US 2002/0160347 A1 · Computerized test preparation system employing individually tailored diagnostics and remediation

Abstract

A computerized test preparation system and methods are disclosed which assist an examinee to increase his learning and improve his performance on standardized academic or applied aptitude and achievement exams. Performance feedback information is provided to a user, including conventional information such as number of items correct and time elapsed, pinpoints substantive areas of a particular exam in which the user is either weak or strong, and offers diagnoses of, and remediation tailored to, a user's personal difficulties. By assessing a user's responses to given exam questions, through various distractor error patterns manifested in the incorrect answers to multiple-choice questions, or through coded categories of responses in the case of user responses to constrained open-ended items, a preliminary diagnosis of a user's deficits in knowledge and/or test taking skill is made. This preliminary diagnosis is subsequently refined utilizing additional examination questions. The refined diagnosis is then utilized to offer recommendations to an individual user to ameliorate the user's manifested error patterns. A user's response to this remediation is confirmed and reinforced using subsequent remediation activities.

Claims41

Dependent claims

A computerized method for preparing a user for standardized examinations, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a diagnostic test for assessing the user's knowledge of a domain being tested, said test containing a plurality of questions, each question having a corresponding answer set, each said answer set possessing at least one correct answer and at least one incorrect answer, and one or more of said answers being respectively associated with one or more distractor error codes;
(b) presenting a series of said questions to said user;
(c) eliciting one of said answers from said user for each said question;
(d) recording said user's elicited answer for each said question;
(e) analyzing said distractor error codes associated with the elicited answer;
(f) detecting one or more distractor error patterns from said analysis;
(g) diagnosing a deficiency in said domain being tested based on said distractor error patterns;
and
(h) generating a remediation activity to remediate said diagnosed deficiency.

6 more elements

A diagnostic testing and remediation apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a computing device
(b) an input device for receiving input from a user and connected to said computing device;
(c) an output device connected to said computing device;
(d) a memory storage device connected to said computing device, said memory storage device further comprising:
(i) a memory for storing a pool of test questions for assessing said user's knowledge of a domain being tested, each question having a corresponding answer set, each said answer set possessing at least one correct answer and at least one incorrect answer, and one or more of said answers being respectively associated with one or more distractor error codes;
(ii) a test generating computer program code for generating a diagnostic test from said pool of test questions, said diagnostic test comprising a test question subset of said pool of test questions;
(iii) a test display computer program code for displaying said diagnostic test to said user;
(iv) an eliciting computer program code for eliciting one of said answers from said user for each said question in said diagnostic test;
(v) a recording computer program code for recording said user's elicited answers to each said question;
(vi) an analysis computer program code for analyzing the distractor error codes associated with said user's elicited answers;
(vii) a detecting computer program code for detecting one or more distractor error patterns from said analyzed distractor error codes;
(viii) a diagnosis computer program code for diagnosing a deficiency in said domain being tested based on said detected distractor error pattern;
and
(ix) a remediation generator computer program code for generating a remediation activity to remediate said deficiency.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Computerized test preparation system employing individually tailored diagnostics and remediation

Life of this patent

Computerized test preparation system employing individually tailored diagnostics and remediation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41