An automatic system for teaching and for monitoring learning by real-time analysis of responses to questions

Abstract: A teaching system having automatic monitoring of the learning provides an electronic processor (2) connected to a series of terminal stations (5) associated with the various learners and including means for making a choice between a plurality of options and for communicating this choice to the electronic processor. The system is utilised for automatically monitoring the responses to questions by effecting an immediate analysis of the results and displaying them.

Description: The present invention relates to an automatic system for teaching and for monitoring learning by real-time analysis of responses to questions, of the type indicated in the pre-characterising portion of appended claim 1. EP-A-0 399 667 discloses a system of such a type. The invention has been devised by the Applicant with reference to a training course for woodland fire prevention operatives. However, it is generally applicable to any type of material to be taught. Tests carried out by the Applicant have shown that teaching or training courses conducted in a traditional manner do not make it possible to obtain effective results when one or more of the following conditions are found: large number of learners; wide range of cultural levels of the learners; geographical position of the site of the course distant from places where the qualified teachers usually operate; long duration of the course. In order to solve this problem the subject of the invention is an automatic system for training or teaching and for monitoring learning, having the features set forth in claim 1. The expression "audio-visual reproduction means" is intended to refer both to audio-visual means such as video players, film projectors etc, and to solely visual communication means such as slide projectors, and solely sound communication means. In an exemplary embodiment devised by the Applicant, the audio-visual reproduction means comprise a video playback machine which permits a training film to be displayed, including lessons by qualified teachers (typically University teachers from different countries) with images for assisting understanding of the arguments presented. The film is stopped after a relatively short period of time (for example between thirty-five seconds and seven minutes) so as not to exceed the threshold of the attention span of the learners. The last part of each portion of the film provides a summary of arguments presented. Once the film has been stopped, the slide projector projects a slide carrying a question and a series (for example three) of possible responses. The learners are thus immediately put to a test of the degree of learning and are forced to maintain a high level of attention. Each learner from his terminal station, can communicate the chosen response to the processor. The heart of the system according to the invention consists particularly in providing for real-time processing, by the processor, of the responses transmitted by the various terminal stations, and for the immediate display of the results. In the embodiment put into practice by the Applicant the students are followed by an operator who, however, is not a qualified teacher, but merely an assistant having the function of monitoring the starting and stopping of the audio-visual reproduction means as a function of the results of the responses. For example, if the percentage of incorrect responses is greater than a predetermined level, the assistant can repeat the portion of the lesson already followed, until an acceptable percentage of correct responses is obtained. Naturally, it will also be possible to programme the processor for automatic monitoring of the starting and stopping of the audio-visual control means as a function of the results of the responses. To the applicant's knowledge there has never previously been proposed a system of the above-described type including means for automatic analysis of the responses to questions. From the preceding description it is evident that the system according to the invention makes it possible to keep the learners' attention constantly at a high level and constantly to monitor, during the progress of the course, the degree of learning by the learners so as to achieve, an efficient teaching of groups containing even a high number of learners, and even of a very different cultural level without the aid of qualified personnel. The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view which illustrates a system according to the invention; Figure 2 illustrates a detail of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates an example of a question card in association with three possible responses; and Figure 4 is a block diagram which illustrates the succession of steps for which the system is programmed. In Figure 1 the reference numeral 1 generally indicates the system according to the invention, comprising an electronic processor 2 connected to a video 3 and a printer 4, as well as to a plurality of terminal stations 5 each of which is intended to be associated with a student on the course. The reference numeral 7 indicates a video player which, in the illustrated example, is controlled by an operator 6. Still in the example illustrated, the operator 6 controls a slide projector (not illustrated in Figure 1) as well as the video player 7. As has been already indicated above, the video player 7 is intended to display a film utilised for teaching, including interviews with teachers, explanatory films and so on. The slide projector is, on the other hand, utilised, as indicated above, to project questions in association with a series of possible responses as in the example illustrated in Figure 3. With reference to Figure 2, each terminal station 5 comprises a number of keys 8 equal to the number of possible responses (three in this example) which permit the learner to indicate the chosen response. The terminal station 5 further includes a key 9 to cancel the learner's choice, and two auxiliary illuminable indicators 10, 11 utilised at the discretion of the assistant, respectively to call the learner's attention and to indicate that the system is ready for the learner's response. Figure 4 schematically indicates the sequence of operations performed by the system according to the invention as already illustrated.

Claims: An automatic system for teaching and for monitoring learning, comprising: a programmable electronic processor (2), a plurality of terminal stations (5) connected to the electronic processor and each intended to be occupied by a learner, in which each terminal station includes means (8) for making a choice between a plurality of options and for communicating this choice to the electronic processor (2), audio-visual reproduction means (7) controlled by the electronic processor and/or by an operator (6) for reproducing, alternatively, audio-visual teaching message portions and questions for monitoring learning of each of said portions, in association with a plurality of possible responses for each of said question, all being prearranged to perform the following operations cyclically: start the said audio-visual reproduction means (7) to send a teaching message portion, stop the reproduction means at the conclusion of said message portion, start the said audio-visual reproduction means to communicate a question relative to the reproduced portion in association with a series of possible responses for said question, enable the terminal stations (5) to select the correct response to the communicated question, receive the response sent from the terminal stations (5) and process them, display the results of the responses so as to allow an immediate check of the degree of learning achieved, and restart the said audio-visual reproduction means to communicate a further portion of teaching messages, cyclically repeating the above-described operations, characterised in that the programmable electronic processor (2) is programmed so that it processes the responses sent from the terminal stations (5) in order to perform the following steps: calculate the percentage of wrong responses to each question, compare the calculated percentage with a predetermined threshold percentage value for that question, and automatically repeat the last reproduced audio-visual teaching message portion if the calculated percentage of wrong responses is higher than the relative threshold value, until the calculated percentage of wrong responses is lower than the predetermined threshold value for that question.

Inventors: CAPELLO GIUSEPPE, CAPELLO, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: PROMETEO SPA, PROMETEO S.P.A.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: G09B7
IPC codes: G09B7, G09B5