Patent GB-1125445-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to teaching machines
Inventor: NISBET THOMAS RONALD
IPC: G09B7/073
Filed: 1965-09-01
Abstract: 1,125,445. Teaching machines; digital to analogue converters; counting apparatus. EDEX CORP. 1 Sept., 1965, No. 37312/65. Headings G4D, G4H and G5G. A teaching machine includes control apparatus and a plurality of student units each with means for entering answers to multichoice questions, the control apparatus comprising a record medium with prerecorded control signals and instructional material including multi-choice questions, the control signals comprising function selection pulses and command pulses, reproducing means for reproducing the material and control signals, a plurality of selectable circuits each of which is arranged to be operative in response to command pulses when selected, and a selector device adapted to select a selectable circuit from the said circuits in response to the function selection pulses, some of the circuits being coupled to each of the means for entering answers in such a way that the passage of control pulses to means for indicating the correctives or otherwise of an answer in a students unit is controlled in dependence upon the students operation of the answer entering means. As illustrated the control signals are carried by two tracks of a magnetic tape 10, and the command pulses and function selection pulses of 1250 c.p.s. and 500 c.p.s. respectively energize relays K2, K1 through switching networks 38, 39. Each function selection pulse energizes a coil 53 of the stepping selector device to step arm 54. When a position 0-10, each identifying a different circuit, has been selected each command pulse energizes the associated circuit. Each of the positions 4-7 represents one of four answers to a presented multi-choice question and the arm 54 is stepped by function selective pulses to the position corresponding to the correct answer. A student selects what he considers to be the correct answer by depressing an appropriate one of his answer buttons A-D and subsequent command pulses will actuate a counter 72 only if the correct answer has been selected. The value of each question can be weighted by varying the number of command pulses. Each student unit besides having buttons A-D, and a counter 72 includes a paper strip 24 (Fig. 3) on which answers can be recorded via a window 101, a paper strip 94 on which the answers are copied and a motor 97 for advancing the paper strips. The strips 24 may have a transferable coating, or a carbon sheet may be provided between the two strips. The motor 97 is energized by closure of contact K71 when arm 54 is at position 8. The circuits associated with positions 0-3, 9 and 10 control actuation of tape drive capstan motor, projector, room lights, and a buzzer. Switches such as 82, 68, 69, 121 are provided for manually operating the machine. The machine described above may include means whereby one student's unit includes counters each corresponding to a different subject (Fig. 6, not shown), the subject being selected by a modified circuit connected to position 9. In a modification of the machine of Fig. 2 the students units associated with positions 4-7 are replaced by the arrangement of Fig. 7 which includes means 168 for manual selection of a correct answer by an instructor and a manually operable pulse generating device 177, 178 for generating pulses on the correct answer line. Each student unit includes a lamp 183, which is illuminated to indicate a correct answer. The arrangement also includes local and remote meters 192-199 which indicate the percentage of students answering A, B, C or D. The remote meters may be replaced by a single meter with associated circuitry and a permanent record apparatus for indicating and recording the percentage of students who selected the most popular response (Fig. 9, not shown). A system (Fig. 10, not shown) may also be provided whereby the averages of the percentages of answers A, B, C and D from three class-rooms each including a machine similar to that of Fig. 7, can be indicated at a remote monitor.