BakPax

Bakpax is a tool designed to automatically correct submitted assignments, reducing the hours that teachers spend grading. These time-saving assignments are created by typing unique questions, or teachers can scan and convert old worksheets into new, gradable Bakpax assignments. Teachers need a computer or tablet to upload a picture of an existing worksheet -- with answers included. Directions are easy to follow and the paired how-to video is helpful to demonstrate the process of boxing out the questions and solutions that will be formatted into a Bakpax template. If the original worksheet wasn't laid out in neat rectangles, the program may misread the boxed images. However, each question can be edited before the new worksheet is generated. Teachers can choose from the many template options to create a smart-looking worksheet. Some template options include workspaces of various sizes and even include coordinate graphs.

Bakpax isn't just another worksheet generator, however. Once a teacher creates a class, students can join using their own emails and class codes (students will have to retrieve a login code from their email each time they log in). Students then upload pictures of completed work to the correct assignment, and Bakpax reads the handwritten responses to determine if they're a match to the correct answer. Feedback is immediate, which students both love and need.

Not everyone's handwriting is legible, so students can take advantage of the option to review the recorded responses. If upon review it's revealed the handwritten word "twelve" is scanned in as "tractor," students have the chance to redraw or rewrite their response on the tablet screen before submitting the final assignment.

The claim has been made before, but Bakpax really will reduce the time spent shuffling through papers. Once the scoring is completed, teachers will have time to analyze the skills demonstrated in each assignment. Note: Questions cannot be linked to standards, so skill-based progress cannot be tracked over time. Teachers can review answers, sorted either by the question or by the student, to find areas of strength or weakness. Because the student's entire work page is uploaded, teachers can also quickly view the workspace for insight into student thinking. This ability to view each workspace could be a key element, as longer responses are more difficult for the program to match. Provided the response is limited to three or four words, submissions should be graded accurately. There isn't an option to add in diagrams or images; therefore, questions do need to be limited to text or mathematical equations. As the program grows, it would be wonderful if Bakpax begins a sharing program or community file where teachers can use the hive mind to grow more meaningful resources together.