Online test proctoring interface with test taker icon and multiple panes

• US 8,297,984 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2012
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co. (Private Equity))
• Original Assignee: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co. (Private Equity))
• Inventors: Rogers, Timothy A., Bosko, John IV, O'Brien, Corey S., Mutum, Raghubir S.
• Primary Examiner(s): FRISBY, KESHA
• Application Number:
  US13/358,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 434/323, 434/350
• US Class Current: 434/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/205 Education administration or guidance
• 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
• 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

An aspect of the present invention relates to an online test platform adapted to facilitate the development, delivery, and management of educational tests with interactive participation by students, teachers, proctors, and administrators even when some or all of them are remotely located. The platform may include administrator interfaces, test proctor interfaces, and test taker (e.g. student) interfaces to allow each participant to view, navigate, and interact with aspects of the online test platform that are intended to meet their needs.

Claims

1. A user interface of a proctor station, the user interface comprising:

a plurality of panes in an online test proctoring interface, wherein each of the plurality of panes uniquely corresponds to one of a plurality of possible test statuses of a test taker, wherein a first one of the plurality of panes uniquely corresponds to a waiting-to-take-an-exam state, wherein a second one of the plurality of panes uniquely corresponds to a currently-taking-an-exam-state, and wherein a third one of the plurality of panes uniquely corresponds to a finished-taking-an-exam-state; and

a test taker icon, which represents the test taker, that is selectively displayed within only one of the plurality of panes in response to a change in a test status of the test taker, the only one of the plurality of panes that uniquely corresponds to the test status of the test taker after the change in the test status, wherein

the plurality of possible test statuses of the test taker comprises a waiting-to-take-an-exam state, a currently-taking-an-exam state, a finished-taking-an-exam, a special-need state, an accommodation state, a summary-of test-questions-answered state, and a summary-of test-questions-not-answered state,

wherein the user interface is operable to receive the change to the test status of the test taker, the change consisting of a different one of the plurality of possible test statuses, to cease displaying the test taker icon within the one of the plurality of panes and to display the test taker icon within a different one of the plurality of panes.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible test statuses further comprises a state that represents time left for a test taker to complete a test and a state that represents elapsed time during a test.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of panes is open when the proctoring interface is open.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface of a proctor station further comprises a test header comprising testing controls, a student list control and a view test instructions control.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises an add time control.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a pause control.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the proctor station further comprises a handheld wireless device for controlling the proctor station.

8. A computerized method of proctoring an on-line exam, the method comprising:

displaying on a display portion of a computer a plurality of panes in an online test proctoring interface, wherein each of the plurality of panes uniquely corresponds to one of a plurality of possible test statuses of a test taker, wherein a first one of the plurality of panes uniquely corresponds to a waiting-to-take-an-exam state, wherein a second one of the plurality of panes uniquely corresponds to a currently-taking-an-exam-state, and wherein a third one of the plurality of panes uniquely corresponds to a finished-taking-an-exam-state;

receiving a test status of a test taker, the test status consisting of one of the plurality of possible test statuses;

displaying a test taker icon, which represents the test taker, within one of the plurality of panes, which uniquely corresponds to the test status of the test taker;

receiving an update to the test status of the test taker, the update consisting of a different one of the plurality of possible test statuses;

ceasing to display the test taker icon within the one of the plurality of panes; and

displaying the test taker icon within a second one of the plurality of panes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when receiving the update, the test taker icon differentiates the test status of the test taker by using a high contrast technique selected from the group consisting of blinking a color and changing a color.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising grouping test takers based upon test takers'"'"' needs or special needs.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising grouping test takers based upon test subject matter.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising polling each test taker station to determine test taker status.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting proctoring information using the test proctoring interface, the proctoring information selected from the group consisting of subtests that have been completed, subtests that are being taken and analyses of test questions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the analyses relate to one or more test questions, to the test as a whole, a portion of the test, a time duration for a question, a time duration for a test, a time duration for a sub test, a test result, a test pass/fail rate and percentages.