SCHOOL USES MACHINE TO MARK ALL EXAMINATION PAPERS (Apr, 1933)
SCHOOL USES MACHINE TO MARK ALL EXAMINATION PAPERS
School children of Ironwood, Mich., now have their examination papers marked and graded by robot scorers. In a test, a student is handed a list of questions with a choice of several possible answers, together with a supplementary card bearing numbers corresponding to the answers. He uses a punch to mark upon the numbered card the answer that he believes is correct. When the test is completed, the perforated cards are fed into the robot machine. A light flashes opposite each question correctly answered, and a meter dial indicates the total grade credited to the student.
They did away with this system in 2000 when students discovered they could sue if they didn’t score 100% on a test.
Other versions offered more incentive to get correct answers, if a student answered incorrectly, the machine punched a hole in their finger.
Since it’s Michigan, students had a tough time with the curriculum since the final exams were pushed back to January. The student council warned that the results wouldn’t count at graduation.
Comment by Neil Russell — March 30, 2008 @ 10:43 am
I don’t think they know what the word “robot” means.
Comment by Myles — March 31, 2008 @ 11:33 am
Myles–
I think that they do, at least according to Merriam Webster http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/robot (note #2 below)
Main Entry: ro·bot
Pronunciation: \ˈrÅ-ËŒbät, -bÉ™t\
Function: noun
Etymology: Czech, from robota compulsory labor; akin to Old High German arabeit trouble, Latin orbus orphaned — more at orphan
Date: 1923
1 a: a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being; also : a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized b: an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically
2: a device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks
3: a mechanism guided by automatic controls
Comment by Firebrand38 — April 1, 2008 @ 10:10 am