Instrumentation and schematization of learning application programs in a computerized learning environment

• US 20080254429A1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Woolf, Susan D., O'Kelley, Patrick, Ganapathy, Mythreyee
• Granted Patent: US 8,251,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/322
• 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 computerized learning method is provided. The method may include receiving a write request from a first learning application program to write a learning level for a skill in a user profile. The user profile is configured to store data indicative of a plurality of skills and a learning level for each skill. The skills and learning levels are defined according to a profile schema. The method may further include writing the learning level for the skill in the user profile. The method may also include receiving a read request from a second learning application program to read the learning level for the skill in the user profile. The method may finally include retrieving the learning level from the user profile, and sending the learning level to the second learning application program.

Claims

1. A computerized learning method comprising:

at a learning service program, receiving a write request from a first learning application program to write a learning level and/or other learning data for a skill in a user profile, the user profile including a plurality of skills and learning levels for each skill that are defined according to a profile schema;

writing the learning level and/or other learning data for the skill in the user profile;

receiving a read request from a second learning application program to read the learning level and/or other learning data for the skill in the user profile;

retrieving the learning level and/or other learning data from the user profile; and

sending the learning level and/or other learning data to the second learning application program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to writing the learning level for the skill in the user profile, determining that the write request is authorized.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the read request and the write request are received via an application programming interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the skill is mastery of vocabulary words in a target language, and wherein the learning services program is configured to send to a learning application program skill and learning level data from a user profile in response to a read request, which indicates a set of vocabulary words which have been demonstrated as known to a user through the user'"'"'s use of a learning application program and/or the learning service program.

5. A computerized learning method comprising:

at a learning application program, sending a read request to a learning service program, the read request being a request to read a stored learning level and/or other learning data for a skill from a user profile, the user profile being editable by a plurality of other learning application programs via the learning service program, the learning level and/or other learning data and skill being defined according to a profile schema;

receiving a response to the read request including the learning level and/or other learning data for the skill to the learning application program;

determining that a learning level for a skill of a user profile should be updated to an updated learning level, based on user performance data from the learning application program and predetermined learning assessment rules; and

sending a write request to a learning service program, to modify the learning level for the skill in the user profile to an updated learning level.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

prior to determining, presenting a challenge to the user via a user interface of the learning application program; and

receiving a response to the challenge via the user interface of the learning application;

wherein the user performance data is based on the response to the challenge.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

presenting a support selector to the user via the user interface to aid the user in responding to the challenge;

wherein the user performance data includes support history data indicating use of the support selector by the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the support selector is configured to enable a user to select support in a plurality of support categories, each support category corresponding to a skill defined in the profile schema.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the support selector is configured to enable a user to select support in written form, spoken form, in a native language of the user, and in a target language of the user.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the support selector is one of a challenge support selector configured to enable the user to select support to understand the challenge presented to the user, and a response support selector configured to enable the user to select support to respond to the challenge.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

measuring a response time of the user response to the challenge;

wherein the user performance data further includes the response time.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

counting a number of inaccurate responses received from the user in response to the challenge;

wherein the user performance data further includes the number of inaccurate responses.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the user performance data includes response data based on the response of the user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a degree of accuracy of the response;

wherein the response data includes the degree of accuracy of the response.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a spoken response from the user via a microphone; and

determining a degree of accuracy of the spoken response;

wherein the response data includes the degree of accuracy of the spoken response; and

wherein the skill is spoken language ability in a target language; and

wherein determining via a game-based learning assessment module that the stored learning level for the skill should be updated to an updated learning level, is based at least in part on the degree of accuracy of the spoken response.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a written response from the user via the user interface;

determining a degree of accuracy of the written response;

wherein the response data includes the degree accuracy of the written response;

wherein the skill is written language ability in a target language; and

wherein determining via a game-based learning assessment module that the stored learning level for the skill should be updated to an updated learning level, is based at least in part on the degree of accuracy of the written response.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying a cost meter to the user, the cost meter providing a real-time indication of a cost associated with the use of a support selector during a challenge.

18. A computerized learning system, comprising:

a plurality of learning profiles stored in non-volatile memory, each learning profile being associated with a user, each profile including learning data organized according to a profile schema, the learning data including one or more skills and an assessed user learning level for each skill selected from among a plurality of possible learning levels; and

a learning service program configured to receive requests from a plurality of learning application programs, the requests being to read and write learning data relating to the learning levels for each skill to and from each of the user profiles, the requests being received via an application programming interface.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an arbitration engine configured to determine if each of the read and write requests is authorized.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the skills including mastery of vocabulary words, and wherein the learning service program is configured receive requests to read a set of vocabulary words for a user, and write newly mastered vocabulary words to the user profile, in response to requests from learning application programs.