System and method for adapting the level of instructional detail provided through a user interface

• US 20060050865A1
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knott, Benjamin Anthony, Bushey, Robert R., Sullivan, Marc Andrew, Kortum, Philip T.
• Application Number:
  US10/935,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A system and method for adapting the level of instructional detail provided through a user interface are disclosed. A method incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, providing a user with a first level of instructional detail for completing a task flow. A skill level score for the user may be generated that indicates how proficiently the user is interacting with a computing platform to progress through the task flow. In some cases, it may be recognized that the skill level score suggest moving to a different level of instructional detail.

Claims

1. A method of modifying a level of instructional detail comprising:

providing a user with a first level of instructional detail for completing a task flow;

generating a skill level score for the user that indicates how proficiently the user interacts with a computing platform to progress through the task flow; and

recognizing that the skill level score suggest moving to a different level of instructional detail.

2. The method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising moving to the different level of instructional detail prior to the user beginning a new task flow.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising moving to the different level of instructional detail prior to the user completing the task flow.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising moving to the different level of instructional detail after the user completes the task flow.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interacts with the computing platform via a GUI.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interacts with the computing platform via TUI.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing platform is local to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing platform is remote from the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially basing the skill level score on a number of times the user accesses a help utility.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially basing the skill level score on a complexity level of issues about which user seeks help.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially basing the skill level score on a past interaction between the user and the computing platform

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially basing the skill level score on a speed at which the user is progressing though the task flow.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially basing the skill level score on a number of errors made by the user while progressing through the task flow.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least partially basing the skill level score on a self-evaluation score provided by the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the different level of instructional detail includes more instructional detail than the first level of instructional detail.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the different level of instructional detail includes less instructional detail than the first level of instructional detail.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the different level of instructional detail comprises an additional modality of instructional detail.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first level of instructional detail provides information to the user via a visual modality and the additional modality comprises an auditory modality.

19. An instructional detail modifying method, comprising:

presenting an interface to a user that includes a first level of instructional detail for accomplishing a task;

determining that the user needs a different level of instructional detail; and

providing the user with a second level of instructional detail via the interface.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising moving to the different level of instructional detail prior to the user beginning a new task flow.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising moving to the different level of instructional detail prior to the user completing the task flow.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising moving to the different level of instructional detail after the user completes the task flow.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the user interacts with the computing platform via a GUI.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the user interacts with the computing platform via a TUI.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the computing platform is local to the user.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the computing platform is remote from the user.

27. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising of at least partially basing the skill level score on a number of times the user accesses a help utility

28. The method of claim 19, wherein a complexity level of issues about which user seeks help.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining that the user needs a different level of instructional detail further comprises considering a past interaction between the user and the computing platform.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining that the user needs a different level of instructional detail further comprises considering a speed at which the user is progressing though the task flow.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining that the user needs a different level of instructional detail further comprises considering a number of errors made by the user while progressing through the task flow.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining that the user needs a different level of instructional detail further comprises considering a self-evaluation score provided by the user.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the different level of instructional detail includes more instructional detail than the first level of instructional detail.

34. The method of claim 19, wherein the different level of instructional detail includes less instructional detail than the first level of instructional detail.

35. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing an additional modality of instructional detail.

36. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing the user with a third level of instructional detail.

37. An adaptive instructional level system, comprising:

an interface operable to allow a user to interact with a computing platform;

an output engine executing on the computing platform, the output engine operable to initiate communication to the user via the interface a first level of instructional detail for accomplishing a task;

a skill level engine executing on the computing platform, the skill level engine operable to maintain a skill level indicator for the user; and

an adaptive engine executing on the computing platform, the adaptive engine operable to consider the skill level indicator and to initiate communication of a change indicator to the output engine indicating a need to communicate a different level of instructional detail to the user.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprising a memory communicatively coupled to the computing platform, the memory maintaining information representing at least a first available and a second available level of instructional detail for guiding a user interaction.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the different level of instructional detail is the second available level of instructional detail.

40. The system of claim 37, further comprising a memory communicatively coupled to the computing platform, the memory maintaining information representing at least a first available, a second available level, a third available level, and a fourth available level, of instructional detail for guiding a user interaction.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the skill level indicator is at least partially based on a metric selected from a group consisting of a number of times the user accesses a help utility, a complexity level of issues about which the user sought help, a past interaction between the user and the computing platform, a speed at which the user is progressing though a task flow, and a number of errors made by the user while progressing through the task flow.

42. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

electing to present a user with an initial interface selected from a first and a second version of a user interface, wherein the first version of the user interface comprises greater instructional detail for completing a task flow than the second version of the user interface;

considering an indicator of a success level of a user at completing the task flow; and

initiating presentation of a different interface version.

43. The medium of claim 42, wherein the initial interface is the first version of the user interface, and the different interface version is the second version of the interface.

44. The medium of claim 42, further comprising instructions for determining the indicator of the success level from at least one of a metric selected from a group consisting of a number of times the user accesses a help utility, a complexity level of issues about which the user sought help, a past interaction between the user and the computing platform, a speed at which the user is progressing though a task flow, and a number of errors made by the user while progressing through the task flow.

45. The medium of claim 44, further comprising instructions for monitoring the indicator on an ongoing basis.

46. The medium of claim 44, further comprising instructions for maintaining a plurality of versions of the user interface.

47. The medium of claim 42, further comprising instructions for formatting the initial interface for presentation via an interface modality selected from a group consisting of a GUI, a TUI, a textual interface, a video interface, a gesture-based interface, and a mechanical interface.