University of Wisconsin Exploits OMR Capabilities for Handwriting
        
        
        
        T he University of Wisconsin, Madison, is         a large Midwestern research university with more than 40,000         students. The university's Testing and Evaluation Services         provide support for the academic, research and         administrative departments. Each year, the 15-member staff,         headed by Dr. Allan Cohen, processes 300,000 tests, 300,000         course evaluations and 400,000 additional forms such as         parking applications, surveys regarding handicap         accessibility and research forms for various departments'         studies. All of the applications use optical mark read (OMR)         forms that are processed on an NCS OpScan 21 scanner.         
                  OMR Opportunities 
                  Expansion of services is critical to the         ongoing success of the Testing and Evaluation Services         department, according to Dr. Cohen. He believes         implementation of technology such as imaging will enable the         department to better deliver existing services and offer         additional capabilities that will benefit the university.         His specific requirements included a high-volume scanning         system that captures handwritten responses for tests and         surveys, image and optical character read (ICR/OCR) fields         for general data collection and OMR data for continuity of         existing applications. 
                  To meet those requirements, the Testing         and Evaluation Services department purchased a 5000i image         system, the latest imaging product from NCS (Edina, Minn.).         The 5000i allows intermixing of data entry methodologies         such as handprint, machine print, OMR, bar code and Key From         Image (KFI). The system's "Picture Perfect" technology,         combined with gray scale processing, maintains the same high         accuracy standards found in previous NCS OMR systems.         
                  Cohen foresees many opportunities for the         ability to capture handprint. One example is student         placement testing. Each spring, the Testing and Evaluation         Services department administers placement testing for all         16,000 incoming freshman registered at University of         Wisconsin schools. The testing is conducted at 35 locations         throughout Wisconsin and neighboring states. Students         register for the placement testing using a scannable         registration form. On the form, they identify the testing         location most convenient to them. The forms are scanned and         the information is imported into a student database. "Our         plan is to revise the scannable registration forms so we can         electronically read handprint and more efficiently enter the         data," says Cohen. 
                  The department sends out letters to the         students, telling them the date and location for their         placement testing. The placement tests, created by the         department, are shipped to the testing locations. Score         sheets from all 16,000 students are processed by Testing and         Evaluation Services and stored on a central database. When         advisors meet with students in the fall, they can access         each student's test scores over the network. 
                  "We have successfully scanned OMR score         sheets for our placement tests as well as classroom exams on         the 5000i system," says Cohen. "In the future we want to         revise the score sheets so we can capture handprint. For         example, on the score sheets, we can have students write         essays, show their work in math or demonstrate foreign         language skills. The 5000i system will allow us to capture         that information and give advisors access to both multiple         choice and short answer responses." 
                  Even More Uses 
                  Cohen cites other instances when the         department will capture handprint. "One of the colleges has         an alumni survey that requires OMR responses on one side and         handwritten comments on the other. We'll be able to put all         responses together in one file that can be read with a word         processor," he says. "With the 5000i system we will also be         able to capture handwritten comments on course evaluations,"         he adds. 
                  Meeting peak demands and maintaining         turnaround commitments also is important for the department.         "Some departments have a huge influx of forms in a short         amount of time, such as the financial aid department,"         explains Cohen. "By designing a new form, we'll be able to         process these forms quickly." The system's processing speed         ranges from 4,000 to 9,000 sheets per hour, depending on the         recognition method that is chosen. 
                  "We're also excited about the system's         image scanning capability," Cohen relates. "Now we'll be         able to secure image scanning business, and I think there is         a huge market within the university for it. There are miles         and miles of file cabinets around the university. I think we         can reduce many of the contents of those files to an         electronic format using the system's imaging capabilities.         "Our intent is to set up one or two more shifts," says         Cohen, "to run the system constantly and wear it out --         except that NCS d'esn't let machines wear out. They're         always adding to or taking care of our system, and they         respond very quickly when we need them." 
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