Event based system for use within the creation and implementation of educational simulations

• US 7,016,880 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SkillSoft Limited
• Original Assignee: SmartForce, PLC (SkillSoft Limited)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Scott L., Adams, David L., Zmrhal, Teddy D., O'Brien, Jean-Paul, Sferlazza, Salvatore R., Youngren, Malcolm P., Navabi, Dariush
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P.
• Application Number:
  US09/668,004
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 706/11, 706/14, 706/46, 704/275
• US Class Current: 706/11
• 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

Abstract

A method and system of creating an education simulation having a character that a learner interacts with is disclosed. The method includes providing a simulation interface through a simulation software code, wherein the character appears within the simulation interface, providing a data storage area for storing a trait of the character, the trait having a trait value, communicating possible statements and/or actions through the simulation interface to the learner, receiving from the learner a chosen statement or action from the possible statements and/or actions, responding to the statement or action chosen by the learner by providing a character response by the character, wherein the character response provided is determined by the trait value of the at least one trait, and generating new possible statements and/or actions for the learner contained within the data storage area.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of creating an education simulation having a simulated character for a learner to interact with, the method comprising:

providing a simulation interface through a simulation software code, wherein the simulated character appears within the simulation interface;

providing a data storage area for storing at least one trait of the simulated character, the at least one trait having a trait value, communicating possible user statements through the simulation interface to the learner;

receiving from the learner a selected user statement from the possible user statements;

responding to the selected user statement by providing a character response by the simulated character, wherein the character response provided is determined by the trait value of the at least one trait; and

,

generating new possible statements for the learner contained within the data storage area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data storage area stores a plurality of character traits which together reflect a data value indicative of a state of mind of the simulated character.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data storage area stores a plurality of character traits which together reflect a data valve indicative of a personality of the simulated character.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one character trait is a data valve indicative of a desire to buy a product or a service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data storage area is a dynamic data model.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the dynamic data model is independent of the simulation software code.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the trait value of the at least one trait is calculated by adding a previous trait value with a trait change value for the at least one trait.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the trait change value for the at least one trait is calculated by adding a previous trait change value with a force value.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the force value is determined by whether the learner has selected a neutral statement or action.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the force value is determined by whether the learner has identified a problem.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the force value is determined by whether the learner has identified a solution.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the force value is determined by whether the learner has identified a solution after the learner has met a problem threshold value.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the force value is determined by whether the learner has identified a correct answer.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the force value is determined by whether the learner has identified an incorrect answer.

15. The method of claim 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14 wherein the force value depends on at least one predetermined value that is selectable by a designer.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the force value is determined by a decay.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the decay is negative when the learner has positively impacted the trait value.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the decay is positive when the learner has negatively impacted the trait value.

19. The method of claim 16, 17, or 18 wherein the decay has a rate and direction that are selectable by a designer.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the trait value has a minimum trait value, a maximum trait value, and a default trait value.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the trait value has a minimum limit threshold value and a maximum limit threshold value, wherein a first difficulty level associated with the leaner reaching a minimum trait value increases once the trait value reaches the minimum limit threshold, and wherein a second difficulty level associated with the leaner reaching a maximum trait value increases once the trait value reaches the maximum limit threshold.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one trait has at least one of a rate of change and a direction of change.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the rate of change has a minimum, a maximum, and a default value.

24. A computerized method of creating a response by a simulated character within an education simulation for a learner, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a data storage area for storing at least one trait of the simulated character, the at least one trait having a trait value,

receiving from the learner a user statement from possible user statements provided by the simulated character,

responding to the selected user statement by providing a character response by the simulated character, wherein the character response provided is determined by the trait value of the at least one trait, and

generating new possible statements for the learner contained within the data storage area.

25. A computer system for creating a response by a character within an education simulation for a learner, the computer system comprising:

a data storage area for storing at least one trait of the character, the at least one trait having a trait value,

a first code segment for receiving from the learner a chosen user statement from a list of possible user statements;

a second code segment responding to the selected user statement received in the first code segment by providing a character response by the character, wherein the character response provided is determined by the trait value of the at least one trait.