Method and system for creating and maintaining assessments

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for creating and maintaining assessments involving using an interface device, connected to an electronic and/or communications channel(s), to access an assessment control system in order to identify information related to information content and develop assessment items. User activity within an interface device occurs within an environment in which multiple components are present in a manner that produces a substantially continuous unified perceptual experience. Thus users can create and maintain assessment information while in the presence of the information content, which most likely represents, either directly or indirectly, the material or subject for which an assessment is being created. User activities within one component do not material affect or disturb information in other components unless the user intentionally chooses to alter other components. Maintenance to the information related to information content and to the assessment items also occur within the substantially unified perceptual experience.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method to create and maintain assessments comprising: 
 receiving identifying information related to information content from a user, said identifying information including one or more selected from the group consisting of a communications channel, channel location, and location of said information content;    designating an assessment event for said identifying information associated with said user;    managing the delivery to said user of at least a component containing said information content and a component containing at least one assessment development tool, said delivery being in a format that produces a substantially continuous unified perceptual experience and allows for user activity to occur in any single component of the said components;    allowing said user to create and maintain said assessments within said component containing said assessment development tool while said information content remains within the said component containing said information content;    designating an assessment containing at least a portion of said identifying information and associated with said user and said assessment event;    allowing for alteration, deletions or other maintenance of said assessment event and said assessment;    allowing for creation of one or more new assessments based on said assessment or said assessment event; and    allowing for creation of one or more new assessment events based on said assessment or said assessment event.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said electronics and/or communications channel comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of local area networks, Internet, Intranet, Extranets and local equipment, communication networks and sources including digital and analog over-the-air transmissions, wireless transmissions, cable transmissions, and satellite transmissions.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an interface device is used to accomplish one or more steps of said method, said interface device comprising any connected, interrelated or otherwise associated equipment or devices that allow said user to experience and/or interact with other available, authorized and/or otherwise accessible resources within said electronic and/or communications channel or channels.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an assessment control system is used to accomplish one or more steps of said method, said assessment control system residing within components containing an information technology processor and associated components that is accessed via said electronic and/or communications channel or channels.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an assessment control system is used to accomplish one or more steps of said method, said assessment control system residing within components containing an information technology processor and associated components that is local to said user and not accessed via said electronic and/or communications channel or channels.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information content comprises: 
 information used in the process of one or more selected from the group consisting of educating, training, instructing, researching, informing and/or information gathering; and    information available in a format including one or more selected from the group consisting of text, graphics, video, animation, audio; over-the-air transmission such as television and radio; tactile materials, and olfactory materials.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information content comprises information located and accessible through said one or more electronics and/or communications channels.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information related to information content includes, directly or indirectly, said electronic or communications channel, channel location, and/or locations of said information content.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said assessment event is uniquely identified so that said assessment event is separate from any other assessment event.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said assessment development tool comprise electronics or communications items used to create a plurality of different assessment types and a plurality of items within each assessment type.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said assessment types are developable in a format including one or more selected from the group consisting of text, graphics, video, animation, audio, over-the-air transmission including television and radio, tactile materials, and olfactory materials.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said assessment development tool allows for additional information including one or more selected from the group consisting of directions, information related to said information content and descriptions.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said assessment comprises: 
 materials used by one party to evaluate, test, gather, measure and/or gain insight into another party's understanding, knowledge, comprehension, progress, skill development, memory and/or other assessment criteria; and    materials supplied by said user including one or more materials selected from the group consisting of those developed by other users, supplied but not developed by said other users, and those referenced or linked by said other users.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said assessment comprises materials supplied by said user that are accessible and deliverable via said one or more electronics and/or communications channel or channels.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said assessment is uniquely identified so that said assessment is separate from any other assessment.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each component within said plurality of components contains information drawn from one or more separate electronic and/or communications channels, channel locations, or locations.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said delivery to said user of said components further includes a component containing at least one information content identification tool.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said format of said components delivered to said user produces said substantially continuous unified perceptual experience and allows for user activity to occur in any single component of the said components.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said components exist concurrently within a user interface device.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said delivery is to a user interface device of multiple components that occurs with each of said components being delivered via the same said electronics and/or communications channel or channels or with different components being delivered via different said electronics and/or communications channel or channels.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said substantially continuous unified perceptual experience comprises all sensory stimuli or outputs that are present within a user interface device, either concurrently or in logical order, and producing a single or series of associated and undisturbed events.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user is allowed to take action in any single component while all other components remain substantially undisturbed.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user is allowed to take action in any single component comprises while intentionally intending to alter information in other components.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alteration, deletions or other maintenance of said assessment event and said assessment occurs within said substantially continuous unified perceptual experience.  
     
     
         25 . An assessment control system, comprising: 
 at least one assessment development tool for creating, adjusting, deleting and otherwise maintaining assessments;    at least one information content identification tool for identifying, adjusting, deleting and otherwise maintaining information related to information content including one or more selected from the group consisting of an electronic and/or communications channel, channel location, and location of said information content;    at least one processor for: 
 designating an assessment event containing at least a portion of said information content;  
 managing delivery to a user interface device of a plurality of components comprising at least a component containing said assessment development tools and a component containing said information content;  
 formatting said delivery to said user interface device in which said plurality of components within said user interface device exist in a manner consistent with a substantially continuous unified perceptual experience and allows for activities performed by said user to occur in any single component of said plurality of components;  
 designating an assessment associated with said user and said assessment event;  
 creating a new assessment based on said assessment or said assessment event; and  
 creating a new assessment event based on said assessment or said assessment event; and  
   at least one storage area for retaining one or more selected from the group consisting of said assessment event, said assessment, and said information content.    
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said electronic and/or communications channel comprise information technology networks and sources comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of local area networks, Internet, Intranet, Extranets and local equipment; digital and analog over-the-air transmissions, wireless transmissions, cable transmissions, and satellite transmissions.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said assessment control system resides within components containing an information technology processor and associated components.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein said components containing an information technology processor and associated components are accessed via one or more electronic and/or communications channel.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein said components containing an information technology processor and associated components are local to said user and not accessed via said electronic and/or communications channel.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said assessment development tool allows for: 
 creating a plurality of assessment item types and a plurality of items within each said assessment item types; and    the inclusion of additional information including one or more selected from the group consisting of directions, information related to said information content and descriptions.    
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein said assessment item types are developable in a format including one or more selected from the group consisting of text, graphics, video, animation, audio; over-the-air transmission; tactile materials, and olfactory materials.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said information content comprises: 
 information used in the process of educating, training, instructing, researching, informing and/or information gathering; and    information in a format including one or more selected from the group consisting of text, graphics, video, animation, audio, over-the-air transmission such as television and radio, tactile materials, and olfactory materials.    
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said information content comprises information located and accessible via said one or more electronics and/or communications channels.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said information related to information content includes either the direct or the indirect location or locations of said information content.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said interface device comprises any connected, interrelated or otherwise associated equipment or devices that allow said user to experience and/or interact with other available, authorized and/or otherwise accessible resources within said electronic and/or communication channel.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said delivery to a user's interface device of multiple components occurs via said one or more electronic and/or communications channel.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said delivery to said user interface device of said plurality of components occurs with each component being delivered via the same channel or with different components being delivered via different channels.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said delivery to said user interface device of said plurality of components includes at least a component containing said information content identification tool and a component containing said information content.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said delivery to said user interface device of said plurality of components is presented in a manner that produces said substantially continuous unified perceptual experience and allows for user activity to occur in any single component of the said plurality of components.  
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said substantially continuous unified perceptual experience comprises all sensory stimuli or outputs that are present within said user interface device, either concurrently or in logical order, and producing a single or series of associated and undisturbed events.  
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein said assessment is also made available as an unassociated assessment within a pool of assessment items that can be selectively chosen to be included in another assessment or can be made available to other users to build assessments.