Excelsoft and AQA Form Joint AI Taskforce for E-Marking Research
Filing Summary
Excelsoft Technologies and AQA have announced the formation of a joint AI taskforce to research ethical and secure AI applications for e-marking handwritten student responses. The collaboration will leverage AQA’s assessment expertise and Excelsoft’s AI capabilities to develop responsible AI models that support human examiners. The taskforce will focus on creating transparent, fair, and secure AI solutions, with findings potentially influencing future product development and policy discussions. The initiative aligns with regulatory standards and involves stakeholders such as teachers and policymakers.
Excelsoft Technologies and AQA have announced the establishment of a joint AI taskforce aimed at researching and developing ethical and secure AI solutions for the e-marking of handwritten student responses. This collaboration combines AQA’s expertise in high-stakes assessments with Excelsoft’s advanced AI and e-assessment capabilities. The taskforce will focus on designing AI models that support human examiners while ensuring fairness, transparency, and data protection.
The financial terms of the collaboration between Excelsoft and AQA have not been disclosed in the filing. The partnership is structured to align with relevant regulatory, data protection, and security standards. The taskforce will operate under a shared governance structure, engaging with stakeholders such as teachers, students, and policymakers as part of its research activities.
The scope of the taskforce includes exploring human-in-the-loop AI models to assist examiners in marking handwritten responses. It will also develop bias-aware approaches to ensure fairness across all student groups. The taskforce aims to design secure data pipelines for handling handwritten scripts and create transparent reporting frameworks to govern AI involvement in marking. Additionally, ethical guidelines and governance frameworks tailored to high-stakes assessment contexts will be established.
The taskforce will comprise data scientists, psychometricians, AI engineers, assessment designers, examiners, and ethicists from both organizations. Insights and findings from the research will inform future product roadmaps, marking services, and policy discussions. These findings may be shared through jointly authored white papers, pilots, and industry forums, subject to appropriate governance and approvals.
The timeline for the taskforce’s activities and specific milestones have not been detailed in the filing. However, the collaboration is positioned as a long-term initiative to explore the responsible use of AI in educational assessments. The taskforce will engage with various stakeholders throughout its research process to ensure comprehensive input and feedback.
AQA is a UK-based awarding organization providing qualifications such as GCSEs and A-levels. The organization is committed to fair, reliable, and valid assessments, with its qualifications taken by millions of students annually. The partnership with Excelsoft allows AQA to explore how AI can support, rather than replace, expert examiners in marking processes.
Excelsoft Technologies is a provider of innovative e-assessment and learning solutions to educational institutions, corporations, and governments worldwide. The company leverages AI and cloud technologies to support high-stakes examinations and large-scale assessments. Excelsoft focuses on reimagining the future of teaching, learning, and assessment through its advanced technological solutions.