Venture Analysis
Educational Value
Ziplet’s value lies in the applications ability to leverage advances in technology to refine a tried and tested pedagogical procedure in the form of short assessments designed to provide teachers, students, and parents with the necessary information to make meaningful and informed decisions. The emphasis on usability of the program, swift data collection and subsequent communication of said data, combined with various quality-of-life features such as a built-in bank of common assessment questions make Ziplet a strong option for those teachers in need of a streamlined assessment process.
Strengths
Designed with usability at the forefront
Ability to monitor student academic and social/emotional progress
Access to a database of commonly used assessment questions
Gives a voice to those students who shy away from the spotlight
Weaknesses
Despite ease of use in mind, still possesses a learning curve that may be difficult to overcome for less tech savvy users
Reliant on student access to devices
Free model has very limited access to the test question database
Opportunities
Expand assessment capabilities to include paper-based assessments via an ability to scan test responses
Provide summaries of data collected rather than simply raw statistics
Include the ability to conduct longer assessments
Enable parents to connect through student accounts to gain instant access to the results of an assessment
Threats
Similar programs already exist and it may be difficult to sway users away from those platforms without significantly differentiating from them
AI and machine learning programs are being developed to summarize raw data into easy to digest data stories
Platforms are in-development that can assess both digital and paper-based assessments via mobile scanning
Competition
Google Forms
One of the most basic tools for providing digital assessments.
It is capable of gathering the same data as Ziplet, but lacks an automated means of storing and conveying data collected into a user-friendly dashboard.
Additionally, assessments can take longer to develop but this is due largely to Google Forms’ ability to administer longer, more varied assessments. When looking for a tool for solely rapid assessment, Ziplet will meet that need more effectively.
This is a primary competitor in the market however due to its strong base of users it has cultivated as a result of being one of the earliest, user-friendly assessment applications on the market.
It will be a challenge convincing users already comfortable with Google Forms to switch to a new platform.
Zipgrade
Zipgrade allows for the scanning of bubble sheets linked to multiple choice assessments via a mobile device.
Scans are then automatically graded using a previously developed answer key and data is streamed to the accompanying browser platform.
The program has also recently developed an extension that allows for the grading of digital assessments as well as paper-based assessments to accommodate for different types of learning.
At $7.00 annually it also represents a more affordable payment plan than Ziplet.
Where it lacks however is in its overall usability and ability to create shorter assessments. Zipgrade’s user interface is far less friendly. It requires a significantly higher level understanding of the program to achieve similar results that Ziplet can obtain with a few simple clicks.
Additionally, it was designed with larger assessments in mind and, while it is possible to use for shorter assessments such as exit tickets, it is far less practical as it requires all students to have a paper version of the assessment answer sheet meaning asking a simple social/emotional question such as, “how are you feeling after today’s lesson?” would require a new answer sheet each time the question is asked.
Perhaps the most exciting and simultaneously largest competition for the market space Ziplet is attempting to occupy.
SwiftGrade is currently still in development but has a usable beta product that is free to use.
The program is currently able to use AI software to recognize student handwriting to grade assignments instantly.
Similar to Zipgrade, SwiftGrade requires users to scan an answer sheet with their mobile devices. That scan is then compared to a user created answer key to instantly assess assignments. Along with being one of the only applications capable of grading handwritten responses, SwiftGrade also includes online and multiple choice options for assessments.
While not designed with exit tickets in mind, SwiftGrade can still effectively address that need through handwritten responses. Assessment questions would have to be planned in advance to maximize efficiency and not require the user to print a new answer sheet each day.
Currently, the only aspect holding SwiftGrade back from taking a firm hold on the automated grading market, is a lack of support for iOS platforms. This is in development but iOS users are currently unable to use the handwriting scanning capabilities of the platform; its primary selling point.