Jalal Sarabadani presenting at the 2024 SpartUp Pitch Jam. Photo by Robert C. Bain.

In San José State University’s Lucas College of Business, faculty like Jalal Sarabadani demonstrate their impactfulness in a multitude of ways. Sarabadani, an assistant professor in the School of Information Systems and Technology (SISTech), demonstrates his impactfulness through innovation, collaboration and preparation. This summer he devoted his time to a variety of projects that may soon pay dividends on multiple fronts. 

WritingChex Startup Aims to Remove Barriers

Sarabadani is the CEO and co-founder of a startup called WritingChex, an AI-based writing correction and training service designed specifically for International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test takers who plan to pursue an education in an English-speaking country. Given that the writing component in English proficiency exams is the most difficult one, the goal for WritingChex is to remove barriers for its candidates, and to provide them with personalized training. To date, WritingChex has over 5,500 users and has successfully graded over 2,300 writing submissions.  

WritingChex has received submissions from all over the world, which is in line with their vision to provide equal access to top-notch educational resources. They offer the first writing correction service for free and provide scholarships, in the form of free writing evaluation credit, for those who cannot afford or do not have the infrastructure to make the payment. 

Sarabadani’s startup has created new opportunities for his students to build expertise and confidence using real data. Students of his who inquired about working on small projects had the opportunity to work with real data over the summer and expressed excitement about their interaction with it in this type of context. 

“It is amazing to see that they are eager to learn, improve their skills, collaborate with each other and, more importantly, design and implement solutions to solve problems for over 10 million students in the world,” said Sarabadani about his students.

SJSU Collaborates with Deloitte on AI Tutor 

A strategic collaboration between SJSU and Deloitte to develop their AI Tutor, Study Sage, gave Sarabadani an ideal set of circumstances to be heavily involved in a tool that can help students and faculty alike. 

Study Sage leverages generative AI to enhance education by providing real-time feedback, tailored Q&A, dynamic practice materials and detailed analytics. It helps professors by streamlining administrative tasks, while offering students personalized learning support, improved collaboration tools and a 24/7 access model, thus enriching their overall educational experience. 

Study Sage V1.0 is currently in the late stages of testing and is set to go live on October 10, 2024. Sarabadani will be using it in his BUS4-110B Systems Analysis and Design class, and the goal is to empower students to use this generative AI tutor to prepare for the midterm exam. Among other things, it would allow students to ask any questions from materials covered in the class and receive real-time responses. 

For faculty, it has the potential to save time with automated tasks and can provide them with data-driven insights to refine teaching strategies and effectively address student challenges. He believes Study Sage could be a great addition to education at SJSU by personalizing learning through tailored feedback and materials, thereby improving student engagement and support for diverse learners. 

EQUATE Proposal Seeks to Close Equity Gaps in Quantitative Subjects 

Sarabadani (Principal Investigator) and colleagues in the LCoB and at Ohlone College, crafted a proposal to the Learning Lab AI Grand Challenge Grant to develop EQUATE (Empowering Quantitative Understanding through Assessment and Tutoring for Equity). EQUATE is a personalized assessment and adaptive learning platform to address student learning gaps in quantitative skills through continuous assessment and personalized tutoring. 

Motivated by high drop, fail and withdrawal rates in foundational math courses, their goal is to enhance student retention and success rates in quantitative subjects, especially for underrepresented/underserved students.

Sarabadani says the collective commitment to student success and equity-driven innovation has been inspiring. Adding that the project has given him “the opportunity to collaborate closely with colleagues who bring diverse perspectives and deep expertise.”

Their proposal was submitted in early September and the outcome of the grant challenge is expected in November.

Jalal Sarabadani is an assistant professor at the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business (LCOB) at San José State University. 

Our Lucas College and Graduate School of Business faculty, staff, students and alumni consistently make a significant impact in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Many of our graduates have gone on to excel in various industries, with a notable presence in Silicon Valley companies. These organizations recognize and value the exceptional education and skills our alumni bring to their roles, making San José State University a key contributor to the region’s thriving economy. We offer MBA, PMBA, MSFA, MSAA, MST and MSTM degrees at the graduate level and 14 different BSBA concentrations at the undergraduate level, the largest set of offerings among the CSUs.  These include Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, Business Analytics, Corporate Accounting & Finance, Entrepreneurship, Finance, General Business, Hospitality, Tourism, & Event Management, Human Resources Management, International Business, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, & and Operations and Supply Chain Management. For more information about our programs, visit sjsu.edu/cob/.