Electronic learning system

A computing device having a processor in communication with memory storing instructions for presenting a question item of an electronic learning curriculum which, when executed by said processor, cause said computing device to:

• (a) retrieve from a data store a question item comprising:
• textual, visual or auditory subject matter;
• a query or instruction pertaining to said subject matter;
• and
• a representation of a response mechanism for receiving a user response to said query or instruction;
• (b) present said subject matter, said query or instruction and said response mechanism in a presentation sequence, wherein a presentation duration of each of said subject matter, said query or instruction and said response mechanism in said presentation sequence is controlled by, and is measured on the basis of, user input for advancing through the presentation sequence, wherein said presentation sequence comprises:
• i) presenting one of said subject matter and said query or instruction;
• then
• (ii) presenting the other of said subject matter and said query or instruction;
• then
• (iii) presenting said response mechanism;
• (c) based on said user input, determine:
• a presentation duration of said subject matter by measuring a duration of display of the subject matter;
• a presentation duration of said query or instruction by measuring a duration of display of the subject matter;
• and
• a presentation duration of said response mechanism by measuring a duration of display of the subject matter;
• (d) store indicators of each of said three presentation durations,
• (e) receive a user response to said query or instruction via said response mechanism;
• (f) ascertain a response accuracy based on said response and at least one predetermined correct response;
• (g) determine a completion time for said question item based on one or more of said presentation duration of said subject matter, said presentation duration of said query or instruction and said presentation duration of said response mechanism;
• and
• (h) store said response accuracy and said completion time for said current trial,
• wherein said instructions further cause said computing device to present said question item S times by performing (b)-(h) for each of S trials, S being an integer greater than one, and to:
• (i) calculate an average response accuracy for said question item based on the stored response accuracies of said S trials;
• (j) calculate an average completion time for said question item based on the stored completion times of only the ones of said S trials in which a correct user response was given;
• (k) calculate a relative average completion time for said question item based on said average completion time and either one or both of a predetermined minimum completion time for said question item and a predetermined maximum completion time for said question item;
• and
• (I) calculate a user competency measure for said question item based on said average response accuracy and said relative average completion time.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause said computing device to:

• (a) calculate a user competency measure for each question item in each of a plurality of question item sets comprising an electronic learning curriculum, said calculating being based on an average response accuracy for said question item and an average completion time for said question item over a plurality of trials;
• (b) for each question item set of said plurality, calculate a collective user competency measure for the set based on the user competency measures of the question items of said set;
• and
• (c) automatically select for repeated presentation the question item set whose collective user competency measure is closest to but below a threshold.