Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) is a technique for collecting information on a form where people can mark stylized "bubbles" to indicate their answers to questions rather than having to write them out. When scanning, OMR detects the absence or presence of a mark on the specially designed form.
OMR is useful to instructors for processing multiple-choice exams, for student evaluations of teaching, and to researchers for surveys and data collection.
OMR is an effective way to collect data because it:
- Decreases time necessary to complete a form compared to writing out answers
- Decreases the effort needed to score exams or aggregate data and makes grades or data available sooner
- Reduces errors because it minimizes misinterpretation of responses
- Improves processing accuracy because a machine can read the marks quickly and accurately
- Reduces space required on the form compared to hand written information
The ICT Help Desk, using their NCS Opscan 8 Scanner, can scan 2,000-5,000 documents per hour. The service is fast and accurate, provided instructions have been followed and the forms have been completed in the correct way. Documents will be scanned within 24 to 48 hours of receiving them. The actual time is dependent on the time of year and the demand on the service.
Scanning of OMR forms and the electronic distribution of standard reports is provided free of charge for U of S academic and business use.
In This Section
Features
- OMR forms commonly scanned include exams, tests, surveys, research studies, evaluations, assessments, patient history and many others
- Supports pre-defined templates for many popular forms from Pearson Assessments, Scantron and Chatsworth Data
- Supports Custom Form Design
- Processes double-sided and multi-page forms
- Eliminates pre-sorting of forms with automatic form, page and respondent identification features
- Integrated error correction/data-entry features
- Input field type allows for data entry of handwritten data
- Processes batch header sheets
- Saves data to over 35 different file formats including: SPSS, Access, Excel, dBase, Lotus, ASCII, SurveyPro, The Survey System and many more
- Validates information on form with database verification
- Allows data to be imported from external data sources through database lookup and replace feature
- Grades tests or exams and tabulates surveys
- Produces several reports of grade/survey results and statistics
- Calculates statistics including: Item Analysis, Number of Respondents and Tabulations, High/Low Score, Median, Mean, Range, Standard Deviation and Variance, Kuder-Richardson f 20, Coefficient Alpha, P Values, Point Biserial, Frequency Distribution, Class Grades, Student Grade Reports, Comparative Reports
- Export reports in PDF, HTML, TIFF formats
