Programmed classroom instruction

• US 8,577,280 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grace S. Emley, Joseph V. Brady, Ronald R. Hutchinson, Tullio J. Proni
• Original Assignee: Grace S. Emley, Joseph V. Brady, Ronald R. Hutchinson, Tullio J. Proni
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Ronald R., Proni, Tullio J., Brady, Joseph V., Emley, Grace S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARLOS, ALVIN LEABRES
• Application Number:
  US12/802,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20110189643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 434/236, 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/353
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• 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 computer-implemented method of overseeing and adjusting the instruction and evaluation of a student with respect to one or more topics of study within a classroom. The subject matter of an academic course is studied and broken down into a plurality of discretely defined behavioral performances designed to be readily and objectively recognized as being mastered or not by a student. One or more of the discretely defined behavioral performances are then selected, with the aid of a first computerized database system, as learning objectives for the week. At the end of the week, a student is subsequently evaluated on these objectives. Results of the evaluation are then transferred to a second computerized database system, which organizes the collected data into an interactive learning management report that can be configured by a reviewer in real time to display a variety of levels of detail.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented classroom programming method for overseeing and adjusting and strengthening the instruction by a teacher and learning by students during an academic year with respect to one or more topics of study for a grade level over a plurality of successive evaluation periods, comprising the steps of:

analyzing a subject matter of an academic course of study in detail and subsequently breaking down the totality of knowledge of the subject matter that the teacher is expected to teach and each student is expected to learn during said academic year into a plurality of discretely defined behavioral performances that are designed to be readily and objectively recognized as being mastered or not by the student;

storing the plurality of discretely defined behavioral performances into a computer system comprising at least a first computerized database system which organizes the plurality of discretely defined behavioral performances on the basis of structural and functional groupings as well as conventional levels of difficulty or advancement, said first computerized database system storing a teaching and learning state score respectively for each of said plurality of discretely defined behavioral performances, said teaching and learning state score comprising a selected one of successive first, second and third scores wherein said teaching and learning state score is changeable successively from said first score to said second score and then from said second score to said third score to indicate a current state of teaching and learning, said first score indicating that instruction has not begun and learning has not begun, said second score indicating that instruction has begun but actual learning is not complete, and said third score indicating that instruction and actual learning are complete, each one of the plurality of discretely defined behavioral performances having said teaching and learning state score initially being set to said first score for each of said plurality of discretely defined behavioral performances in said first computerized database system prior to instruction thereof during said academic year wherein said first score represents that instruction has not begun and learning has not begun;

subdividing said grade level into a plurality of progress intervals wherein each said progress interval is subdivided into a plurality of said evaluation periods;

for each specified one of said evaluation periods of the classroom, developing a teaching and learning plan by designating one or more of the discretely defined behavioral performances stored in the first computerized database as learning objectives for said teaching and learning plan that are to be taught by the teacher and learned by the students during said evaluation period;

after said designation of said learning objectives of said teaching and learning plan, changing said teaching and learning state score for each respective one of said learning objectives by successively replacing said first score in said first computerized database with said second score to represent that instruction of each said learning objective has begun but actual learning is not complete;

instructing said learning objectives of said teaching and learning plan during said evaluation period;

through the end of each specified one of said evaluation periods, said teacher evaluating a performance of each student during said specified evaluation period to determine an actual ability of each of the students during the course of said evaluation period to carry out the one or more discretely defined behavioral performances designated as said learning objectives over the course of the evaluation period and recording the results of the evaluation in real time into the first computerized database system by either retaining said second score as said teaching and learning state score or else replacing said second score with said third score to indicate whether each of the teachers and students has progressed from teaching and learning not complete to teaching and learning complete for each of the learning objectives, said recording being performed by either changing said teaching and learning state score by replacing said second score with said third score for each said learning objective evaluated as teaching and learning complete, or else maintaining said teaching and learning state score as said second score for each said learning objective evaluated as teaching and learning not complete;

automatically generating a dynamic classroom teaching chart by said computer system during said evaluation period providing a real time visual representation of each of the student'"'"'s learning progress for one or more of the learning objectives for the specified evaluation period wherein said real time visual representation corresponds to the selected one of said first, second and third scores currently stored as said teaching and learning state score;

updating said dynamic classroom teaching chart continuously during said evaluation period upon each change of a said student'"'"'s learning progress from teaching and learning not complete to teaching and learning complete for each of said learning objectives by changing said teaching and learning state score by replacing said second score with said third score for each said learning objective evaluated as learning complete;

visually presenting said dynamic classroom teaching chart by said computer system on a display during the course of said evaluation period to automatically show each update of said dynamic classroom teaching chart upon each change of a said student'"'"'s learning progress and to show the current teaching and learning state status of said learning objectives as learned as indicated by said third score or not learned as indicated by said second score; and

said computer system including a second computerized database system, wherein at the end of each specified evaluation period, automatically transferring the recorded results of the evaluation from said first computerized database system to said second computerized database system that collects evaluation results for each teacher and student, for every evaluation period, for every class, and automatically organizes the plurality of collected evaluation results into an interactive learning management report that is presented to a reviewer in real time to display a variety of levels of detail ranging from a specific level, including a specific subject matter for a specific teacher and student, to a general level of detail, including the overall performance of a classroom or school over a specified period of time;

continual parent or guardian oversight of the teacher'"'"'s and student'"'"'s progress and performance is maintained by the additional steps of;

generating a preview report at the beginning of each specified evaluation period respectively for the teacher and each student and distributing the respective preview report to at least one parent or guardian of each student, said preview report listing each of the learning objectives designated for instruction for the specified evaluation period for said student;

generating an evaluation report at the end of each specified evaluation period respectively for the teacher and each student and distributing the respective evaluation report to at least one parent or guardian of each student, said evaluation report listing each of the learning objectives designated for instruction for the specified evaluation period along with the associated evaluation results of the teacher'"'"'s and student'"'"'s performance for the specified evaluation period as indicated by said teaching and learning state score for each of said learning objectives.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of strengthening a learning performance of the student by automatically presenting, directly to the student during said evaluation period, at least one of a non verbal recognition and other reward for learning progress.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic classroom teaching chart provides a real time visual representation of the actual teaching and learning progress for each teacher and student and for the entire class during said evaluation period by continuously updating said dynamic classroom teaching chart by said computer system and said computer system displaying an indication of the teaching and learning state status of said learning objectives as learned or not learned.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said computer system operates such that the dynamic classroom teaching chart displays a real time, continuously adjusted, cumulative total mastery score for a teacher and an entire class of students for one or more selected learning objectives in combination with said displayed indication of said teaching and learning state status of said learning objectives.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the preview report and evaluation report further includes a comments section for remarks made by an instructor and directed to the parent or guardian.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first score is a zero, said second score is a one, and said third score is a two, and wherein each teacher and student has said teaching and learning state score for each said learning objective changed by said computer system from zero to one in the beginning of instruction and then from one to two by said computer system for any of the learning objectives evaluated as learning complete upon being evaluated with respect to any one learning objective to indicate the teaching and learning state status of said learning objective.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein:

a score of zero represents that instruction of that specific learning objective has not yet begun;

a score of one represents the status of teaching and learning not complete indicating instruction of that specific learning objective has begun but that learning is not yet complete; and

a score of two represents the status of teaching and learning complete indicating instruction and learning of that specific learning objective is complete.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first computerized database system resides within a locally managed computer of said computer system that is locally managed with respect to the classroom, while the second computerized database system resides within a remote computer of said computer system associated with a school district office or other school administrative body for generation and distribution of said evaluation report to said parent or guardian of said student and said learning management report to teachers and managers.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the remote computer generally functions as one of a secondary data repository, a data management and analysis tool, and an information distribution network controller for remote management participation.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the locally managed computer and the remote computer connect to at least one of a local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN), or alternatively, connect to each other by means of a direct connection.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said teacher selects one or more of the discretely defined behavioral performances for designation as a said learning objective.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first computerized database selects one or more of the discretely defined behavioral performances for designation as a said learning objective on the basis of at least one predetermined criteria.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said progress interval is a quarterly period of the academic year comprising a plurality of said evaluation periods, each extending at least a week, and the method further comprising the step of automatically generating a quarterly progress report by said computer system for each teacher and student at appropriate ones of said progress intervals throughout an academic year, the quarterly progress report listing all selected learning objectives for the academic year, as well as the evaluation results for that teacher and student for each specific learning objective covered to date wherein each of said selected learning objectives includes an indicator associated therewith representing said teaching and learning state score of either said first score, said second score or else said third score for each said learning objective and each said specified evaluation period.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein if a teacher and student are evaluated on a learning objective two or more times over the course of an academic year, the latter evaluation result is recorded as either said second score or else said third score at the appropriate temporal position within an ongoing record and does not erase any previous evaluation results.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of organizing the plurality of collected evaluation results into a learning management report further comprises the step of generating a student log by said computer system that provides a compendium of instructional objectives introduced to date, along with the associated evaluation results of the teacher and student for each learning objective for each specified evaluation period, organized by curriculum groups, for an entire academic year.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of organizing the plurality of collected evaluation results into a learning management report further comprises the step of generating a student digest by said computer system that presents, for each teacher and student, a cumulative bar graph depicting a teacher'"'"'s and student'"'"'s progressive level of teaching and learning for each curricular area of study over a successive plurality of said evaluation periods.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of organizing the plurality of collected evaluation results into a learning management report further comprises the step of generating a student/class performance ranges table by said computer system wherein said computer system calculates and said student/class performance ranges table depicts, for the teacher and for each student within a specified class, the percentage of learning objectives learned to date for each specific curriculum group, as well as the teacher'"'"'s and student'"'"'s learning efficiency for that curriculum group, and the teacher'"'"'s and student'"'"'s overall evaluation results, represented as a percentage, for all curriculum groups.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of organizing the plurality of collected evaluation results into a learning management report further comprises the step of generating a classroom log by said computer system wherein said computer system calculates and said classroom log depicts an average total score for the evaluation results of a teacher and class as a whole, for each evaluation period, for each learning objective.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of organizing the plurality of collected evaluation results into a learning management report further comprises the step of generating a classroom digest by said computer system wherein said computer system generates and said classroom digest presents, for an entire classroom, a cumulative bar graph depicting the teacher'"'"'s and classroom'"'"'s progressive level of teaching and learning for each curricular area of study.

20. A computer implemented method to equip distant school administrators to remotely establish, monitor and assure an annual production of learning over a school year by one or multiple classrooms each comprising teacher and student participants, the method comprising the steps of:

remotely developing an academic plan by employment of a computer system comprising a computerized primary classroom database system and a computerized secondary remote database system, and imposing upon the classroom with said remote database system a detailed, unambiguous annual assignment of learning requirements for the production of learning by the classroom;

remotely standardizing, regulating and overseeing expected result, procedural sequences and schedule of the classroom learning production, said classroom learning production being implemented by a computer-based learning production process implemented by said primary classroom database system and said secondary remote database system;

remotely measuring the classroom learning production by recording individual teaching and learning objectives by said primary classroom database system and measuring teaching and learning progress and teaching and learning results in the classroom by said secondary remote database system which automatically receives and processes data received from said primary classroom database system;

integrating a system of real-time recording and tracking of learning and teaching production in the classroom into the learning production process by recording and tracking teaching and learning with said primary classroom database system;

automatically and remotely adjusting the progress of teaching to variations in the progress of learning; and

remotely tracking and assimilating learning production throughout the school year in one or multiple classrooms by said secondary remote database system;

wherein measuring the classroom learning production by measuring teaching and learning progress and teaching and learning results in the classroom is remotely accomplished by the additional steps of;

management employing a measurement structure with features sensitive to the condition that;

(1) classroom learning production is the terminal result of an extended cooperative joint process of teacher and student that can be termed “

teaching and learning”

;

(2) measurement incorporates identification of this cooperative process, as well as the

individual contribution of the teacher and student participants, as well as the final result of the individual and combined effort of the teacher and student participants;

(3) defining features of performance measures are sufficiently clear and distinct to assure high measurement reliability;

(4) units of measurement are suitable to sensitively detect the small changes of progress which may occur in brief classroom intervals;

(5) the units of measurement are suitable to aggregate across many observations; and

(6) the measures are a three term nominal measurement scale of three categories, comprising categories A, B and C respectively defined by states “

0”

, “

1”

or “

2”

wherein;

category A corresponds to said state “

0”

which equals “

teaching (instruction) and learning not begun”

which is the state existing when the classroom is in session but neither said state 1 nor said state 2 exist;

category B corresponds to said state “

1”

which equals “

teaching (instruction) and learning begun”

which is the measured state existing when the classroom is in session, the teacher has introduced the required learning performance objective to a specific student but state “

2”

does not exist for the particular objective; and

category C corresponds to state “

2”

which equals “

teaching (instruction) and learning complete”

which is the measured state existing when the classroom is in session, the teacher has introduced a required learning performance objective to a specific student and the teacher concludes teaching and that student demonstrates complete performance of the learning performance objective; and

wherein the step of remotely standardizing, regulating and overseeing the procedural sequences and schedule of the classroom learning production are accomplished by the additional steps of;

management assigning to the classroom, intermediate materials and activities required to produce completed teaching and learning in the form of a classroom computer guidance system defined by said primary classroom database system and comprising a series of interactive classroom objectives display screens, which prompt management-specified teacher performance, in a management specified fixed order, according to management specified time periods throughout the school year; and

by interconnection with additional computer systems defined by said secondary remote database system at other management stations, maintaining real-time oversight of each step and result of the classroom learning production by;

1) establishing as a first required step, that the teacher designate on a computer system provided WEEKLY PREVIEW screen, each teaching and learning objective of a current weekly production cycle from a library of objectives to define a planned weekly production schedule, then composing parent announcements, on the computer system provided WEEKLY PREVIEW screen, then posting a completed production schedule, automatically by printed report to all parents, and automatically by computer network to all management stations;

said posting also entering, automatically for all students, a score of “

1”

on a computer system provided WEEKLY EVALUATION REPORT, without additional query and thereby recording “

teaching and learning has begun”

there on the classroom computer guidance system as a learning state score of “

1” and

also to said secondary remote database system accessed at the remote management stations to indicate that the teaching and learning has begun;

2) the teacher and students thereafter commencing teaching and learning of each designated objective for the weekly learning production cycle, and entering and revising said teaching and learning state scores before the end of the weekly learning production cycle;

3) choosing one of the designated weekly objectives listed on the interactive display screen for a CLASSROOM TEACHING CHART and, entering in said primary classroom database system for each student a “

1”

as teaching and learning for that student commences, proceeding thereafter through each designated objective in the “

1”

state of teaching and learning, while simultaneously observing and recording with each student whether learning is mastered or not and when present, entering a score of “

2”

in said primary classroom database system indicating “

teaching and learning complete”

which is automatically posted by said computer system without additional query to the classroom WEEKLY EVALUATION REPORT and remote management station computers; and

4) at the end of the weekly learning production cycle, referencing the WEEKLY EVALUATION REPORT, auditing the compiled teaching and learning state scores for every designated objective, and for each attending student, composing and entering parent production results announcements therein, and posting the WEEKLY EVALUATION REPORT automatically by communications to parents and automatically without additional query in real time by computer network to all of the management stations, such that a manager is continuously informed of the planned weekly production schedule, as well as minute by minute progress through the production schedule and the end-of-week schedule production results.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said detailed, unambiguous annual assignment of classroom learning production is established by the additional steps of:

management composing and establishing in said secondary remote database system said detailed, unambiguous annual assignment for each grade level and for each chosen general knowledge area by;

1) creating or adapting from published sources, a rational subdivision of each knowledge area according to natural, or culturally practiced, structural and functional distinctions, into fractional portions of the knowledge area;

2) further dividing each fractional portion into a plurality of discrete components whereby each component has a component description which is;

(A) a description of an overt behavior which may be demonstrated or exemplified by a said teacher and, with practice, perfectly imitated so as to be mastered, by a said student;

(B) is related to, and practically follows and precedes other of said components;

(C) is easily recognized, and distinguished by any alert independent adult observer, as being present or absent in a teacher'"'"'s or student'"'"'s performance without requiring any further fractionation to improve recognition;

(D) the components are used individually or as combinations together;

(E) the plurality of discrete components are hierarchically organized according to a best order of teaching and learning; and

(F) span a range of said components sufficient to adapt to individual differences in historic grade level preparation; and

3) subsequently the school administrator establishing a detailed, unambiguous classroom learning syllabus, along with all other syllabi appropriate to a particular classroom, in a declarative manner suitable to establish such syllabi to be the classroom learning assignment, by installing these syllabi into said primary classroom database system to establish the annual assignment of classroom learning production, said annual assignment being continuously monitored and adjusted relative to current teaching and learning production automatically by said computer system.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the step of automatically and remotely adjusting the progress of teaching to variations in the progress of learning is accomplished by the additional steps of:

establishing classroom conditions where teaching and learning production proceeds by small objectives across frequent, brief production periods by the following step;

permitting a teacher to observe from the WEEKLY EVALUATION REPORT displayed on a classroom screen, or from a weekly update of a STUDENT LOG screen of a LEARNING MANAGEMENT REPORT for any particular learning objective, for an individual student, the measured state teaching and learning state score of “

1”

wherein the teacher is thereby automatically prompted by a persistent indicator prior to the next weekly production plan cycle to continue teaching and learning that objective in a forthcoming one of said weekly production plan cycle.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the capability for remotely tracking and assimilating learning production throughout the school year in one or multiple classrooms is accomplished by the additional steps of:

employing a computer server and network connected to each said primary classroom database system in a remotely-located plurality of said classrooms and to a management server computer system which comprises said secondary remote database system to directly accept in real time, all information generated at each said classroom, and operating system software to store, aggregate, condense, summarize, abstract and update said information across each school week of the school year to define formulated information, and remotely display such formulated information at a manager'"'"'s computer station;

automatically without additional query providing a composite report which is thematically organized to display teaching and learning information from most general to most specific as referenced respectively from a longest to a shortest time sample, thus permitting user friendly data examination and management preparedness, to generate a LEARNING MANAGEMENT REPORT, said LEARNING MANAGEMENT REPORT comprising;

a CLASS DIGEST screen which pictorially presents on a computer display accumulated episodes of teaching and learning for all students, of all learning units of each curricular area, accumulated across the school weeks of the school year, the display separately depicting total teaching, a rate of teaching, teaching efficiency, rate of learning, total learning, and learning efficiency for all subject matter and for all students of the classroom combined, such that where these classroom dynamics may fluctuate throughout the school year, a manager can frequently observe temporal trends of production, and total teaching and learning production of the classroom including its teacher and students, and by selection, other said classrooms which promptly alerts the manager to classroom production problems;

a CLASS LOG screen which displays the same information as said CLASS DIGEST but is expanded to report for each said objective by options which are the same as said CLASS DIGEST, but as tabular numerical data arranged temporally in left-to-right rows reflecting productions weeks and arranged by standards in columns, said data providing necessary information to permit audit calculations, observation of the temporal trends and/or a serial order of the objectives of teaching and learning, and special investigations of the functionality of individual objectives and suitability of the order of presentation of the objectives;

a PERFORMANCE RANGES screen which displays average learning efficiency and total learning accumulated across all school weeks to date, for each student of a classroom within a group ranked high to low, according to overall curriculum or if selected, any specific curriculum and by either total learning or learning efficiency, thereby permitting a manager to observe the learning efficiency or total learning of a student as ranked relative to other classmates, according to any curricular area, thereby providing the information necessary for management to promptly assign special remedial or accelerating learning;

a STUDENT DIGEST screen which pictorially presents, for each individual student, the cumulative episodes of teaching and learning, within each curricular area, across all attendance weeks and thereby, separately depicts total teaching, rate of teaching, teaching efficiency, rate of learning, total learning, learning efficiency related to individual student, thereby permitting the manager to witness the temporal trends of production progress and unwarranted variations with any particular student, in preparation for management adjustments;

a STUDENT LOG which presents the same information but expanded to report for each objective, by the same options, as the STUDENT DIGEST but as tabular numerical data, temporally arranged in left to right rows reflecting production weeks and in columns by objective, to allow audit calculations, and facilitating review of the temporal pattern of both teaching and learning of an individual student or subgroup of students perhaps requiring special guidance; and

classroom procedures screens, said screens including a WEEKLY PREVIEW screen and a WEEKLY EVALUATION SCREEN comprising the real time, remotely generated, classroom learning production procedures which instantaneously report the establishing conditions and ongoing details of teaching and learning progress within the classroom as occurring at the moment, permitting the manager to relate the antecedent classroom conditions to production outcomes, thereby guiding the search for primary causes of learning production difficulty.