The University of Auckland asTTle (Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning) won the Award for Excellence in the Use of IT in Education: Tertiary, Community and Commercial for a classroom assessment tool that enables teachers to assess students learning faster and more easily than has previously been possible. Led by Professor John Hattie, Dr Gavin Brown and Peter Keegan, from the School of Education, asTTle has been trialed with over 800 teachers and 50,000 students in its development.
The judges said that the inventors and Auckland UniServices Limited showed real commercial flair in, "recognising the global economic potential of their software, and in building a sound IP framework and commercial exploitation programme that creates a solid basis for a multimillion dollar revenue stream from this product and its much enhanced later versions."
In making the award to asTTle, the judges specifically rated it best for innovation. This point was echoed by the Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard, in welcoming the asTTle win. "The Auckland University team have produced a tool of immense benefit to teachers that must surely have significant international potential. Using asTTle, teachers can quickly and easily check how well they are making progress in a way where the whole focus is on helping kids do better which is of course what we are most keen to see achieved."
"This is the best new education investment this government has made."
Welcoming the win, UniServices General Manager, Research, Mark Burgess said the result was pleasing not only because of the very high standard of entries from over 20 finalists in both categories but because the judges also explicitly acknowledged UniServices' success in developing the projects' market potential as well as the researchers' technical success in taking them through development.
"That this development should also have won first place is a reminder of the sheer depth and range of world-standard expertise available at The University of Auckland," he said.