AUTOMATICALLY PROGRAMMED TEST GRADING AND SCORING METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 3,737,628 A
• Filed: 06/11/1971
• Issued: 06/05/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leo L. Azure Jr
• Original Assignee: Leo L. Azure Jr
• Inventors: Azure, Leo L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilbur, Maynard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kilgore, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US05/152,211
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 35/48R,48B 235/61.6E,61.11E,61.11A,61.11B,61.11D,61.12R,61.12N,61.7R,61.7B,61.6E 340/146.3H
• US Class Current: 434/355
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0032 Apparatus for automatic testing and analysing marked record carriers, used for examinations of the multiple choice answer type teaching apparatus working with questions and answers G09B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/066 with answer indicating cards, blocks

Abstract

A test grading and marking method and system is automatically programmed by correct answer information presented on a program card, student answer selections for the corresponding problems as presented by successive student cards being compared with the stored correct answer information from the program card for grading and marking of the student card. Each set of related student cards is arranged in a stack preceded by a corresponding program card and a plurality of such sets of related student and program cards may be arranged in a stack and automatically fed through the apparatus, each new program card automatically reprogramming the memory with the correct answer information for the succeeding student cards of the associated set. The correct answer memory comprises a plurality of synchronized recirculating shift registers corresponding in number to the number of answer selections for each item of the program and student cards and each having a number of storage positions corresponding to the number of items on each such card. Gating circuitry assures accurate input and readout of data from the shift registers, synchronized with presentation of successive items from the program and student cards, respectively. Mark discrimination for selecting the darkest mark as the answer selection for each item is provided, or multiple answer selections may be accommodated. Marking of the student card includes edge marking to identify incorrectly answered problems for qualitative item analysis and marking of the correct answer selections for each incorrectly answered problem. Total score marking is effected in a preprinted scoring column as an edge mark further affording a scoring profile for an associated set of student cards. Error detection circuits assure proper sequencing of program and associated student cards and of correct card placement for feeding as well as altered student cards.

Claims

1. An automatically programmed grading and scoring system for grading answer selections to a plurality of items as identified by indicia applied to a student card, with regard to correct answers for those items as identified by indicia applied to a program card, each of said student and program cards furthermore including card identifying indicia distinguishing each thereof, comprising a sensing station including means for sensing card distinguishing indicia and for sensing answer indicia from said cards, means for receiving a program card and an associated set of student cards and transporting said program and associated student cards, in succession, through said sensing station, a memory including a plurality of synchronized recirculating memory channels corresponding to the number of answer selections for each item and each said channel including a number of storage positions corresponding to the number of items of each card, the recirculation rate of said memory exceeding the rate at which successive items are sensed from a card, first means operable in synchronism with said recirculating memory to identify the storage positions thereof as successively presented at the inputs to the memory channels, second means operable in synchronism with the sensing of successive items from each of said cards for identifying each said item, as sensed from each card, means for determining when the memory storage positions of said memory channels identified by said first means correspond to the item as identified by said second means, means responsive to sensing of a program card identifying indicia by said sensing means to establish a program mode for entry of correct answer information identified by indicia presented by the program card into the respectively corresponding storage positions of said memory channels as established by said determining means and responsive to sensing of student card identifying indicia by said sensing means to establish a grading mode for grading the answer indicia presented by the student card with regard to the correct answer information in the respectively corresponding storage positions of said memory channels as identified by said determining means, for each item of said card in succession.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second means respectively comprise first and second counters.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 wherein there is further provided a clock source for driving said recirculAting channels of said memory in recirculation at the clock rate, and said first means comprises a counter having a total count corresponding to said storage positions of said memory channels and responsive to said clock to cyclically count in synchronism with recirculation of said memory, said second means comprises a counter having a total count corresponding to the number of items of each card and responsive to sensing of successive items from each said card to be correspondingly advanced in the count thereof, and said determining means comprises a comparator for comparing the counts of said counters of said first and second means.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein each of said program and student cards includes a column of timing marks thereon respectively corresponding to the items of each card, said sensing station includes means for sensing said column of timing marks thereby to identify the respectively corresponding items and producing a synchronizing output pulse in response to sensing of each timing mark, said second counter responding to said SYNC pulses to advance the count thereof.

5. A system as recited in claim 4, wherein each student card includes a score mark column of consecutively numbered score values and there is further provided an exhaust channel through which each said card is exhausted following the sensing of indicia therefrom for programming as to each program card, and for grading and scoring as to each student card, further sensing means for sensing the column of timing marks as the card is transported through said exhaust channel, marking means mounted within said exhaust channel for marking each student card in said scoring column at a predetermined time during the exhaust of the student card, means responsive to the grading of answer selections for the plurality of items of each student card for establishing a score in accordance with desired scoring criteria for each said card, means responsive to the score thus established and to the sensing of the timing marks during exhaust of each student card by said further sensing means to actuate said score marking means at a time selected to mark the score value in the score mark column corresponding to the score established by said scoring means.

6. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the score mark column is provided along a longitudinal edge of the student card and wherein said score marking means is positioned to imprint the score mark extending to that longitudinal edge, whereby a set of associated student cards may be stacked and the score marks be rendered visible to afford a qualitative indication of the scoring profile for the associated set of student cards.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein there is further provided means responsive to the simultaneous sensing of program and student card distinguishing indicia to indicate an error condition.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising means responsive to the sensing of a program card distinguishing indicia for enabling the programming and subsequent grading modes of operation.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein said enabling means disables any of said programming and grading and scoring modes of operation in the absence of sensing program card distinguishing indicia.

10. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein:

said enabling means further includes automatically reset timing means adapted to be set upon sensing of program card identifying indicia, and there is further provided means responsive to sensing of successive card distinguishing indicia for retriggering said automatically reset timing means, and said reset timing means, in the absence of being retriggered following initial setting thereof, disables said enabling means to terminate further grading and scoring.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said program and student cards includes an error position indicia thereon spanning the positIons occupied by the card identifying indicia when a card is erroneously presented in reverse position for transport through said system, and there is further provided means responsive to simultaneous outputs of said program and student card sensing means to indicate an error condition.

12. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said card identifying indicia comprise longitudinal marks on each of said program and student cards parallel to and respectively displaced by different distances from a common longitudinal edge thereby to identify and distinguish the said cards.

13. A grading and scoring system for grading answer selections to a plurality of items as identified by indicia applied to a student card with regard to programmed correct answers for those items and in accordance with a desired scoring criterion, each student card including a preprinted column of score values thereon, comprising:

a memory for storing programmed correct answers to a plurality of items, addressing means for identifying from said memory the correct answer information for each said item, means for sensing the answer selection indicia from a student card for each item, in succession, means for comparing the thus sensed answer selections with the programmed correct answers for the corresponding plurality of items for grading the answer selections for those items, means responsive to said comparing means for accumulating a score count in accordance with the desired scoring criterion, and means for identifying the individual score values of the preprinted column of each student card, subsequent to said grading and scoring of the answer selections thereon, and means responsive to said score count accumulating means for marking the card in the preprinted column thereof to identify the score value thereon corresponding to the accumulated score count.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein each of said cards includes a column of timing marks including a mark corresponding to each item and there is further provided means for sensing the timing marks and producing countdown pulses in response thereto subsequent to the grading and scoring of the answer selections for each student card, gating means for receiving counts from said comparing means for supply to said accumulating means during a grading operation and alternatively operable to supply said countdown pulses to said accumulating means subsequent to said grading and scoring operation, said accumulating means having a maximum count corresponding to the total number of items of a card and producing an output when that maximum count is attained, and said marking means responding to said output for marking the card to identify the score value.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein there is further provided means responsive to a maximum count output of said count accumulating means to to a first correct answer identified by said comparing means for actuating said marking means.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein said comparing means comprises a first plurality of gates respectively responsive to student and program answer indicia for corresponding answer selections for each item and identifying the presence of student answer indicia which does not correspond to programmed correct answer indicia for each said item and a second plurality of gates respectively responsive to student and program answer indicia for the corresponding answer selections for each item and identifying each program correct answer for which no student answer has been provided.

17. A method of grading and scoring answer selections to a plurality of items as identified by indicia applied to a student card with regard to programmed correct answers for those items and in accordance with a desired scoring criterion, each student card including a preprinted column of score values thereon, comprising:

storing correct answers to a plurality of items, sensing the answer selection inDicia from a student card for each item, in succession, comparing the thus sensed answer selections with the programmed correct answers for the corresponding plurality of items for grading the answer selections for those items, accumulating a score count in accordance with the desired scoring criterion for the compared answers, and transporting each student card through a score marking station subsequent to the answer grading operation and identifying the individual score values of the preprinted column in succession while the card is transported, and responding to the successive identifications of individual score values of the preprinted column in accordance with the accumulated count of the score to time the actuation of a marking means thereby rendered operative to mark the student card in the preprinted column adjacent the score value theretofore determined.