Apparatus and method for interactive adaptive learning by an individual through at least one of a stimuli presentation device and a user perceivable display

• US 6,206,700 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1994
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Breakthrough To Literacy., Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmermann, Jerry N., Brown, Carolyn J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US08/324,024
• Time in Patent Office: 2,356 Days
• Field of Search: 434/112, 434/116, 434/118, 434/156, 434/157, 434/167, 434/169, 434/178, 434/185, 434/236, 434/238, 434/258, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/322, 434/323, 434/365, 434/335, 434/362, 340/825.19, 340/825.22, 340/825.25, 364/419-1-4, 364/419.07, 364/419.08, 395/100, 395/118, 395/152, 395/154, 395/160, 395/275, 395/375, 395/425, 395/500, 395/575, 395/600, 395/927, 704/1-3, 704/7, 704/258, 704/260, 704/271, 704/270, 706/927, 345/302, 345/952, 273/429, 600/544, 600/558, 600/559, 128/925
• US Class Current: 434/116
• 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

An interactive adaptive learning system. A collection of core stimuli consisting of at least auditory and visual symbols and information, are stored on a computer. A number of different relationships between the core stimuli are created which can then be presented as discrimination or identification tasks to the user. Different sets of stimuli are then presented succeedingly to the user and the user is requested to respond. The form of response can either be to investigate and analyze the stimuli, or attributes of the stimuli, or answer of the quarry regarding the discrimination or identification task. The system has a built in strategy for progressing the user through learning tasks. The users actions and responses in reaction to the stimuli are all recorded and analyzed. Based not only on the success rate of the user responses, but also on other characteristics of the users reaction to the stimuli, the users learning strategy is classified. This classification is then utilized to either allow the learning strategy to continue as initially set, or to dynamically adjusted to find the presently indicated level of difficulty for the user or to adapt to the users particular learning strategies or needs.

Claims

1. A system for interactive adaptive learning by an individual user comprising:

a memory device containing data relating to;

user instructions,

normative responses, and

selection presentations;

a control device containing the memory device and a processor;

a user interface including a user perceivable display, a stimuli presentation device, and a tactile selection and input device; and

a software program which includes processing steps to facilitate adaptive learning, the program further comprising;

presenting stimuli in a form of preceptional descrimination tasks to the user through at least one of the stimuli presentation device and the user perceivable display of the user interface,

reading user input in response to said stimuli, and

selecting succeeding stimuli based on both a comparison of user responses and normative data and upon a classification of the user responses irrespective of normative data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the normative responses comprise a variable range of acceptable performance ratings in comparison to the user responses.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the tactile selection and input device comprises at least one of a touch screen, keyboard, and mouse.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the stimuli comprises at least one of auditory, pictorial, and alpha numeric information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the program further includes presenting attributes of the stimuli through at least one of the stimuli presentation device and the user perceivable display of the user interface.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein a learning strategy can be selected for a particular user, said strategy initially imposing a predetermined initial level of difficulty and rate of progression, but dynamically varying the strategy based on feedback of the user responses.

7. A method of adaptive learning by an individual user comprising:

gathering information from a plurality of information sources regarding a given learning goal;

creating normative data by analyzing said information and compiling said information into the normative data to establish a norm;

storing the normative data in a storage medium;

storing a variety of user perceivable stimuli into a storage medium;

presenting stimuli from the storage medium to the display in a form of perceptional discrimination tasks;

prompting the user to input a response to the stimuli;

converting the response into a digital format;

reading the digital format; and

presenting new stimuli based on a comparison of user selections and normative data and upon a classification of the user responses irrespective of normative data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the user perceivable stimuli include visual and auditory information, and portions of visual and auditory information, and abstractions of the visual and auditory information related to characteristics of the visual and auditory information.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of presenting new stimuli is based on an initially predetermined level of difficulty related to type of perceptional information provided, amount of perceptional information provided, type of task presented, and rate of progression selected.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the initially predetermined level of difficulty is coupled with a strategy for progression through a series of stimuli, and where the strategy for progression is dynamically adjusted based on user selections.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein dynamic changing of strategy includes at least one of progression and regression based on user selections, and wherein progression and regression can be presented by adjustment of strategy variables.

12. A method for interactive adaptive learning comprising:

storing a plurality of core stimuli, the core stimuli including auditory and visual information;

compiling subsets of the core stimuli into logical correlations, the correlations being related to similar perceptional contrasts between stimuli;

presenting the correlations in the form of perceptional discrimination tasks to a user;

allowing the user unlimited access to investigate and evaluate the presented stimuli;

requesting a decision on the discrimination task;

monitoring and classifying the users decisions, and investigation and evaluation; and

determining if succeeding tasks should be changed in level of difficulty based on the monitoring and classifying.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of storing a plurality of attribute information regarding the core stimuli, the attribute information including portions of the core stimuli, characteristics of the core stimuli, and abstractions of at least part of the core stimuli.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the logical correlations relate to differences in sound between stimuli.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the perceptional discrimination tasks include at least one of discrimination and identification of core stimuli.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the user is additionally allowed access to at least some of the attribute information for the presented stimuli.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of determining is based on classification of at least one of the users investigation evaluation, reaction time, accuracy, and amount of available information.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising allowing editing of core stimuli and the logical correlations to provide customized presentations to user.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the adaptive learning relates to at least one of speech, reading, math, geography, English language, and foreign language.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising purposing an initial learning strategy for the user, the strategy including at least one of the factors of:

order of presentation of stimuli, performance criteria related to percentage of success of correct responses,

amount of audio visual support available to the user, and

rate of progression through levels of difficulty of stimuli.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the initial learning strategy can be altered based on the monitoring of the user.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the strategy can be customized by at least one of a teacher, parent, and professional, based on the monitoring of the user.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the strategy can be changed dynamically and automatically by comparing monitoring of the user with the initial strategy.