Computerized test preparation system employing individually tailored diagnostics and remediation

• US 6,688,889 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boostmyscore.com
• Original Assignee: Boostmyscore.com
• Inventors: Flaherty, Michael, Roy, David, Flaherty, John, Detwiler, Susan, Huss, Todd, Wallace, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, KATHLEEN MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US09/802,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20020160347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/362, 434/365, 434/307.R, 434/236, 706/927, 705/1, 705/14
• US Class Current: 434/322
• 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

Abstract

A computerized test preparation system and methods are disclosed which assist an examinee to increase his learning and improve his performance on standardized academic or applied aptitude and achievement exams. Performance feedback information is provided to a user, including conventional information such as number of items correct and time elapsed, pinpoints substantive areas of a particular exam in which the user is either weak or strong, and offers diagnoses of, and remediation tailored to, a user'"'"'s personal difficulties. By assessing a user'"'"'s responses to given exam questions, through various distractor error patterns manifested in the incorrect answers to multiple-choice questions, or through coded categories of responses in the case of user responses to constrained open-ended items, a preliminary diagnosis of a user'"'"'s deficits in knowledge and/or test taking skill is made. This preliminary diagnosis is subsequently refined utilizing additional examination questions. The refined diagnosis is then utilized to offer recommendations to an individual user to ameliorate the user'"'"'s manifested error patterns. A user'"'"'s response to this remediation is confirmed and reinforced using subsequent remediation activities.

Claims

1. A computerized method for preparing a user for standardized examinations, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a diagnostic test for assessing the user'"'"'s knowledge of a domain being tested, said test containing a plurality of questions, each question having a corresponding answer set, each said answer set possessing at least one correct answer and at least one incorrect answer, and one or more of said answers being respectively associated with one or more distractor error codes;

(b) presenting a series of said questions to said user;

(c) eliciting one of said answers from said user for each said question;

(d) recording said user'"'"'s elicited answer for each said question;

(e) analyzing said distractor error codes associated with the elicited answer;

(f) detecting one or more distractor error patterns from said analysis;

(g) diagnosing a deficiency in said domain being tested based on said distractor error patterns; and

(h) generating a remediation activity to remediate said diagnosed deficiency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said questions are constrained open-ended questions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

step (b) further comprises presenting said answer set associated with each said question to said user for selection by said user of one of said answers in said answer set.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting said remediation activity to said user, and tracking said user'"'"'s performance with respect to said presented remediation activity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising soliciting demographic information from said user, and generating said remediation activity based on said demographic information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

step (a) further comprises assigning said one or more distractor error codes to identify a deficiency in testwiseness skills of said user;

step (e) further comprises analyzing said user'"'"'s selected answers to identify said deficiency in testwiseness skills based on the distractor error codes associated with said selected answers; and

step (h) further comprises generating a remediation activity to remediate said deficiency based on said analysis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said diagnosis step (g) further comprises:

(i) generating at least one additional test to confirm said diagnosis;

(ii) presenting said additional test to said user;

(iii) analyzing said user'"'"'s responses to said additional test; and

(iv) confirming said diagnosis.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising (i) providing feedback to said user with respect to said remediation activity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said questions include questions taken from a standardized achievement test.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said distractor error codes include distractor error codes that indicate one or more types of errors in reasoning.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating said remediation activity (h) further comprises analyzing said user'"'"'s performance on previous remediation activities.

12. A computer readable media containing computer instructions for preparing a user for standardized examinations, said computer readable media comprising:

(a) a test generating computer code for generating a diagnostic test for assessing said user'"'"'s knowledge with respect to a domain of knowledge being tested, said test containing a plurality of questions, each question having a corresponding answer set, each said answer set possessing at least one correct answer and at least one incorrect answer, and one or more of said answers being respectively associated with one or more distractor error codes;

(b) a test display computer program code for displaying a series of said questions to said user;

(c) an eliciting computer program code for eliciting one of said answers from said user for each said question;

(d) a recording computer code for recording said user'"'"'s elicited answer to each said question;

(e) an analysis computer program code for analyzing the distractor error codes associated with the elicited answer;

(f) a detecting computer program code for detecting one or more distractor error patterns from said analysis;

(g) a diagnosis computer program code for diagnosing a deficiency in said domain being tested based on said distractor error pattern; and

(h) a remediation generator computer program code for generating a remediation activity to remediate said deficiency.

13. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein said questions are constrained open-ended questions.

14. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein:

said test display computer code (b) further comprises a computer code for presenting said answer set associated with each said question to said user for selection by said user of one of said answers in said answer set.

15. The computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising:

(i) an interface computer code for managing said user'"'"'s interaction with said media.

16. The computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising:

(j) a presentation computer code for presenting said remediation activity to said user for completion and for tracking said user'"'"'s performance with respect to said presented remediation activity.

17. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein said presentation computer code (j) further comprises:

(k) a user selection computer code for presenting said remediation activity to said user in a manner selected by said user.

18. The computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising:

(l) a demographic computer code for soliciting demographic information from said user; and

(m) a remediation tailoring computer code for generating said remediation activity based on said demographic information.

19. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein said distractor error codes include error codes for identifying a deficiency in testwiseness skills of said user, and wherein said remediation generator computer code (h) further comprises:

(n) a second analysis computer code for analyzing said user'"'"'s selected answers to identify said deficiency in testwiseness skills based on the distractor error codes and test taking behavior indicators associated with said selected answers; and

(o) a second remediation generator computer code for generating a remediation activity to remediate said deficiency based on said analysis.

20. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein said diagnosis computer program code (g) further comprises:

(p) an assessment test generating computer program code for generating at least one additional test to confirm said diagnosis;

(q) an assessment test presentation computer code for presenting said additional test to said user to obtain said user'"'"'s response to said additional test;

(r) an assessment analysis computer program code for analyzing said user'"'"'s response to said additional test; and

(s) a confirmation computer program code for making a confirmed diagnosis based on said analysis by said assessment analysis computer code.

21. The computer readable media of claim 12, further comprising:

(t) a feedback computer code providing feedback to said user with respect to said remediation activity.

22. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein said questions include questions taken from a test composed of standard answers.

23. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein said distractor error codes include distractor error codes that indicate one or more types of errors in reasoning.

24. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein said remediation generator computer code (h) generates a remediation activity based said user'"'"'s performance on a previous remediation activity.

25. A diagnostic testing and remediation apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a computing device

(b) an input device for receiving input from a user and connected to said computing device;

(c) an output device connected to said computing device;

(d) a memory storage device connected to said computing device, said memory storage device further comprising;

(i) a memory for storing a pool of test questions for assessing said user'"'"'s knowledge of a domain being tested, each question having a corresponding answer set, each said answer set possessing at least one correct answer and at least one incorrect answer, and one or more of said answers being respectively associated with one or more distractor error codes;

(ii) a test generating computer program code for generating a diagnostic test from said pool of test questions, said diagnostic test comprising a test question subset of said pool of test questions;

(iii) a test display computer program code for displaying said diagnostic test to said user;

(iv) an eliciting computer program code for eliciting one of said answers from said user for each said question in said diagnostic test;

(v) a recording computer program code for recording said user'"'"'s elicited answers to each said question;

(vi) an analysis computer program code for analyzing the distractor error codes associated with said user'"'"'s elicited answers;

(vii) a detecting computer program code for detecting one or more distractor error patterns from said analyzed distractor error codes;

(viii) a diagnosis computer program code for diagnosing a deficiency in said domain being tested based on said detected distractor error pattern; and

(ix) a remediation generator computer program code for generating a remediation activity to remediate said deficiency.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said questions are constrained open-ended questions.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein:

said test display computer code (iii) further comprises a computer code for presenting said answer set associated with each said question to said user for selection by said user of one of said answers in said answer set.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said computing device is located locally to said user.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a communication link connecting said input device and said output device with said computing device, and wherein said computing device is a computer located remotely from said user.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein said memory storage device (d) further comprises:

(x) an interface computer code for managing said user'"'"'s interaction with said apparatus.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said memory storage device (d) further comprises:

(xi) a demographic computer code for soliciting demographic information from said user;

(xii) a second memory for storing said demographic information; and

(xiii) a remediation tailoring computer code for generating said remediation activity based on said demographic information.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said memory storage device (d) further comprises:

(xiv) a presentation computer code for presenting said remediation activity to said user for completion and for tracking said user'"'"'s performance with respect to said remediation activity.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said memory storage device (d) further comprises:

(xv) a user selection computer code for presenting said remediation activity to said user in a manner selected by said user.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said memory storage device further comprises:

(xvi) a feedback computer code for providing feedback to said user with respect to said remediation activity.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said test display computer code (iii) further comprises:

(xvii) a timer display computer code for displaying a timer.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

(xviii) a second timer computer code for calculating an elapsed time in connection with said user'"'"'s selected answers to said questions and for displaying said elapsed time.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said pool of test questions includes questions taken from a standardized achievement test.

38. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said distractor error codes include distractor error codes that indicate one or more types of errors in reasoning.

39. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said distractor error codes include error codes for identifying a deficiency in testwiseness skills of said user, and wherein said remediation generator computer code (ix) further comprises:

(xix) a second analysis computer code for analyzing said user'"'"'s selected answers to identify said deficiency in testwiseness skills based on the distractor error codes associated with said selected answers; and

(xx) a second remediation generator computer code for generating a remediation activity to remediate said deficiency based on said analysis.

40. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said diagnosis computer code (viii) further comprises:

(xxi) an assessment test generating computer program code for generating at least one additional test to confirm said diagnosis;

(xxii) an assessment test presentation computer code for presenting said additional test to said user to obtain said user'"'"'s response to said additional tests;

(xxiii) an assessment analysis computer program code for analyzing said user'"'"'s response to said additional test; and

(xxiv) a confirmation computer program code for making a confirmed diagnosis based on said analysis by said assessment analysis computer code.

41. A computerized standardized test preparation apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for generating a diagnostic test for assessing a user'"'"'s knowledge of a domain being tested, said test containing a plurality of questions, each question having a corresponding answer set, each said answer set possessing at least one correct answer and at least one incorrect answer, and one or more of said answers being respectively associated with one or more distractor error codes;

(b) means for presenting a series of said questions to the user;

(c) means for eliciting one of said answers from said user for each said question;

(d) means for recording said user'"'"'s selected answer to each said question;

(e) means for analyzing said distractor error codes associated with the elicited answer;

(f) means for detecting one or more distractor error patterns based on said analyzed distractor error codes;

(g) means for diagnosing a deficiency based on said error pattern in said domain being tested based on said distractor error patterns; and

(h) means for generating a remediation activity to remediate said deficiency.