Method and system for short-to long-term memory bridge

• US 6,447,299 B1
• Filed: 12/06/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John F. Boon
• Original Assignee: John F. Boon
• Inventors: Boon, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US09/455,160
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 434/156, 434/157, 434/167, 434/169, 434/176, 434/322, 434/323, 434/327, 434/348, 434/353, 434/354, 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/156
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

The invention includes a teaching machine that presents questions to the user who responds with answers. Graded interval recall is accomplished by storing the exact time and date when the user learns a correct answer. The machine determines the presentation mode and review schedule for each unit according to the length of real time that has elapsed since the user learns the material. Precise timing is designed to bridge the threshold between short-term and long-term memory by interrupting default sequencing of material to review items at an exact preset interval from the time the user learned the material.

Claims

1. A method for linking short term memory to long term memory for a user, comprising:

querying the user with a plurality of queries for material to be learned;

receiving responses to the plurality of queries;

scoring the user for the responses to the plurality of queries, wherein scoring the user comprises determining whether each of the responses is correct, determining whether each of the responses in incorrect, and assigning a Q value for each of the plurality of queries; and

updating the Q value for each of the plurality of queries, wherein updating the Q value for each of the plurality of queries includes selecting one from a group consisting of increasing the Q value for each of the plurality of queries having the correct response and decreasing the Q value for each of the plurality of queries having the incorrect response.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a level to the user, wherein the level of the user comprises one selected from a plurality of levels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein scoring the user comprises use of an algorithm, the algorithm providing a time varying bridge for linking short term memory to long term memory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the material to be learned includes learned material and forgotten material, wherein the plurality of Q values range from a low Q value assigned to the forgotten material to a high Q value corresponding to learned material, and wherein the material to be learned has an associated Q value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the learned material comprises material for which at least one correct answer to at least one query has been received for a time period at least equal to a preselected time period.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the low Q value is 1 and the high value is 14.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the material to be learned includes learned material and forgotten material, the learned material having an associated date and time of learning, and wherein the algorithm includes an actual elapsed time period since the associated date and time of the learned material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the learned material has at least one associated query for which a correct response has been received from the user.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the algorithm includes a lookup value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the lookup value comprises a time value associated with each of the plurality of Q values.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the time value associated with each of the plurality of Q values varies so as to reinforce association of the short term memory of the user with the long term memory of the user.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each of the plurality of queries, determining whether the user previously provided the correct response, and if the user provides the correct response to the query, increasing the Q value by a value increment, the value increment depending on the level of the user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each of the plurality of queries, determining whether the user was previously provided the query, and if the user was not previously provided the query, and the user provides the correct response, increasing the Q value for the query by one.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each of the plurality of queries, determining whether the query was previously provided to the user, and if the query was previously provided to user and the user provides the incorrect response, decreasing the Q value for the query by at least one.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each of the plurality of queries, determining whether the query was previously provided to the user, and if the query was not previously provided to user and the user provides the incorrect response, decreasing the Q value for the query by one.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each of the plurality of queries, determining whether the user previously provided the correct response to the query, and if the user provides the correct response to the query, increasing the Q value for the query by one.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of levels includes an associated mode, the associated mode selected from the group comprising EASY mode, LEARN mode, and QUICK mode, further comprising:

providing a prompt to the user, the prompt varying depending on the associated mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the prompt for the EASY mode comprises displaying an answer for each of the plurality of queries.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the prompt for LEARN mode comprises displaying each of the plurality of queries without displaying an answer.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the prompt for QUICK mode comprises displaying for a subliminally short intermittent time period an answer for each of the plurality of queries.