Can Fjordbyte change learning and exam evaluation for good?

When Professor Olav Tenstad was stuck at home, he ended up finding the solution to one of academia's biggest time thieves: grading and examination justifications.

In August 2023, an idea emerged that would mark the beginning of a significant innovation project, potentially revolutionizing assessment and feedback processes in the university sector. Professor Olav Tenstad, who has subject responsibility for over 200 students at the Department of Biomedicine at the Faculty of Medicine, was in the middle of a busy everyday life where grading and justifications almost ate up his vacation days. While stuck in his cabin for a week, he had time to reflect on how to streamline the process, which coincided with the students receiving more learning-promoting feedback because a large proportion of students may make use of the right to justification after passing an exam.

– And that work often falls to me, in addition to the censorship itself, Olav says with a laugh and adds:

– I almost think the students press a button, and I don't know where it is, but it's obviously easily accessible, he chuckles.

The acid test

The math worked out. From the cabin office, the committed professor started working on a Python script, aided by artificial intelligence (AI). Then he called his son-in-law Christian Bru, who was already well-versed in developing AI-based platforms, including through his job at Tietoevery.

– He had many good ideas about how AI can free up time that does not benefit students, and instead spend it with them on activities that actually promote learning.

Christian locked himself in his room, and just under four months later, the system – which could assess and provide feedback on students’ short-answer questions – was ready for the acid test. The goal was to test it on a mock exam a few months later.

– They loved it! Primarily because they are used to getting very little feedback on their answers, Olav admits.

The trial exam and the system of Olav and Christian were carried out with excellent student support. Following the success, an application was submitted to UiB Idé, securing NOK 525,000 in development funds and an additional NOK 300,000 in incentive funds from UiB centrally.

– We are still a UiB project, but now we have established a company.

New competence profile and two new partners

Furthermore, Olav and Christian have been joined by Erik Røed and Ole Magnus Broch Tenstad on the team.

Ole Magnus has a background in finance and graduated from the Norwegian School of Economics almost 13 years ago.

– I have followed the project with interest from the sidelines, and eventually we agreed that I should get more involved first and foremost as a board member, on top of my day job in Oslo, where I can contribute with structure, agreements, and the design of the business model, but also towards investor dialogues when we are ready for it.

He thinks back to his own time at NHH with a classic skipper's take at the end of the semester. The opportunity to map one's own achievements along the way is undeniably something one could use, he reminisces.

– There is a lot of talk about AI, but not much is happening in terms of products. Chat GPT is a fantastic tool, but it hallucinates a lot, depending on its knowledge of various fields. Fjordbyte has a clear value proposition, and we are experiencing great interest from different user groups. I believe, and hope, that we can achieve something that can scale large, far beyond Norway and the Nordic countries.

Erik, on the other hand, had a background in sales and business development nationally and internationally. In addition, he collaborated with Christian on larger deliveries at Tietoevery, serving large international clients. This experience has come in handy in the strategy and development work at Fjordbyte.

– It's been a long time since I studied, but I see a clear need for the solution we are creating. And Olav has been a clear voice in explaining how it affects today's students, noting that we have not made further progress in this area, he says.

Now the job of persuasion begins. Because how far can you stretch the rubber band? Today's language models can be adapted to every corner of the world. You can lose yourself in the vast array of technology. But Fjordbyte doesn't stop here. The plan is to take it even further.

– We are in a race. The driven student can come up with a lot on his own, so we have to prove to our customers that our product is so good that it will benefit many people. My role will therefore be to support the customer journey and organize and structure the company.

F.v; Christian Bru, Eirik Røed og Olav Tenstad mellom møter i Nygårdsparken.

– Now we are working hard to achieve it

With complementary expertise, the team has secured expertise in the four pillars needed to carry the company forward: Christian with responsibility for technical matters, Ole Magnus with a financial background, Erik in sales, and Olav with a specialization in research and development.

– The innovative element lies in the fact that the solution taps into something universal for learning institutions. They have standardized tools for handling employees and students, allowing us to step in and integrate our service, regardless of the providers they use. This way, teachers and students can use Fjordbyte in the environments they are already used to, reveals Olav.

Initially, they have committed to delivering decision support to half of the medical semesters, which total 12.

– So now we are working really hard to achieve it, concludes Olav.