As my wonderful boyfriend would say, they’re no Megatrons. However, scantrons are the lifeblood of many an exam. But where did they come from? How do they work? Will they ever go away? I can’t answer that last one, but I will do my best to give you all a little look into the history of the twenty-something cent, red, bubble-filled paper that we all so desperately need. Here are some of the questions I had, and the answers I found:
Who invented the Scantron? Michael Sokolski! He created the format that we now use in many classes for all our testing needs. He wass a Polish-American and lived a full and successful life until he passed away at 85 in 2012. Some may not appreciate his work, but I for one am grateful for the speedy grading that has ensued.
Where did the Scantron come from? The history of multiple choice testing is long. In the beginning of the 20th century test grading machines began to pop-up. These machines evolved from “scoring apparatuses” to the “optical mark recognition” technology we now enjoy. The Scantron OMR scanner, which is what Michael Sokolski invented, is what works so hard behind the scenes to get us our grades in a timely fashion. But, Everett F. Lindquist was the person who actually first patented this technology in 1955.
How does it work? Initially, these test grading machines sensed led electronically, but the newer optical sensors do just the name implies, sense the marks optically.
Why do we have to use #2 pencils? This essentially comes down to making a dark enough mark for the machine to “see”. It is also important to note that mechanical pencils do work and that if you happen to need to change an answer, proper erasing is essential as well.
I don’t know about you all, but while it may not be a transformer, I think the Scantron OMR Scanner is pretty great. It may not fight to save humanity, but it definitely fights to save my sanity.
http://hackeducation.com/2015/01/27/multiple-choice-testing-machines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Sokolski
http://www.webpronews.com/scantron-inventor-michael-sokolski-dies-at-85-2012-06/
https://www.quora.com/Why-are-2-pencils-required-for-standardized-testing-in-the-USA