Methods and systems for computer instruction using a graphical user interface

• US 20020192630A1
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Sirhall, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/825,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20020192630A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

A method and system for computer instruction is provided. The method includes displaying a question to a user. Subsequently, a list of possible answers is displayed to the user in response to an action taken by the user. The user can then select those answers that the user believes is the correct answer(s) to the question.

Claims

1. A method for testing a user online comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a request for a software tool from a client; and

b) forwarding the software tool to the client, wherein said software tool when executed on the client

i) displays a question to the user;

ii) after displaying the question, displays a list of possible answers to the question in response to an action taken by the user; and

iii) allows the user to select at least one answer from the list that the user believes corresponds to a correct answer to the question.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the software tool executes, feedback is provided to the user to indicate if the at least one answer selected is the correct answer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the software tool executes, the user is disabled from selecting answers if, after a predetermined maximum number of attempts, the user does not select the correct answer or answers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the steps of receiving and forwarding, the software tool includes an applet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the applet reads an input file for indicating the list of possible answers, and the correct answers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the applet is referenced in a reference file distinct from the input file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the step of forwarding, a portion of the software tool is executed with a virtual machine on the client.

8. A medium for use with an electronic device holding instructions for performing a method for testing a user online, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a request for a software tool from a client; and

b) forwarding the software tool to the client, wherein said software tool when executed on the client

i) displays a question to the user;

ii) after displaying the question, displays a list of possible answers to the question in response to an action taken by the user; and

iii) allows the user to select at least one answer from the list that the user believes corresponds to a correct answer to the question.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the software tool generates a graphical user interface that provides feedback to the user indicating if the at least one selected answer corresponds to a correct answer.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface permits a predetermined number of user attempts to select the right answer.

11. A system for use with an online educational course, the system comprising a computer-readable medium having instructions to run an applet for displaying a question and a drop-down list of possible answers to a user, wherein the user can select at least one answer from the list that the user believes corresponds to a correct answer to the question.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer readable medium includes hypertext markup language (HTML) code to reference the applet.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the HTML code includes the question.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising an input file indicating which of the possible answers is correct, said input file being separate from the HTML code to prevent the user from obtaining the correct answer by looking at the HTML code.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable medium is a compact disc.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the virtual machine is a Java virtual machine.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium includes hypertext markup language (HTML) code to invoke the execution of the instructions on the virtual machine.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the HTML code includes the question.

20. The medium of claim 19, further comprising an input file indicating which of the possible answers is correct, said input file being separate from the HTML code to prevent the user from obtaining the correct answer by looking at the HTML code.

16. A medium having instructions executable on a virtual machine for displaying a question and a drop-down list of possible answers to a user, wherein the user can select at least one answer from the list that the user believes corresponds to a correct answer to the question.