Cloud Based Test Environment

• US 20110244440A1
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kryterion, Inc. (Drake International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kryterion, Inc. (Drake International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Collins, Michael, Weinmann, Dan, Neubeck, Joel, Saxon, Steve, Dorman, William
• Granted Patent: US 10,672,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• 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 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

Abstract

Systems and methods described herein provide for administering and proctoring of a secure online examination utilizing a ‘cloud’ computing environment. The cloud computing environment provides scalable, shared computing resources such as processing, memory, communications, storage and other hardware and software resources associated with the online examination. The computing resources provided by the cloud computing environment can be provisioned dynamically to match the requirements of the particular computing tasks carried out at the client and/or server level during the administration of the examination.

Claims

1. A method for administration of an examination over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a request over the network for desired computing resources of a cloud computer system having a plurality of resource servers, the request received from a computing device executing a routine for the examination;

provisioning computing resources of one or more resource servers in the plurality of resource servers for use by the computing device based on the request;

receiving examination data associated with the request;

performing an operation on the received examination data using the provisioned computing resources; and

transmitting resulting data of the operation performed on the examination data to the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request concerns verifying a user of the computing device as an authorized test taker of the examination, receiving the examination data comprises receiving identification data of the user from the computing device, performing the operation comprises comparing the identification data to that of the authorized test taker to determine whether the user is the authorized test taker, and transmitting resulting data comprises transmitting authorization data to the computing device to allow the computing device to execute a testing routine for the examination following the determination that the user is the authorized test taker.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request concerns proctoring of a testing routine for the examination executing on a second computing device associated with an test taker, receiving examination data comprises receiving observation data concerning the testing routine from the second computing device, performing the operation comprises detecting aberrant behavior based on the received observation data, and transmitting resulting data comprises transmitting data indicating that the aberrant behavior has been detected.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting aberrant behavior comprises:

transmitting the observation data to the computing device; and

receiving an indication from the computing device that the aberrant behavior has been detected.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the observation data includes visual data of an environment surrounding the second computing device during the testing routine, and transmitting the observation data comprises transmitting the visual data for display on the second computing device during the testing routine.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting aberrant behavior comprises executing an application on the provisioned computing resources to analyze the observation data to automatically detect the aberrant behavior.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting intervention data to the second computing device to intervene in the testing routine to resolve the aberrant behavior.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the intervention data comprises a request that an environment surrounding the second computing device be modified to resolve the aberrant behavior.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the intervention data comprises a request that the testing routine for the examination is no longer allowed to continue.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request concerns securing the computing device during the routine, receiving the examination data comprises receiving exam registration data from the computing device for an associated test taker, performing the operation comprises analyzing the exam registration data to identify a testing protocol associated with the examination, and transmitting the resulting data comprises transmitting the testing protocol to the computing device, the testing protocol including security limitations for the computing device during the routine.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the testing protocol further includes questions for the examination during the routine, and further comprising:

receiving answers to the questions from the computing device; and

analyzing the answers using the provisioned computing resources to determine competence of the test taker.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device executes an application concerning the routine for the examination, the request corresponds to user input provided to an interface of the application, and the resulting data is transmitted for display within the interface of the application.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

periodically analyzing available computing resources in the plurality of resource servers during the routine for the examination; and

adjusting the provisioned computing resources concerning the request among the resource servers in the plurality of resource servers according to the available computing resources.

14. A computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for administration of an examination over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a request over the network for desired computing resources of a cloud computer system having a plurality of resource servers, the request received from a computing device executing a routine for the examination;

provisioning computing resources of one or more resource servers in the plurality of resource servers for use by the computing device based on the request;

receiving examination data associated with the request;

performing an operation on the received examination data using the provisioned computing resources; and

transmitting resulting data of the operation performed on the examination data to the computing device.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the request concerns verifying a user of the computing device as an authorized test taker of the examination, receiving the examination data comprises receiving identification data of the user from the computing device, performing the operation comprises comparing the identification data to that of the authorized test taker to determine whether the user is the authorized test taker, and transmitting resulting data comprises transmitting authorization data to the computing device to allow the computing device to execute a testing routine for the examination following the determination that the user is the authorized test taker.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the request concerns proctoring of a testing routine for the examination executing on a second computing device associated with a test taker, receiving examination data comprises receiving observation data concerning the testing routine from the second computing device, performing the operation comprises detecting aberrant behavior based on the received observation data, and transmitting resulting data comprises transmitting data indicating that the aberrant behavior has been detected.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the detecting aberrant behavior comprises:

transmitting the observation data to the computing device; and

receiving an indication from the computing device that the aberrant behavior has been detected.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the observation data includes visual data of an environment surrounding the second computing device during the testing routine, and transmitting the observation data comprises transmitting the visual data for display on the second computing device during the testing routine.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the detecting aberrant behavior comprises executing an application on the provisioned computing resources to analyze the observation data to automatically detect the aberrant behavior.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises transmitting intervention data to the second computing device to intervene in the testing routine to resolve the aberrant behavior.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the intervention data comprises a request that an environment surrounding the second computing device be modified to resolve the aberrant behavior.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the intervention data comprises a request that the testing routine for the examination is no longer allowed to continue.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the request concerns securing the computing device during the routine, receiving the examination data comprises receiving exam registration data from the computing device for an associated test taker, performing the operation comprises analyzing the exam registration data to identify a testing protocol associated with the examination, and transmitting the resulting data comprises transmitting the testing protocol to the computing device, the testing protocol including securing limitations for the computing device during the routine.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the testing protocol includes questions for the examination during the routine, and further comprising:

receiving answers to the questions from the computing device; and

analyzing the answers using the provisioned computing resources to determine competence of the test taker.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the computing device executes an application concerning the routine for the examination, the request corresponds to user input provided to an interface of the application, and the resulting data is transmitted for display within the interface of the application.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising:

periodically analyzing available computing resources in the plurality of resource servers during the routine for the examination; and

adjusting the provisioned computing resources concerning the request among the resource servers in the plurality of resource servers according to the available computing resources.