System and method of facilitating and evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem using visual feedback

• US 20040098357A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zxibix Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Greenfield Group Ltd.
• Inventors: Heidenreich, James R., Higgins, Linda S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/00 Computing arrangements using knowledge-based models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods of facilitating and evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem. The system includes first logic to facilitate user specification of the problem to populate a problem statement structure. It also includes second logic to facilitate user specification of a conclusion, related to the problem specification, to populate a conclusion statement structure. It also includes third logic to facilitate user creation and specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the problem specification and the conclusion specification, to populate a knowledge structure. Certain embodiments include control logic to persuade user interaction with the first through third logic to a sequence of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user thinking about the problem. Other embodiments include model logic to track user interaction with the first through third logic to construct a user model structure of user development and population of the user model structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure, and structure analysis logic to analyze the user model structure relative to an archetype model structure. Some embodiments include model logic to track user interaction with the first through third logic to construct a user model structure of user development and population of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure; and visual feedback logic to depict an archetype problem-solution structure and to depict the user model structure. And other embodiments include tracking logic to monitor user interactions with the first through third logic and to build a corresponding model of such interactions so that the model, and the corresponding user thinking process, may be evaluated. The system may monitor the user'"'"'s process of problem solving and the structure of the user'"'"'s problem solving approach and make suggestions to the user.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

first logic to facilitate user specification of the problem to populate a problem statement structure;

second logic to facilitate user specification of a conclusion statement, related to the problem statement, to populate a conclusion statement structure;

third logic to facilitate user creation and specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the problem statement and the conclusion statement, to populate a knowledge structure;

model logic to track user interaction with the first through third logic to construct a user model structure of user development and population of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure; and

visual feedback logic to depict an archetype problem-solution structure and to depict the user model structure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the model logic builds a three-dimensional graphic to represent the user model structure and the archetype problem-solution structure and wherein the three dimensional graphic includes a distinct graphical feature for each of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the three-dimensional graphic is an object with facets defining the surface of the object and wherein each distinct graphical feature for each of the problem structure conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure is a facet of the object.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the appearance of the three-dimensional graphic is representative of the development of the user thinking of the arbitrary problem.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the distinct graphical feature is displayed to suggest the relative development of the corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, or knowledge structure.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the distinct graphical feature is displayed to suggest whether a corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, or knowledge structure is lacking in user-provided content.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the archetype problem-solution structure is a dynamic structure that changes in response to the user model structure.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the archetype problem-solution structure is a dynamic structure that changes in response to the user model structure and wherein the three-dimensional graphic depiction of the archetype problem-solution structure includes a depiction to suggest a corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, or knowledge structure is lacking in user-provided content and said depiction is a suggestion of a next step for the user in thinking about the arbitrary problem.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein user-activation of a graphical feature launches a corresponding workspace for the user to develop the corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein a workspace presents content populating the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure and includes user controls to develop content and relationships of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the workspace further includes user controls to suggest next steps for the user.

12. The system of claim 3 wherein the model logic arranges facets on the surface in an order to suggest next steps to the user.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein a first facet and second facet are arranged adjacent to suggest activation of the second facet as a next step to the user.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the order is based on relative amount of development for corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the order is based on relationships among corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the user derivation and specification of knowledge includes the user specification of data and wherein the knowledge structure is a data structure to hold data.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the user derivation and specification of knowledge includes the user derivation and specification of information and wherein the knowledge structure is an information structure to hold information.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the user derivation and specification of knowledge includes the user derivation and specification of analysis and wherein the knowledge structure is an analysis structure to hold analysis.

19. The system of claim 1 further including fourth logic to facilitate user specification of at least one subtopic statement, related to the problem, to populate a corresponding at least one subtopic statement structure to disaggregate the problem into related subtopics, and further including fifth logic to facilitate user specification of at least one meaning statement, related to a corresponding at least one problem or subtopic statement, to populate a corresponding at least one meaning statement structure, and wherein the model logic tracks user interaction with the first through fifth logic to construct a user model structure of user development and population of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, knowledge structure, at least one subtopic statement and the at least one meaning statement.

20. A system for evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

first logic to facilitate user specification of the problem to populate a problem statement structure;

second logic to facilitate user specification of a conclusion statement, related to the problem statement, to populate a conclusion statement structure;

third logic to facilitate user derivation and specification of knowledge, related to the problem statement and the conclusion statement, to populate a knowledge structure;

tracking logic to monitor user interactions with the first through third logic and to build a corresponding model of such interactions so that the model, and the corresponding user thinking process, may be evaluated.

21. The system of claim 20 further including fourth logic to facilitate user specification of at least one subtopic statement, related to the problem, to populate a corresponding at least one subtopic statement structure to disaggregate the problem into related subtopics, and further including fifth logic to facilitate user specification of at least one meaning statement, related to a corresponding at least one problem or subtopic statement, to populate a corresponding at least one meaning statement structure, and wherein the tracking logic further monitors user interactions with the fourth and fifth logic to build the model.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the model depict a problem-solution structure utilized by the user during the thinking process, and wherein the model may be analyzed to evaluate the problem-solution structure of the user.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the model may be compared to an archetype problem-solution structure.