Laboratory data collection and reporting

• US 20040101816A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fourier Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Fourier Systems Limited
• Inventors: Gerner, Meir, Bruker, Dov
• Application Number:
  US10/305,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20040101816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/276
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/00 Models for scientific, medical, or mathematical purposes, e.g. full-sized devices for demonstration purposes in the nature of toys A63H
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A method for recording an experiment performed in an educational environment, including measuring data from the experiment at a plurality of times using a data logger, generating, using the data logger, respective indications of at least some of the times, and generating an audiovisual (A/V) record of the experiment. The method further includes incorporating the respective indications into the A/V record so as to form an annotated A/V record, storing the data and the annotated A/V record, recovering the respective indications of the times and a selected portion of the A/V record from the annotated A/V record, generating respective experimental results from the data responsive to the respective indications of the times, and storing the selected portion of the A/V record and the respective experimental results as an experiment report.

Claims

1. A method for recording an experiment performed in an educational environment, comprising:

measuring data from the experiment at a plurality of times using a data logger;

generating, using the data logger, respective indications of at least some of the times;

generating an audiovisual (A/V) record of the experiment;

incorporating the respective indications into the A/V record so as to form an annotated A/V record;

storing the data and the annotated A/V record;

recovering the respective indications of the times and a selected portion of the A/V record from the annotated A/V record;

generating respective experimental results from the data responsive to the respective indications of the times; and

storing the selected portion of the A/V record and the respective experimental results as an experiment report.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein measuring the data comprises a student operating the data logger, and wherein generating the A/V record of the experiment comprises the student incorporating during the experiment a student A/V commentary into the A/V record responsive to an event occurring in the experiment.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein displaying the selected portion of the A/V record comprises the student editing the A/V record after conclusion of the experiment and incorporating a subsequent A/V commentary into the A/V record so as to form an edited A/V record.

4. A method according to claim 2, and comprising assessing the experiment report so as to provide feedback to the student responsive to the report.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein assessing the experiment report comprises a supervisor of the student incorporating a supervisor A/V commentary as a report assessment into the experiment report.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein generating the respective experimental results comprises displaying the selected portion of the A/V record and the respective experimental results on an audiovisual monitor.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein generating the respective experimental results comprises incorporating therein data from times intermediate the at least some of the times.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein generating the respective experimental results comprises processing the data to produce processed data and generating visual and analytic expressions of the processed data.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein generating the respective experimental results comprises editing the A/V record responsive to the processed data so as to form an edited A/V record.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein recovering the selected portion of the A/V record and generating the respective experimental results from the data comprise selecting the selected portion of the A/V record to be synchronized with the respective experimental results.

11. Apparatus for recording a laboratory experiment performed in an educational environment, comprising:

a data logger, which is adapted to measure data from the experiment at a plurality of times, and to generate respective indications of at least some of the times;

a camera, which is adapted to generate an audiovisual (A/V) record of the experiment; and

a central processing unit (CPU), which is adapted to incorporate the respective indications into the A/V record so as to form an annotated A/V record, to store the annotated A/V record and the data, to recover the respective indications of the times and a selected portion of the A/V record from the annotated A/V record, to generate from the data respective experimental results responsive to the respective indications of the times as an experiment report, and to store the experiment report.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is operated by a student, and wherein the CPU is adapted to incorporate during the experiment a student A/V commentary into the A/V record responsive to an event occurring in the experiment.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the CPU is adapted to incorporate after conclusion of the experiment a subsequent A/V commentary provided by the student into the A/V record so as to form an edited A/V record.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the CPU is adapted to receive and store an assessment of the experiment report that provides feedback to the student responsive to the report.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the assessment is provided by a supervisor of the student, and wherein the CPU is adapted to incorporate a supervisor A/V commentary into the experiment report as the assessment.

16. Apparatus according to claim 11, and comprising an audiovisual monitor which is coupled to the CPU and which is adapted to display the selected portion of the A/V record and the respective experimental results.

17. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the CPU is adapted to incorporate into the respective experimental results data from times intermediate the at least some of the times.

18. Apparatus according to claim 11, and wherein the CPU is adapted to process the data to produce processed data and to generate visual and analytic expressions of the processed data.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, and wherein the CPU is adapted to edit the A/V record responsive to the processed data so as to form an edited A/V record.

20. A method according to claim 11, and wherein the CPU is adapted to select the selected portion of the A/V record to be synchronized with the respective experimental results.