The Marking App

Mission: The mission of The Marking App is to revolutionize the way assessments are graded in schools by providing an efficient, accurate, and user-friendly platform that automates the grading process while enhancing learning outcomes.

Vision: Our vision is to create a world where educators can dedicate more time to teaching and students can receive timely feedback and support to improve their academic performance. We strive to empower educators and students by leveraging technology to streamline assessment processes, promote fairness, and foster a positive learning environment.

Here are some key roles and responsibilities:

1. Visionary Leadership:  provide visionary leadership by setting the overall direction and strategic goals of the company.

2. Business Development and Strategy: Responsible for developing and executing the business development strategy, identifying new opportunities for growth, and establishing partnerships and collaborations with relevant stakeholders. 

3. Team Building and Management: Play a crucial role in building and managing a high-performing team.

4. Financial Management: Responsible for the financial management of the company.

5. Product Development and Innovation: Oversee the product development process, working closely with the development team to ensure the timely and successful delivery of high-quality software solutions.

6. Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with key stakeholders, including educators, school administrators, educational institutions, and potential investors.

7. Marketing and Branding: Contribute to the marketing and branding efforts of The Marking App by developing effective strategies to promote the product, increase awareness, and acquire new customers.

8. Compliance and Legal Matters: Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.

9. Impact Assessment and Reporting: Monitor and assess the impact of The Marking App on educational outcomes and regularly report.

The Marking App is well-positioned to participate in the LEAP Challenge and strengthen its evidence base for improving learning outcomes. As an education organization focused on enhancing assessment and feedback processes, The Marking App aligns with LEAP's goal of advancing evidence-based learning solutions.

By joining the LEAP Challenge, The Marking App can receive valuable support and guidance from expert researchers and social entrepreneurs. Their insights and advice will help build a robust approach to strengthen the app's evidence base and demonstrate its impact on learning outcomes.

This will not be our first time hosting such a project, during the ideation and concept validation stage, The Marking App previously hosted a project with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program in 2021. The project involved a team of Mastercard Foundation Scholars who conducted market research and concept validation across four different African countries. The scholars were hosted for approximately eight weeks, resulting in a report that helped shape the app's current user interface and narrow it down to a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The app is currently being developed for usability testing with a controlled group of students and teachers. The prototype will be designed to have usability similar to an MVP, facilitating further testing and refinement.

Our team will give a clear outline of our needs and guidance through the project timeline to allow the work of the LEAP Project team with 24 hour access to us and all the necessary resources needed to ensure success. 

Transforming assessment and feedback processes, The Marking App enhances learning outcomes for children ages 2-12 through automated grading and personalized support.

The Marking App seeks to address the persistent problem of inefficient and time-consuming assessment and feedback processes in the education system. Traditional methods of grading handwritten school assessments are not only labor-intensive but also prone to errors and delays, which hinder the timely and effective provision of feedback to students. This lack of prompt feedback diminishes the learning experience, inhibits student growth, and limits overall academic progress.

In many educational institutions, teachers spend a significant amount of time manually grading piles of papers, resulting in a substantial workload and a potential compromise on the quality of feedback provided. This process consumes valuable instructional time that could be better utilized for personalized teaching and student support. Additionally, the manual grading approach often leads to inconsistencies and subjectivity, as different teachers may interpret and assess student work differently.

Furthermore, the delay in feedback affects students' ability to track their progress, identify areas of improvement, and make necessary adjustments in their learning strategies. The absence of timely feedback hampers students' motivation, engagement, and overall academic performance. It creates a gap between assessment and learning, limiting the potential for growth and development.

The Marking App aims to revolutionize the assessment and feedback process by providing a comprehensive and automated solution. By leveraging technology, the app enables teachers to digitize handwritten assessments, thereby eliminating the need for manual grading. The app utilizes intelligent algorithms and optical character recognition (OCR) technology to analyze and evaluate student work accurately and efficiently.

Once the assessments are digitized, The Marking App employs its grading system to provide instant and accurate feedback to students. This real-time feedback mechanism allows students to understand their strengths and weaknesses promptly, enabling them to take immediate action for improvement. The app also offers personalized support and additional resources to enhance the learning experience further.

In addition to benefiting students, The Marking App also empowers teachers by reducing their grading workload, allowing them to allocate more time to instructional activities, personalized teaching, and individual student support. With streamlined assessment processes, teachers can focus on providing targeted feedback and guidance, fostering a more effective and supportive learning environment.

By addressing the inefficiencies and challenges associated with traditional grading methods, The Marking App seeks to create a seamless and efficient assessment and feedback process that enhances learning outcomes for students. The app's technology-driven approach not only saves time but also ensures consistency, accuracy, and personalized support. Ultimately, The Marking App aims to bridge the gap between assessment and learning, empowering students and educators to achieve their full potential.

The Marking App simplifies the grading process, provides immediate feedback, and offers personalized support to cater to the diverse learning needs of typically developing children while it also gives them multiple practice opportunities. It embraces their individuality and ensures that they have the tools and resources they need to thrive academically.

The Marking App allows for online tests which can be take on our website or app but due to the high poverty of access to technology and the internet in Africa, we can designed the app to support handwritten assessments too. 

Here's how The Marking App works with handwritten assessments:

1. Teachers sets the test on the app and chooses whether it is downloadable or taken online. 

2. After students write the tests, teachers or students take pictures of handwritten assessments using a smartphone or tablet. The app's technology then converts the handwritten work into a digital format.

3. The app uses intelligent algorithms and optical character recognition (OCR) to analyze the digitized assessments. It automatically assesses the work, identifies correct and incorrect answers, and assigns scores.

4. Once the assessments are graded, The Marking App provides immediate feedback to the students. They can see their scores, understand which questions they answered correctly or incorrectly, and receive explanations or suggestions for improvement.

The app goes beyond just scoring. It offers personalized support and additional resources to help students enhance their understanding of the topics covered in the assessments. This includes study materials, video tutorials, and practice exercises tailored to each student's learning needs.

By embracing learning variability in typically developing children , The Marking App recognizes that each child learns in their own unique way. The app accommodates different learning styles, preferences, and abilities by providing personalized feedback and support. It adapts to individual students' strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to focus on areas where they need improvement and progress at their own pace.

For example, if a child is struggling with a particular concept, The Marking App can provide additional resources specifically designed to address that concept. It may offer alternative explanations, interactive learning tools, or extra practice exercises tailored to the child's learning style. This personalized approach helps children better grasp the material and build confidence in their abilities.

FOUNDATIONAL AND FORMATIVE RESEARCH

The Marking App has conducted formative research in collaboration with primary and secondary schools in Pretoria, Eastern Cape (specifically in Matatiele and Mpumalanga, KwaMhlanga), as well as with teachers from urban schools in Zambia and Kenya.

The research aimed to gather feedback from teachers and students regarding the app's design and functionality. The initial research conducted with schools in Pretoria and Eastern Cape helped in compiling and designing the solution. The feedback received from these schools played a crucial role in shaping the app's development.

Furthermore, the team collaborated with the MasterCard Foundation and conducted interviews with teachers primarily from urban schools in Zambia and Kenya. These interviews aimed to explore the desirability, affordability, and utility of the app using the available draft design.

The research conducted by The Marking App demonstrates our commitment to gathering insights and feedback from key stakeholders. This research is essential for refining the app's design, addressing affordability and accessibility challenges, and ensuring that the final product meets the needs of teachers and students.

The research outcomes emphasize the Department of Basic Education's recognition of the importance of technology solutions in education. However, the main challenge lies in the cost associated with implementing existing solutions, which often require students to possess their own smart devices and internet access. This challenge is consistent with the broader context in Africa, where a significant number of school-going children lack access to smart devices and the internet.

Our research also revealed a strong demand for our solution among teachers. The study conducted with the Mastercard Foundation across various African countries indicated that approximately 80% of teachers agreed that the app would alleviate the burden of marking and administrative tasks, which they described as tedious and time-consuming. Moreover, 60% of teachers expressed willingness to pay for the app. However, further research is needed to explore this aspect in greater depth.

In our foundational research, we also discovered that the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) report, released by the Department of Education in July, highlighted the significant amount of time South African teachers spend on administrative tasks, thereby reducing valuable classroom teaching time. According to the report, only 66% of classroom time in South Africa is devoted to actual teaching and learning, compared to 78% in other countries. This discrepancy raises concerns as it compromises the quality of education received by students.

These research findings underscore the urgent need for The Marking App's solution in addressing the administrative burdens faced by teachers and the impact it can have on improving the quality of education. By streamlining the marking and administrative processes, the app aims to enhance teaching and learning outcomes, ultimately benefiting both teachers and students.

The Marking App recognizes the importance of strengthening the evidence base of its solution to ensure its effectiveness and impact on improving learning outcomes. Currently, while there is initial research and feedback from teachers and students, there is a need for more comprehensive and rigorous evidence to support the app's claims and demonstrate its efficacy.

By conducting further research and evaluation, The Marking App aims to gather quantitative and qualitative data that substantiates its impact on educational outcomes. This involves conducting usability studies, feasibility studies, case studies, user interviews, implementation studies, pre-post or multi-measure research, and correlational studies. These research methods will provide valuable insights into the app's usability, effectiveness, and overall contribution to enhancing the learning experience.

The Marking App recognizes the importance of robust evidence to build trust and credibility among education stakeholders, including teachers, school administrators, parents, and policymakers. Strengthening the evidence base will help showcase the app's value proposition, highlight its benefits, and facilitate wider adoption and implementation in educational settings.

Additionally, by strengthening the evidence base, The Marking App can also address the concerns and requirements of education authorities and organizations. These stakeholders often require evidence-based solutions that demonstrate positive outcomes and align with their goals of improving educational quality and efficiency.

The Marking App is committed to collaborating with expert researchers and social entrepreneurs through programs like the LEAP Challenge to receive support, guidance, and expertise in strengthening its evidence base. This collaborative approach will ensure that the research conducted is rigorous, objective, and aligns with best practices in educational research.

Ultimately, by strengthening the evidence base of its solution, The Marking App aims to provide solid evidence of its impact on learning outcomes, build credibility and trust, and position itself as a leading educational technology solution. This evidence will not only benefit the app itself but also contribute to the broader field of educational research and the advancement of evidence-based learning solutions.

1. How does the usability and user experience of The Marking App influence the satisfaction and acceptance of the app among teachers and students?

2. What are the effects of implementing The Marking App in primary and secondary schools on the efficiency and accuracy of the grading and feedback process?

3. What are the perceptions and experiences of teachers and students regarding the usability and effectiveness of The Marking App in improving learning outcomes and reducing administrative burdens?

The desired outputs of a formative and foundational research for a 12-week LEAP Project sprint for The Marking App can include:

1. Usability and user experience evaluation: Conducting usability testing and gathering feedback from teachers and students to identify areas of improvement in the interactive user interface of The Marking App. This can involve analyzing user interactions, identifying pain points, and making iterative design changes based on the feedback received.

2. Impact assessment: Measuring the impact of implementing The Marking App in primary and secondary schools of the grading and feedback process. This can involve collecting data on grading time, error rates, and teacher satisfaction to evaluate the effectiveness of the app in streamlining the assessment workflow.

3. Perception and experience analysis: Assessing the perceptions and experiences of teachers and students regarding the usability and effectiveness of The Marking App in improving learning outcomes. This can involve conducting surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather qualitative and quantitative data on user satisfaction, engagement, and perceived impact on learning.

4. Administrative burden reduction: Evaluating the extent to which The Marking App contributes to reducing administrative burdens on teachers. This can involve collecting data on time saved on administrative tasks, classroom instruction time reclaimed, and teacher workload perceptions.

The outputs of the research should provide insights and data-driven recommendations to inform the refinement and enhancement of The Marking App, ensuring its effectiveness, usability, and impact on learning outcomes.

To put the outputs of the formative research into action, we will follow the following steps:

1. Iterative design and development: Use the feedback and insights gathered from the usability and user experience evaluation to make iterative improvements to the interactive user interface of The Marking App and proceed to develop an app which users can start using for further analysis and improvement before proceeding with the more expensive step of developing a Minimum Viable Product. This can involve refining the design, optimizing user flows, and addressing identified pain points to enhance the app's usability and user satisfaction.

2. Feature enhancements and optimization: Based on the impact assessment data, identify areas where The Marking App can be further optimized to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the grading and feedback process. This can include adding new features, refining existing functionalities, or integrating additional tools or resources to enhance the app's effectiveness in supporting teachers' assessment tasks.

3. Training and support: Based on the perceptions and experiences of teachers and students, develop training materials and resources to help users maximize the benefits of The Marking App. Provide guidance on best practices, tips for effective use, and troubleshooting assistance to ensure a smooth user experience and address any challenges or concerns raised during the research.

4. Communication and dissemination: Share the research findings, insights, and recommendations with relevant stakeholders, including schools, educational institutions, and policymakers. Present the evidence-based impact and effectiveness of The Marking App to demonstrate its value in improving learning outcomes and reducing administrative burdens. Use this information to advocate for wider adoption and integration of the app in educational settings.

5. Continuous improvement and feedback loop: Establish mechanisms to gather ongoing feedback and suggestions from users, such as regular surveys, feedback forms, or user forums. This will allow for continuous improvement of The Marking App based on user needs and evolving educational requirements.

This will help us to ensure that the outputs of the formative research are translated into tangible improvements, enhancements, and strategies that drive the success and impact of The Marking App in supporting teachers, improving learning outcomes, and reducing administrative burdens.

The desired short-term and long-term outcomes of the 12-week LEAP Project sprint for our organization and The Marking App solution can be outlined as follows:

Short-term outcomes:

1. Enhanced Solution: The formative research and iterative design process will lead to an improved version of The Marking App with a more user-friendly and effective interactive user interface. This will result in increased user satisfaction and acceptance among teachers and students.

2. Increased Efficiency: The implementation of The Marking App in primary and secondary schools will lead to improved efficiency and accuracy in the grading and feedback process. Teachers will be able to save time and effort, allowing them to allocate more time for classroom instruction and student engagement.

3. Positive Feedback: The perceptions and experiences of teachers and students regarding the usability and effectiveness of The Marking App will provide valuable insights. Positive feedback and testimonials from users will serve as evidence of the app's impact on improving learning outcomes.

Long-term outcomes:

1. Evidence-based Solution: The LEAP Project sprint will strengthen the evidence base of The Marking App, providing robust research findings that support its effectiveness in improving learning outcomes. This will enable your organization to demonstrate the impact and value of the app to stakeholders, including educational institutions, policymakers, and potential investors.

2. Adoption and Scalability: The successful implementation and positive outcomes of The Marking App during the LEAP Project sprint will increase its adoption in primary and secondary schools. As more schools recognize the benefits of the app, it has the potential to scale and reach a wider audience, ultimately impacting a larger number of teachers and students.

3. Empowered Teachers: By reducing administrative burdens on teachers and streamlining the grading process, The Marking App will empower teachers to focus more on classroom instruction, personalized feedback, and student engagement. This can lead to improved teaching quality, increased student motivation, and better learning outcomes.

4. Strategic Partnerships: The LEAP Project sprint will provide opportunities to collaborate with expert researchers, social entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders involved in the program. Building strategic partnerships can open doors for further research collaborations, funding opportunities, and knowledge exchange, ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of The Marking App.

The short-term outcomes of the LEAP Project sprint will lay the foundation for long-term success, establishing The Marking App as an evidence-based, efficient, and user-friendly solution that positively impacts teaching and learning outcomes in primary and secondary schools.