Method and apparatus for providing sessions for computer-based quizzes

• US 6,377,781 B1
• Filed: 09/22/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Quia Corporation
• Inventors: Mishkin, Paul B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, KATHLEEN MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US09/401,067
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 434/322, 434/323, 434/118, 434/350
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/073 all student stations being capable of presenting the same questions simultaneously

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention includes a system that provides a session for a quiz on a computer system. The system operates by receiving a request to create a session for the quiz. In response to the request, the system creates the session. This session provides a mechanism through which a selected group of people can take the quiz. The system also associates the session with an owner of the session in order to facilitate channeling results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz to the owner of the session. Next, the system makes the session for the quiz available over a network so that the selected group of people can take the quiz from remote nodes on the network. Upon receiving the results from the selected group of people taking the quiz, the system communicates the results to the owner of the session. In one embodiment of the present invention, the owner of the session for the quiz is an educator, and the selected group of people are students of the educator.

Claims

1. A method for providing a session for a quiz on a computer system, comprising:

receiving a request to create the session for the quiz, wherein the quiz is associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of different session owners;

creating the session for the quiz, the session providing a mechanism through which a selected group of people take the quiz;

associating the session with an owner of the session to facilitate channeling results generated by the-selected-group of people in taking the quiz to the owner of the session;

making the session for the quiz available over a network so that the selected group of people can take the quiz from remote nodes on the network;

receiving the results from the selected group of people taking the quiz from the remote nodes on the network; and

communicating the results to the owner of the session;

whereby the plurality of different sessions allows each of the plurality of different session owners to give the quiz to multiple different groups of people without results from each of the multiple different groups of people becoming intermixed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner of the session for the quiz is an educator, and the selected group of people are students of the educator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the results to the owner of the session includes storing the results in a file that can be accessed by the owner of the session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the results to the owner of the session includes sending the results over the network to the owner of the session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the results to the owner of the session further comprises computing summary statistics for the results and formatting the results for display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the session for the quiz includes copying questions and answers for the quiz.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network includes the Internet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein making the session for the quiz available over the network includes making the session for the quiz available on a web site.

9. A method for providing a session for a quiz on a computer system, comprising:

receiving a request to create the session for the quiz from an educator, wherein the quiz is associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of educators;

creating the session for the quiz, the session providing a mechanism through which students of the educator take the quiz;

associating the session with the educator to facilitate channeling results generated by the students in taking the quiz to the educator;

making the session for the quiz available over a network so that the students can take the quiz from remote nodes on the network;

receiving the results from the students taking the quiz from the remote nodes on the network;

storing the results in a form that can be accessed by the educator;

computing summary statistics for the results; and

formatting the results for viewing,

whereby the plurality of different sessions allows each of the plurality of educators to give the quiz to multiple different groups of students without results from each of the multiple different groups of students becoming intermixed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the quiz may be associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of different session owners.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein creating the session for the quiz includes copying questions and answers for the quiz.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein making the session for the quiz available over the network includes making the session for the quiz available on a web site on the Internet.

13. A computer system that provides a session for a quiz, comprising:

a server on a network;

an input mechanism within the server that receives a request to create the session for the quiz, wherein the quiz is associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of different session owners;

a session creation mechanism within the server that is configured to, create the session for the quiz, the session providing a mechanism through which a selected group of people take the quiz, and to associate the session with an owner of the session to facilitate channeling results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz to the owner of the session;

a session providing mechanism within the server that is configured to, make the session for the quiz available over the network so that the selected group of people can take the quiz from remote nodes on the network, and to receive the results from the selected group of people taking the quiz from the remote nodes on the network; and

a communication mechanism within the server that communicates the results to the owner of the session,

whereby the plurality of different sessions allows each of the plurality of different session owners to give the quiz to multifle different groups of people without results from each of the multiple different groups of people becoming intermixed.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the owner of the session for the quiz is an educator, an the selected group of people are students of the educator.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the communication mechanism is configured to store the results in a file that can be accessed by the owner of the session.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the communication mechanism is configured to send the results over the network to the owner of the session.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the communication mechanism is further configured to compute summary statistics for the results and to format the results for display.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the session creation mechanism is configured to copy questions and answers for the quiz.

19. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the session providing mechanism is configured to make the session for the quiz available on a web site on the Internet.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for providing a session for a quiz on a computer system, comprising:

receiving a request to create the session for the quiz, wherein the quiz is associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of different session owners;

creating the session for the quiz, the session providing a mechanism through which a selected group of people take the quiz;

associating the session with an owner of the session to facilitate channeling results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz to the owner of the session;

making the session for the quiz available over a network so that the selected group of people can take the quiz from remote nodes on the network;

receiving the results from the selected group of people taking the quiz from the remote nodes on the network; and

communicating the results to the owner of the session, whereby the plurality of different sessions allows each of the plurality of different session owners to give the quiz to multiple different groups of people without results from each of the multiple different groups of people becoming intermixed.

21. A data structure encoded on a computer readable storage medium for providing a session for a quiz on a computer system, wherein, the quiz is associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of different session owners, comprising:

a quiz store for storing data that facilitates retrieving questions and answers that make up the quiz; and

an access structure for the session that allows a selected group of people to access the session; and

an identifier for an owner of the session that facilitates channeling results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz to the owner of the session, whereby the plurality of different sessions allows each of the plurality of different session owners to give the quiz to multiple different groups of people without results from each of the multiple different groups of people becoming intermixed.

22. The data structure encoded on a computer readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising a result store for storing results generated by the selected group of people taking the quiz.

23. The data structure encoded on a computer readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising a session identifier that identifies the session.

24. The data structure encoded on a computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the quiz store includes copies of questions and answers that make up the quiz.

25. The data structure encoded on a computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the quiz store includes a reference to a location where questions and answers for the quiz are stored.

26. A graphical interface within a computer system for providing a session for a quiz, comprising:

a first display for creating the session for the quiz to facilitate channeling results generated by a selected group of people in taking the quiz to an owner of the session, wherein the quiz may be associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of different session owners;

wherein the first display allows the owner of the session to select the quiz to be associated with the session;

wherein the quiz is associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of different session owners;

a second display through which a selected group of people are allowed to take quiz; and

a third display that allows the owner of the session to view results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz, whereby the plurality of different session allows the plurality of each of the different session owners to give the quiz to multiple different groups of people without results from each of the multiple different groups of people becoming intermixed.

27. The graphical interface of claim 26, wherein the owner of the session for the quiz is an educator, and the selected group of people are students of the educator.

28. The graphical interface of claim 26, wherein the second display is associated with a mechanism that stores the results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz to a file.

29. The graphical interface of claim 26, wherein the second display is associated with a mechanism that communicates the results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz to the third display.

30. The graphical interface of claim 26, wherein the third display outputs summary statistics for the results.

31. The graphical interface of claim 26, wherein the first display triggers a mechanism that creates the session for the quiz by copying questions and answers that make up the quiz.

32. The graphical interface of claim 26, wherein the graphical interface is part of a web site accessible through the Internet.

33. A method for providing a session for a quiz on a computer system, comprising:

receiving a request to take a quiz from a student, the request including a session identifier and an identifier for the owner of the session, wherein the quiz is associated with a plurality of different sessions owned by a plurality of different session owners;

if the session has not been previously created, creating the session for the quiz, the session providing a mechanism through which a selected group of people take the quiz, and associating the session with the owner of the session to facilitate channeling results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz to the owner of the session; and

communicating the results from the student in taking the quiz to the owner of the session, whereby the plurality of different sessions allows each of the plurality of different session owners to give the quiz to multiple different groups of people without results from each of the multiple different groups of people becoming intermixed.