Instrumentation and schematization of learning application programs in a computerized learning environment

• US 8,251,704 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Woolf, Susan D., Ganapathy, Mythreyee, O'Kelley, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hadizonooz, Banafsheh
• Application Number:
  US11/786,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 434/167, 434/322, 434/350, 434/308, 434/319, 434/156, 434/365
• US Class Current: 434/322
• 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 computerized learning method is provided. The method may include receiving a write request from a first learning application program to write a learning level for a skill in a user profile. The user profile is configured to store data indicative of a plurality of skills and a learning level for each skill. The skills and learning levels are defined according to a profile schema. The method may further include writing the learning level for the skill in the user profile. The method may also include receiving a read request from a second learning application program to read the learning level for the skill in the user profile. The method may finally include retrieving the learning level from the user profile, and sending the learning level to the second learning application program.

Claims

1. A computerized learning method comprising:

at a learning service program executable by a computing device, receiving a write request from a first learning application program to write an assessed learning level for a skill in a user profile, the assessed learning level being selected from a predefined set of learning levels for the skill by the first learning application program, the user profile including a plurality of skills and an assigned learning level for each skill, which are defined according to a profile schema;

writing the selected learning level for the skill in the user profile;

receiving a write request from the first learning application program to write a scaffolding level for the skill in the user profile, the scaffolding level determining a type or amount of support provided to a user to understand and respond to a challenge presented by the first learning application program, the scaffolding level being selected from a predefined set of scaffolding levels for the skill by the first learning application program based on a cost of support presented to the user by the first learning application program;

writing the selected scaffolding level for the skill in the user profile;

receiving a read request from a second learning application program to read the selected learning level for the skill in the user profile, the second learning application program being configured to present a challenge to the user that varies in difficulty based on the selected learning level for the skill;

receiving a read request from the second learning application program to read the selected scaffolding level for the skill in the user profile, the second learning application program being configured to present support to the user that varies in amount or type based on the selected scaffolding level for the skill;

retrieving the selected learning level from the user profile;

retrieving the selected scaffolding level from the user profile;

sending the selected learning level to the second learning application program; and

sending the selected scaffolding level to the second learning application program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to writing the selected learning level for the skill in the user profile, determining that the write request is authorized.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first learning application program is from a first third-party and the second learning application program is from a second third-party, and the read request and the write request are received via a public application programming interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the skill is mastery of vocabulary words in a target language, and wherein the learning service program is configured to send to a learning application program skill and learning level data from the user profile in response to the read request, which indicates a set of vocabulary words which have been demonstrated as known to the user through the user'"'"'s use of the learning application program and/or the learning service program.

5. A computerized learning method comprising:

at a learning application program executable by a computing device, sending a read request to a learning service program, the read request being a request to read a stored learning level and a stored scaffolding level for a skill from a user profile, the user profile being editable by a plurality of other learning application programs via the learning service program, the stored learning level, the stored scaffolding level, and skill being defined according to a profile schema;

receiving a response to the read request including the stored learning level for the skill to the learning application program;

presenting a challenge to a user via a user interface of the learning application program;

displaying a cost meter to the user via the user interface, the cost meter providing a real-time indication of a cost associated with use of support during the challenge, the cost being used to evaluate whether to increase the stored scaffolding level that determines a type or amount of support provided to the user to respond to the challenge;

presenting support to the user via the user interface, the cost of the support causing a change in display of the cost meter;

receiving a response to the challenge from the user via the user interface of the learning application program;

determining that the stored learning level should be updated to an updated learning level, based on user performance data generated based on the response to the challenge and predetermined learning assessment rules;

determining that the stored scaffolding level should be updated to an updated scaffolding level, based on the cost of the support presented to the user;

sending a write request to the learning service program, to modify the stored learning level to the updated learning level; and

sending a write request to the learning service program to modify the stored scaffolding level to the updated scaffolding level.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

presenting a support selector to the user via the user interface to aid the user in responding to the challenge;

wherein the user performance data includes support history data indicating use of the support selector by the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the support selector is one of a challenge support selector configured to enable the user to select support to understand the challenge presented to the user, and a response support selector configured to enable the user to select support to respond to the challenge.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the support selector is configured to enable the user to select support in a plurality of support categories, each support category corresponding to a skill defined in the profile schema.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the support selector is configured to enable the user to select support in written form, spoken form, in a native language of the user, and in a target language of the user.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

measuring a response time of the user response to the challenge;

wherein the user performance data further includes the response time.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

counting a number of inaccurate responses received from the user in response to the challenge;

wherein the user performance data further includes the number of inaccurate responses.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the user performance data includes response data based on the response of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a degree of accuracy of the response;

wherein the response data includes the degree of accuracy of the response.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a written response from the user via the user interface;

determining a degree of accuracy of the written response;

wherein the response data includes the degree accuracy of the written response;

wherein the skill is written language ability in a target language; and

wherein determining via a game-based learning assessment module that the stored learning level for the skill should be updated to the updated learning level, is based at least in part on the degree of accuracy of the written response.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a spoken response from the user via a microphone; and

determining a degree of accuracy of the spoken response;

wherein the response data includes the degree of accuracy of the spoken response;

wherein the skill is spoken language ability in a target language; and

wherein determining via a game-based learning assessment module that the stored learning level for the skill should be updated to the updated learning level, is based at least in part on the degree of accuracy of the spoken response.

16. A computerized learning system, comprising:

a plurality of learning profiles stored in non-volatile memory of a computing device, each learning profile being associated with a user, each profile including learning data organized according to a profile schema, the learning data including one or more skills, an assessed user learning level for each skill selected from among a predefined set of learning levels, and a scaffolding level for each skill selected from among a predefined set of scaffolding levels; and

a learning service program configured to receive requests from a plurality of learning application programs that are configured to present challenges to users, display a cost meter to the users that provides a real-time indication of a cost associated with the use of support during the challenges, the cost being used to evaluate whether to increase the scaffolding level that determines a type or amount of support provided to users to understand and respond to challenges, the requests being to read and write the assessed user learning level and the scaffolding level for each skill to and from each of the user profiles, the assessed user learning level being assessed based on responses to the challenges from the users by the learning application program that is requesting to write to the user profile, the scaffolding level being determined based on the cost of support used by users in responding to challenges by the learning application program that is requesting to write to the user profile, and the requests being received via an application programming interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the skills include mastery of vocabulary words, and wherein the learning service program is configured to receive requests to read a set of vocabulary words for a user, and write newly mastered vocabulary words to the user profile, in response to requests from learning application programs.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

an arbitration engine configured to determine if each of the read and write requests is authorized.