Method and apparatus for improving performance on multiple-choice exams

• US 6,514,084 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2000
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robolaw Corporation
• Original Assignee: Robolaw Corporation
• Inventors: Thomas, C. Douglass
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/542,999
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 464/118, 464/156, 464/169, 464/307.R, 464/322, 464/323, 464/327, 464/332, 464/335, 464/336, 464/338, 464/350, 464/353, 464/359, 464/362, 464/365, 463/9, 463/19, 463/29, 463/40-42, 345/169, 702/182, 706/927, 707/1, 707/500
• US Class Current: 434/322
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/06 of the multiple-choice answer-type, i.e. where a given question is provided with a series of answers and a choice has to be made from the answers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction

Abstract

A computerized learning approach that enables a user to improve their performance on multiple-choice exams is disclosed. Although the learning approach includes various aspects and implementations, in general, the invention forces test-takers to practice their examination skills and subject matter knowledge in a systematic way. The systematic way forces the users to follow a proven problem-solving approach designed to improve their performance. The invention provides important performance feedback to user'"'"'s, for example, elapsed time per question and percentage of correctly answered questions. The invention can also pinpoint for the user the substantive areas of the exam which the user is either weak or strong. Further, the invention is able to assist the user in predicting his/her eventual score.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium containing computer instructions that are useful for improving a user'"'"'s performance on multiple choice examinations, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for causing a question and a plurality of answer choices to be displayed;

computer program code for causing a time duration to be displayed;

computer program code for displaying, at a user'"'"'s request, a hint to assist the user in correctly answering the question;

computer program code for receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the answer choices;

computer program code for determining whether the selected answer choice selected by the user is the correct answer choice; and

computer program code for displaying, at a user'"'"'s request, a relevant portion of substantive information that is linked to the particular topic of the question that has been presented to the user, the substantive information containing detailed information on a plurality of topics.

2. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for causing an explanation of the correctness or incorrectness of the selected answer choice to be displayed.

3. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 2, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for displaying a visual indication of whether the selected answer choice is the correct answer choice, the visual indication being displayed immediately and automatically after the user has selected one of the answer choices and said computer program code for determining has determined whether the answer choice selected by the user is the correct answer choice.

4. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for displaying a visual indication of whether the selected answer choice is the correct answer choice, the visual indication being displayed after the user has selected one of the answer choices and said computer program code for determining has determined whether the answer choice selected by the user is the correct answer choice.

5. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1,

wherein said computer program code for displaying the question and the answer choices operates to sequentially display a series of questions and their associated answer choices, the questions being associated with topics of a multiple choice examination, and each of the questions being assigned to one of the topics, and

wherein said computer readable media further comprises:

computer program code for displaying performance information for the user.

6. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the performance information includes a percentage correct for at least one of the topics associated with the questions.

7. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 5, wherein the performance information includes an average time per question for individual topics associated with the questions.

8. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the time duration is associated with an amount of time a user spends answering the questions.

9. A computer readable medium containing computer instructions that are useful for improving a user'"'"'s performance on multiple choice examinations, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for causing a question and a plurality of answer choices to be displayed;

computer program code for causing a time duration to be displayed;

computer program code for receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the answer choices;

computer program code for determining whether the selected answer choice selected by the user is the correct answer choice; and

computer program code for displaying, at a user'"'"'s request, a relevant portion of substantive information that is linked to the particular topic of the question that has been presented to the user, the substantive information containing detailed information on a plurality of topics;

computer program code for monitoring the performance of the user in answering a plurality of questions; and

computer program code for predicting future performance of the user based on the monitored performance.

10. A computer readable medium containing computer instructions that are useful for improving a user'"'"'s performance on multiple choice examinations, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for causing a question and a plurality of answer choices to be displayed;

computer program code for displaying, at a user'"'"'s request, a hint to assist the user in correctly answering the question;

computer program code for receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the answer choices;

computer program code for determining whether the answer choice selected by the user is the correct answer choice;

computer program code for displaying a visual indication of whether the selected answer choice is the correct answer choice;

computer program code for causing an explanation of the correctness or incorrectness of the selected answer choice to be displayed; and

computer program code for displaying, at a user'"'"'s request, substantive information that is linked to the question that has been presented to the user.

11. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the substantive information is text that corresponds to text provided in a textbook.

12. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the question is associated with a topic, and wherein the substantive information pertains to detailed information on the topic of the question.

13. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the explanation and the visual indication of whether the selected answer choice is the correct answer choice are displayed immediately and automatically after the user has selected one of the answer choices and said computer program code for determining has determined whether the answer choice selected by the user is the correct answer choice.

14. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the question is associated with a topic, and wherein the substantive information pertains to detailed information on the topic of the question.

15. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein after the explanation and the visual indication of whether the selected answer choice is the correct answer choice are displayed, said computer program code for receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the answer choices, receives a newly selected answer choice for the question, thereafter said computer program code for displaying a visual indication operates to display another visual indication for the newly selected answer choice, and said computer code for causes an explanation of the correctness or incorrectness of the newly selected answer choice to be displayed.

16. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the explanation being displayed differs depending on the one of the answer choices selected.

17. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein said computer readable medium further comprising:

computer program code for causing a time duration to be displayed.

18. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the explanation is dependent on the one of the answer choices selected, whereby the explanation displayed differs for each of the answer choices.

19. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein after the explanation and the visual indication of whether the selected answer choice is the correct answer choice are displayed, said computer program code for receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the answer choices, receives a newly selected answer choice for the question, thereafter said computer program code for displaying a visual indication operates to display another visual indication for the newly selected answer choice, and said computer code for causes an explanation of the correctness or incorrectness of the newly selected answer choice to be displayed.

20. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the explanation being displayed differs depending on the one of the answer choices selected.

21. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10,

wherein said computer program code for displaying the question and the answer choices operates to sequentially display a series of questions and their associated answer choices, the questions being associated with topics of a multiple choice examination, and each of the questions being assigned to one of the topics, and

wherein said computer readable media further comprises:

computer program code for displaying performance information for the user.

22. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the performance information includes a percentage correct for at least one of the topics associated with the questions.

23. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the performance information includes an average time per question for individual topics associated with the questions.

24. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the question is associated with a topic, and wherein the substantive information pertains to detailed information on the topic of the question.

25. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the explanation and the visual indication of whether the selected answer choice is the correct answer choice are displayed immediately and automatically after the user has selected one of the answer choices and said computer program code for determining has determined whether the answer choice selected by the user is the correct answer choice.

26. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein after the explanation and the visual indication of whether the selected answer choice is the correct answer choice are displayed, said computer program code for receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one of the answer choices, receives a newly selected answer choice for the question, thereafter said computer program code for displaying a visual indication operates to display another visual indication for the newly selected answer choice, and said computer code for causes an explanation of the correctness or incorrectness of the newly selected answer choice to be displayed.

27. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for monitoring the performance of the user in answering a plurality of questions; and

computer program code for predicting future performance of the user based on the monitored performance.