Grading Tests With An iPhone or iPad For Busy English Teachers

posted on October 20, 2014 I discovered a nifty app last week that reduced my grading of a multiple choice student assessment from several hours work to just a few minutes. You can do this to, if you have an iPhone or an iPad.  (Although I hear an Android app is coming soon!) Just download the ZipGrade app ($6.99 for the paid version), to your device. Then go to the ZipGrade.com website and download their free answer sheets. The answer sheets come in 20, 50, and 100 question formats, which you can edit (or just not use all the rows, if you want a shorter test). This app is perfect if you’re tired of grading those multiple choice tests by hand or manually loading a Scantron machine (after waiting your turn to use it). Additionally, Zip Grade lets you see how each student performed instantly, and  also provides insight into how the whole class performed on each item of your test. You can export this information, too. The ZipGrade blog admin  stated: There are several export formats including summary reports, hand-back pages, and CSV files that may be exported via email, Google Drive, or Dropbox. To export data from the app, press the export button on the ‘Review Papers’ page. The button looks like a rectangle with an up arrow and in the upper-right corner. You may also export some reports via the website – login to the website with your ZipGrade Cloud username created within the app and then press ‘quizzes’. Each quiz has buttons to export in several formats. Even better, this app does not require Internet access for you to scan the answer sheets. If you do have Internet access though, your quizzes will be backed up to the ZipGrade Cloud, allowing you to access your data from different devices, including your home and school computers. Here is how it works: Once you have created your actual test, create a new quiz in the Zip Grade app, enter the correct answers, and then start scanning student answer keys. You can have your grading done before the class period is even over! My principal loved this idea so much, he asked me to present the software to my colleagues during our PLC meetings. Of course, most of my colleagues don’t have iPhones/iPads. Perhaps we need to find the funding to remedy that problem†¦ Anyway, see  how Zip Grade  works in the video below: Michelle WatersI am a secondary English Language Arts teacher, a University of Oklahoma student working on my Master’s of Education in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with an concentration in English Education, and a NBPTS candidate. I am constantly seeking ways to amplify my students’ voices and choices.