Patent Publication Number: US-2007117070-A1

Title: Vocational assessment testing device and method

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention relates generally to the field of vocational ability assessment, and more particularly, to the measurement and assessment of the performance of tasks related to various selected occupations, for example in the context of identifying training options or placement in various occupations.  
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
      For years, professionals have studied the effects that verbal ability, motor skills, and temperament have on a person&#39;s abilities. Tests have been developed for measuring, e.g., simple and complex attention reaction, working memory, short-term memory, and new learning, incidental memory, adaptive problem solving, continuous performance and spatial ability. These have generally also been used to identify potential for disability or actual disability, but not to identify occupational potential.  
      Many cognitive test instruments are designed for single assessment situations or to answer specific diagnostic questions or to measure a specific cognitive skill, and often make use of the novelty of the test. These are rarely adapted to performing more than a few assessments in an individual, because the subject may benefit from second and subsequent repetitions of the test, making normative data (based on the single test administration) inappropriate.  
      In addition, many test instruments are specifically designed for subjects functioning at a specific level and do not work well with persons who are not functioning at that level. For example, typically, a test that is useful for a “high” functioning group of subjects, such as jet pilots, may be considerably less useful for a “low” functioning group, such as special needs or disabled persons.  
      Accordingly, there is a need for a universal vocational aptitude testing device and method that are adapted to accommodate a wide spectrum of cognitive functional levels. There is also a need for a device and method that can reliably and adaptively detect deviations in a person&#39;s cognitive levels, to help identify the aptitude and vocational choice for that person. There is further a need for a device and method that can reliably detect the deviation in a person&#39;s cognitive level over time in connection with the person&#39;s ability to perform tasks for various occupations. In particular, there is a need for a method and device for identifying occupational potential, such as by measuring functions to assess a subject&#39;s potential for job training or placement, in particular with a computerized test.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention is provided in order to remedy some or all of the drawbacks of the existing art.  
      Thus, in an aspect of the invention, an objective of the invention is to provide a vocational aptitude testing device and method using a library of tasks for indexing those performance levels which relate to prospective job performance.  
      In another aspect of the invention, an objective of the invention is to provide a vocational aptitude testing device and method that may be used for subjects with various cognitive abilities, from high function subjects to persons with disabilities.  
      In still another aspect of the invention, an objective of the invention is to provide a computer implemented vocational aptitude testing device and method that allows the examiner to modify testing parameters without modifying the program code, and in particular, to provide computer implemented vocational aptitude tests having variable task parameters, derived from a task analysis of a specified occupation.  
      Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a vocational aptitude testing method for detecting the aptitude of subjects having various cognitive abilities to a range of activities, comprising: 
          selecting at least one task among a library of vocational aptitude tasks;     providing instructions regarding the at least one task to the subject;     providing at least one stimulus of the at least one task to the subject;     detecting at least one action by the subject in response to the at least one stimulus;     performing at least one of collecting, processing, presenting, transmitting, and displaying data obtained from the test subject&#39;s response.        

      In another aspect, the invention provides a vocational aptitude testing device for detecting the aptitude of subjects having various cognitive abilities to a range of activities, comprising: 
          a library of vocational aptitude tasks;     a menu module for allowing the subject or a test administrator to select at least one task in the library;     an instruction module for providing instructions regarding the at least one task to the subject;     a performance module for providing at least one stimulus of the at least one task to the subject and detecting at least one action by the subject in response to the at least one stimulus;     an analysis module for performing at least one of collecting, processing, presenting, transmitting, and displaying data obtained from the test subject&#39;s response.        

      In particular embodiments, the menu module allows the subject or a test administrator to customize parameters of the tasks in the library, to modify a task by combining portions of several tasks and/or to add new tasks to the library.  
      The instruction module provides advantageously at least one of textual, visual, and audio stimuli.  
      The performance module can comprise at least one input device input device such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, a dedicated response button, for example, the performance module may comprise at least two input devices. In addition it may have a routine or other means may be provided for measuring responses, for example, through the computer program itself.  
      In some embodiments, the analysis module comprises a statistical analysis module for generating statistical information on the subject&#39;s response. A further correction module that interrupts performance of a task if the subject&#39;s actions are repeatedly erroneous, and/or a subject information demographic module for gathering subject information, may be provided.  
      In some variants, the library includes tasks adapted to assess subjects with various cognitive abilities, tasks adapted to assess performance levels of subjects in relation to a prospective professional occupation, and/or at least one task adapted to determine the subject&#39;s ability to perform an activity and at least one task adapted to determine the subject&#39;s interest in performing the activity.  
      In preferred embodiments, at least one of the modules is implemented by computer program instructions, for example, all modules are implemented by computer program instructions. The computer program may be stored in a computer or in a computer usable storage medium, for example. In some embodiments, the program code executes entirely on a computer, and in other embodiments, the program code partly on a local computer and partly on a remote computer, or completely on a remote computer. Instructions or response data may be sent via a network of computers in some cases. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of vocational aptitude assessment device according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a remotely implemented device according to the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a stand-alone device according to the invention; 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS  
      Examples of the present invention are described further hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which particular embodiments of the invention are shown.  
      The present invention may include a series of components including a library of vocational aptitude tasks, a menu program, and an analysis program. The components may function individually or in concert with one another.  
      The library of tasks comprises a plurality of tasks that may be designed to index or assess potential vocational skills. These tasks may be computer-implemented, and they may have been modified for computer implementation or have been developed for computer implementation. Many of the tasks include a response that facilitates alteration of certain parameters of the task by the test administrator without modifying the underlying program code, thus making the tasks useful for indexing multiple skills.  
      A menu program allows the test administrator to select one or more tasks to be performed from the library and to customize parameters of those tasks altering the responses. The test procedures can be modified by a user directly, for example, from a touch screen, or by changing cards, or through an external computer network of computers. The tests can be adapted to particular objectives or uses. For example, individual features of each test, such as the type of visual or audio signals and the type of subject&#39;s action which is detected can be modified. Also, individual features of the above tests can be combined to form new tests. The test procedures described above are given only as examples, and other test procedures may be used in addition or in place of these examples.  
      In addition, each task is implemented through an instruction module and a performance module. The instruction module provides instructions to the test subject for implementing the task. The test subject interacts with the performance module to carry out the task.  
      The instruction module preferably includes program code for generating textual instructions on a computer screen for implementing performance module. Such instructions may include informing the test subject as to the type of input device, e.g., mouse, keyboard, button, touch-screen, etc., to be used to respond to stimuli and queries generated by the performance module. The instruction module may further include image and queries generated by the performance module. The instruction module may also include image, video and/or audio files, to augment or replace the textual instructions for assisting test subjects who have trouble reading the textual instructions. In this manner, the tests can be adapted to be administered to, e.g., subjects who are illiterate, intellectually challenged, or non-English speakers.  
      In a variant of the invention, various agent character or characters may be used. Agent characters may be programmed to move and speak, enhancing the quality and understanding of the test instructions and providing an avenue of appeal for subjects that are unique, e.g., children, the elderly, etc. The test administrator may alter the movements and speech of the agent characters.  
      The performance module generates stimuli on the computer screen to which the test subject is prompted to respond. Such stimuli may be visual, aural, or audio-visual. In a variant of the invention, aural stimuli are provided, e.g., in order to facilitate testing of subjects who are visually impaired, or where the test administrator desires to mimic an environment in which the test subject cannot see a computer monitor. In alternative embodiments of the invention, additional components may be included, which may be mounted on the apparatus or connected to the apparatus through a wire or wireless connection, or other communication device.  
      For each test, the test subject may respond to stimuli using an input device such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, a dedicated response button, or another input device, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,480, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.  
      An analysis module may be provided to exploit the subject&#39;s actions in response to the stimuli. The analysis module may perform one or more of the following steps: collecting, interpreting, presenting, displaying data, such that the data may be readily interpreted by a professional (typically a vocational counselor), for example, through a graphics program. The data is preferably organized so as to represent a test subject&#39;s abilities and/or interests in a specific occupation or list of occupations.  
      In accordance with an aspect of the invention, data generated by the tests may be processed by a statistical analysis module to generate statistical information, e.g., mean/median, reaction time, accuracy, thoroughness, etc. In particular, the statistical analysis program collects, interprets, and analyzes data generated by performance of the tasks. In this manner, the interaction of task performance in various tests can be used to identify the work activities best fitted to the test subject.  
      In a further embodiment of the invention, a correction module is provided with the performance module. For example, the correction module monitors the first N responses to the first N stimuli generated by the performance module, where N is an integer selected by the test administrator. If the first N responses are incorrect, the correction module interrupts the task and provides an indication that there may be a misunderstanding of the instruction, for example, by displaying a message on a computer screen. At that point, the instruction module may be designed to display the instruction again and the performance module may be adapted to restart the task. After a predetermined number of successive task interruptions, the performance module stops the test, and, for example, displays a message on the computer screen directing the test subject to contact the test administrator. In this manner, the correction module helps prevent accumulation of bad test data due to lack of understanding of the test instructions. In this manner, the subject&#39;s misunderstanding of task instructions may be detected, and a useable profile to help identify best fit for vocational placement or training, may be obtained.  
      According to a variant of the invention, a data collection module, for example, a subject information demographic module, may be provided with the library for collecting data relating to the test subject and creating a corresponding database. Preferably, this module provides a simple mechanism, e.g., GUI, for recording important participant demographic and medical information in a format compatible with database standards and with data produced by the test modules.  
      A GUI may include one or several of the following data fields, for example: subject ID, battery identification, age, sex, race, occupation, hand preference, years of education, diagnostic code  1 , diagnostic code  2 , medications, and comments, as well as other possible data fields. The GUI and corresponding database may also be customized for specific test subjects to include one or several data fields, for example, up to three data fields that are specific to the research or clinical purpose for administering the test.  
      Vocational aptitude tasks may include conventional testing procedures that are adapted to determine a subject&#39;s ability to perform specific occupations and to determine a subject&#39;s interest in performing specific occupations. The tests may have been developed following or based on established standards for a specific occupation, such as various professional standards which are well known in the art, or they may have been developed for the purpose of evaluating a specific occupation, under DOT or SOC classifications or others. For example, a group of tasks within the library may include or correspond to standards described in the US Dictionary of Occupational Standards, and/or other directories developed elsewhere. The tasks may be adapted to determine a skill profile of the subject. A battery of tasks may have been organized in accordance with a job training program.  
      Examples of tasks that may be included in the library are set forth in Table 1 below. The library may include any number or grouping of the tasks below, for example at least 3, at least 5, at least 10, and optionally additional tasks other than those listed in Table 1.  
               TABLE 1                          Exemplary task library                                 Employment/vocational       Task   What the task measures   correlation               Arithmetic   Ability to perform math   Ability to perform basic           problems, ranging from simple   computational problems           addition to calculus   accurately       Auditory acuity   Ability to hear and respond to   Ability to perceive and           sound   respond to signals and danger               cues, to follow verbal               directions, and to interact               socially       Auditory localization   Ability to identify accurately   Ability to respond effectively           the direction from which   to sound in the work           sound signals start   environment       Auditory memory   Ability to remember what one   Ability to retain information           hears   gathered by hearing and to               follow directions       Color vision   Ability to see color accurately   Ability to perceive and               discriminate color coded               information       Eye-hand coordination time   Amount of time to perform   Ability to perform tasks that           tasks requiring motor control   require eye-hand coordination           of left and right hands   with speed       Eye-hand coordination   Accuracy of performance of   Ability to perform tasks that       accuracy   tasks requiring motor control   require eye-hand coordination           of left and/or right hands   with accuracy       Independent living skills   Maturity and social   Ability to function in socially           responsibility   responsible manner       Language series   Vocabulary skills, reading   Ability to understand the           comprehension, and language   meaning of words and of           usage skills   language and context       Persistence   Performance motivation   Ability to perform repetitive           derived from the repetition of   tasks without performance           a task (subtest)   decline or variability       Physical condition   Level of physical well-being   Ability to perform jobs that           derived from results of   are physically demanding           structured interview       Problem solving-time   Time taken to observe and   Ability to perform visual           learn from a demonstrated task   hands-on tasks efficiently       Problem solving-accuracy   Ability to observe and learn   Ability to perform visual           from a demonstrated task   hands-on tasks accurately and               with precision       Problem solving-style   Whether a new task is learned,   Ability to learn from           how quickly, and whether the   observation and to generalize           learning is retained   and apply methods               independently       Problem solving-effectiveness   Effectiveness, or slope, of   Ability to learn a new task and           learning a hands-on task   repeat it while improving               hands-on performance over               time       Reaction time to light   Speed with which one   Ability to respond effectively           responds to a visual signal   to visual signals       Reaction time to sound   Speed with which one   Ability to respond effectively           responds to a sound signal   to sound signals       Reaction time to combined   Speed with which one   Ability to respond effectively       light and sound   responds to simultaneous light   to visual and auditory signals           and sound signals       Spatial reasoning   Time and accuracy in   Ability to solve problems and           completing tasks requiring   reason without concrete cues,           reasoning in an abstract and   to reason from a specific cue,           spatially-related way   to troubleshoot       Visual acuity   Ability to see accurately   Ability to perceive visual               stimuli and to perform tasks               requiring good vision       Visual memory   Whether an demonstrated task   Ability to retain information           is observed and repeated in an   gathered through signs           accurate and timely manner                  
 
      A vocational interest test may be incorporated into the test administration. For example, the subject may be asked to respond to a graphic portrayal of various occupations, by rating a degree of interest, or via another form of presentation following methods which are know in the art or will be otherwise available to the person of the art. An interest profile is thus incorporated into the methodology for selecting recommended occupational choices.  
      As shown by the block diagram of  FIG. 1 , each block of the diagram, and each group or combination of blocks can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, implement the functions specified in the flow chart block or blocks.  
      These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means or program code that implements the function specified in the flow chart block or blocks.  
      As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the present invention may be embodied as a computer implemented method, a programmed computer, a data processing system, a signal, and/or computer program. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program on a computer usable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied in the medium. Any suitable computer readable medium may be utilized including hard disks, CD-ROMS, DVD-ROMS, optical storage devices, or other storage devices.  
      Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in a plurality of languages, and it may be internet-enabled.  
      As shown on  FIG. 2 , the program code may execute entirely on the user&#39;s or test subject&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, or it may execute partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer, or completely on a remote computer. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected directly or the user&#39;s computer via a LAN or a WAN (Intranet), or the connection may be made indirectly through an external computer (For example, through the internet). Thus, the program may be administered entirely remotely through a computer network, including selection of tests before or during the testing, online payment and authorization of initial and/or additional tests, viewing of test results for each subject as well as for groups of individuals by geography and/or by aptitude, for example. The testing process may be self-paced or directed by automatic instruction or administrator direction.  
      In particular, the computer program instructions may also be loaded, e.g., transmitted via a carrier wave, to a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flow chart block or blocks.  
      Various template, program code, and the database(s) according to the present invention may be stored locally on a provider&#39;s stand-alone computer terminal, such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, palmtop computer, or personal digital assistant (PDA) or the like.  
      As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a dedicated or non-specific device for implementing the present invention may be constructed using as starting point a device as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,480 to Krass, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Of course, a standard PC may be used or adapted as a device according to the present invention, or for performing the method of the present invention.  
      Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not limited to such embodiments, but various modifications and alternative embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the art in view of the general disclosure of the invention and particular embodiment described herein.