Multiple data item scoring system and method

• US 6,558,166 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCS Pearson Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Original Assignee: NCS Pearson Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Inventors: Clark, Jay V., Moyer, Judith, Bramlett, William L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US09/660,204
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/156, 434/157, 434/169, 434/185, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/336, 434/362, 434/365, 434/327, 345/173, 345/180, 345/326, 345/961, 345/978, 700/29, 700/86, 700/96, 700/99, 700/108, 706/16, 706/19, 706/20, 706/45, 706/927, 705/2, 705/10, 382/318, 382/164, 382/191, 273/430, 463/9, 283/115, 283/94
• US Class Current: 434/322
• 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 7/066 with answer indicating cards, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction

Abstract

A method and system for increasing the speed at which data items are processed and evaluated. The method and system receives electronic representations of data items and organizes the data items into separate groupings. Next a particular grouping of data items is displayed to an evaluator so that the evaluator can evaluate the data items. In displaying the data items, the method and system may use a matrix of cells and display one data item in each of the cells. The evaluator can thus simultaneously view multiple data items, which facilitates efficient evaluation of the data items.

Claims

1. A method for increasing the speed at which data items are processed by efficiently organizing, grouping, and displaying the data items such that an evaluator can selectively view data items from a grouping related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise, the method comprising the steps of:

a) electronically receiving over a distributed computer network a plurality of data items to be evaluated;

b) electronically dividing the data items to be evaluated by evaluator expertise and for electronically organizing into separate groupings data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise; and

c) electronically presenting to the evaluator a particular one of the groupings such that the evaluator can selectively view and evaluate the grouped data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of the evaluator simultaneously viewing and evaluating a plurality of data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of presenting to the evaluator over a distributed computer network an entire set of one of the groupings such that the evaluator can selectively view and evaluate the entire set.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of electronically and simultaneously presenting to the evaluator a plurality of cells with each of the cells containing one particular data item from a particular one of the groupings.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of evaluating the data item within one of the cells.

6. A system for increasing the speed at which answers to test items are processed by efficiently organizing, grouping, and displaying data items such that an evaluator can selectively view data items from a grouping related to the resolver'"'"'s expertise, the system comprising:

a) a receiving subsystem configured to electronically receive over a distributed computer network a plurality of data items to be reviewed;

b) a dividing subsystem configured to electronically divide the data items to be reviewed by evaluator expertise and for electronically organizing into separate groupings data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise; and

c) a presentation subsystem configured to electronically present to the evaluator a particular one of the groupings such that the evaluator can selectively view and evaluate the grouped data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the presentation subsystem is further configured to permit the evaluator to simultaneously view and to evaluate a plurality of data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the receiving subsystem is further configured to transmit and present to the evaluator in a batch mode an entire set of one of the groupings such that the evaluator can selectively view and evaluate the entire set.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the presentation subsystem is further configured to electronically and simultaneously present to the evaluator a plurality of cells with each of the cells containing one particular data item from a particular one of the groupings.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the presentation subsystem is further configured to permit the evaluator to evaluate the data item within one of the cells.

11. A computer-readable program storage medium tangibly embodying a data package and associated verification instructions executable by a computing system for efficiently organizing, grouping, and displaying a set of data items such that an evaluator can selectively view multiple data items from a grouping related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise to perform the steps of:

a) electronically receiving over a distributed computer network a plurality of data items to be evaluated;

b) electronically dividing the data items to be evaluated by evaluator expertise and for electronically organizing into separate groupings data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise; and

c) electronically presenting to the evaluator a particular one of the groupings such that the evaluator can selectively view and evaluate the grouped data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise.

12. The computer-readable program storage medium of claim 11 further comprising the step of the evaluator simultaneously viewing and evaluating a plurality of data items related to the evaluator'"'"'s expertise.

13. The computer-readable program storage medium of claim 11 further comprising the step of transmitting and presenting to the evaluator in a batch mode an entire set of one of the groupings such that the evaluator can selectively view and evaluate the entire set.

14. The computer-readable program storage medium of claim 11 further comprising the step of electronically and simultaneously presenting to the evaluator a plurality of cells with the cells containing one particular data item from a particular one of the groupings.

15. The computer-readable program storage medium of claim 14 further comprising the step of evaluating the data item within one of the cells.