Automated answer evaluation and scoring system and method

• US 5,180,309 A
• Filed: 12/04/1990
• Issued: 01/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Egnor, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US07/621,420
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 434/322, 434/323, 434/327, 434/332, 434/353, 434/354, 434/169, 434/176, 434/258, 434/335, 434/359, 434/362, 273/429, 273/430, 273/273, 364/410, 364/44
• US Class Current: 434/323
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus and method are disclosed for achieving automated evaluation and oring of a participant'"'"'s response to questions selected pseudo-randomly. A plurality of questions are available for each of a plurality of categories, in a question file. For each question there is an answer in an answer file. The answer includes characters preselected to denote a tolerance that permits a partially correct answer automatically to be credited to the participant'"'"'s point total. A perfect answer is worth a predetermined full-credit value that is the same for each question; and, a partially correct answer that is within the tolerance for that question, is worth a predetermined fraction of the full-credit value. Pseudo-random selection of the questions from the question file is performed by a number generator that is seeded from the system'"'"'s clock with the time of day that the system is activated. Each selection by the participant of a category for a question, steps every category to its next question and corresponding answer. The questions are presented on the system'"'"'s display, and the participant'"'"'s answers are provided by way of a keyboard.

Claims

1. A method of computerized education, testing and entertainment in a format suitable for competition wherein participants are encouraged by the granting of full and partially credit for answers that demonstrate only partial knowledge of the subject matter, said method comprising:

designating a first category;

preparing a first question for said first category having at least one character;

preparing an answer to said first question that has a plurality of parts wherein a first part thereof is at least one character in length and is the perfect answer to said question, and a second part thereof is a preselected character code that determines the deviation by a numerical value from said perfect answer that will be tolerated for credit;

designating at least one additional category, and preparing at least one question therefor and an answer thereto, as above for said first category;

converting a general purpose computer to a special purpose device by programming it to perform the following steps;

prepare an electronic question-answer set from the questions and answers in each said category;

store in order by category for electronic retrieval the question-answer sets prepared;

select in accordance with and in response to input from a keyboard one said category;

randomly select and retrieve from electronic storage a first question from the question-answer set of the selected category, and retrieve from electronic storage for comparison the answer to the selected question;

visually display said randomly selected question;

respond to an input from said keyboard by automatically comparing the character that appears in a first position of the input to the character in the corresponding first position of the retrieved answer for said first question, and by automatically comparing the character in each additional position of the input to the corresponding position of the retrieved answer;

evaluate said input from the keyboard in accordance with said comparison and the answer'"'"'s numerical tolerance value, wherein a tolerance value of zero requires in order for credit to be given that the characters in the response match position by position the corresponding characters in said retrieved answer, a value greater than one identifies an answer in numeric form and for credit to be given requires that the response not deviate from the answer by more than the tolerance value, and a tolerance value between one and zero requires for credit to be given that the percent of characters in the response which match position by position the characters in the retrieved answer be greater than or equal to the percentage value of the tolerance;

grading said input automatically in accordance with said evaluation, wherein an input in which all characters in the input match the corresponding characters in the answer is awarded a predetermined full credit value, and a input that is not awarded full credit value is awarded partial credit value if the input is within the answer'"'"'s tolerance value; and

advancing in response to said evaluation, each said category by one question.