Adaptive learning systems and associated processes

A method, implemented on computing device comprising a processor, a display device and accessible memory, for dynamically selecting a learning activity to deliver to a user to support user motivation comprising:

• selecting a learning activity having a difficulty level from a database comprising a plurality of learning activities and associated difficulty levels, the learning activities logically associated into groups in the database wherein each group corresponds to a section of a course, and displaying the learning activity to a user via the display device, wherein a learning activity comprises a challenge and one or more user input fields configured to receive input collectively indicating completion of the learning activity and wherein the difficulty level is a measure of the probability that the user will successfully complete the learning activity;
• wherein the computing device previously displayed to a user M times, a previous learning activity having a previous difficulty level selected from database and wherein each time the computing device previously displayed the previous learning activity, the user attempted to successfully complete the previous learning activity, wherein M≦N with N being a selected limit of M, wherein M and N are independent integers greater than or equal to 1 and wherein the learning activity and the previous learning activity are associated with the same group in the database;
• wherein the difficulty level is less than the previous difficulty level if the user did not successfully complete the previous learning activity within N attempts;
• wherein the difficulty level is greater than the previous difficulty level if the user successfully completed the previous learning activity after M attempts;
• and
• wherein the learning activity has not been previously successfully completed by the user.

A computing device comprising a processor, a display device, and an accessible storage medium having instruction thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform a process for delivering to a user a hint adapted to the user's response to a computerized learning activity, the method comprising:

• selecting a hint from a database and displaying the selected hint to the display device after the computing device has received from a user input from one or more input fields displayed to a user along with a graphical representation of learning activity associated with the selected hint, the received input indicating unsuccessful completion of a the displayed learning activity;
• wherein the database comprises one or more learning activities, an associated successful completion, and, for at least the displayed learning activity, one or more pairs of associated expected hints and expected unsuccessful completions, one or more associated contextual hints and one or more preselected permutations, one ore more associated subject matter hints or a combination thereof;
• and
• wherein the selected hint comprises one of the one or more expected hints associated with the displayed learning activity if the received unsuccessful completion is the same as the corresponding expected unsuccessful completion;
• or
• wherein the selected hint comprises one of the one ore more contextual hints associated with the displayed learning activity if the database does not comprise an expected unsuccessful completion associated with the displayed learning activity that is the same as the received unsuccessful completion and if a preselected permutation of the received unsuccessful completion is the same as the associated successful completion of the displayed learning activity;
• or
• wherein the selected hint comprises one of the one or more subject matter hints if the database does not comprise an expected unsuccessful completion associated with the displayed learning activity that is the same as the received unsuccessful completion and if the there is no preselected permutations of the received unsuccessful completion that is the same as the associated successful completion of the displayed learning activity.

A method, implemented on a computing device comprising a processor, a display device, and an accessible storage medium, for delivering to a user a hint adapted to the user's response to a computerized learning activity, the method comprising:

• selecting a hint from a database and displaying the selected hint to the display device after the computing device has received from a user input from one or more input fields displayed to a user along with a graphical representation of learning activity associated with the selected hint, the received input indicating unsuccessful completion of a the displayed learning activity;
• wherein the database comprises one or more learning activities, an associated successful completion, and, for at least the displayed learning activity, one or more pairs of associated expected hints and expected unsuccessful completions, one or more associated contextual hints and one or more preselected permutations, and one ore more associated subject matter hints;
• and
• wherein the selected hint comprises one of the one or more expected hints associated with the displayed learning activity if the received unsuccessful completion is the same as the corresponding expected unsuccessful completion;
• or
• wherein the selected hint comprises one of the one ore more contextual hints associated with the displayed learning activity if the database does not comprise an expected unsuccessful completion associated with the displayed learning activity that is the same as the received unsuccessful completion and if a preselected permutation of the received unsuccessful completion is the same as the associated successful completion of the displayed learning activity;
• or
• wherein the selected hint comprises one of the one or more subject matter hints if the database does not comprise an expected unsuccessful completion associated with the displayed learning activity that is the same as the received unsuccessful completion and if the there is no preselected permutations of the received unsuccessful completion that is the same as the associated successful completion of the displayed learning activity.