Interactive instructional system using adaptive cognitive profiling
First Claim
1. A method of computerer-based learning, comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of related event objects, each of which includes different content that is topically related to the content of the other of said event objects, and each of which has one or more attributes including at least an audio, textual, or visual component that can be presented via a computer workstation;
providing a number of additional event objects, each of which includes content that is substantially the same as the content of a corresponding one of the related event objects, and each of which provides a presentation of content that is different than the presentation provided by the corresponding related event object;
wherein each of said event objects has an associated cognitive index that includes data representing the attributes utilized in the presentation provided by the event object;
generating a cognitive profile for a learner using a plurality of parameters, at least some of which are each associated with one or more of the attributes and are each indicative of a cognitive utility of its associated attributes(s) for the learner;
creating an eventsream having the structure of a branching sequence of nodes, each of the nodes representing one of the related event objects and any of the additional event objects corresponding to that related event object; and
presenting a number of the event objects to the learner starting with an event object located at a first one of the nodes, and, for any node having two or more event objects, selecting at least one of the event objects for presentation to the learner from among all of the event objects at the node using the learner'"'"'s cognitive profile and the event objects'"'"' cognitive indices.
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Abstract
An interactive instructional system realizing an eventstream based educational methodology and enabling an interactive, adaptive learning environment. Continuously tracking and evaluating learner interaction, the system creates and updates a profile of the learner'"'"'s cognitive style and achievement level. Using this cognitive profile, the system adapts its presentations to the learner'"'"'s cognitive style and demonstrated ability. Presentations take the form of eventstreams, which are branching sequences of multimedia objects called events. Some of the events contain substantially similar content presented in differing ways so that, using the learner'"'"'s cognitive profile, the system can select the event that results in the greatest comprehension of the presented material. This selection is accomplished using a utility function that is based on the cognitive profile and that provides a measure of the teaching utility of each of the different cognitive styles. The system can adapt to the learner by updating the utility function through the use of preference relations which are determined through testing and that indicate that of the cognitive styles results in the greatest comprehension by the learner of the content contained within the presentations. The system includes an eventstream development environment which allows the content developer to use accessible libraries of events to create new eventstreams. The eventstreams are structured to follow the paradigm of observed history so that each topic can be presented in the historical context in which it developed.
191 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of computerer-based learning, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of related event objects, each of which includes different content that is topically related to the content of the other of said event objects, and each of which has one or more attributes including at least an audio, textual, or visual component that can be presented via a computer workstation; providing a number of additional event objects, each of which includes content that is substantially the same as the content of a corresponding one of the related event objects, and each of which provides a presentation of content that is different than the presentation provided by the corresponding related event object; wherein each of said event objects has an associated cognitive index that includes data representing the attributes utilized in the presentation provided by the event object; generating a cognitive profile for a learner using a plurality of parameters, at least some of which are each associated with one or more of the attributes and are each indicative of a cognitive utility of its associated attributes(s) for the learner; creating an eventsream having the structure of a branching sequence of nodes, each of the nodes representing one of the related event objects and any of the additional event objects corresponding to that related event object; and presenting a number of the event objects to the learner starting with an event object located at a first one of the nodes, and, for any node having two or more event objects, selecting at least one of the event objects for presentation to the learner from among all of the event objects at the node using the learner'"'"'s cognitive profile and the event objects'"'"' cognitive indices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of computer-based learning, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of computer-based presentations, wherein some presentations provide different topically-related educational content and other presentations utilize different cognitive styles to present substantially similar content, and wherein the other presentations that utilize different cognitive styles each has a cognitive index associated therewith that includes quantitative data representative of attributes utilized in the presentation with the quantitative data each indicating the extent to which its associated attribute is present in the presentation; providing a cognitive profile for a learner, with the cognitive profile comprising a set of parameters, each of which can be associated with at least one of the attributes and has a numeric value indicative of the cognitive utility of its associated attribute(s) for the learner; selecting at least one of the other presentations using a mathematical function that, using the leaner'"'"'s cognitive profile and at least some of the other presentations'"'"' cognitive indices, determines which of those other presentations best matches the cognitive style of the learner; and providing the learner with an ordered sequence of the presentations that includes the selected presentations. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of presenting information to a user on a computer workstation, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of computer-displayable presentations, some of which provide different topically-related content and others of which utilize different cognitive styles to present substantially similar content, and wherein the other presentations that utilize different cognitive styles each has a cognitive index associated therewith that includes quantitative data representative of attributes utilized in the presentation with the quantitative data each indicating the extent to which its associated attribute is present in the presentation; providing a cognitive profile for the user, with the cognitive profile comprising a set of parameters, each of which can be associated with at least one of the attributes and has a numeric value indicative of the cognitive utility of its associated attribute(s) for the learner; selecting at least one of the other presentations using a mathematical function that, using the user'"'"'s cognitive profile and at least some of the other presentations'"'"' cognitive indices, determines which of those other presentations best matches the cognitive style of the user; and providing the user with an ordered sequence of the presentations that includes the selected presentations. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of generating a cognitive profile for a learner for use in selecting among different presentations of educational content delivered by a computer-based learning system, wherein the different presentations each have quantitative data representing the extent to which different attributes are present in the presentation, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an initial set of coefficients that together form at least a portion of the cognitive profile, wherein the coefficients comprise numeric values each of which is associated with at least one of the attributes; (b) providing feedback through iterations of the following steps (b1)-(b3); (b1) presenting educational content to the learner using different presentations having varying emphasis on different ones of the attributes; (b2) determining which of the presentations given to the learner results in the greatest comprehension of the educational content presented; and (b3) updating the coefficients using the quantitative data associated with the presentation identified in step (b2). - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification