New Optical Mark Reader for SIMs

[ccollins]

Hello

Any help would be much appreciated on this.

we are looking to buy a new CD230 Optical Mark Reader
for our primary school. For inputting registration into sims.
Does anyone know any cheaper firms. £2,300

DRS: OMR, OCR, ICR & Imaging technologies

Cheers Chris

[PhilNeal]

Have you thought about taking the register on a PC? It saves a huge amount of time and is getting very popular in primary schools.

[synaesthesia]

Indeed - and to expand on that further, it can be done on whiteboards too. Can even get the pupils involved, and I dare say the cost of doing that would be lower than the price of a new OMR. Plus of course, as just about any bursar will tell you, OMR reliability and accuracy is usually suspect :/

[kmount]

Agree in principle but on the other side of the table:

Cost of training staff (if you opt for teachers to register the classes)
Cost of providing equipment / wireless / network points (if you opt for....)
Cost of lesson monitor itself if you go that route.

[jcollings]

Hello

Any help would be much appreciated on this.

we are looking to buy a new CD230 Optical Mark Reader
for our primary school. For inputting registration into sims.
Does anyone know any cheaper firms. £2,300

DRS: OMR, OCR, ICR & Imaging technologies

Cheers Chris

We may have an OMR reader you can have for a small fee. Works fine - we just don't do OMR now! Based in Kendal. PM me if you are interested.

[PhilNeal]

Cost of training = 1/2hr!! Do it - you know it makes sense! Agree completely about the whiteboard, its fantastic to see.

[kmount]

Cost of training = 1/2hr!! Do it - you know it makes sense! Agree completely about the whiteboard, its fantastic to see.

I think 1/2hr is a bit far fetched whilst it is relatively straight forward if you're training anyone it's still a cost to consider be it time, or money.

You can then add on the problem of what if teachers don't do the register because of reason x, y or z which may (probably) are more frequently than not doing a paper copy.

I do however think the actual move is a wise one, it does make sense but it needs to be thought about especially with the schools Learning Gateway 2 product etc which will/are becoming more appealing/necessary.

[ccollins]

Thanks for the replies.
Looked into PARs but decided as the bursar had been using the old OMR for over 3 years and never bothered me once it was the way to go. Had heard pars were temperamental over a wireless network and it would have become all my responsibility. 
Thanks for the offer of the OMR, but had ordered it before I saw your reply.

Cheers Chris