Vantage Learning Announces Release of IntelliMetric® 9.2, Most Accurate Automated Essay Scoring Engine Available
Enhanced statistical techniques combined with genetic optimization surpasses the competition and furthers IntelliMetric's lead in the market
Newtown, PA, July 22, 2004 - Vantage Learning (www.vantagelearning.com) today announced the release of IntelliMetric® 9.2, the most accurate version of its award-winning IntelliMetric essay scoring technology to date. IntelliMetric 9.2 capitalizes on the recent advances achieved by its North American and European research and development groups to achieve unprecedented levels of accuracy in evaluating student essay responses.IntelliMetric is the world's most accurate essay scoring engine, using a rich blend of artificial intelligence (AI) and the digitization of human expertise to accurately score and assess examinee responses to open-ended essay questions in a range of subjects. IntelliMetric 9.2 scores examinee responses to essay questions more accurately than previous versions and all other competitive products on the market.
IntelliMetric 9.2 relies on a team of electronic judges to score an essay in less than one second. "IntelliMetric is able to take advantage of many electronic judges rather than rely on a single judgment as is the case with more simplistic systems," notes Harry Barfoot, VP of Sales of Marketing for Vantage Learning. "It's as if students have direct access to a team of expert teachers to provide feedback on their writing. The net result is IntelliMetric is more accurate."
"Genetic optimization" allows IntelliMetric to produce a unique customized solution for each question. In a manner similar to that of biological genetic selection, IntelliMetric's algorithms seek the optimal combination of information to produce the most accurate score possible. In recent research conducted by Vantage Learning exploring college admissions test essays, IntelliMetric matched human scorers as often as 99% to 100% of the time and achieved correlations with human scorers as high as .94. These advances in accuracy have had no adverse impact on software performance; in fact, Version 9.2 is somewhat faster than its predecessor.
"We have seen nearly 100% growth in the volume of automated essay scoring. As the volume of essays to be scored has increased and the demand for accuracy has risen dramatically, we have responded by improving the technical performance of the IntelliMetric engine," said Barfoot.
About the Vantage Learning Platform
The Vantage Learning Platform™ (VLP) is the most widely used online assessment platform in the world. VLP provides test registration, delivery, and reporting services as well as item banking and test creation services. VLP includes the award-winning IntelliMetric open-ended assessment delivery and scoring engine. Vantage's IntelliMetric uses a rich blend of artificial intelligence and the digitization of human expertise to accurately score and assess a student's competency in a range of subjects. Its inherent flexibilities allow schools to consistently evaluate a student's progress and provide immediate feedback on how students can improve their skills.
About Vantage Learning
Vantage Learning (www.vantagelearning.com), an affiliate of Vantage Laboratories and the leading provider of online assessment and automated essay scoring, developed IntelliMetric® to meet the needs of business, education, and government agencies needing a comprehensive Internet-based test authoring, delivery, scoring and reporting platform. IntelliMetric administers and scores responses to open-ended questions over the Internet using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology. An individual can enter a response to a question posed, submit the response, and receive an immediate score with feedback within seconds.
Eduventures recently selected Vantage Learning as one of the eight most innovative educational technology companies. MY Access! earned a 2003 District Administration Top 100 Award, was included in Technology and Learning Magazine's Top 10 Smart Technologies for Schools, and is a Codie Awards finalist 2 years in a row. Vantage Learning provides services in all 50 states including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, Oregon, and Texas and provides services to educational leaders such as The College Board, ACT, Harcourt Educational Measurement, CTB/McGraw Hill and Thomson Learning, and industry giants such as Microsoft, Apple Computer, AOL, and Sun Microsystems.