Method and apparatus for administering an internet based examination to remote sites

• US 7,099,620 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medical Council of Canada
• Original Assignee: Medical Council of Canada
• Inventors: Miller, David Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US10/978,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20050095571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/219, 434/307.R, 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/362, 434/365, 434/65, 434/354, 463/1, 463/42, 705/1, 705/10, 709/223, 709/224, 726/12
• US Class Current: 434/350
• 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 for administering a secure, Internet based examination at remote sites is disclosed. The examination is dynamic and potentially adaptive. During the examination session, the state of the examination is maintained with the use of cookies, which are updated and stored on the central server at a predefined interval during the examination. Individual examination sessions may be restored to their previous state in the event of a malfunction.

Claims

1. A method of securely administering an examination by computer, comprising the steps of:

(i) preparing examination content, including;

a. formulating examination content within individual questions;

b. creating a plurality of testlets, each of said testlets comprising a grouping of one or more of said questions; and

c. storing said testlets within a database;

(ii) logging an examinee into a client computer module, including;

a. prompting entry by said examinee of provided registration information through a user interface incorporated within said client computer module;

b. capturing said entered registration information on said client computer module;

c. transmitting said captured registration information to a server computer module over a secure data transmission route;

d. verifying said transmitted registration information; and

e. logging said examinee into said examination upon said verification;

(iii) displaying examination content to said logged in examinee, including;

a. retrieving from said database by said server computer module, individual testlets appropriate for said examinee in accordance with at least one criterion associated with said examinee;

b. transmitting said retrieved testlets to said client computer module over a secure data transmission route; and

c. displaying said transmitted testlets to said examinee on said user interface;

(iv) capturing and recording responses from said logged in examinee to said displayed examination content, including;

a. capturing responses to said displayed testlets from said examinee entered through said user interface;

b. transmitting said captured responses over a secure data transmission route to said server computer module; and

c. recording said transmitted responses on said server computer module;

(v) limiting interaction with said client computer module by said logged in examinee to sanctioned examination interactions only, including;

a. locking display of said user interface on a display screen displaying said user interface, above all other elements of said client computer module, and to an entirety of said display screen;

b. preventing access by said examinee to elements of said client computer module underlying said user interface;

c. filtering out non-sanctioned commands inputted from input devices of said client computer module; and

d. controlling navigation by said examinee linearly within said user interface to control progress through said examination; and

(vi) iterating steps (iii) through (v) until completion of said examination.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step (v) further includes the step of verifying examination position information to ensure said examinee is actually where they are authorized to be within said examination.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of verifying examination position information includes the step of recording said examination, including:

at said client computer module,

recording at regular intervals on cookies, current state information pertaining to said examination of; and

initiating a record request to said server computer module,

at said server computer module,

storing content of said cookies in a file allocated to said examinee in response to said request.

4. The method of claim 3, further including the step of initiating a request from said server computer module to said client computer module to prevent currently displayed content on said client computer module display from changing, after said server computer module has received said record request.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step (iv) further includes the steps of:

submitting responses to a predetermined set of said testlets by said examinee upon completion of said responses, and

preventing said examinee from changing said submitted changes.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of including a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) with at least one of said secure data transmission routes.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) in at least one of said secure data transmission routes.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said registration information includes a Personal Identification Number (PIN) assigned to said examinee, and associated with a time and a place of said examination.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said verification step includes the step of verifying whether said examinee logs into said examination at said place and on said time.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (ii) further includes the steps of:

entering a verifier information by a proctor, and

transmitting said entered verifier information to said server computer module over a secure data transmission route,

whereby said step of verifying said transmitted registration information is aided by said transmitted verifier information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein step (ii) further includes the step of displaying a digital likeness of said examinee on said client computer module for verification by said proctor prior to said step of entering said verifier information.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step (ii) further includes the step of entering a provided start code by said examinee subsequent to logging into said examination.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a first testlet is provided to said examinee when said start code is entered.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically marking said examinee responses.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of adaptively retrieving said testlets in accordance with said automatically marked responses.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing free movement to said examinee between individual questions within a single section, said section comprising one or more testlets selected in accordance with said at least one criterion.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of providing free movement includes the step of allowing said examinee to change responses to said questions within only a single section prior to submitting said responses to said section.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein said testlets comprising a predetermined number of said questions that are from the same medical discipline and about the same level of difficulty.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step (i) further comprises the step of:

creating separate routing testlets and adaptive testlets;

wherein said step (iii) further comprises the steps of;

displaying said routing testlets first, to estimate examinee ability; and

subsequently adaptively displaying said adaptive testlets to said examinee based upon results from said examinee'"'"'s said routing testlet responses.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing language transition from one language to another at any point within said examination.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling changes to display of visual elements within said user interface by said examinee, including text and background appearance to minimize examinee fatigue.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a clock, on said display, adapted to display real time, examination time lapsed, and/or examination time remaining.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein step (v) further includes the step of providing a digital certificate to said client computer module to ensure a software in said client computer module to transact a process allowed by said server computer module.

24. A system for securely administering an examination by computer, comprising:

a database for storing a plurality of testlets including formulated examination content within one or more examination questions;

a server computer module communicated with said database by a secure data transmission route for retrieving from said database said testlets;

a client computer module connected to said server computer module by a secure data transmission route,

said client computer module including;

a display screen connected to said client computer module;

a user interface incorporated within said client computer module and displayed on said display screen; and

an interaction limiter module,

said user interface being adapted for;

prompting and capturing entry of registration information by said examinee; and

displaying testlets and capturing examinee responses to said displayed testlets,

said interaction limiter module being adapted for;

locking display of said user interface on a display screen displaying said user interface, above all other elements of said client computer module, and to an entirety of said display screen;

preventing access by said examinee to elements of said client computer module underlying said user interface;

filtering out non-sanctioned commands inputted from input devices of said client computer module; and

controlling navigation by said examinee linearly within said user interface to control progress through said examination.