Systems and methods for computerized interactive training

• US 8,714,987 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Breakthrough Performancetech LLC
• Original Assignee: Breakthrough Performancetech LLC
• Inventors: Cohen, Martin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gishnock, Nikolai A
• Application Number:
  US12/058,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/323
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• 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 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation
• 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

Interactive electronic training systems and methods are described herein. Certain embodiments provide preprogrammed video, audio, and/or textual presentations of training materials which provide information related to skills/information to be trained. A scenario including real or animated actors is presented, simulating an interaction. The training system presents related queries for the trainee who audibly responds. The training system stores a score based in part on a comparison of the trainee'"'"'s response with an answer stored in training system memory. Optionally, the scores are substantially immediately presented by the system to the trainee.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising:

program code stored in non-transitory computer readable memory, that when executed by a computing system is configured to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

play on a terminal a first segment that includes at least a first person communicating a plurality of verbal communications of different importance;

provide via the terminal instructions for a user to verbally repeat, paraphrase and/or summarize at least a portion of the plurality of verbal communications and to verbally indicate the relative importance of at least a portion of plurality of verbal communications; and

calculate and report a score reflective, at least in part, of the user'"'"'s repetition, paraphrasing and/or summarization of the at least a portion of the plurality of verbal communications and the user'"'"'s indication of the relative importance of the at least a portion of plurality of verbal communications.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the program code, when executed is further configured to provide instructions for the user to be asked to identify inferred needs from the plurality of verbal communications, and explain how the user inferred the identified needs from the plurality of verbal communications and to calculate at least one score based at least in part on the user'"'"'s explanation as to how the user inferred the identified needs from the plurality of verbal communications.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the program code, when executed is further configured to present a preprogrammed answer and a scoring user interface.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user is objectively scored for the paraphrase and/or quote of the verbal speech by comparing the user paraphrase and/or quote the verbal speech with text corresponding to the verbal speech.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first speaker is or appears to be in a conversation with another person.

4. A method of training a user to improve the user'"'"'s ability to retain and understand what is communicated, the method comprising:

playing a first segment including a first speaker'"'"'s verbal speech via a training system to the user;

causing at least in part the user to be asked to verbally paraphrase and/or quote the verbal speech;

presenting a first preprogrammed answer via the training system,

storing in computer readable memory a first score assigned to the user'"'"'s paraphrase and/or quote at least in part by referring to the first preprogrammed answer;

causing at least in part the user to be asked to verbally explain what the first speaker meant;

presenting a second preprogrammed answer via the training system; and

storing in computer readable memory a second score assigned to the user'"'"'s explanation as to what the first speaker meant at least in part by referring to the second preprogrammed answer;

calculating by the training system and reporting a cumulative score based at least in part on the first score and the second score.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the user is not provided a choice of answers from which to select when the user is asked to explain what the first speaker meant.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the user is to explain what the first speaker meant to a person in physical and audible proximity with the user so that the person can compare the user'"'"'s explanation with the second preprogrammed answer and provide the second score.

7. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising:

automatically starting a timer in coordination with the system presenting the request that the user paraphrase and/or quote the verbal speech;

providing a stop timer control; and

providing an instruction that the stop timer control be activated when the user begins responding to the request.

8. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the first segment is randomly selected by the system from a set of segments.

11. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising causing at least in part the user to be asked to explain the basis for the user'"'"'s explanation as what the first speaker meant and calculating at least one score based at least in part on the user'"'"'s explanation as to what the first speaker meant.

12. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising causing at least in part the user to be asked to explain the basis for the user'"'"'s explanation as what the first speaker meant based on the words and/or verbal style of the first speaker.

13. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the user is instructed to paraphrase and/or quote the verbal speech to a person in physical and audible proximity with the user so that the person can compare the user'"'"'s paraphrase and/or quote with the first preprogrammed answer and provide the first score.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the person receives training by facilitating the training of the user.

15. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the person receives training by facilitating the training of the user.

16. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising:

causing at least in part the user to be asked to identify key elements of what was contained in the first speaker'"'"'s verbal speech; and

presenting a third preprogrammed answer via the training system,

storing in computer readable memory a third score assigned to the user'"'"'s identification of key elements at least in part by referring to the third preprogrammed answer.

17. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising:

causing at least in part the first user to be asked to identify one or more facts and/or questions contained in the first speaker'"'"'s verbal speech; and

storing in computer readable'"'"'memory a score assigned to the user'"'"'s identification of the one or more facts and/or questions.

18. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising:

causing at least in part the user to be asked to describe the first speaker'"'"'s style; and

presenting a third preprogrammed answer via the training system,

storing in computer readable memory a third score assigned to the user'"'"'s description of the first speaker'"'"'s style at least in part by referring to the third preprogrammed answer.

19. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein a second user provides substantially immediate feedback to the user with respect to the user'"'"'s paraphrase and/or quote.

20. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising training the user in taking notes during at least a first training session, including training the user to prioritize what is to be noted with respect to the first training presentation.

21. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising providing a user interface including:

a first user input control enabling a command to be entered causing an entire presentation conversation to be played; and

a plurality of conversation segment controls enabling corresponding segments of the presentation conversation to be automatically located and selectively played.

22. The method as defined in claim 4, the method further comprising training the user in taking notes, including training the user to prioritize what is to be noted with respect to at least one presentation.

23. A method of training a user how to improve the user'"'"'s ability to understand and retain what is communicated, the method comprising:

playing a first segment including a first speaker'"'"'s pre-recorded verbal communication via a training system terminal to the user;

causing at least in part the user to be asked to verbally repeat and/or paraphrase the verbal communication or specified content thereof in audible communication;

presenting a first preprogrammed answer related to the paraphrase and/or repeat of the verbal communication via the training system,

storing in memory a first score related to the user'"'"'s paraphrase and/or repeat of the verbal communication;

causing at least in part the user to be asked to verbally explain what the first speaker meant;

presenting a second preprogrammed answer related to what the speaker meant via the training system;

storing in memory a second score related to the user'"'"'s explanation as to what the first speaker meant; and

calculating by the training system and reporting a cumulative score based at least in part on the first score and the second score.

24. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein the user is not provided a choice of answers from which to select when the user is asked to explain what the first speaker meant.

25. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein the user is instructed to explain what the first speaker meant to a person in physical and audible proximity with the user.

26. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein the first segment is randomly selected by the system from a set of segments.

27. The method as defined in claim 23, the method further comprising:

automatically starting a timer in coordination with the system presenting the request that the user paraphrase and/or quote the verbal speech;

providing a stop timer control; and

providing an instruction that the stop timer control be activated when the user begins responding to the request.

28. The method as defined in claim 23, the method further comprising causing at least in part the user to be asked to justify the user'"'"'s explanation as to what the first speaker meant and calculating at least one score based at least in part on the user'"'"'s explanation as to what the first speaker meant.

29. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein the first score is provided by another person in close physical proximity with the user.

30. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein a second user asks the user to repeat and/or paraphrase the verbal communication or specified content thereof.

31. The method as defined in claim 23, the method further comprising:

causing at least in part the user to be asked to identify to the second user elements in the first speaker'"'"'s verbal communication to the second user that had been identified as relatively important in a prior presentation to the user.

32. The method as defined in claim 23, the method further comprising:

causing at least in part the user to be asked to describe the first speaker'"'"'s style with respect to the first speaker'"'"'s tone and/or word usage to the second user;

presenting a third preprogrammed answer via the training system,

wherein the second user assigns a third score, which is stored in computer readable memory, to the user'"'"'s description of the first speaker'"'"'s style.

33. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein the second user provides substantially immediate feedback to the user with respect to the user'"'"'s paraphrase.

34. The method as defined in claim 23, the method further comprising:

playing a plurality of subsequent segments including at least one speaker'"'"'s verbal communication via the training system to the user, wherein each of the plurality of segments is longer than an immediately preceding segment; and

testing the user'"'"'s verbal communication retention and/or understanding after each of the plurality of segments.

35. A method of training a user via an interactive electronic training system, the method comprising:

playing a first segment on an interactive electronic training system terminal to the user, the first segment including at least a first person providing a verbal communication;

causing at least in part the user to be asked to repeat, paraphrase and/or summarize what the first person said;

causing at least in part the user to be asked to verbally identify needs of the first person that are not explicitly stated by the first person but are inferable from the tone and/or words of the verbal communication; and

causing at least in part the user to be asked to explain how the user inferred the identified needs from the verbal communication;

storing in memory of the interactive electronic training system an indication reflective of the performance of the user in repeating, paraphrasing and/or summarizing what the first person said; and

calculating by the interactive electronic training system and reporting a score based in part on the indication.

36. The method as defined in claim 35, wherein the user is not provided a choice of answers from which to select when the user is asked to identify needs of the first person.

37. The method as defined in claim 35, wherein the user is instructed to verbally explain what the first speaker meant to a person in physical and audible proximity with the user so that the person can compare the user'"'"'s explanation with a preprogrammed answer presented by the system, and provide the first score.

38. The method as defined in claim 35, wherein the first segment is randomly selected by the system from a set of segments.

39. The method as defined in claim 35, the method further comprising training the user in taking notes during at least a first training session, including training the user to prioritize what is to be noted with respect to the first training presentation.

40. The method as defined in claim 35, the method further comprising providing a user interface including:

a first user input control enabling a command to be entered causing an entire presentation conversation to be played; and

a plurality of conversation segment controls enabling corresponding segments of the presentation conversation to be automatically located and selectively played.

41. The method as defined in claim 35, the method further comprising:

causing at least in part the user to be asked to identify one or more facts and/or questions contained in the first person verbal speech; and

storing in computer readable memory a score assigned to the user'"'"'s identification of one or more facts and/or questions.

42. A method of training a user via an interactive electronic training system to identify a need of a first person based on a communication from the first person, wherein the first person does not explicitly state the need, the method comprising:

at least partly enabling a first segment to be played on an interactive electronic training system terminal to the user, the first segment including at least a first person providing a verbal communication;

enabling at least in part an instruction to be provided to the user, wherein the user is asked to repeat, paraphrase and/or summarize what the first person said; and

enabling at least in part an instruction to be provided to the user, wherein the user is asked to identify needs of the first person that are not explicitly stated by the first person;

storing in memory of the interactive electronic training system an indication reflective of the performance of the user in identifying needs of the first person that are not explicitly stated by the first person; and

calculating by the interactive electronic training system and reporting a score based in part on the indication.

43. The method as defined in claim 42, wherein the first segment is randomly selected by the system from a set of segments.

44. The method as defined in claim 42, wherein the user is instructed to verbally identify to a person in physical and audible proximity with the user so that the person can compare the user'"'"'s identification with a preprogrammed answer presented by the system, and provide a corresponding score.

45. The method as defined in claim 42, the method further comprising training the user in taking notes during at least a first training session, including training the user to prioritize what is to be noted with respect to the first training presentation.

46. The method as defined in claim 42, wherein the user is not provided a choice of answers from which to select when the user is asked to identify needs.

47. The method as defined in claim 42, the method further comprising providing a user interface including:

a first user input control enabling a command to be entered causing an entire presentation conversation to be played; and

a plurality of conversation segment controls enabling corresponding predefined segments of the presentation conversation to be selectively played.

48. The method as defined in claim 42, the method further comprising:

enabling at least in part an instruction to be provided to the user, wherein the user is asked to identify one or more facts and/or questions contained in the first person'"'"'s verbal speech; and

enabling at least in part a score assigned to the user'"'"'s identification of one or more facts and/or questions to be stored in computer readable memory.