FAQ

What is Paper Orca?

Paper Orca is a teacher productivity app designed for paper assignments. Take a picture of a completed worksheet, and let the Orca automatically crop, enhance, and sort it in your LMS. Then use semi-automated tools to review, grade, and incorporate student work in your next lesson.

What makes Paper Orca better than other scanning apps?

Paper Orca is a comprehensive tool for the entire scan-upload-review process and it does not require a device for each student. Use just one (or a few) classroom devices to rapidly scan work for your entire class.

How do you automatically identify an assignment and student from a picture?

QR codes and image analysis techniques are used to match scans to their corresponding assignment in your LMS. In most cases Paper Orca will identify the student from their written name, otherwise it will prompt confirmation of its best guess.

What Learning Management Systems (LMS) does Paper Orca support?

Paper Orca currently supports Google Classroom with support for Schoology and Canvas expected for the 2025-2026 school year.

Can student information be hidden when scanning?

Yes, the app can enter a restricted mode to hide sensitive information while still allowing submissions. An optional “kiosk mode” also prevents the user from accessing any other apps on the device.

Can student names be hidden when viewing results?

Yes, teachers can toggle whether student names are displayed in the gallery or artifact views. This can be useful for anonymous grading or creating a safer environment when reviewing results with the class.

Does Paper Orca auto-grade work?

Our priority is on semi-automated tools that keep teachers in the loop while eliminating the unproductive yet tedious chores of grading.

Can parents turn in an assignment for their student?

Yes, parents can send an email to a teacher's personalized @orcapost.com address with image attachments.

How does Paper Orca keep student data secure?

Paper Orca encrypts data in transit with SSL/TLS protocols and encrypts data at rest using AES-256 encryption which is the gold standard trusted by banks, hospitals, and militaries. Paper Orca never handles login credentials directly. Rather, we rely on proven login providers such as Google, and use scoped tokens (revokable credentials with minimal capabilities) to interact with any other service you choose to integrate.

Does Paper Orca sell student data or show ads?

No, Paper Orca relies on license fees from schools and districts to operate. We request the minimal information required to process requests from your school's LMS or SIS. Furthermore, we are one of the only EdTech products designed to reduce student interaction with one-to-one devices.

What happens if a submission is accidentally routed to the wrong student?

A false positive match is extremely rare, but teachers have the option to require their manual approval before releasing any scan to be directly accessed by a student.

What happens if explicit content or unwanted people/objects appear in an uploaded image?

Paper Orca uses advanced image recognition techniques to identify and filter out explicit content or unwanted people/objects in uploaded images. If such content is detected, it will be flagged for review by the teacher.

Where does the name "Paper Orca" come from?

The “Paper” in our name recognizes the benefits of learning with physical media and represents our commitment to supporting unplugged activities.

We’ve chosen the Orca to represent our mission for their curiosity, social learning behaviors, and the way they navigate between water and air, just as we strive to bridge the physical and digital worlds for learning. Lastly, the Orca pays homage to the Puget Sound and Salish Sea, the region where Paper Orca proudly operates.