WO2001016918A1

WO2001016918A1 - System and method for real-time multimedia learning that adjusts the delivery mode to optimize user comprehension

Info

Publication number: WO2001016918A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/023271
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard D. Pushard
Original assignee: Intelligent Learning Corporation
Priority date: 1999-09-01
Filing date: 2000-08-24
Publication date: 2001-03-08
Also published as: AU7069300A

Abstract

A system and apparatus for conveying information to a student-user in a variety of modes, querying the student to determine the level of comprehension of presented information, and calculating the rate of comprehension with respect to the mode in which the information is presented. The system tracks the user's comprehension rates for information presented in various modes (such as audio, visual, etc.) and determines the best mode or combination of modes to form a learning strategy for promoting maximum comprehension for a particular user. Once the best mode or combination is determined, subsequent information conveyed to the user is conveyed in the best mode. Information content can take the form of a course, with the course divided into units, units divided into sections, and sections further divided into additional subsections. The system as a whole may be implemented through the Internet or other communications network, allowing users to be located at remote locations.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REAL-TIME MULTIMEDIA LEARNING THAT ADJUSTS THE DELIVERY MODE TO OPTIMIZE USER

COMPREHENSION This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.

60/151,864, filed September 1, 1999, entitled "System And Method For Real-Time Multimedia Learning That Adjusts The Delivery Mode To Optimize User Comprehension".

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to educational software and systems, and more particularly to a system and method for real-time learning that adjusts a presentation mode of information and associated learning strategy to optimize user comprehension.

It has been found that people learn in different ways. For example, some people retain concepts and information better if the information is presented in a certain delivery mode or combination of modes, such as text, images, graphics, multimedia, audio, etc. Moreover, many people are not aware of the best way that they are capable of retaining information or learning about concepts.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a system method that optimizes the way in which information is presented to an individual so that the individual best retains the information or concepts presented.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides for an intelligent information delivery system for use in educational web-based knowledge hosting systems. It is content neutral in that it can contain media in any digitally deliverable format. It is dynamic in its delivery and adaptable in nature.

The system and method of the present invention are founded on the proposition that different people have different learning styles, which can be measured and statistically quantified. To that end, the invention is capable of delivering the same learning concept using a variety of learning strategies and media formats. For example, a given concept could be presented as a body of text, an image or graphic, an interactive applet or a movie or audio presentation, strategically arranged to best suit a person's learning style for that type of subject matter. Thus, the invention effectively provides the redirection that would be present in a conventional classroom and instructor-led learning environment, even though instruction takes place through an electronic means.

The invention algorithm make use of "meta" information, ancillary data associated with a media element that identify its media type to the algorithm, to track how information is presented for each learner. A series of "concept check" quizzes or questions are then presented to the user to allow the system to build statistical data that can be used to evaluate the learner's ability to meet learning objectives based on mode of delivery. The system stores the results of this presentation/query session in one of N storage objects as meta information, also called results collection containers, that track on a continuous basis the user's reception to a given media type associated with a learning style. If the trend to correctly answer a question on a concept delivered in text is higher than a movie or graphic, the system will automatically deliver wherever possible a pre-determined alternative learning strategy that matches the student's learning style. Furthermore, the ability to have multiple result containers allows the invention to not only test for learning style but also to provide insight into a student's career aptitude, track student social skills, as well as collect virtually any other measure that is desired.

The object-oriented design of the various results collectors allows for complete extensibility and reusability of all the learning objects contained in the class library. A given concept can belong to multiple course units, multiple questions can belong to a given concept and payload of these concepts, or cells as they are referred in the internals, can have multiple ancestors. Allowing multiple ancestors to have multiple children breaks from the traditional relational design structure of data structures. The result is a neural web of information that can adapt to virtually any learning information or curriculum format.

The curriculum storage provided by the invention further enhances the student- user experience in that, across the body of a course, no two users will be presented the same information in the same way. Extracting the data from the curriculum database on a per-user basis and dynamically formatting and presenting information as the user session progresses allows for customization and scalability not possible in a static web- page delivery system. The above and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a logic flow of the method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an object-oriented flow chart illustrating more detailed logic flow for an exemplary education degree comprised of multiple courses, each having learning units that are presented to the user in an dynamic/adaptive manner according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an example of a screen listing the learning units that make up a course. FIG. 5 is an example of a screen listing the sections of a learning unit. FIG. 6 is an example of a screen showing the tool for adding and deleting media content for the subsections that comprise a section.

FIG. 7 is an example of a screen showing information content for part of a concept conveyed in a textual presentation mode to a user.

FIG. 8 is an example of a screen showing information content for part of a concept conveyed in a video or visual presentation mode to a user.

FIG. 9 is an example of a screen showing information content for part of a concept conveyed in an audio presentation mode to a user.

FIG. 10 is an example of a screen listing questions that are presented to the user in order to measure a user's comprehension rate for information content conveyed in a presentation mode or combination of presentation modes. FIG. 11 is an example of comprehension rates or scores computed for each of an audio presentation mode, visual/video presentation mode and textual presentation mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring first to FIG. 1, the information delivery system is shown residing on a remote server 100 or one PC 120. In a first embodiment, information is transferred to the PC 120 from the server 100 through the communications network 110, such as the Internet, wireless networks, etc. In one embodiment, the user may be at a remote location from the server 100 where the information delivery system resides. The user accesses from the remotely located PC 120, or other computer device such as a PDA. In another embodiment, the information delivery system can be resident on the PC 120, allowing the user to access the software locally without being connected to a server. In either case, information is presented to a user in any of a variety of modes to the PC 120, monitor 130 and speakers 140. The user may then in turn generate responses, which are either returned to the server 100 through the communications network 110, or processed locally on the PC 120, depending on the embodiment that is implemented.

The algorithm that drives the information delivery system is illustrated in FIG. 2. The basic flow is to deliver a series of payloads, or units of information, quiz for comprehension, then proceed or fall back and re-deliver or adjust future delivery based on the results of the inline quizzing, all of which is achieved as follows. First, information content relating to a particular concept is loaded into the system at step 200. Content is then conveyed to the remote user in either one or a combination of modes at step 210, such as audio or audio and visual. Questions measuring the user's comprehension of the delivered content are displayed to the user at step 220 on monitor 130 or via speakers 140, or through both. The user will then generate a response to the question, and the response is in turn received by the system at step 230. At step 240, the system checks whether all possible modes or combinations of modes for delivering information have been used. If not, information content for the particular concept is then presented by a new mode or combination of modes (a "learning strategy") at step 250, and the process is repeated to determine the level of comprehension achieved by the user in the new mode or combination.

The process of conveying content and querying the user continues until the desired range of modes or mode combinations has been exhausted. The system of the present invention then measures the comprehension rate of the user for each mode based on the responses received at step 260. The system determines the best mode or combination of modes for optimizing user comprehension of content for the particular concept at step 270. The best mode or combination of modes are thereafter used to deliver any content that remains for the particular concept and for additional concepts as shown at step 280.

FIG 3. shows an embodiment of the invention employing object-oriented design methodologies. The object model contains Degree, Course, Unit, Section, Payload, Question, and Collector objects with polymorphic behavior of both the Section and Question objects in that a Section (a container class) can be a super or sub-section, meaning it can serve as a meta collector for chapter, section and sub-section information to N sub-sections.

As shown in FIG. 3., a degree 300 comprises N Courses 310 each with N Units 320 containing N Sections 330 and Sub-sections 331 in a hierarchical framework. This data model allows content developers to create simple or complex course hierarchies. A graphical user interface (GUI) displays to the user the units that make up a course as shown in FIG. 4, and the sections that make up a learning unit in FIG.5. Additionally, FIG. 6 shows the tool for adding and deleting media content for the subsections that comprise a section, wherein each subsection or part comprises information content in a plurality of presentation modes to be conveyed to a user. A given Section 330 'parents' either a Sub-section 331 or Payloads 332.

Furthermore, the Section 331 that parents Payloads can either father standard payloads, or units of learning information, or it can be aware that its payloads are each alternate representations of the same instructional information. To further enhance the development of a curriculum in this model, the Payload 332 understands what classes of payload it is, or how it is intended to be understood. Examples of Payload classes are visual, textual, audio, video, or any combination thereof, and virtually any media that lends itself to electronic publishing. Illustrations of displays that appe+ar on a monitor 130 when payloads are delivered to a user in textual, video and audio formats are shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9, respectively. FIG. 7 is an example of a screen on a monitor 130 showing information content for part of a concept conveyed in a textual presentation mode to a user. FIG. 8 is an example of a screen on a monitor 130 showing information content for part of a concept conveyed in a video or visual presentation mode to a user. FIG. 9 is an example of a screen on a monitor 130 showing information content for part of a concept conveyed in an audio presentation mode by speakers 140 to a user.

Additionally, a Payload 332 understands context. Alternate payloads could exist in the same medium (text for example) that use alternate dialog to explain or demonstrate a given concept. One could be a narrative example while another could be a static definition. Payloads 332 each father, and are therefore associated with, a Question 333 about the information it contains. To continue the extensibility of the model, a given Payload 332 could father multiple Questions 333 as in "let me ask you another way..." Additionally each Question 333 can point to a follow up question to any practical depth. Examples of questions posed by the system to the student-user are shown in FIG. 10. Allowing the curriculum developer to chain multiple payloads to multiple questions dynamically ensures the highest probability that the concept will be delivered and retained and allows for a unique user experience each time.

Questions 333 understand why they are being asked and deliver the results into one of N Collectors 340 where statistical information is accumulated, queried, and used to determine what information to deliver next and in what payload class. An example of a display screen showing computed comprehension rates for each of a variety of presentation modes is shown in FIG. 11. Should the user prove to perform better when only dealing with text, then text could become the preferred delivery mode. Containers could exist for virtually anything the instructor or course designer wishes to test. Learning type (visual, tactile, audio etc.), personality index (introvert, extrovert), career or business strengths (sciences, law, service industry), etc., can all be tested. Questions can be used to ascertain right or wrong results to a payload or alternately provide a path for follow up for queries that have no right or wrong answer as in "What do you feel when you look at a star filled sky?" The information delivery system of the present invention presents information content to user by presenting the content in one or more presentation modes. The system determines how well a user comprehends the information presented to him in each of the modes or combination thereof, and then selects one or more of the presentation modes for further delivery of information content in the form of a learning strategy to the user. The selection of a learning strategy is based on a determination by the system of which mode or modes best promote comprehension by a particular user. The invention can be implemented using any of a variety of communications networks to deliver information to one or multiple remote user sites from a server where the information delivery system is resident, or the system can be implemented locally by loading it into a computer readable memory at the user site.

The foregoing descriptions and display screens shown in the referenced figures are intended for example only and are not intended to limit the present invention in any way except as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting information content to a user, comprising steps of:

(a) presenting information content in one or more of a plurality of presentation modes;

(b) determining how well a user comprehends information presented in the one or more presentation modes; and

(c) selecting one or more of the presentation modes for further delivery of information content to the user based on which presentation mode or modes are determined to work best for that user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining how well a user comprehends information, comprises computing a comprehension rate of the user with respect to the mode or combination of modes used to deliver information to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining how well a user comprehends information comprises steps of presenting one or more questions to the user that are intended to measure the user's comprehension of the information presented; and receiving from the user responses to the questions for each presentation mode or combination of presentation modes; and wherein, the step of computing a comprehension rate is based on the responses received from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of determining the presentation mode or combination of presentation modes of best comprehension based on the comprehension rates computed for each presentation mode or combination of presentation modes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of presenting information content, determining how well a user comprehends information and selecting one or more presentation modes are repeated continuously as additional information is presented to a user.

6. A method for presenting information content for an educational course comprising a plurality of learning units, each learning unit comprising a plurality of sections, and each section comprising a plurality of subsections or parts, wherein each subsection or part is conveyed comprising the steps of claim 1.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising a step of generating information content for a concept to be conveyed to a user in each of a plurality of presentation modes including audio, video, text and tactile, and/or combinations thereof.

8. A system for presenting information content to users, comprising:

(a) a communications network;

(b) at least one user site coupled to the communications network; and

(c) a processor coupled to the communications network, wherein the processor delivers information content to the at least one user sites via the communications network by:

(i) presenting information content in one or more of a plurality of presentation modes; (ii) determining how well a user at a user site comprehends information presented in the one or more presentation modes; and (iii) selecting one or more of the presentation modes for further delivery of information content to the user at a user site based on which presentation mode or modes are determined to work best for that user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor executes instructions for performing a process of determining how well a user comprehends information by computing the comprehension rate of the user with respect to the mode or combination of modes used to deliver information to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor determines how well a user comprehends information by presenting one or more questions to the user that are intended to measure the user's comprehension of the information presented; and receiving from the user responses to the questions for each presentation mode or combination of presentation modes; and for computing a comprehension rate is based on the responses received from the user.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines the presentation mode or combination of presentation modes of best comprehension based on the comprehension rates computed for each presentation mode or combination of presentation modes.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor continually performs the steps of presenting information content in one or more of a plurality of modes, determining how well a user at a user site comprehends information, and selecting one or more of the presentation modes for further delivery, as additional information is presented to a user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor generates information content for a concept to be conveyed to a user in each of a plurality of presentation modes including audio, video, text and tactile, and/or combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the communications network comprises the Internet.

15. A computer-readable memory medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

16. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions which cause the processor to determine how well a user comprehends information further comprises instructions for computing a comprehension rate for the user with respect to the mode or combination of modes used to deliver information to the user.

17. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions which cause the processor to determine how well a user comprehends information comprise instructions which cause the processor to present one or more questions to the user that are intended to measure the user's comprehension of the information presented; and receive from the user responses to the questions for each presentation mode or combination of presentation modes; and compute a comprehension rate is based on the responses received from the user.

18. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 15, and further comprising instructions which cause the processor to determine the presentation mode or combination of presentation modes of best comprehension based on the comprehension rates computed for each presentation mode or combination of presentation modes.

19. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 15, and further comprising instructions which cause the processor to repeatedly present information content, determine how well a user comprehends information and select one or more presentation modes, as additional information is presented to a user.

20. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 15, and further comprising instructions which cause the processor to generate information content for a concept to be conveyed to a user in each of a plurality of presentation modes including audio, video, text and tactile, and/or combinations thereof.