Edvocacy.org - Solutions

Edvocacy's Solution for Automating Data Capture

Edvocacy's solution is truly different. We have constructed a data collection process by which proven and familiar pen-on-paper scoring practices are not compromised-practices employed in thousands of schools across America. This was made possible with the recent introduction of the Logitech© ioTM Personal Digital Pen. By incorporating the Logitech pen, we can now allow educators to administer literacy assessments just as they do today. However, Edvocacy's technology allows all data to be captured digitally, in real time. Data are then automatically uploaded to a secure, centralized data management system. There is virtually no learning curve, and minimal affect on the fundamentals of the existing, proven process.

To activate the pen, simply remove the cap. The pen contains ink, so teachers can score CBM-based assessments just as they do today. A tiny camera inside the pen registers its movement across the surface of the paper and stores these as a series of map coordinates. These coordinates correspond to the exact location and real-time movement of the pen on the scoring sheet. This is made possible through a pattern of very small dots printed onto ordinary paper stock. To the human eye, the pattern looks like a light shade of gray, yet the dot pattern and its functionality are unique and specific to each individual scoring sheet. The pen stores a full megabyte of pen stroke information, which means that hundreds of CBM-based assessments can be captured before the pen would be placed in its cradle for automatic data uploaded.

The elegance and simplicity of Edvocacy's method for data capture is deceiving. While easy to use, there is no more technologically advanced solution available for data capture. Under the hood, Edvocacy's solution features high-speed, high resolution digital imaging and image processing technologies; handwriting recognition software; SmartCard-like security features, such as 128-bit symmetric key encryption based on the AES Rijndael algorithm (the US government standard symmetric algorithm), and 1024-bit RSA algorithms for distribution of asymmetric keys. Yet, despite this, the digital pen looks and feels just like an ordinary ballpoint pen. There are no buttons to press, no software to learn, and no screens to navigate.

Data uploads from the pen do require a computer with Internet connectivity which is loaded with Edvocacy software. Once uploads are complete, the moment the software detects a connection to the Internet, all assessment data is automatically and securely transmitted to a centralized management and reporting database. This data transfer requires no interaction by school personnel and is achieved using Microsoft .NET technology and Web services - small, reusable applications written in XML, a universal language for data exchange. These technologies allow data to be securely communicated across the Internet between otherwise unconnected sources.