ARCHER

ARCHER stands for Adaptive Reinforcement of Children’s Holistic Educational Reach. Our mission statement is Empowering Every Learner's Journey, One Arrow at a Time. Through the use of technology, our solution, ARCHER, seeks to redefine the education landscape. 

Standardized examinations predominate in the US, yet many students believe they don't accurately reflect their genuine talents. Consider Kyle, a really gifted artist who is hampered by conventional testing procedures that place emphasis on speed rather than comprehension. However, Kyle's challenges is not exclusive to him. We at ARCHER are committed to ensuring that learners such as Kyle do not slip through the cracks. We see a day where all students can succeed and prosper, regardless of their upbringing or preferred method of learning.

Personalized learning is not just an enigma, but a reality at our platform. We precisely determine strengths and weaknesses by analyzing each student's individual profile through adaptive assessments. By customizing challenges to meet individual requirements, we help students improve and spark their interest while simultaneously preserving time.

Our intuitive website gives educators access to a robust platform powered by AI. We use state-of-the-art technology to evaluate learning data from students and customize assessments to meet their individual requirements. ARCHER utilizes cutting-edge AI technology to personalize the K-8 learning experience. Through a dynamic learning style quiz and learner profile analysis, our platform employs machine learning algorithms to categorize students according to their preferred learning styles. This enables ARCHER to generate adaptive assessments tailored to individual needs and learning preferences, ensuring optimal challenge and engagement. We further leverage educational data mining techniques to analyze student performance and adapt learning paths, providing personalized feedback and recommendations. By combining machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow and scikit-learn with a commitment to data security and privacy, ARCHER ensures a secure and effective personalized learning journey for every student.

ARCHER adjusts to every learner, instantly recognizing their advantages and disadvantages. Our goal is to ensure that every person has access to high-quality education.  Because of the affordability and scalability of our platform, instructors and schools of all sizes may take advantage of our ground-breaking solution. We want to do this by applying a Cost-Plus pricing strategy in cooperation with a Tiered and Freemium financial model. This gives us the capacity to control expenses according to supply and demand, the type of customer we serve, and other exceptional situations, enabling us to maintain pricing as low as we can Connect with us on social media to join the conversation and learn more about our mission. We're proud of our diverse team, united by a shared passion for educational equity. Together, let's pave the way for a brighter future where every student can reach their full potential with ARCHER.

With the revolutionary power of AI-enabled assessment, our solution, ARCHER, aims to have a significant influence on the lives of priority Pre-K-8 learners and their instructors. We recognize that early education lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning and achievement. Our main objective is to provide teachers and students with the tools and resources they need to enable individualized learning experiences, encourage academic progress, and advance equity.

ARCHER signifies a paradigm shift in the way Pre-K–8 students interact with learning. Traditional one-size-fits-all approaches sometimes fail to accommodate the different demands and learning styles of individual students. But with our  AI-powered evaluation features, every learner gets individualized help based on their own interests, and strengths. To engage students and identify their strengths and limitations, we place a strong emphasis on interactive learning using goal-setting tools, quizzes., etc. By using a focused approach, students' chances of success are increased by ensuring that they are in line with their requirements. Our real-time adaptive assessment tools adjust in reaction to students' replies, offering problems that are suitable in difficulty and offering scaffolding support when needed. By giving students learning assignments that are just right—not too easy nor too difficult—this adaptive learning paradigm encourages student engagement, self-efficacy, and a growth mindset. As a result, as they advance in their educational journey, students are more likely to maintain their motivation, persevere through difficulties, and feel a feeling of success.

We give priority to impoverished pupils and those who face obstacles to opportunity, guaranteeing fairness and diversity in the classroom. Our adaptive tests dynamically modify the exam's difficulty in response to students' answers, providing individualized instruction catered to their requirements. We will track student progress and analyze written responses using machine learning and natural language processing tools. To overcome learning gaps, we will offer focused interventions. We are an ally in the classroom for teachers, providing data and insights to assist varied instruction and instructional decision-making. By automating the assessment process, we alleviate the burden of manual grading and data analysis, allowing educators to devote more time and energy to designing personalized learning experiences, providing targeted interventions, and cultivating meaningful connections with their students. 

We will provide instructors with reports and data highlighting areas of instructional focus, learning gaps, and trends in student performance. Teachers can recognize students who are at potential risk early, carry out interventions on time, and monitor students' development over time. In addition, we provide suggestions for educational materials, exercises, and activities that are customized to the requirements of every student. This enables teachers to provide excellent training that satisfies the wide range of demands of their students.

The AI-enabled assessment capabilities hold the potential to completely transform education for educators and priority Pre-K–8 students. With the use of individualized support, engagement, and data-driven decision-making, we seek to help youngsters realize their full potential and give teachers the resources they need to promote academic equity and growth. Every student has the chance to flourish in the classroom and beyond with ARCHER.

Our team, consisting of high school students working with professionals in the field, is in a unique position to develop and implement a solution that tackles the issues that students in the education sector confront. Our closeness to the intended audience and our intimate knowledge of the issue offer priceless insights and perspectives. 

Our team members have experienced the very issues we aim to solve throughout our educational journeys. We understand the frustrations, setbacks, and limitations that students encounter daily. This personal connection drives our passion and commitment to finding effective solutions. Our genuine care for the problem motivates us to invest time and effort into creating something meaningful and impactful. Moreover, our team is not confined to a single locality or demographic. We are diversified across various countries, cultures, and educational systems. This diversity enriches our understanding of the problem, allowing us to develop solutions that are inclusive and adaptable across different contexts. It also grants us easy scalability, as we can leverage our global network to gather diverse perspectives and test our solution in various settings.

As the Team Lead, I am personally invested in ensuring that our solution is guided by the input, ideas, and agendas of the communities we aim to serve. In order to bring diverse viewpoints to our design and implementation process, I constantly seek out opportunities to interact with people from other backgrounds. In order to make informed decisions, we place a high priority on hearing from students, educators, and other stakeholders through surveys, focus groups, and in-person interviews. We receive invaluable mentorship, resources, and expertise via our partnerships with mentors and industry leaders. These experts contribute years of experience and expertise, which aids in overcoming obstacles, honing concepts, and guaranteeing that our solution satisfies exacting requirements for efficacy and quality. Their guidance also helps us bridge the gap between our youthful enthusiasm and the practical realities of implementation.

Ultimately, our team's passion for leveraging technology to serve the education sector drives our efforts. We believe that by harnessing the power of innovation, we can create meaningful change and empower students to succeed. Our journey may be unconventional, but our dedication, firsthand experience, diversity, and collaboration with industry experts make us well-positioned to design and deliver a solution that truly makes a difference in the lives of students worldwide.

We chose the "Concept" stage since we are currently integrating AI algorithms and have developed a website. To reach more people, we have engaged our social media accounts in the meantime. In order to better understand the experiences and requirements of the students, we have also circulated a tally form via social media and various servers. Although we haven't yet assisted a significant amount of instructors or learners, we are concentrating on perfecting our ideas and getting input to guide our future actions. 

Our solution, ARCHER, stands out as an innovative approach to education by combining the strengths of existing learning apps while addressing their weaknesses to catalyze broader positive impacts in the educational space. We recognize the merits of platforms like Khan Academy, Duolingo, Quizlet, and Coursera, and we aim to leverage their successful features while introducing novel elements to revolutionize the market landscape.

ARCHER ensures accessibility to quality educational content for all learners. By offering a wide range of subjects and providing self-paced learning experiences, ARCHER empowers students to progress at their own speed while receiving personalized support tailored to their needs. We enhance engagement through interactive features and gamified learning elements to ensure a captivating learning experience.

ARCHER incorporates gamified learning approach elements and adjusts difficulty levels based on user performance. This not only makes learning more enjoyable but also enhances retention and motivation among learners. Additionally, ARCHER fosters a supportive learning community where students can connect with peers, seek guidance from educators, and collaborate on projects. 

ARCHER adopts versatile study tools and user-generated content, allowing students to access a wealth of resources across various subjects. We also emphasize quality control measures to ensure the accuracy and reliability of user-generated content. Moreover, we will provide seamless syncing of study materials across devices and incorporate progress-tracking features to monitor learning progress effectively.

Inspired by high-quality courses and diverse subject offerings, ARCHER partners with leading educational institutions to deliver expert-led content across various disciplines. While offering flexible scheduling options, ARCHER mitigates the risk of dropout rates associated with self-paced courses by providing structured learning pathways, regular feedback, and accountability measures. Additionally, ARCHER offers a range of pricing options, including free access to basic features and affordable certification options, ensuring accessibility without compromising on quality.

In summary, ARCHER's innovative approach to education integrates the best features of existing learning apps while addressing their limitations to create a comprehensive and engaging learning platform. By catalyzing positive impacts in the educational space and revolutionizing the market landscape, ARCHER aims to empower learners, educators, and communities worldwide to thrive in the digital age.

ARCHER uses a combination of ML, NLP, and DL which is quite important in reaching the goal of achieving personalized learning assessments.

Machine learning forms the foundation of ARCHER's adaptive learning system. We primarily use decision tree algorithms and clustering techniques for learner classification based on their responses to the learning style quiz and learner profile data. Decision trees offer interpretability and efficiency, making them well-suited for identifying dominant learning preferences. Clustering algorithms help group students with similar learning profiles, allowing for further personalization and targeted recommendations. We explore various algorithms within these domains, such as Random Forests and K-Means clustering, to optimize model performance and ensure accurate learner categorization.

NLP plays a crucial role in expanding the capabilities of ARCHER's assessments beyond multiple-choice and Likert-scale questions. By incorporating open-ended questions, we can gather richer insights into student understanding and thought processes. NLP techniques, such as sentiment analysis and named entity recognition, allow us to analyze student responses for comprehension, identify key concepts, and provide personalized feedback tailored to their individual needs. This also opens doors for future features like automated essay scoring and adaptive feedback generation.

While our current focus lies on classical machine learning approaches, we recognize the potential of deep learning for future enhancements. As ARCHER evolves, we plan to explore deep learning models, particularly recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and transformers, for tasks like:
 Advanced Learner Modeling: Building more sophisticated learner profiles that capture nuanced learning behaviors and preferences over time.
 Adaptive Content Generation: Generating personalized learning materials and assessments dynamically based on individual learner needs and progress.
 Automated Feedback Generation: Providing more comprehensive and nuanced feedback on open-ended responses using natural language generation techniques.

ARCHER primarily relies on self-developed models and algorithms. We leverage open-source libraries like TensorFlow and scikit-learn for model development and training but prioritize building our own intellectual property and maintaining control over the core technology.
For the frontend user interface, we plan to use modern web development frameworks such as React or Vue.js and as well as using conventional HTML and CSS, Python and Django. These frameworks enable us to build interactive and engaging user experiences for both students and educators. We prioritize accessibility and user-friendliness in our design approach, ensuring the platform is intuitive and easy to navigate for users of all ages and technical abilities.

We are in the process of validating the effectiveness of our technology through rigorous testing and evaluation. Our team is conducting pilot studies and gathering feedback from educators and students to assess the impact of ARCHER on learning outcomes. Additionally, we are collaborating with educational experts and researchers to conduct independent evaluations and validate the efficacy of our AI-driven platform.

To futher support of our claim of having personalized assessments contribute to students' learning, the following are research publications that focuses on many aspects of our solution.

Vark Learning Styles in Learning:
1. Wright, S. (n.d.). The application of VARK learning styles in introductory level economics units. Informit. https://search.informit.org/do...
2. An Adaptive E-Learning Platform with VARK Learning Styles to Support the Learning of Object Orientation. (n.d.). IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ab...

Case Studies on Personalized Learning:
1. Zwartjes, L., Berankova, T., Bosse, I., Brotankova, Z., Colaiuda, C., Contiu, L., Cotoara, A., Donert, K., Doppler, G., Elpida, C., Georgiades, E., Jenal, F., Jörger, L., Lambrinos, N., Marti, B., Pigaki, M., Skupova, D., Solar, R., Sotiriou, C., . . . Woloszynska-Wisniewska, E. (2016). Case studies of personalized learning. https://biblio.ugent.be/public...

Gamified Approach on Students' Learning:
1. Gamification for Engaging computer science students in learning activities: a case study. (n.d.). IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ab...
2. Geelan, B., Kristy, D. S., Lewis, I., King, C., Edwards, D., & O’Mara, A. (2015, January 1). Improving learning experiences through gamification: a case study. Figshare. https://figshare.utas.edu.au/a...

Success of EdTech Startups:
It has been common knowledge that platforms that specializes in learning such as Brilliant, Khan Academy, and Duolingo has been helpful in teaching students. With this in mind, we believe in the feasibility and efficacy of this solution for solving the said goal and problem of the competition.

To ensure an understanding of the diverse backgrounds and needs of learners, we will take several proactive steps. Firstly, through community engagement, we will collaborate closely with educators, parents, and community leaders, conducting surveys, focus groups, and interviews to gather insights into the unique challenges faced by priority learners. Additionally, we will conduct extensive data collection and analysis to ensure our platform mirrors the diversity of the student population it serves, allowing us to identify and address any disparities or biases. Our team will also undergo cultural sensitivity training, equipping us to navigate the cultural nuances and sensitivities of the communities we serve, thereby enabling us to develop content and resources that are culturally relevant and respectful. Lastly, we will integrate accessibility features into our platform to ensure usability for learners with diverse needs, including those with disabilities or language barriers, through features such as text-to-speech functionality, language translation options, and adjustable font sizes and color contrasts.

To combat algorithmic bias, we hope to implement the following measures:

Diverse Data Representation: We are prioritizing diverse representation in our training data to mitigate biases and ensure that our AI models accurately reflect the diversity of learners.

Algorithmic Transparency: We are maintaining transparency in our AI algorithms, allowing educators and stakeholders to understand how decisions are made and identify potential biases.

Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation: We will continuously monitor our AI models for biases and conduct regular evaluations to identify and address any biases that may arise.

Ethical Design Principles: We adhere to ethical design principles in the development of our AI-driven platform, ensuring that our technology is used responsibly and promotes equity in education.

User Empowerment: We empower educators and students to provide feedback on our platform's performance, including any instances of bias or unfairness, allowing us to make necessary adjustments and improvements.

Team members' details:

1. Aarav Mittal, US
2. Afia Khanom Ava, Bangladesh
3. Afia Sehrish, Canada
4. Agneya Tharun, US
5. Aleksander Kondrasiuk, Poland
6. Aryan Mukherjee, US
7. Beatrice Jiang, US
   
8. Hetav Patel, Canada
9. Ibrahim Syed, US
10. Irene Pae, Republic of Korea
11. Issac Lee, US
12. Lavanya Agrawalla, US 
13. Mengmeng Zhang, United States
14. Nikhil Prabhu, US
15. Parnika Kamath, US
16. Pranjal Sawant, India
    
17. Qudsiya Badri, United Arab Emirates
18. Rudransh Palta, India
19. Ryekarlo Bugtong, Philippines
20. Sai Shrimayi Penjarla, US
21. Santoshi Yadagiri, US
    
22. Taha Yacine, Morocco
23. Veronica Wang, US
24. Xinyi Liu, US

To ensure ARCHER is pilot-ready within the next year and to demonstrate progress toward meeting the goal we plan to complete the development of the ARCHER platform, including integrating AI systems for adaptive assessments, personalized learning pathways, and data analytics. With this step, we will ensure seamless functionality across devices and browsers to maximize accessibility for learners and educators. Then we will establish partnerships with schools, districts, and educational organizations to facilitate pilot implementation and access to priority learners. We will share training resources for educators on how to use the ARCHER platform effectively, including navigating the interface, interpreting student data, and implementing personalized learning strategies. Alongside we will implement data collection mechanisms to gather quantitative and qualitative feedback from educators, learners, and administrators throughout the pilot period. Then comes using insights from pilot data analysis to iteratively improve the ARCHER platform, addressing identified strengths, weaknesses, and areas for enhancement.

To provide evidence on the progress we can follow up on these issues- Documentation of partnerships established with pilot sites, schools, districts, and educational organizations. 

Data collection instruments, including surveys, interviews, and observation protocols, developed and distributed to pilot participants. 

Demonstrated responsiveness to feedback and evidence of platform improvements based on pilot outcomes and user input.

By following this plan and providing evidence of progress, ARCHER will be well-positioned to pilot its innovative solution and make meaningful strides toward improving educational outcomes for priority learners.

At ARCHER, we're not just transforming education; we're shaping the future of learning. Our USP is simple yet powerful. Accessibility, Affordability, and Scalability are at the heart of everything we do. 

Affordability for All: Education should never be a luxury. That's why we're committed to offering flexible pricing options that cater to every budget. First, start your journey with a free trial of our platform, giving you ample time to explore, engage, and experience the full potential of our solution. After the trial period, choose from tailored plans, each offering a unique set of features to suit your needs. With our tiered pricing model, schools and districts can choose from different plans. 

Sustainability and Scalability: Our mission is not just to make a difference today but to build a sustainable future for education. 

• Utilize cloud-based technology to ensure scalability. This enables us to efficiently scale our platform to meet the growing demands of schools and districts without incurring prohibitive costs.

• Forge partnerships with educational consortia, government agencies, and philanthropic foundations to secure funding and resources for expansion. 

• Target new markets such as international schools, homeschooling communities, and education programs to broaden ARCHER's user base.

• Foster a strong community of educators, students, and parents through social media campaigns, webinars, and user forums to drive user engagement and retention. 

• Invest in research and development to stay ahead of emerging trends and technologies in education, ensuring that ARCHER remains relevant and competitive in the market. 

Innovative Revenue Generation Models: In addition to traditional pricing models, ARCHER is exploring innovative revenue generation strategies. Research shows that ed-tech companies have successfully implemented revenue-sharing agreements, licensing fees, and premium subscription models to sustain their platforms while offering valuable educational content to users.

With ARCHER, everyone has the opportunity to thrive and succeed to new heights. 

Our team, composed of students from Archer, is applying to the Learner//Meets//Future Challenge to leverage our unique perspectives in advancing AI use responsibly and innovatively. As students deeply engaged in AI's ethical application, we are uniquely positioned to understand and address the challenges our peers face in accessing and utilizing AI technology. This challenge represents a crucial opportunity for us to create a platform enhancing accessibility to AI tools and ensuring their responsible use. We aim to bridge the theoretical and practical aspects of AI, making it more approachable for a wider student audience. Our participation will enable us to expand our knowledge, refine our approaches under expert guidance, and test our solutions in a real-world context. We are excited to collaborate with thought leaders and peers in the field, share insights, and forge meaningful connections that could shape the future of AI. Through this platform, we intend to empower our fellow students with the tools and knowledge necessary to use AI effectively and ethically, contributing to a community where technology and education converge for the greater good.