SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
2017’S “OSCARS” OF EDUCATION: OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS
The Learning Assessment Award will be given to the project that aims to explore and improve the deficiencies in the way we currently assess how much our students have learned, and how deeply they have understood what they have learned. How can you and your team create a project that reimagines the way we assess a student’s grasp of course content/key skills?
Past Winner Learning Assessment Award: DigiExam, United States
DigiExam is the leading digital assessment provider for creating, delivering and grading academic tests. Its comprehensive, integrated set of tools allows instructors to prepare and grade exams, helping students to take tests more efficiently, and encouraging sustainability by reducing paper waste. DigiExam currently serves over 1,600 universities and schools. www.digiexam.com
Branching Minds Inc., United States
Branching Minds is a web application combining learning science and technology to help school districts streamline, focus, and personalize the way they support struggling learners. Branching Minds is used as an intervention solution in 20 school districts across nine states; these districts are responsible for educating over 100,000 students. www.branchingminds.com
Digital Assess, United Kingdom
Adaptive Comparative Judgement ACJ is a unique web-enabled approach to student coursework assessment, applying the Law of Comparative Judgement. Developed in conjunction with Goldsmiths College, University of London as part of the e-Scape research project, which focused on GCSE-Level Design & Technology, it replaces formal test marking with the collective professional judgments of assessors. www.digitalassess.com
‘Cognii Virtual Learning Assistant’
Cognii Virtual Learning Assistant is an Artificial Intelligence-based assessment and tutoring system which forms part of Cognii’s mission to improve the quality and affordability of education through advanced technologies.
Cognii’s Virtual Learning Assistant uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology and is part of a new breed of Artificial Intelligent (AI) products such as Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Google Now and IBM Watson. However, Cognii is the only company that is exclusively focused on applying the most advanced AI research to improve education.
With Cognii, open-response questions become practical: AI technology provides instant scoring, one-to-one tutoring, and formative assessment that engages students in a conversation until they master important concepts. This type of tutoring is known to improve students’ learning by two standard deviations, as demonstrated by Benjamin Bloom in 1984. Cognii’s research suggests this is a scalable solution that can facilitate students learn any topic, anywhere, anytime.
Cognii has demonstrated this by deploying its solution to students at some of the most prominent universities and community colleges with a satisfaction rating above 95%. The students and teachers have found Cognii “very helpful”, as well as being “the most innovative” ed-tech product they have used.