Computer network based testing system

• US 6,418,298 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2000
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Riverside Publishing Co. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co. (Private Equity))
• Original Assignee: The Riverside Publishing Co. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co. (Private Equity))
• Inventors: Sonnenfeld, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, CHANDA L
• Application Number:
  US09/599,937
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/322, 434/323, 434/118, 434/362, 706/927
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction

Abstract

An interactive query server system, comprising a database storing a plurality of query sections, each section including parameters defining a relation with other query sections. The query server is adapted to:

Generate, based on the parameters, query sequence sets, each set having at least one query section;

Transmit a query sequence set as a logical unit to a client system;

Receive responses of a user to the query sequence set from the client system; and

Process the received responses to produce an output.

The host may transmit information defining at least one of the sections to the client system, which are presented to the user for receipt of responses. The responses are then transmitted to the query server. The query server processes the received information and produces an output based on the processed information. The query server may transmit information defining one of the sections to the client system, including designated queries and context information, and define information representative of a state of the section before transmission. The terminal presents inquiries to the user defined by the section, receives responses to the queries, and transmits an answer that includes information relating to the responses and a modified state to the query server. The query server, in this case, processes the responses to determine an information content and to determine a change between the defined state and the modified state.

Claims

1. A human response testing system, comprising:

(a) a host, storing a plurality of testing parameters, said testing parameters being divided into a plurality of sections;

(b) a terminal, communicating with said host through a telecommunications link, adapted for interaction with the human to acquire responses,

wherein said host transmits information defining one of said sections to said terminal, including designated queries and context information, and defines information representative of a state of said section before transmission, said terminal presents inquiries to the human defined by said section for receipt of responses to said queries and said terminal transmits an answer including information relating to said responses and a modified state to said host, said host processing said responses to determine an information content and determining a change between said defined state and said modified state to indicate changes between said transmitted context information and said information relating to said responses.