System and method for real-time observation assessment

• US 20030087219A1
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amplify Education Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wireless Generation, Inc. (Amplify Education Incorporated)
• Inventors: Markovits, Anouk, Berger, Lawrence J., Stewart, John D., Gunn, Gregory M., Lynn, Elizabeth, Gunn, Kenneth M., Adams, Nicole M., Boyd, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 7,114,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for real-time observation assessment is provided. The invention, designed for educators, takes advantage of handheld computers, desktop/laptop computers and the increasing presence of Internet access in order to reduce the paperwork associated with conventional educational assessments. The invention includes an array of instructional assessment applications designed to run on handheld computers. The instructional assessment applications may be based on existing and widely-used paper methodologies. A common Web-based platform for assessment application distribution, selection, download, data management and reporting is also provided. Users can then periodically synchronize instructional data (assessments, diagnostic results, notes and/or schedules) to the Web site. At the Web site, browser-based reports and analysis can be viewed, administered and shared via electronic mail.

Claims

1. A method for providing a teacher with a real-time, literacy observation application for execution on a mobile computing device in order to assess a student, said method comprising the steps of:

storing the text of at least one book on the mobile computing device;

providing a ticker area on a first screen displayed on the mobile computing device, wherein at least a portion of the text of said book is displayed;

providing a plurality of buttons on a first palette on said first screen, wherein each of said plurality of buttons corresponds to one of a plurality of behaviors of interest which the teacher may observe during an assessment; and

providing a freehand area on said first screen, wherein the teacher, after tapping one of said plurality of buttons on said first palette, may create a note relating to the corresponding one of said plurality of behaviors of interest;

whereby the teacher has immediate access to statistics reflecting the results of said assessment on the mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

causing, after being tapped by the teacher in said ticker area, a word from the text of said book to be displayed in a lens area on said first screen, and allowing the creation of said note relating to said word and said one of said plurality of behaviors of interest in said freehand area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying, above a word in said ticker area, an annotation corresponding to one of said plurality of behaviors of interest in response to the teacher tapping one of said plurality of buttons on said first palette.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of buttons on said first palette includes buttons corresponding to at least one of the following behaviors of interest:

(i) Omission;

(ii) Told;

(iii) Substitution;

(iv) Insertion; and

(v) Self-Correction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a plurality of buttons on a second palette on said first screen, wherein each of said plurality of buttons corresponds to a pre-defined cue which the teacher may observe during said assessment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of buttons on said second palette includes buttons corresponding to at least one of the following pre-defined cues:

(i) Meaning;

(ii) Syntax; and

(iii) Visual.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a plurality of buttons on a second screen, wherein each of said plurality of buttons corresponds to a pre-defined cue which the teacher may observe during said assessment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said plurality of buttons on said second screen includes buttons corresponding to at least one of the following pre-defined cues:

(i) Meaning;

(ii) Syntax; and

(iii) Visual.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying a second screen on the mobile computing device containing an accuracy rate achieved by the student during said assessment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying a second screen on the mobile computing device containing a ratio of self-corrections to errors achieved by the student during said assessment.

11. A method for providing access to a real-time, observation assessment system, said method comprising the steps of:

allowing a desktop computer to access a Web server, via a communications network, in order to allow a subscriber to access the real-time, observation assessment system;

accessing a master database, coupled to said Web server, containing a class roster for said subscriber;

receiving, at said Web server, a transmission via said communications network of assessment data previously-stored on a mobile computing device used by said subscriber when performing observation assessments, wherein said mobile computing device is coupled to said desktop computer; and

storing, by an application server coupled to said Web server and said master database, said assessment data to said master database;

wherein browser-based reports and analysis using said class roster and said stored assessment data can be created by said Web server and displayed to said subscriber on said desktop computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said communications network is at least a portion of the Internet.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

sending, by said Web server, said browser-based reports and analysis to a recipient specified by said subscriber via electronic mail.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said transmission utilizes Hypertext Transmission Protocol, Secured (HTTPS) and said assessment data is in compressed Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

15. A real-time, observation assessment system comprising:

a master database containing login information and a class roster for a subscriber;

a Web server, coupled to said master database, that accepts assessment data previously-stored on a mobile computing device used by said subscriber when performing observation assessments and transmitted via a communications network; and

an application server, coupled to said master database and said Web server, that stores said assessment data received from said mobile computing device to said master database;

wherein said Web server can generate browser-based reports and analysis using said class roster and said translated and stored assessment data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said communications network is at least a portion of the Internet.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said Web server allows said browser-based reports and analysis to be sent a recipient specified by said subscriber via electronic mail.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said assessment data is transmitted from said mobile computing device to said Web server in compressed Extensible Markup Language (XML) format over the Hypertext Transmission Protocol, Secured (HTTPS).

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a desktop agent, connected to said communications network, that facilitates the transmitting of said assessment data from said mobile computing device to said Web server.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to provide a teacher with a real-time, literacy observation application for execution on a mobile computing device in order to assess a student, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store the text of at least one book on the mobile computing device;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to provide a ticker area on a first screen displayed on the mobile computing device, wherein at least a portion of the text of said book is displayed;

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to provide a plurality of buttons on a first palette on said first screen, wherein each of said plurality of buttons corresponds to one of a plurality of behaviors of interest which the teacher may observe during an assessment; and

fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to provide a freehand area on said first screen, wherein the teacher, after tapping one of said plurality of buttons on said first palette, may create a note relating to the corresponding one of said plurality of behaviors of interest.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display, after being tapped by the teacher in said ticker area, a word from the text of said book to be displayed in a lens area on said first screen, and allow the creation of said note relating to said word and said one of said plurality of behaviors of interest in said freehand area.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display, above a word in said ticker area, an annotation corresponding to one of said plurality of behaviors of interest in response to the teacher tapping one of said plurality of buttons on said first palette.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said plurality of buttons on said first palette includes buttons corresponding to at least one of the following behaviors of interest:

(i) Omission;

(ii) Told;

(iii) Substitution;

(iv) Insertion; and

(v) Self-Correction.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to provide a plurality of buttons on a second palette on said first screen, wherein each of said plurality of buttons corresponds to a pre-defined cue which the teacher may observe during said assessment.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein said plurality of buttons on said second palette includes buttons corresponding to at least one of the following pre-defined cues:

(i) Meaning;

(ii) Syntax; and

(iii) Visual.

26. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to provide a plurality of buttons on a second screen, wherein each of said plurality of buttons corresponds to a pre-defined cue which the teacher may observe during said assessment.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein said plurality of buttons on said second screen includes buttons corresponding to at least one of the following pre-defined cues:

(i) Meaning;

(ii) Syntax; and

(iii) Visual.

28. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display a second screen on the mobile computing device containing an accuracy rate achieved by the student during said assessment.

29. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display a second screen on the mobile computing device containing a ratio of self-corrections to errors achieved by the student during said assessment.