Indra digital education solutions will provide support in the assessment of the main Instituto Cervantes certificates

Digital transformation in the field of education is already a reality. Not only in relation to learning and training (e-learning) management, but also in what refers to the complete assessment cycle. The need for minimizing risk when transferring examinations, reducing correction times and guaranteeing the absence of data leaks are increasingly demanded requirements of bodies that implement tests and evaluations on a mass scale. Important institutions, like Instituto Cervantes, with the implementation of 160,000 annual certification examinations, are already committed to this assessment model.

Indra, as digital transformation leader, through its new Minsait business unit, has provided the learning community with InADAN-Exámenes, an advanced solution developed for providing support to the complete mass examination cycle of any public or private organization, through digitization, image recognition and automatic correction. “Migrating a fully digital process may be expensive, given the significant investment in hardware and security systems. For this reason, Indra has developed a mixed service model that, without dispensing with paper at the time of the examination, optimizes the rest of the value chain for the complete evaluation process”, explains Carolina Morera, Head of Indra Excellence Education Centre.

Global projection

Instituto Cervantes also shares this opinion, and through a public tender has selected InADAN-Exámenes as its evaluation platform for its two main certificates. These are the Spanish Diplomas granted by the institution in the name of the Ministry of Education (DELE) and of its tests on Knowledge of the Constitution, Society and Culture of Spain (CCSE - Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España).

This important reference will represent a significant boost for the global projection of Indra's evaluation management solution. In the first case, the prestigious public entity counts with over 1,300 examination centers in over 150 countries, with approximately 100,000 candidates having presented themselves to various examination levels during the 2015/2016 academic term. On another hand, it has 254 centers in 57 countries for the CCSE examinations, which close to 62,000 candidates have taken during the same period.

"The fact that InADAN-Exámenes is the winning platform of the public tender to be used for these evaluations and for the calls to exams issued by Instituto Cervantes is highly strategic for Indra. In addition to being a global referent as a client, the number of examinations managed and the criticality of the information handled provide the solution great value and reinforce its market position," claims Carolina Morera.

Faster results and maximum security

The platforms covers the complete examination cycle (from the call to their preparation and the publication of scores and notices). InADAN-Exámenes provides a series of benefits that manifest its great added value.

For example, it notably reduces process times thanks to the automatic correction of test questions and automated distribution of open questions to evaluators, who, furthermore, may complete their tasks from anywhere. Likewise, it also includes digital alerts that notify teachers when examinations are submitted for correction. “The solution reduces correction times drastically, from months to days, even hours”, says Carolina Morera.

In addition, it helps students access their scores and review their examinations, and notifies them as soon as grades or corrected examinations are available on the platform. They can also read the professor's comments on the examination. It reduces the risk of execution, guaranteeing that 100% of the examination is completed using off-line downloading and uploading, also known as environments without connectivity.

As regards security, it also entails important advantages, as it eliminates the risk of examinations being lost in doing away with the transfer of paper versions (which also cuts back on logistical costs). Finally, it offers maximum guarantees during data access processes through the encryption of data and examinations, preventing, for example, that questions are known before the examination date.

The rendering of the service in SaaS (Software as a Service) mode is another issue in its favor, avoiding expensive initial investments and offering great flexibility. The cloud-based platform, with availability and dimensioning on the basis of each call's complexity and scale, enables the processing of digitized examinations by center and provides evaluators with scoring tools.

Another issue worth highlighting is that Indra counts with experience validated on a broad scale in this field. “The digitization and recognition technology Indra used in ADAN-Exámenes has been used in processes of high criticality and confidentiality, like elections and electronic voting, and we count with over 100 references worldwide”, company representatives claim.

InADAN-Exámenes is part of the InADAN suite, the comprehensive learning platform developed by Indra, comprised of several independent modules that may be configured autonomously, depending on a process’s requirements. It enables students to work comfortably, teachers to monitor their classes and families to know the student's progress.

Indra has some of the most well-known references in the educational IT area in Spain. Two are the ITACA Project, implemented by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Valencian Government for modernizing administrative and academic management of its education centers, or AGREGA, the great platform promoted by the Ministry of Education for the entire teaching community to share educational resources. In research management, worth mentioning is the development and implementation of the SUXI system used in Galician universities.

About Indra

Indra is one of the main global consulting and technology companies and the technology partner for core business operations of its clients businesses throughout the world. It offers a comprehensive range of proprietary solutions and cutting edge services with a high added value in technology, which adds to a unique culture that is reliable, flexible and adaptable to its client’s needs. Indra is a world leader in the development of comprehensive technological solutions in fields such as Defense & Security, Transport & Traffic, Energy & Industry, Telecommunications & Media, Financial Services and Public Administrations & Healthcare. Through its Minsait unit, it provides a response to the challenges of digital transformation. In 2015 it reported revenues of €2,850m, had a workforce of 37,000 professionals, a local presence in 46 countries, and delivered projects in more than 140 countries.