METHOD AND SYSTEM TO ADAPT COMPUTER-BASED INSTRUCTION BASED ON HEURISTICS

• US 20090325140A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dreambox Learning, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dreambox Learning, Inc.
• Inventors: Weary, Mickelle, Gray, Lou, Lewis, Becca, Green, Nigel J., Leban, Roy, Kerns, Daniel R., Slivka, Benjamin W.
• Application Number:
  US12/165,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325140A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/353
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for adapting a lesson. The method comprises for a given learner, forming an expectation of the learner'"'"'s performance in answering questions of a lesson; adapting the lesson a first time based on the expectation; evaluating the learner'"'"'s actual performance in answering questions of the adapted lesson; and selectively adapting the lesson a second time if a difference between the expectation and the actual performance is greater than a threshold.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

assigning an Effectiveness Factor to a lesson, the effectiveness factor being indicative of a teaching efficacy of the lesson;

forming an expectation of a learner'"'"'s performance in answering questions of the lesson;

evaluating the learner'"'"'s actual performance; and

selectively adjusting the Effectiveness Factor of the lesson based on a performance heuristic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance heuristic is based on the actual performance of other learner'"'"'s in answering questions of the lesson.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the learner'"'"'s actual performance is based on the Effectiveness Factor assigned to the lesson.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing lessons that have an Effectiveness Factor below a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying key lessons based on a relative performance of learners across lessons.

6. A method, comprising:

providing a plurality of lessons to teach a curriculum;

assessing a learner'"'"'s mastery quotient for subject matter the lessons are designed to teach;

making a set of selected lessons available to the learner based on the learner'"'"'s mastery quotient;

updating the learner'"'"'s mastery quotient based on the learner'"'"'s responses to questions during a lesson; and

selectively changing the set by adding and removing lessons based on the updated learner'"'"'s mastery quotient;

wherein the learner'"'"'s mastery quotient is based on scores calculated for the learner from the learner'"'"'s responses to questions posed during a lesson, and on a value associated with the lesson.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising allowing the learner the freedom to select any lesson from the set.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each score is calculated based on a plurality of metrics relating to the learner'"'"'s interaction with the lesson when answering the question.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the metrics are selected from the group consisting of interactions, mistakes while answering, types of mistakes, assistance provided, self corrections, use of reset, closeness to correct, and responsiveness.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising selectively adjusting the value of a lesson based on the scores.

11. A method, comprising:

for a given learner, forming an expectation of the learner'"'"'s performance in answering questions of a lesson;

adapting the lesson a first time based on the expectation;

evaluating the learner'"'"'s actual performance in answering questions of the adapted lesson; and

selectively adapting the lesson a second time if a difference between the expectation and the actual performance is greater than a threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein evaluating the learner'"'"'s actual performance is based on a heuristic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the heuristic comprises a performance score based on a plurality of metrics associated with the learner.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the metrics are selected from the group consisting of interactions, mistakes while answering, types of mistakes, assistance provided, self corrections, use of reset, closeness to correct, and responsiveness.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein adapting the lesson the second time is performed while the lesson is running.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting the performance score based on a value associated with the lesson

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the value comprises an Effectiveness Factor for the lesson.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the value comprises a Completeness Factor associated with the lesson based on a micro-objective the lesson is designed to teach.

19. The method of claim 11, which is performed by a client device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending at least some of the metrics to a server which computes lesson adaptation control parameters to control adaption of the lesson.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving the lesson updates from the server.

22. A system, comprising:

an authentication mechanism to authenticate a learner;

a learner profile database to store a learner profile for the learner; and

an analysis engine to calculate at least one Effectiveness Factor for a lesson based student performance data.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the adaptation manager calculates a lesson-independent Micro-Objective score based on the Effectiveness Factors.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the student performance data is received from a client device and comprises metrics for the learner.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the student performance data is received from multiple client devices and comprises metrics for multiple learners.

26. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which when executed on a client machine causes the client machine to perform a method, comprising:

for a given learner, forming an expectation of the learner'"'"'s performance in answering questions of a lesson;

adapting the lesson a first time based on the prediction;

evaluating the learner'"'"'s actual performance in answering questions of the adapted lesson; and

selectively adapting the lesson a second time if a difference between the expectation and the actual performance is greater than a threshold.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein evaluating the learner'"'"'s actual performance is based on a heuristic.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the heuristic comprises a performance score based on a plurality of metrics associated with the learner.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the metrics are selected from the group of interactions, mistakes while answering, types of mistakes, assistance provided, self corrections, use of reset, closeness to correct, and responsiveness.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein adapting the lesson the second time is performed while the lesson is running.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises adjusting the performance score based on a value associated with the lesson

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the value provides a measure of difficulty associated with the lesson.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the value provides a measure of importance associated with the lesson within the context of a curriculum.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the method is performed by a client device.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, the method further comprises sending at least some of the metrics to a server which computes lesson adaptation control parameters to control adaption of the lesson.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, the method further comprises receiving the lesson updates from the server.