Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#41

Post by ebzlo » Tue, May 08, 2012, 6:31 AM UTC

snomad wrote: post #38

ebzlo wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Educators build the assignment in our application (writing their own questions or using them from a question bank later on). In order for our product to read the fax, it needs to have been created from our application. Currently no API support, sorry.

Could educators import the question bank? If so, would it work with Moodle's XML format ( http://docs.moodle.org/22/en/Moodle_XML_format )

That looks like an excellent next feature for us to build. :)

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#42

Post by greatreorx » Tue, May 08, 2012, 6:53 AM UTC

What are the privacy implications of a teacher giving students' grade information to a third party? I was under the impression the law (in US) required a parent's release. Is it possible for your admins to view grade data?

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#43

Post by ewang1 » Tue, May 08, 2012, 7:04 AM UTC

ebzlo wrote: post #7

RaphiePS wrote: post #6

Really curious as to how you're implementing the fax feature. Is it an in-house solution, or are you guys using somebody's API?

In house solution--well, bundling together a couple of different open source libs (QR code detection, openCV).

what about the fax communications api? or are you guys interfacing with physical copper lines via some kind of fax server?

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#44

Post by dz13 » Tue, May 08, 2012, 7:40 AM UTC

Would students in the class be able to login and see their grades? It would be awesome to integrate this with LMS platforms like Blackboard.

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#45

Post by woodall » Tue, May 08, 2012, 11:26 AM UTC

Instead of faxing have you guys thought about OCR via a webcam/mobile phone/scanner?

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#46

Post by jnorthrop » Tue, May 08, 2012, 1:12 PM UTC

greatreorx wrote: post #42

What are the privacy implications of a teacher giving students' grade information to a third party? I was under the impression the law (in US) required a parent's release. Is it possible for your admins to view grade data?

You're correct. The teachers can not give student data to a third party without a proper contract for data transfer. However, I will give them credit for having a clear, fair and simple terms of service and privacy policy but it doesn't look like a lawyer was involved with their creation (it wouldn't be so simple or clear if a lawyer wrote it) so they probably haven't sought council for the rest of the business either.

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#47

Post by ebzlo » Tue, May 08, 2012, 5:59 PM UTC

tylermenezes wrote: post #40

Just curious: have you actually talked to many teachers? Shown them the site and asked for feedback? I feel like your landing page is way off from what a teacher would be expecting. Don't get me wrong, _I_ like it, but that doesn't mean it converts well with your target market.

Yeah, we're getting a lot of that from HNers, we're working on a new layout and will talk to some teachers before we push it up. Thanks!

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#48

Post by tylermenezes » Tue, May 08, 2012, 11:47 PM UTC

ebzlo wrote: post #47

tylermenezes wrote: post #40

Just curious: have you actually talked to many teachers? Shown them the site and asked for feedback? I feel like your landing page is way off from what a teacher would be expecting. Don't get me wrong, _I_ like it, but that doesn't mean it converts well with your target market.

Yeah, we're getting a lot of that from HNers, we're working on a new layout and will talk to some teachers before we push it up. Thanks!

They should probably be a lot more involved than "talk to some teachers before we push it up".

Re: Show HN: We allow teachers to print out "Scantrons" and scan for results via fax

#49

Post by eli » Thu, May 10, 2012, 5:13 PM UTC

jnorthrop wrote: post #46

greatreorx wrote: post #42

What are the privacy implications of a teacher giving students' grade information to a third party? I was under the impression the law (in US) required a parent's release. Is it possible for your admins to view grade data?

You're correct. The teachers can not give student data to a third party without a proper contract for data transfer. However, I will give them credit for having a clear, fair and simple terms of service and privacy policy but it doesn't look like a lawyer was involved with their creation (it wouldn't be so simple or clear if a lawyer wrote it) so they probably haven't sought council for the rest of the business eithe…

This is an aside, but many lawyers view it as their job to protect your company from legal liability to maximum extent possible. But any half-way decent lawyer should be willing to take directions like "limit the privacy policy to the page" and "cut out extraneous legalese."