the reading and analyzing of university exam forms, investigating every solution imaginable.
While searching for possible upgrades, another Remark user introduced Garrett to Remark Office OMR. After looking at the product, Garrett was sold after seeing the quick, comprehensive results, as well as the ease of uploading the data into learning management systems, specifically Canvas* and Blackboard®.
The switch to Remark Office OMR has benefited the University of New Hampshire and the ASTC staff in several ways. The university has saved money in the transition to Remark Office OMR, as they no longer have to pay for expensive sheets, custom scanners, or the cost of labor to scan exams. The university can now print their own plain-paper exam answer sheets, read them using their Xerox® DocuMate 5445 image scanners, and process the results themselves using the software. Moreover, the switch has saved time for the ASTC staff, as the results are processed quickly, and they no longer have to go through a third party.
In addition to the ATSC staff, the students also benefit from Remark Office OMR. The results are processed quickly, and can be easily uploaded to their Canvas and Blackboard learning management systems. Therefore, students don’t have to wait an unreasonable amount of time to know their results. They receive their exam scores quickly, which enables them to better prepare for the duration of the semester.
Garrett and the ATSC staff really like many of the features that Remark Office OMR has to offer. One of their favorites is the ability to modify the number of points each question is worth. The staff also likes the layout of the different reports, as well as the ability to easily upload the data into learning management systems.
Note: Blackboard is a registered trademark of Blackboard. Xerox is a registered trademark of Xerox Corporation. *Canvas is a product from Instructure.
