Digital content and assessment delivery

• US 9,214,091 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pearson Education Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Original Assignee: Pearson Education Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Inventors: Peterson, Jesse E., Svendsen, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): HONG, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/194,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20150248841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/07 providing for individual presentation of questions to a plurality of student stations

Abstract

Generally, embodiments of the disclosure are directed to methods, computer readable medium, servers, and systems for distributing an educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices using a local server. The local server can provide a first network to a plurality of user devices and block access to a second network when a test is in progress.

Claims

1. A local server for providing a distribution of an educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices comprising:

a processor;

a local memory coupled with the processor;

a storage medium, wherein;

the storage medium contains the educational test question,

the educational test question is stored on the storage medium by the backend computer,

the storage medium is interruptably coupled with the local server, and

when the storage medium is coupled with the local server, the educational test question is copied to the local memory;

a network adapter, wherein;

the network adapter enables the local server to provide a network connection between a first network and the plurality of user devices, including enabling access to a first user that operates a first user device in the plurality of user devices and a second user that operates a second user device in the plurality of user devices,

the first and second users engaged with the first network, and

the network adapter relays the educational test question from the local memory to the first user device and the second user device;

a network antenna that interacts with the network adapter, wherein;

the network antenna is used to transmit the educational test question to the first user device and the second user device from the local memory via the first network,

in response to receiving the educational test question at the first user device and the second user device, the network antenna receives information indicative of a first test answer from the first user device via the first network and a second test answer from the second user device via the first network, and

the network antenna provides the first test answer and second test answer to the backend computer on a second network;

the local server is configured to determine when a test is in progress to block access to the second network by temporarily disabling the network adapter when the test starts and enabling the network adapter when the test ends, wherein when the local server is connected to the first network, the local server is not connected to the second network, and the local server further comprising;

a reset/reboot switch, wherein the reset/reboot switch is configured to reboot an operating system on the local server without turning the local server on or off; and

a cellular adapter, wherein the cellular adapter is configured to connect the local server to the first network or the second network.

2. The local server for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 1 wherein the educational test question is provided to the first user device and the second user device at a start time and the first test answer and second test answer are received at an end time.

3. The local server for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 2 wherein the local server blocks access to the second network at the start time and unblocks access to the second network at the end time.

4. The local server for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 1 wherein the educational test question is encrypted when the educational test question is stored with the storage medium and decrypted when the educational test question is stored with the local memory.

5. The local server for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 4 wherein the decrypted educational test question is transmitted to the first user device and the second user device via the first network.

6. The local server for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 1 wherein the educational test question is automatically copied to the local memory from the storage medium without instruction from a user.

7. The local server for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 1 wherein the educational test question is the same for the first user device and the second user device, and wherein the first test answer from the first user device and the second test answer from the second user device are different from each other.

19. The local server for providing a distribution of the educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices of claim 1, further comprising:

a system on chip (SOC), wherein the system on chip (SOC) integrates one or more components of the local server into a single chip substrate.

20. The local server for providing a distribution of the educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices of claim 1, wherein access to the second network is further blocked by activating a firewall to block one or more internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with the first user device, the second user device, or the backend computer.

21. The local server for providing a distribution of the educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices of claim 1, wherein access to the second network is further blocked by providing an internet protocol (IP) address with a restrictive subnet mask through the cellular adapter for the first network and a different IP address with a restrictive subnet mask through the network adapter for the second network.

22. The local server for providing a distribution of the educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor that is configured to accept input for up, down, left, right, or enter commands.

23. The local server for providing a distribution of the educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices of claim 1, further comprising:

a solar adapter configured to convert light energy into DC current, wherein the DC current is used to charge a battery associated with the local server.

24. The local server for providing a distribution of the educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices of claim 1, further comprising:

a charging circuit configured to charge a battery associated with the local server, wherein the charging circuit accepts power, conditions the power, and charges the battery using the conditioned power.

8. A system for providing a distribution of an educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices comprising:

the backend computer; and

a local server, the local server comprising;

a processor;

a local memory coupled with the processor;

a storage medium, wherein;

the storage medium contains the educational test question,

the educational test question is stored on the storage medium by the backend computer,

the storage medium is interruptably coupled with the local server, and

when the storage medium is coupled with the local server, the educational test question is copied to the local memory;

a network adapter, wherein;

the network adapter enables the local server to provide a network connection between a first network and the plurality of user devices, including enabling access to a first user that operates a first user device in the plurality of user devices and a second user that operates a second user device in the plurality of user devices,

the first and second users engaged with the first network, and

the network adapter relays the educational test question from the local memory to the first user device and the second user device;

a network antenna that interacts with the network adapter, wherein;

the network antenna is used to transmit the educational test question to the first user device and the second user device from the local memory via the first network,

in response to receiving the educational test question at the first user device and the second user device, the network antenna receives information indicative of a first test answer from the first user device via the first network and a second test answer from the second user device via the first network, and

the network antenna provides the first test answer and second test answer to the backend computer on a second network; and

the local server is configured to determine when a test is in progress to block access to the second network by temporarily disabling the network adapter when the test starts and enabling the network adapter when the test ends, wherein when the local server is connected to the first network, the local server is not connected to the second network.

9. The system for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 8 wherein the educational test question is provided to the first user device and the second user device at a start time and the first test answer and second test answer are received at an end time.

10. The system for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 9 wherein the local server blocks access to the second network at the start time and unblocks access to the second network at the end time.

11. The system for providing the distribution of the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 8 wherein the educational test question is encrypted when the educational test question is stored with the storage medium and decrypted when the educational test question is stored with the local memory.

12. A method for distributing an educational test question between a backend computer and a plurality of user devices comprising:

identifying a storage medium, wherein;

the storage medium contains the educational test question,

the educational test question is stored on the storage medium by the backend computer,

the storage medium is interruptably coupled with a local server, and

when the storage medium is coupled with the local server, the educational test question is copied to a local memory;

identifying a network adapter, wherein;

the network adapter enables the local server to provide a network connection between a first network and the plurality of user devices, including enabling access to a first user that operates a first user device in the plurality of user devices and a second user that operates a second user device in the plurality of user devices,

the first and second users engaged with the first network, and

the network adapter relays the educational test question from the local memory to the first user device and the second user device;

identifying a network antenna that interacts with the network adapter, wherein;

the network antenna is used to transmit the educational test question to the first user device and the second user device from the local memory via the first network,

in response to receiving the educational test question at the first user device and the second user device, the network antenna receives information indicative of a first test answer from the first user device via the first network and a second test answer from the second user device via the first network, and

the network antenna provides the first test answer and second test answer to the backend computer on a second network; and

determining, by the local server, when a test is in progress to block access to the second network by temporarily disabling the network adapter when the test starts and enabling the network adapter when the test ends, wherein when the local server is connected to the first network, the local server is not connected to the second network.

13. The method for distributing the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 12 wherein the educational test question is provided to the first user device and the second user device at a start time and the first test answer and second test answer are received at an end time.

14. The method for distributing the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 13 wherein the local server blocks access to the second network at the start time and unblocks access to the second network at the end time.

15. The method for distributing the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 12 wherein the educational test question is encrypted when the educational test question is stored with the storage medium and decrypted when the educational test question is stored with the local memory.

16. The method for distributing the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 15 wherein the decrypted educational test question is transmitted to the first user device and the second user device via the first network.

17. The method for distributing the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 12 wherein the educational test question is automatically copied to the local memory from the storage medium without instruction from a user.

18. The method for distributing the educational test question between the backend computer and the plurality of user devices of claim 12 wherein the educational test question is the same for the first user device and the second user device, and wherein the first test answer from the first user device and the second test answer from the second user device are different from each other.