System and method of facilitating and evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem using visual feedback

• US 7,225,175 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zxibix Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zxibix Inc.
• Inventors: Heidenreich, James R., Higgins, Linda S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes; Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US10/704,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 706 45- 47
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/00 Computing arrangements using knowledge-based models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods of facilitating and evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem. The system includes first logic to facilitate user specification of the problem to populate a problem statement structure; second logic to facilitate user specification of a conclusion, to populate a conclusion statement structure; third logic to facilitate user specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the problem and the conclusion, to populate a knowledge structure. Some embodiments include logic to construct a user model of user development and population of the structure; and visual feedback logic to depict an archetype problem-solution structure and to depict the user model structure. Other embodiments include tracking logic to monitor user interactions and to build a model of such interactions so that the model, and the user thinking process, may be evaluated.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media having computer executable instructions for implementing a system for facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

First logic to facilitate user specification of the problem to populate a problem statement structure;

Second logic to facilitate user specification of a conclusion statement, related to the problem statement, to populate a conclusion statement structure;

Third logic to facilitate user creation and specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the problem statement and the conclusion statement, to populate a knowledge structure;

Model logic to track user interaction with the first through third logic to construct a user model structure of user development and population of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure, and

Visual feedback logic depiction of an archetype problem-solution structure and to depict the user model structure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the model logic builds a three-dimensional graphic to represent the user model structure and the archetype problem-solution structure and wherein the three dimensional graphic includes at least one distinct graphic feature for each of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the three-dimensional graphic is an object with facets defining the surface of the object and wherein the at least one distinct graphical feature for each of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure, is a facet of the object.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the appearance of the three-dimensional graphic is representative of the development of the user thinking of the arbitrary problem.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one distinct graphical feature is displayed to suggest the relative development of the corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, or knowledge structure.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the distinct graphical feature is displayed to suggest whether a corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, or knowledge structure is lacking in user-provided content.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the archetype problem-solution structure is a dynamic structure that changes in response to the user model structure.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the archetype problem-solution structure is a dynamic structure that changes in response to the user model structure and wherein the three-dimensional graphic depiction includes a depiction to suggest a corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, or knowledge structure is lacking in user-provided content and said depiction is a suggestion of a next step for the user in thinking about the arbitrary problem.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein user-activation of a graphical feature launches a corresponding workspace for the user to develop at least a subset of the corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein a workspace presents content populating at least a subset of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure and includes user controls to develop content and relationships of at least a subset of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the workspace further includes user controls to suggest next steps to the user.

12. The system of claim 3 wherein the model logic arranges facets on the surface in order to suggest next steps to the user.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein a first facet and second facet are arranged adjacent to suggest activation of the second facet as a next step to the user.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the order is based on relative amount of development of at least a subset of the corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the order is based on relationships among at least a subset of the corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, and knowledge structure.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the user derivation and specification of knowledge includes the user specification of data and wherein the knowledge structure is a data structure to hold data.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the user derivation and specification of knowledge includes the user derivation and specification of information and wherein the knowledge structure is an information structure to hold information.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the user derivation and specification of knowledge includes the user derivation and specification of analysis and wherein the knowledge structure is an analysis structure to hold analysis.

19. The system of claim 1 further including fourth logic to facilitate user specification of at least one subtopic statement, related to the problem, to populate a corresponding at least one subtopic statement structure to disaggregate the problem into related subtopics, and wherein the model logic tracks user interaction additionally with the subtopic statement logic to construct a user model structure of user development and population of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, knowledge structure and at least one subtopic statement.

26. The system of claim 1 further including logic to facilitate user specification of at least one meaning statement, related to a corresponding at least one problem or subtopic statement, to populate a corresponding at least one meaning statement structure, and wherein the model logic tracks user interaction additionally with the meaning statement logic to construct a user model structure of user development and population of the problem structure, conclusion statement structure, knowledge structure and at least one meaning statement.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the depiction includes at least one three-dimensional graphic to represent at least one of the user model structure and the archetype problem structure and includes at least one graphic feature for each of the problem specification, conclusion specification, and knowledge specification.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the three-dimensional graphic is an object with facets defining the surface of an object.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the three-dimensional graphic is an object with facets defining the surface of the object and at least one additional visually defined space within the boundaries of the three dimensional graphic.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the at least one three-dimensional graphic includes at least one molecular structure.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein the depiction includes the visual distinction of regions corresponding to subsets of the archetype problem structure by structures of a similar type.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein the depiction includes the visual distinction of subsets of at least one of the archetype problem structure and the user model structure according to related filtered subsets of the problem specification, conclusion specification, and knowledge specification.

33. The system of claim 1 wherein the depiction includes visual feedback features to suggest whether a corresponding problem specification, conclusion statement specification, or knowledge specification is lacking in user-provided content.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the visual feedback features suggest whether a user problem specification, conclusion statement specification, or knowledge specification is lacking relative to an archetype problem structure.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the visual distinction is accomplished by the visual representation of levels.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein the visual distinction is accomplished by visually bounded areas.

37. The system of claim 32 wherein the visual distinction is accomplished by facets of an object.

38. The system of claim 32 wherein the visual distinction is accomplished by visually bounded areas.

39. The system of claim 1 wherein the depiction includes visual features which when activated provide a corresponding workspace for the user to develop at least a subset of the corresponding problem structure, conclusion statement structure, knowledge structure, and the relationships therebetween.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the workspace further includes user controls to suggest next steps to the user.

41. The system of claim 1 wherein the visual feedback includes the use of color.

42. The system of claim 1 wherein the visual feedback includes the use of visual transparency or opaqueness.

43. The system of claim 1 wherein the visual feedback includes the use of at least one of spatial proximity or spatial arrangement.

44. The system of claim 1 wherein the depiction includes a depiction of suggested next steps for the user.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the suggestion is accomplished by at least one use of spatial arrangement or proximity.

20. One or more computer readable media having computer executable instructions for implementing a system for evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

First logic to facilitate user specification of the problem to populate a problem statement structure;

Second logic to facilitate user specification of a conclusion statement, related to the problem specification, to populate a conclusion statement structure;

Third logic to facilitate user derivation and specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the problem statement and the conclusion statement, to populate a knowledge structure;

Tracking logic to monitor user interactions with the first through third logic and to build a corresponding model of such interactions so that the model and the corresponding user thinking process, may be evaluated;

And at least one of logic to display, logic to store, or logic to output at least a subset of the resulting user model of user interactions.

21. The system of claim 20 further including fourth logic to facilitate user specification of at least one subtopic statement, related to the problem, to populate a corresponding at least one subtopic statement structure to disaggregate the problem into related subtopics, and wherein the tracking logic further monitors user interactions additionally with the subtopic statement logic to build the model.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the model depicts a problem-solution structure utilized by the user during the thinking process, and wherein the model may be analyzed to evaluate the problem-solution structure of the user.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the model may be compared to an archetype problem-solution structure.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the model may be compared to an archetype process for user thinking about the arbitrary problem.

25. The system of claim 20 further including logic to facilitate user specification of at least one meaning statement, related to a corresponding at least one problem or subtopic statement, to populate a corresponding at least one meaning statement structure, and wherein the tracking logic further monitors user interactions additionally with the meaning statement logic to build the model.