User interface educational database system for monitoring proficiency, performance and evaluation of student

• US 6,651,071 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alverno College
• Original Assignee: Alverno College
• Inventors: Diez, Mary E., OʼBrien Hokanson, Robert F., OʼBrien, Kathleen A., Loacker, Georgine, Rickards, William H., Ehley, Linda A., Talley, L. Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US09/632,263
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 707/200-206, 707/500.1, 707/511-513, 709/203-205, 709/215-225, 706/45-50, 706/927, 705/1-10, 345/854, 345/978, 345/745, 345/835, 345/734, 345/969, 345/968, 434/322-360, 273/429-431
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

An educational institution requires that each student demonstrate proficiency in a plurality of abilities in order to receive a degree. A database is employed to store a portfolio of information evidencing each student'"'"'s work related to those abilities. A user interface is provided to selectively present information from the portfolio in a plurality of formats, thereby enabling a student or a faculty member to evaluate the student'"'"'s progress toward mastering the abilities and associated knowledge in order to make informed plans for improvement.

Claims

1. A database system for tracking achievement of students of an educational institution where each student must demonstrate proficiency in every one of a plurality of abilities, proficiency in each ability is demonstrated by completing a plurality of performances in a series of courses in a curriculum of the educational institution, each course typically relates to more than one of the plurality of abilities, that database system comprising:

a data entry device by which a person indicates when a student has satisfactorily completed a performance assigned in one of the plurality of courses;

a data storage structure which for each student contains an identification of a plurality of performances satisfactorily completed by that student and an identification of which of the plurality of abilities are associated with each of the plurality of performances; and

a user interface coupled to the data storage structure to retrieve data regarding the plurality of performances and to selectively present information about an extent to which each student has demonstrated proficiency in the plurality of abilities.

2. The database system as recited in claim 1 wherein the data storage structure further contains an evaluation of each of the plurality of performances, wherein each evaluation is provided by a person other than a student.

3. The database system as recited in claim 1 wherein the data storage structure further contains an evaluation of each of the plurality of performances, wherein each evaluation is provided by a student.

4. The database system as recited in claim 1 wherein the data storage structure further contains a grade for each of the plurality of performances.

5. The database system as recited in claim 1 wherein the data storage structure contains, for each of the plurality of performances, a grade for each associated ability.

6. The database system as recited in claim 1 wherein the user interface creates a display for a particular student that lists each of plurality of abilities and which performances the particular student has completed to demonstrate proficiency in the plurality of abilities.

7. The database system as recited in claim 1 wherein the user interface creates a display for a particular student that lists the plurality of abilities and which courses at the educational institution the particular student has completed to demonstrate proficiency in each ability.

8. A database system for tracking achievement of students of an educational institution where each student must demonstrate proficiency in a plurality of abilities, proficiency in each ability is demonstrated by completing a plurality of performances in a series of courses, each course typically relates to more than one of the plurality of abilities, said database system comprising:

a data structure containing a separate record for each of a plurality of performances completed by a student, each record containing an identification of a given performance, an identification of the student, an identification of the course in which the given performance was assigned, an identification of which of the plurality of predefined abilities are associated with the given performance, and a first evaluation of the given performance wherein the first evaluation was made by a person; and

a user interface coupled to the data structure and to selectively present information about the plurality of performances.

9. The database system as recited in claim 8 wherein each record in the data structure further contains a second evaluation of the given performance, which second evaluation is provided by the student.

10. The database system as recited in claim 9 wherein the user interface inhibits a student from accessing the first evaluation until the second evaluation has been entered into the database system.

11. The database system as recited in claim 9 wherein each record contains a link to a word processor document that contains the second evaluation.

12. The database system as recited in claim 8 wherein the first evaluation contains a link to a word processor document that contains a verbal evaluation.

13. The database system as recited in claim 8 wherein the first evaluation contains a grade for each of the plurality of predefined abilities associated with the given performance.

14. The database system as recited in claim 8 wherein each record in the data structure further contains a designation of a course in the curriculum of the educational institution to which the given performance relates.

15. The database system as recited in claim 14 wherein the user interface creates a display which indicates courses that a particular student has completed and which of the predefined abilities are associated with each course.

16. The database system as recited in claim 8 wherein the user interface creates a display indicating performances that a particular student has completed and which of the plurality of predefined abilities relate to each completed performance.

17. A database system for tracking achievement of students of an educational institution where each student must demonstrate proficiency in a plurality of abilities, proficiency in each ability is demonstrated by completing a plurality of performances in a series of courses, each course typically relates to more than one of the plurality of abilities, said database system comprising:

a performance design data structure containing a separate design record for a plurality of performances, each design record identifying a particular performance for assignment to students, a course in which the performance is assigned, a description of the performance, an identification of which of the plurality of abilities are associated with the particular performance, and criteria for assessing how well a student has completed the particular performance;

a performance data-structure containing a separate performance record for each performance assigned to each student which separate performance record is linked to a design record in the performance design data structure, each performance record containing an identification of a given performance, and an identification of a student to whom the given performance has been assigned;

a feedback data structure containing a plurality of feedback records each linked to a performance record in the performance data structure, and each feedback record storing an evaluation of the given performance identified in the linked performance record wherein the evaluation was made by a person who observed the performance; and

a user interface coupled to the performance design data structure, the performance data structure and the feedback data structure, and selectively presenting information about performances completed by a student.

18. The database system as recited in claim 17 wherein the user interface creates a display for a particular student that lists the plurality of abilities and which performances the particular student has completed which demonstrate proficiency in each of the plurality of abilities.

19. The database system as recited in claim 17 wherein for a particular student the user interface creates a two dimensional matrix display in which the plurality of abilities are listed along one axis and different levels of achievement are listed along another axis, the matrix has a plurality of cells each associated with one of the plurality of abilities and one of the levels of achievement, within each cell is a list of performances that the particular student has completed that demonstrate proficiency in an associated ability.

20. The database system as recited in claim 17 wherein the feedback data structure contains evaluation information from a faculty member at the educational institution.

21. The database system as recited in claim 20 wherein the feedback data structure contains a grade for each of the plurality of abilities associated with the given performance.

22. The database system has recited in claim 20 wherein the feedback data structure contains a grade for the given performance.

23. The database system as recited in claim 17 wherein the feedback data structure contains an evaluation by the particular student who gave the given performance.

24. The database system as recited in claim 17 wherein each performance record indicates whether the given performance has been completed by the particular student.

25. The database system as recited in claim 17 wherein the user interface creates a display indicating uncompleted performances that have been assigned to a particular student.

26. The database system as recited in claim 17 wherein each performance record contains a link to a file that contains the performance of the particular student.

27. A computer readable storage medium for an educational institution where students must demonstrate proficiency in a plurality of predefined abilities by completing a plurality of performances in a series of courses, each course typically relates to more than one of the plurality of abilities, said computer readable storage medium comprising:

a data structure containing a data for a plurality of performances completed by a student, the data related to each performance containing an identification of a given performance, an identification of the student, an identification of the course in which the given performance was assigned, an identification of which of the plurality of predefined abilities are associated with the given performance, and an evaluation of the given performance which evaluation is made by a person who observed the performance.

28. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 27 wherein each record contains a link to a word processor document that contains text related to the evaluation.

29. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 27 further comprises a word processor document that contains text related to the evaluation.

30. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 27 wherein the evaluation contains a grade for each of the plurality of predefined abilities associated with the given performance.