Sigma (Hack for Earth)

Upskilling the Future to level the playing field

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Inspiration

Inspired by the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, especially,

-No. 4- Quality Education for all

-No. 10- Reducing Inequalities

Our innovation aims to develop the concept of an “Educational passport” for different skills to get evaluated in a uniform and standardized way internationally. Due to discrepancies in the academic standards across a country, and the world, different students are graded differently despite similar performance and skill levels. Self-taught individuals without a professional degree but equal skills do not get enough opportunities due to a lack of formal qualifications. The students work hard, yet different scores cause inadequate distribution of opportunities and may lead to lower productivity and even rising mental health issues.

What it does

1.Our idea Sigma is an platform that would work in tandem with public and private organizations to conduct low-cost skill-based exams, both offline and online, to assess an examinee's pre-existing skills. No prior formal qualifications would be needed to take these exams.

-The exams, created by skilled experts, would be conducted uniformly everywhere and with a standardized pattern. The grading system would provide universal scores where performance alone would be the deciding criteria.

-The exams would test not only the theoretical knowledge but also practical skills for a holistic assessment. Moreover, it would not only grade conventional forms of teaching/learning but also include alternative educational methods and structures of understanding, informal knowledge, and out-of-classroom skills.

  1. Interested employers (companies, organizations, individuals etc.) can create their own profile on the platform where they would enlist the skills they are looking for in a prospective employee and system would accordingly match them with candidates who have the skills needed for the job.

-Thus after a user takes a test and receives a complete analysis of his strengths and weaknesses, he has two possible avenues, he could either improve his scores or go for an ideal employer-employee matching.

-Once he applies for a match with a prospective employer, his results and profile would be visible to the employers who are looking for similar skills. The employer can then look through their results and choose candidates for a life interview.

-The user's results would be continuously updated on the platform and this would also help in planning for the 6-month trainee period that usually follows recruitment.

  1. VALUE PROPOSITION:

_-An unbiased skill assessment irrespective of an examinee's previous qualifications

-A grading system to level the playing field

-An ideal employment matching system_

Challenges we ran into

  • Creating a universally acceptable grading system to assess both theoretical knowledge and practical skills

-Security to protect user privacy and ensure fair exams

-Legal issues

Accomplishments that we're proud of

1. THE GRADING SYSTEM-

The exam will be graded using a dynamically modified algorithm depending on the type of responses and equal gradation would be given on knowing the idea.

-The theoretical exam will comprise a variety of questions, (including descriptive, analytical and critical thinking questions) in different levels of difficulty. The examinee will be able to choose their own difficulty levels.

-The technical assessment would include digitally proctored exams where ML would be used for quantitative analysis of a performance to give a qualitative score.

2. SECURITY MEASURES-

-Exams would be conducted in a hybrid online and offline mode.

-Offline exams would be monitored with invigilators as well as video proctoring.

-They would be required Identification Cards and Bio metrics would be used for verification of the person.

-Online exams would have ID verification, automated monitoring, computer lockdown, and professional review. All major browsers would be supported (Chrome, Edge and Safari).

-Screen Sharing and Screen shot would be prevented using appropriate flags.

-The exam would have randomized order of questions as well as similar questions in order to prevent leakage. There would be GPS and/or network controlled time in order to ensure same time for all.

-Exam documents are encrypted, set to expire at a set date and time, thereby secure and trackable so that only the right parties can access the exam documents

What we learned

The value of teamwork and consistency

What's next for Sigma-

We will get our grading system accredited and build partnerships in phases from a regional to an international level. Our current plans include-

  1. the Ideation stage where-
  • we will target pitching events and grants for funding

-Build local collaborations and create standardized tests in association with skilled experts

  1. The Validation stage -
  • angel investors, funding organizations and crowd-funding would be targeted for further funding

-Validate our grading system and diversify into various skill-sets

-Improve security measures

-Expand nationally and globally

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