TOP Edge is conceived and developed from the idea that in a complex and quickly changing world as ours there is a need to reorganize our learning environments and reimagine the content and delivery of our learning evaluation system. Majority of students now embrace digital technology for its ability to help them learn at their pace and location. While our changing system is facilitating the trends of digital learning to grow, the traditional methods and practices of evaluation continue to limit and deter the potential of the digital system.
The recent pandemic has jolted many test providers out of their complacency. The testing services at our University was being flooded with enquiries and requests for online testing schedules, as we pivoted to online testing services. We are now able to accommodate international English proficiency tests like CELPIP at reduced capacity of just 10 per session. Testing services are hard hit.
TOP Edge is a testing operations portal that facilitates secure delivery of testing Online. The platform eliminates the limitations and allows institutions, test providers, test centres and test takers for transitioning to virtual testing across the world.
Please check the Elevator and Venture pitch to learn more about TOP Edge.
Review- Top Edge
Vijaya, thank you for your pitch. I can relate to the need to find better solutions to exam proctoring. Last May, UBC IT support was scrambling to training dozens of faculty members on how to use Proctorio effectively. I invigilated a number of exams that used Proctorio, and it was a very steep learning curve, and we had a more than a few issues. One of the main concerns heard from students was their privacy and the fact that students were being recorded in their homes, so I was very intrigued by your pitch and the promise of privacy. The demand for a feasible online solution is huge.
I agree with you that the strength of your venture pitch is your explanation of the problem. You have hit on all the pain points we experienced and the challenges our students faced with meeting the physical and technical requirements. That said, I had trouble envisioning exactly how Top Edge would work. Your proposed solution responds to all the concerns raised, but I feel it doesn’t mention how it will allow clients to proctor exams. Does the API integration enable the prof’s computer to monitor the activity of their students? I would love to learn more about the process behind your solution and how this differs from actual competitors such as Proctorio. I should mention that Proctorio is FIPPA compliant, and all the data collected from Canadian institutions is stored in Canada.
Lastly, I wanted to say I loved how your venture pitch was presented. It was clean, simple and easy to follow. I want to look into using Adobe Spark in the future. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your review and sharing your experience with Proctorio. There was news about UBC not renewing its contract with Proctorio because students were not comfortable with that. Although Proctorio stores the data locally it is an American based company. Moreover, it uses machine learning, facial detection, automated proctoring, test takers’ computer lockdown and uses instantaneous analytics, which raises privacy and ethical issues.
As I mentioned, TOP Edge is about live human proctoring. Using web conferencing system, administrators can set up multiple private virtual test rooms, and proctors and students can log in from anywhere using the links and share screens and webcams. Students access test from host institutions online and proctors monitor the sessions closely and view the screens of test takers. Yet, Proctors can have no control over the test takers’ computers nor can they record sessions.
Again, as I mentioned in the pitch, this solution is applicable to distant education exams and other test providers like public and private organizations, government regulation exams and international English proficiency exams which are usually meant to be taken at test centres under vigilant supervision.
Thanks for this chance to explain a little more about TOP Edge here Jamie!
A great idea! Teaching on line we currently struggle with the proctoring of quizzes and tests, so there is a HUGE market for it. Your elevator pitch was well put together, however I would have preferred that your second video was a ppt as it would allow me to go through the text on the screen at my own pace. I could tell a lot of research and thought went into putting these two pieces together.
Hi Sarka,
Thanks for your positive words. You are right, using slides would have been a better option for facilitating easy reading. I share the same idea, but, somehow, I just chose to do something different this time. And as I was hard pressed for time, I did not explore any other options but just wanted to keep it simple. Adobe Spark was really easy to use.
Hi Vijaya,
You’ve tried to tackle a very complicated system of problems. Proctorio was one example that Jaime already mentioned that came to my mind, and there’s also Gradescope among others. Pearson Vue is quite a large competitor that’s mainly known for in-person proctoring but a giant like that will swiftly capture a lot of online business too, as would Pearson Test of English (recently approved in India for those needed certification to work abroad). Getting a product that offers language certification or proctoring to be acknowledged by governments is incredibly difficult and a very slow process. That’s some of your competition, but a global business needs to start somewhere right?
One tip that I hope helps, you have a slide that mentions “Easy HTTP Interface.” It would have to be “HTTPS” to be suitable for test security. Just a minor typo.
Hi Ben,
You are right, it is a complicated problem I am trying to address. But as a person experienced in managing and supervising testing services I have always been thinking about means to remedy the issues I have stated in my pitch. Thanks for your valid points regarding the giant competitors around, and their strength. But as I have detailed above in my response to Jamie’s point about Proctorio, most of the students and institutions shy away from companies using automated proctoring, AI and analytics, for reasons of privacy and security of test materials. Companies like Proctorio, U Proctor and others do enter the market with a big bang but then eventually, issues and concerns as stated above compel institutions to yield to the rightful pressure from students to safeguard their privacy.
And I agree it is difficult and slow to get the governments to acknowledge us for proctoring their exams, but trust me, we have been doing international language certifications tests like CELPIP and many other exams of public and private institutions in Canada on campus. The recent pandemic has changed the situation completely and there are many scouting for remote testing services. This triggered my idea to make testing services available remotely.
TOEFL has resumed its testing using U Proctor services, but again U Proctor uses automated proctoring for most of its packages and promises live proctoring only under its premium services.
Thanks Ben, for giving me this chance to detail further about my pitch. The points you raised are really valid.
And Ben, forgot to mention that Gradescope mainly assists in grading the assessments, it is not a proctoring service as far I know. Again, it is American based.
FEEDBACK
Hi Vijaya, I enjoyed exploring your elevator and venture pitches. I think you have done a great job of identifying the issues with in person testing and offered an in depth exploration of the solution. If I can offer some feedback, you didn’t cover how you intend Top Edge to differentiate itself from what is an already crowded market. All of the points you covered, while excellent, are included in your competitors services. Having experienced first hand several of your competitors exam proctoring services I would be really interested to hear how you would improve on their process and streamline the virtual proctoring business.
Thanks for your feedback Adrian!
As I have stated in my response to Jamie and Ben above, most of the competitors in the field are using automated proctoring, facial detection, through AI and machine learning. They follow methods like locking down test takers’ computers, and use instantaneous analytics, which raises privacy and ethical issues. For instance the UBC students were protesting the use of Proctorio for these reasons and the AMS intervened on students behalf to discontinue the use of Proctorio after its contract ends in February.
As I mentioned in my pitch, TOP Edge is about live human proctoring. Using web conferencing system, administrators can set up multiple private virtual test rooms, and proctors and students can log in from anywhere using the links and share screens and webcams. Students access test from host institutions online and proctors monitor the sessions closely and view the screens of test takers. Yet, Proctors can have no control over the test takers’ computers nor can they record sessions. Compared to the sophistication of other competitors, TOP Edge methods may appear naïve, but that is the need of the hour, especially in this post pandemic scenario and for times to come.
Thanks Adrian again, for your question. That gave me a chance to detail further outside my pitch.
Hi Vijaya,
Thanks for the further details. I understand TOP Edge has a heavy focus on live proctoring, however I am not convinced that is much of a differentiating factor. Working MedIT, there are quite a few live proctoring services already in use. I agree that many also include monitoring software however they are chosen because, not in spite of that. Students may dislike the privacy intrusion and universities often outwardly lament those features, but internally it is considered a necessity. Again, I want to be clear that I honestly think you did an excellent job with both your elevator pitch and venture pitch, I have just personally had experience with several very similar and established services.
Thanks Adrian, for that positive feedback about both the pitches. And I do understand that I should have focused more on differentiation to make it more clear. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and interest in this area of testing.