Learning system with response analyzer

• US 6,208,832 B1
• Filed: 11/14/1997
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Remschel, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, CHANDA L
• Application Number:
  US08/971,209
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/118, 434/322
• US Class Current: 434/350
• 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 learning system is provided which includes a plurality of student units for use by students, a teacher unit for use by a teacher, and a plurality of master storage devices that store information reproduced by the student units. The learning system includes a computer for use also by the teacher that operates to control each of the student units. The computer also provides the feature of assisting the teacher in the student testing process wherein student response information is displayed on the computer. During each question of a test, the computer displays to the teacher the amount of elapsed time of the current question, the question number, the number of students who currently have responded to the current question, the ratio of students who currently have responded to the current question to the total number of students, and a graph that identifies the number of students choosing a respective answer. The computer also provides the feature of automatically closing a test question after a pre-selected condition is satisfied.

Claims

1. An automated learning system, comprising:

a plurality of student units, each of said student units adapted to be utilized by a respective one of a plurality of students;

a teacher unit having a display and a computer utilizing a graphic user interface, said teacher unit being coupled with each of said student units, said computer being operable to assist a user in testing each of said students by asking one or more questions, to display to said user information regarding the responses received from said plurality of students, and to automatically end a current one of said one or more questions when a selected one of a plurality of pre-selected conditions is satisfied; and

a plurality of master units for supplying information to, or storing information output by, each of said student units.

2. The automated learning system of claim 1, wherein said computer includes a user input device for receiving from said user a question begin instruction representing a beginning of a current question;

and said computer, in response to receiving said question begin instruction, displays current question information corresponding to the respective current question.

3. The automated learning system of claim 2, wherein the displayed current question information includes an amount of elapsed time of said current question.

4. The automated learning system of claim 2, wherein the displayed current question information includes a question number identifying a number of said current question.

5. The automated learning system of claim 4, wherein said computer is operable to increment the question number by one in response to receiving said question begin instruction.

6. The automated learning system of claim 2, wherein the displayed current question information includes a number of said students who currently have responded to said current question.

7. The automated learning system of claim 2, wherein the displayed current question information includes a ratio of said students who currently have responded to said current question to a total number of said students.

8. The automated learning system of claim 2, wherein each of said students units is operable to allow the respective student to select one of a plurality of possible answers in response to the current question;

the displayed current question information includes a graph having a plurality of columns, each of said columns corresponding to a respective one of said plurality of possible answers, and said computer displays within each of said columns the number of said students currently selecting the respective corresponding answer.

9. The automated learning system of claim 1, wherein said computer includes a user input device for receiving from said user a question begin instruction representing a beginning of a current question;

and said computer is operable, in response to receiving said question begin instruction, to automatically end the current question when said pre-selected condition is satisfied.

10. The automated learning system of claim 9, wherein said computer is operable to receive the responses received from said plurality of students only after a question begins and before the respective question ends.

11. The automated learning system of claim 9, wherein said user input device is operable to receive from said user selected question information identifying selected ones of a plurality of questions in a test to be automatically closed;

and said computer is operable to automatically end each of the selected questions when said pre-selected condition is satisfied during the respective question.

12. The automated learning system of claim 9, wherein said computer is operable to automatically end the current question when a predetermined amount of time after initiation of said current question has elapsed.

13. The automated learning system of claim 9, wherein said user input device is operable to receive from said user correct answer information identifying a correct response to the current question;

and said computer is operable to automatically end the current question when a predetermined percentage of students have supplied to the respective student units a response corresponding to the correct response to the current question.

14. The automated learning system of claim 9, wherein said computer is operable to automatically end the current question when a predetermined percentage of students have responded to the current question.

15. The automated learning system of claim 9, wherein said computer is operable to automatically end the current question when a predetermined number of students have responded to the current question.

16. The automated learning system of claim 9, wherein said user input device is operable to receive from said user first selected question information identifying first selected ones of a plurality of questions to be automatically closed when a first pre-selected condition is satisfied, and to receive from said user second selected question information identifying second selected ones of said plurality of questions to be automatically closed when a second pre-selected condition is satisfied;

and said computer is operable to automatically end each of the first selected questions when said first pre-selected condition is satisfied and to automatically end each of the second selected questions when said second pre-selected condition is satisfied.

17. An automated learning system, comprising:

a plurality of student means, each of said student means being adapted to be utilized by a respective one of a plurality of students;

a plurality of master means for supplying respective information to each of said student units; and

control means having a graphical user interface for controlling each of said student means and said master means, said control means being operable to assist a user in testing each of said students by asking one or more questions, said control means including display means for displaying to said user information regarding the responses received from said plurality of students, and to automatically end a current one of said one or more questions when a selected one of a plurality of pre-selected conditions is satisfied.

18. The learning system of claim 17, wherein said control means includes user input means for receiving from said user a question begin instruction representing a beginning of a current question;

and said control means, in response to receiving said question begin instruction, controls said display means to display current question information corresponding to the respective current question.

19. The learning system of claim 18, wherein the displayed current question information includes an amount of elapsed time of said current question.

20. The learning system of claim 18, wherein the displayed current question information includes a question number identifying a number of said current question.

21. The learning system of claim 20, wherein said control means is operable to increment the question number by one in response to receiving said question begin instruction.

22. The learning system of claim 18, wherein the displayed current question information includes a number of said students who currently have responded to said current question.

23. The learning system of claim 18, wherein the displayed current question information includes a ratio of said students who currently have responded to said current question to a total number of said students.

24. The learning system of claim 18, wherein each of said student receiving means is operable to allow the respective student to select one of a plurality of possible answers in response to the current question;

the displayed current question information includes a graph having a plurality of columns, each of said columns corresponding to a respective one of said plurality of possible answers, and said control means controls said display means to display within each of said columns the number of said students currently selecting the respective corresponding answer.

25. The learning system of claim 17, wherein said control means includes user input means for receiving from said user a question begin instruction representing a beginning of a current question;

and said control means is operable, in response to receiving said question begin instruction, to automatically end the current question when said pre-selected condition is satisfied.

26. The learning system of claim 25, wherein said control means is operable to receive the responses received from said plurality of students only after a question begins and before the respective question ends.

27. The learning system of claim 25, wherein said user input means is operable to receive from said user selected question information identifying selected ones of a plurality of questions in a test to be automatically closed;

and said control means is operable to automatically end each of the selected questions when said pre-selected condition is satisfied during the respective question.

28. The learning system of claim 25, wherein said control means is operable to automatically end the current question when a predetermined amount of time after initiation of said current question has elapsed.

29. The learning system of claim 25, wherein said user input means is operable to receive from said user correct answer information identifying a correct response to the current question;

and said control means is operable to automatically end the current question when a predetermined percentage of students have supplied to the respective student receiving means a response corresponding to the correct response to the current question.

30. The learning system of claim 25, wherein said control means is operable to automatically end the current question when a predetermined percentage of students have responded to the current question.

31. The learning system of claim 25, wherein said control means is operable to automatically end the current question when a predetermined number of students have responded to the current question.

32. The learning system of claim 25, wherein said user input means is operable to receive from said user first selected question information identifying first selected ones of a plurality of questions to be automatically closed when a first pre-selected condition is satisfied, and to receive from said user second selected question information identifying second selected ones of said plurality of questions to be automatically closed when a second pre-selected condition is satisfied;

and said control means is operable to automatically end each of the first selected questions when said first pre-selected condition is satisfied and to automatically end each of the second selected questions when said second pre-selected condition is satisfied.

33. A method of controlling a learning system having a plurality of student units for use by students, a plurality of master units and a teacher unit having a computer with a display and a graphic user input, comprising the steps of:

receiving by said plurality of student units responses from a plurality of students in response to one or more questions, each of said student units being utilized by a respective one of said plurality of students;

receiving the responses received by said student units from said plurality of students;

displaying information regarding the responses received from said plurality of students at said graphical user interface of said computer; and

automatically ending a current one of said one or more questions when a selected one of a plurality of pre-selected conditions is satisfied.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of receiving from said user a question begin instruction representing a beginning of a current question;

and displaying, in response to receiving said question begin instruction, current question information corresponding to the respective current question.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the displaying step is carried out by displaying an amount of elapsed time of said current question.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the displaying step is carried out by displaying a question number identifying a number of said current question.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of incrementing the question number by one in response to receiving said question begin instruction.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the displaying step is carried out by displaying a number of said students who currently have responded to said current question.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the displaying step is carried out by displaying a ratio of said students who currently have responded to said current question to a total number of said students.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the first receiving step is carried out by receiving from each of the students a respective selected one of a plurality of possible answers in response to the current question;

the displaying step is carried out by displaying a graph having a plurality of columns, each of said columns corresponding to a respective one of said plurality of possible answers, and by displaying within each of said columns the number of said students currently selecting the respective corresponding answer.

41. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of receiving from said user a question begin instruction representing a beginning of a current question;

and automatically ending, after receiving said question begin instruction, the current question when said pre-selected condition is satisfied.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said second receiving step is carried out by receiving the responses received from said plurality of students only after a question begins and before the respective question ends.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step of receiving from said user selected question information identifying selected ones of a plurality of questions in a test to be automatically closed;

and said automatically ending step is carried out by automatically ending each of the selected questions when said pre-selected condition is satisfied during the respective question.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein said automatically ending step is carried out by automatically ending the current question when a predetermined amount of time after initiation of said current question has elapsed.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step of receiving from said user correct answer information identifying a correct response to the current question;

and said automatically ending step is carried out by automatically ending the current question when a predetermined percentage of students have supplied a response corresponding to the correct response to the current question.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein said automatically ending step is carried out by automatically ending the current question when a predetermined percentage of students have responded to the current question.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein said automatically ending step is carried out by automatically ending the current question when a predetermined number of students have responded to the current question.

48. The method of claim 41, further comprising the steps of receiving from said user first selected question information identifying first selected ones of a plurality of questions to be automatically closed when a first pre-selected condition is satisfied, and receiving from said user second selected question information identifying second selected ones of said plurality of questions to be automatically closed when a second pre-selected condition is satisfied;

and said automatically ending step is carried out by automatically ending each of the first selected questions when said first pre-selected condition is satisfied and by automatically ending each of the second selected questions when said second pre-selected condition is satisfied.