Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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MODULAR CONTENT DEPLOYMENT AND PLAYBACK CONTROL SYSTEM
FOR EDUCATIONAL APPLICATION
FIELD
[0001] The specification relates generally to educational software
applications, and specifically to a modular content deployment and playback
control system for such software applications.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A variety of educational software applications exist to teach
students
skills such as reading. Research has shown that reading skill is defined by
proficiency in each of five subskills, including, for example, phonics
(establishing
connections between sounds and letters) and phonemic awareness (hearing,
identifying and employing individual sounds, or phonemes).
[0003] While the above-mentioned subskills determine the overall reading
ability of an individual, users of such applications may gain proficiency in
each
subskill at different rates, with some subskills being easily acquired for
some
users but requiring more effort for other users. Some educational applications
do
not account for this variability. Other applications, however, do account for
such
variability among their users by adapting the path a user takes through the
application's subskill exercises.
[0004] Due to the number of subskills to be acquired and the number of
exercises employed to teach the user each subskill, and due to the variability
in
subskill acquisition rates by users, adaptive applications are required to
accommodate a vast number of possible paths through their subskill exercises
and pacing along those paths. This can lead to inefficient use of
computational
resources such as data storage, bandwidth (for client-server applications) and
processor cycles.
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SUMMARY
[0005] According to an aspect of the specification, a system for modular
content deployment and control is provided, comprising: a client device
including
an output device, an input device, and a memory storing: (i) a plurality of
graphical background elements and corresponding background content
identifiers; (ii) a plurality of graphical foreground elements and
corresponding
foreground content identifiers; and (iii) a plurality of audio elements and
corresponding audio content identifiers; the client device further including a
client
processor configured to control the output device to present a subset of the
graphical background elements, graphical foreground elements, and audio
elements; a server connected to the client device via a network and including
a
memory storing: (i) a plurality of stage records arranged in a sequence, each
stage record containing a respective subset of the background content
identifiers,
the foreground content identifiers and the audio content identifiers; (ii) a
client
profile corresponding to the client device, the client profile containing an
identifier
of a most recent completed one of the stages, and a performance indicator for
the most recent completed stage; the server further including a server
processor
configured to: receive a request for content identifiers from the client
device;
responsive to receiving the request, select, based on the client profile, one
of a
default stage record and an override stage record from the plurality of stage
records; and transmit to the client device, via the network, the subset of
background content identifiers, foreground content identifiers and audio
content
identifiers contained in the selected stage record.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Embodiments are described with reference to the following
figures, in
which:
[0007] FIG. 1 depicts a system for modular content deployment and
control,
according to a non-limiting embodiment;
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[0008] FIG. 2 depicts certain internal components of the control server
and
client device of FIG. 1, according to a non-limiting embodiment;
[0009] FIG. 3 depicts examples of the content data stored in the client
device
of FIG. 2, according to a non-limiting embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 4 depicts presentation of selected elements of the content of
FIG.
3, according to a non-limiting embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 5 depicts a method of content deployment and playback
control in
the system of FIG. 1, according to a non-limiting embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 6 depicts a schematic of the interactions between
applications in
.. the system of FIG. 1, according to a non-limiting embodiment; and
[0013] FIG. 7 depicts a redirection routine for the method of FIG. 5,
according
to a non-limiting embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0014] FIG. 1 depicts a system 100 for modular content deployment and
playback control. System 100 includes at least one client computing device, of
which two examples 104a and 104b are shown (referred to generically as a
client
computing device 104 or client device 104, and collectively as client
computing
devices 104 or client devices 104). Additional client devices (not shown) can
be
.. included in system 100. Each client device 104 can be any of a cellular
phone, a
smart phone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, smart
television, gaming console, virtual reality computing device, and the like.
[0015] Client devices 104a and 104b are connected to a network 108 via
respective links 112a and 112b, of which link 112a is illustrated as a wired
link
.. and link 112b is illustrated as a wireless link. Each of links 112,
however, can be
any one of, or any suitable combination of, wired and wireless links. Network
108
can include any suitable combination of wired and wireless networks, including
but not limited to a Wide Area Network (WAN) such as the Internet, a Local
Area
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Network (LAN) such as a corporate data network, WiFi networks, cell phone
networks (e.g. LTE) and the like.
[0016] Via network 108, client devices 104 communicate with a control
server
116 connected to network 108 via a link 118 (which in the present embodiment
is
illustrated as a wired link, but can be any one of, or any suitable
combination of,
wired and wireless links). Control server 116 provides a content playback
control
service to client devices 104. As will be described in detail below, each
client
device 104 stores data defining a plurality of content elements (e.g. images,
audio files and the like). Server 116 operates to instruct each client device
104
which of those content elements to present to the operators of client devices
104
at a given time. Server 116 also receives reporting data from client devices
104,
and processes the reporting data to determine which content to instruct client
devices 104 to present.
[0017] More specifically, in the embodiments described herein, the
content
stored by each client device 104 represents an educational software
application,
directed to teaching the operator of each client device 104 (e.g. a child) to
read.
The content elements stored at each client device 104 thus include images and
sounds corresponding to phonemes, syllables, words and the like, employed in
teaching the operator to read. Server 116, as will be seen below, instructs
client
devices 104 as to which combinations of the above-mentioned content to present
to the operator at any given time, based on processing activities performed at
server 116. Thus, as will become apparent herein, storage-intensive content
data
resides at client devices 104 (rather than traversing network 108 during
playback), while processing for the selection of content to present to an
operator
(which may be computationally intensive, subject to more frequent
reconfigurations than the content itself, or both) occurs at server 116 and
traverses network 108.
[0018] Before a detailed discussion of the operation of system 100 is
provided, certain components of client devices 104 and control server 116 will
be
described with reference to FIG. 2.
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,
[0019] Referring now to Fig. 2, client device 104a (the discussion below
also
applies to client device 104b, and any other client devices) includes a
central
processing unit (CPU) 200, also referred to herein as processor 200,
interconnected with a memory 204. Memory 204 stores computer readable
instructions executable by processor 200, including an educational application
208, whose contents will be discussed in greater detail further below.
Processor
200 and memory 204 are generally comprised of one or more integrated circuits
(ICs), and can have a variety of structures, as will now occur to those
skilled in
the art (for example, more than one CPU can be provided).
[0020] Processor 200 executes the instructions of educational application
208
to perform, in conjunction with the other components of client device 104a,
various functions related to presenting content contained in educational
application 208, under the guidance of control server 116. In the below
discussion of those functions, client device 104a is said to be configured to
perform those functions ¨ it will be understood that client device 104a is so
configured via the processing of the instructions in application 208 by the
hardware components of client device 104a (including processor 200 and
memory 204).
[0021] Client device 104a also includes at least one input device
interconnected with processor 200, in the form of a pointing device 212.
Pointing
device 212 can include any suitable one of, or combination of, input devices.
For
example, pointing device 212 can a mouse, a touch screen or the like. In
further
embodiments, client device 104 can include additional input devices, such as a
keyboard, a microphone, a camera, a GPS receiver, and the like (not shown).
Client device 104a also includes at least one output device interconnected
with
processor 200, including a display 216. When pointing device 212 includes a
touch screen, display 216 and pointing device 212 can be integrated with one
another. Other output devices can also be provided, such as a speaker (not
shown). Client device 104a also includes a network interface 220
interconnected
with processor 200, which allows client device 104a to connect to network 108
via link 112a. Network interface 220 thus includes the necessary hardware,
such
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as radio transmitter/receiver units, network interface controllers and the
like, to
communicate over link 112a.
[0022] Control server 116 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 230,
also
referred to herein as processor 230, interconnected with a memory 234. Memory
234 stores computer readable instructions executable by processor 230,
including a control application 238. Processor 230 and memory 234 are
generally
comprised of one or more integrated circuits (ICs), and can have a variety of
structures, as will now occur to those skilled in the art (for example, more
than
one CPU can be provided). Processor 230 executes the instructions of control
application 238 to perform, in conjunction with the other components of
control
server 116, various functions related to instructing client devices 104 to
present
content from their respective educational applications 208. In the discussion
below of those functions, control server 116 is said to be configured to
perform
those functions ¨ it will be understood that control server 116 is so
configured via
the processing of the instructions in application 238 by the hardware
components
of control server 116 (including processor 230 and memory 234).
[0023] Memory 234 also stores a sequence database 242, which contains
records defining a plurality of content stages for the content of application
208, as
will be discussed below. Also stored in memory 234 is a client profile
database
246, which contains profile data corresponding to each client device 104 (e.g.
an
identifier of the client device 104 and various other data to be discussed
below).
Although databases 242 and 246 are discussed below as two distinct databases,
in some embodiments they can be implemented in a single database, or in a
greater number of databases than two.
[0024] Control server 116 also includes a network interface 250
interconnected with processor 230, which allows control server 116 to connect
to
network 108 via link 118. Network interface 250 thus includes the necessary
hardware, such as network interface controllers and the like, to communicate
over link 118. Control server 116 also includes input devices interconnected
with
processor 230, such as a keyboard 254, as well as output devices
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interconnected with processor 230, such as a display 258. Other input and
output
devices (e.g. a mouse, speakers) can also be connected to processor 230. In
some embodiments (not shown), keyboard 254 and display 258 can be
connected to processor 230 via network 108 and another computing device. In
other words, keyboard 254 and display 258 can be local (as shown in Figure 2)
or remote.
[0025] As will be described in greater detail below, at predefined
points in the
execution of application 208, each client device 104 is configured to request
instructions from server 116 as to which content from application 208 to
present
to the operator of the client device. Server 116, in response, is configured
to
select content identifiers from sequence database 242 based on the relevant
profile from database 246, and to return the selected content identifiers to
the
client device 104. In selecting content identifiers, server 116 is generally
configured to determine whether to select default content identifiers or
override
content identifiers, based on the relevant client profile.
[0026] Turning now to FIG. 3, examples of content elements stored in
application 208 are illustrated. In particular, application 208 includes a
plurality of
background graphical elements, of which two examples 300-1 and 300-2 are
shown. The nature of background graphical elements 300 is not particularly
limited. For example, background graphical elements 300 may be static two-
dimensional images, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In other embodiments, however,
background graphical elements can represent virtually navigable three-
dimensional environments (i.e. game worlds or areas). Thus, background
graphical elements 300 can each include a plurality of files ¨ the data
structure
employed to store background graphical elements 300 is not particularly
limited,
and may be selected by the skilled person based on the complexity of the
environment to be simulated by application 208.
[0027] Each background graphical element corresponds to a background
content identifier also contained in application 208. In the present
discussion, the
identifiers 300-1 and 300-2 introduced above are assumed to be stored in
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application 208 in correspondence with their respective background graphical
elements. A wide variety of other identifiers may also be employed, however.
[0028] In addition, application 208 includes a plurality of foreground
graphical
elements, of which nine examples 304-1, 304-2, 304-3, 304-4, 304-4, 304-6, 304-
7, 304-8 and 304-9 are shown in FIG. 3. Each foreground graphical element 304
corresponds to a foreground content identifier, which in the present
discussion is
assumed for the sake of illustration to be the 304-series identifiers
introduced
above. As illustrated, foreground graphical elements 304 each display a sound
in
the English language. However, a wide variety of other foreground graphical
elements are also contemplated in the context of educational application 208.
For
example, other foreground graphical elements 304 can display syllables, words,
combinations of words, and the like.
[0029] Further, application 208 includes a plurality of audio elements,
of which
six examples 308-1, 308-2, 308-3, 308-4, 308-5, 308-6, 308-7 and 308-8 are
shown in FIG. 3. Each audio element 308 can be, for example, a sound file.
Like
the background and foreground graphical elements, the audio elements also
each have a corresponding audio identifier stored in application 208; also
like the
graphical elements described above, in the present discussion the audio
identifiers are taken to be the 308-series numerals introduced above.
[0030] As shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 3, the audio elements 308 can
correspond to the graphical foreground elements 304. That is, each audio
element 308 can consist of an audio file representing the pronunciation of the
sound illustrated by one of more graphical foreground elements 304. It is not
necessary that every audio element 308 correspond to a graphical foreground
element 304, or that every graphical foreground element 304 correspond to an
audio element 308. In the present embodiment, the correspondences between
graphical foreground elements 304 and audio elements 308 are stored within
application 208. In other embodiments, however, application 208 need not
contain any indication of which audio elements match which graphical elements
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(in which case application 208 requires instruction from server 116 to
establish
such matches).
[0031] Turning to FIG. 4, an example of content playback at client
device
104a is illustrated. In general, processor 200 is configured to retrieve a
subset of
the above-mentioned content elements ¨ typically one graphical background
element and a plurality of graphical foreground elements and audio elements ¨
from memory 204, and to control the output devices of client device 104 to
present the selected content. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, graphical
background element 300-1, graphical foreground elements 304-1, 304-2 and
304-3, as well as audio element 308-1, are retrieved from memory 204 and sent
to display 216 as well as a speaker 400 for output (i.e. presentation to the
operator of client device 104a).
[0032] Processor 200 is also configured, via execution of application
208, to
receive input data. For example, the content presented in FIG. 4 may instruct
the
operator of client device 10 to select the graphical foreground element that
corresponds to one of a plurality of sounds corresponding to the foreground
elements (currently the "m" sound) played by speaker 400. Such prompts can be
defined in application 208, and particularly in the graphical background
elements.
The operator may then, using pointing device 212, select one of the graphical
foreground elements shown on display 216. The selection is received from
pointing device 112 at processor 200 as input data.
[0033] Processor 200, via the execution of application 208, can evaluate
input
received (e.g. from pointing device 112) to determine if the input is correct,
according to evaluation rules which may be stored within the active graphical
background element or elsewhere in application 208.
[0034] Thus, application 208 contains various graphical and audio data,
and
enables client device 104a to present such content, receive input data
associated
with the content, and evaluate the input data. However, application 208 does
not
enable client device 104a to determine which content to present. In other
words,
application 208 preferably does not contain associations between graphical
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background elements 300 and graphical foreground elements 304 and their
corresponding audio elements 308. The selection of content to present is
performed by server 116, as will be discussed below.
[0035] As noted earlier, server 116 stores sequence database 242 and
client
profile database 246. Sequence database 242 stores a plurality of stage
records
arranged in a sequence. Each stage record contains a subset of the above-
mentioned background content identifiers, foreground content identifiers and
audio content identifiers. The stage records need not contain the actual
content,
however (that is, the graphical and audio elements described above). An
example of database 242 is shown below in Table 1:
Table 1: Example Sequence Database 242
Skill Level Game Area 1 Game Area 2
Background: 300-1
Background: 300-2
Foreground/Audio: 304-1, 304-2,
1 Foreground/Audio: 304-6, 304-7
304-3
Sessions required: 3
Sessions required: 3
Background: 300-1
Background: 300-2
Foreground/Audio: 304-3, 304-4,
2 Foreground/Audio: 304-8, 304-9
304-5
Sessions required: 3
Sessions required: 3
[0036] As seen in the example above, database 242 defines four
sequential
stages, each of which represents a combination of a game area in application
208 and a skill level (a reading skill level, specifically). The contents of
database
242 can be stored in a variety of formats beyond the tabular format shown
above.
In general, each stage record (i.e. each of the four cells in the above table)
identifies a subset of the content stored in application 208. As will now be
apparent, the top-left cell corresponds to the content presented in FIG. 4. A
wide
variety of other stages may also be defined in database 242. In Table 1, the
sequence of the stages is not implicit rather than explicitly defined: the
sequence
of stages begins at the top-left cell and ends at the bottom-right cell (i.e.
skill level
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1 and game area 1; skill level 1 and game area 2; skill level 2 and game area
1;
and finally, skill level 2 and game area 2). In other embodiments, sequence
numbers can be explicitly stored within each stage record.
[0037] In general, each stage specifies a graphical background element,
which defines the visual environment to be presented to the operator of client
device 104a. The background also sets the scope of the operator's interaction
with client device 104a. For example, background element 300-1 leads to a
presentation of content in which the operator must select the correct
foreground
element corresponding to a sound played via speaker 400. Background 300-2
may, for example, lead to a presentation of content in which the operator must
select the displayed foreground elements in sequence, in response to which
client device 104a plays the sounds corresponding to those foreground
elements.
[0038] Database 242 may also, for each stage, specify a number of
sessions
that are required for each stage to be completed (that is, for client device
104a to
advance to the next stage). A session is a single playthrough of the stage;
distinct sessions may be separated in time (i.e. through multiple launches of
application 208), or may be substantially adjacent in time (following a single
launch of application 208).
[0039] In other words, database 242 defines which content is to be
presented
by client devices 104 at any given time (information which, as noted earlier,
client
devices 104 themselves preferably do not store). Database 242 is one
collection
of data that server 116 processes when selecting content identifiers to
transmit to
a client device 104. Another collection of data processed by server 116 is
client
profile database 246, an example of which is shown below in Table 2:
Table 2: Example Client Profile Database 246
Client Device 104a Client Device 104b
Username 104a
Password . . .
Stage 1 scores N/A . . .
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Stage 1 repeat score N/A . . =
Stage 1 remedial N/A . . =
Stage 2 scores N/A .. .
Stage 2 repeat score N/A . . .
Stage 2 remedial N/A ...
Stage 3 scores N/A . . .
Stage 3 repeat score N/A . ..
Stage 3 remedial N/A = . .
Stage 4 scores N/A . . .
Stage 4 repeat score N/A = = .
Stage 4 remedial N/A . ..
[0040] As seen above, profile database 246 contains a profile record
corresponding to each client device 104. In some embodiments, profile records
need not be tied to specific hardware (that is, to specific client devices) ¨
a given
profile can be associated with a plurality of client devices 104. However, for
the
sake of simplicity it is assumed herein that each profile is accessed from
only one
client device 104.
[0041] Each client profile includes authentication data, such as a
username
and password. Each client profile also includes performance data corresponding
to each of the stages defined in database 242. In the example above, the
performance data is empty, as it is assumed that client device 104a has not
yet
executed application 208. Client profiles can also store data reported from
the
corresponding client device 104, as will be discussed below in greater detail.
Such data is not shown above in Table 2, however.
[0042] Turning now to FIG. 5, a method 500 of content deployment and
playback control is illustrated. Method 500 will be described in conjunction
with
its performance by system 100. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5, certain
blocks of method 500 are performed by client device 104a via the execution of
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application 208, while others are performed by control server 116 via the
execution of application 238.
[0043] Beginning at block 505, control server 505 can be configured to
deploy
the content and corresponding content identifiers to client device 104a. The
deployment can occur by retrieving the content and identifiers from memory 234
and transmitting them to client device 104a via network 108. In other
embodiments, server 116 can be involved in content deployment only indirectly,
or not at all. For example, deployment can occur by the transport of physical
media (e.g. a DVD or other physical storage media) containing the content and
identifiers to client device 104a.
[0044] At block 510, having received the content and identifiers (that
is,
having received application 208), regardless of the source of such receipt,
client
device 104a is configured to store the content and identifiers in memory 204.
At
block 515, for example in response to input data instructing processor 200 to
begin execution of application 208, client device 104a is configured to launch
(that is, begin executing) application 208, which causes client device 104a to
prompt the operator of client device 104a for authentication information. In
the
present embodiment, the authentication information is the username and
password shown above in Table 2. Any other suitable form of authentication may
also be implemented, however (e.g. biometrics, external storage media
containing authentication data, and the like). Having received authentication
information as input data, client device 104a can be configured to complete an
authentication process with server 116 prior to advancing to the next block of
method 500, or can transmit the authentication data to server 116
simultaneously
with the next block. In any event, it will be assumed in the discussion below
that
authentication is successful, as failed authentication handling may be
implemented in a variety of known ways, and is not relevant to the discussion
herein.
[0045] At block 520, client device 104a is configured to send a request
for
content identifiers to control server 116, via network 108. As noted above,
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although client device 104a stores the graphical background and foreground
elements, as well as the audio elements, client device 104a preferably does
not
store data defining which of the content elements to present at any given
time.
Thus, at various points during the execution of application 208 (including at
launch), client device 104a requests such data from server 116. The request
includes at least an identifier of client device 104a, such as the username
shown
above.
[0046] At block 525, server 116 receives the request from client device
104a,
and responsive to the request, retrieves a client profile from database 246
according to the identifier contained in the request. In the present example,
therefore, server 116 is configured to retrieve the profile corresponding to
client
device 104a at block 525.
[0047] At block 530, having retrieved the appropriate client profile
from
database 246, server 116 is configured to determine whether to call a
redirection
routine. The redirection routine can be a component of application 238, or can
be
a separate application also stored in memory 234 for execution by processor
230. The operation of the redirection routine itself will be described in
detail
further below; in general, the redirection routine serves to override the
default
sequence (shown in Table 1) under certain conditions. The determination at
block 530 can be made on a variety of factors, or on combinations of those
factors. In some simplified embodiments, server 116 can be configured to
simply
call the redirection routine at every performance of block 530 (that is, the
determination is always affirmative). In other embodiments, server 116 can be
configured to call the redirection routine only when the most recently
presented
stage of content at client device 104a (as indicated by the presence of scores
in
Table 2) is one of a predefined list of redirection-eligible stages stored in
memory
234.
[0048] In the present embodiment, server 116 is configured to determine
at
block 530 whether the number of sessions for the most recently completed stage
of content matches the required number of sessions specified in database 242
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for that stage. As seen in Table 2, no sessions of any stage have been played
at
client device 104a, and therefore the determination at block 530 is negative.
[0049] Following a negative determination at block 530, server 116
proceeds
to block 535, and selects content identifiers from database 242 based on the
client profile retrieved at block 525. The content identifiers selected from
database 242 define a stage of content. Due to the negative determination at
block 530, the present selection of content identifiers corresponds to the
selection of a "default" stage (when the redirection routine is called, as
will be
discussed below, it may result in the selection of an override stage).
[0050] Server 116 is configured to select the stage from database 242 that
follows (in the sequence defined in database 242) the most recently completed
stage as indicated in the client profile retrieved at block 525. In the
present
example performance of method 500, Table 2 illustrates that no stages have
been completed yet (no session scores are present for any of the stages in
Table
2), and therefore, at block 535 server 116 is configured to select the first
stage
record in the sequence defined in database 242.
[0051] At block 540, having selected content identifiers, server 116 is
configured to send the selected content identifiers to client device 104a via
network 108. At block 545, client device 104a receives the content
identifiers,
and presents the corresponding content. In the present example, at block 545
client device 104a therefore receives a message from server 116 that includes
the content identifiers defining stage 1 (skill level 1 and game area 1). As a
result, client device 104a retrieves and presents graphical background element
300-1, as well as graphical foreground elements 304-1, 304-2, and 304-3 and
their corresponding audio elements (which can be explicitly identified in the
message from server 116, but need not be if the correspondence between
graphical foreground elements 304 and audio elements 308 was previously
stored in application 208).
[0052] The presentation of content at block 545 is as described above in
connection with FIG. 4, and indeed, FIG. 4 illustrates the content
corresponding
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to the first stage identifiers received from server 116 at block 545. Via the
execution of application 208, client device 104a can be configured to repeat
the
content presentation a configurable number of times (that is, to ask the
operator
of client device 104a a plurality of "questions"), varying the audio file that
is
played with each repetition and, when there are sufficient graphical
foreground
elements in the stage (that is, more graphical foreground elements than there
are
spaces for them in background elements 300-1), also varying which subset of
the
foreground elements are presented for each question. In other words, client
device 104a is configured to persistently present the relevant graphical
background element, and to present at least a portion of the relevant
graphical
foreground elements and audio elements, wait for operator input, and then
present a further portion (which may be different) of the relevant foreground
and
audio elements.
[0053] At block 550, throughout the presentation of content, client
device
104a is configured to receive and evaluate input data, for instance via
pointing
device 212. As mentioned earlier, the "stage 1" content requires the operator
of
client device 104a to listen to a sound played by speaker 400, and select the
one
of the foreground elements presented on display 216 that corresponds to the
sound. Such selection is received at processor 200 from an input device such
as
pointing device 212. Upon receipt of input data representing a selection,
processor 200 is configured to determine whether the selection was correct
(i.e.
whether the selected foreground element 304 matched the audio element 308
played by speaker 400). Having determined whether the "answer" was correct,
client device 104a is configured to report the answer to server 116. The
report
includes an identifier of the currently presented content, as well as the
selected
foreground element and an indication of whether the selection was correct or
incorrect. Additional data can also be included in the report, such as an
indication
of the correct answer, and/or one or more timestamps. As will be seen below,
client device 104a can provide a first timestamp corresponding to the start of
the
audio element playback and a second timestamp corresponding to the receipt of
a selection via pointing device 212.
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[0054] At block 555, server 116 is configured to receive the reported
data
from client device 104a, and to update the corresponding client profile in
database 246. In some embodiments, server 116 can be configured to store any
portion of the reported data in the client profile, including every item of
reported
data (that is, including every mouse click or other input action reported by
client
device 104a). In other embodiments, server 116 can process the reported data
and store the processed data in addition to, or instead of, the raw reported
data.
Among the processing activities performed by server 116 is a scoring process.
Server 116 is configured to determine, based on the reported data, a
performance indicator (also referred to as a score) for each play session of
each
content stage. The score may be determined only upon completion of a session
of the stage in some embodiments, or a partial score may be determined for
each answer provided by client device 104a. The nature of the score
calculation
is not particularly limited. For example, server 116 can assign a value (such
as a
number of points) to each answer based on whether the answer was correct and
how quickly the answer was provided by the operator of client device 104a
(based on the elapsed time between the playing of the audio element and the
receipt of the answer at client device 104a).
[0055] At block 560 client device 104a is also configured to determine,
for
example after each answer is received as input data, whether the presentation
of
content is complete. For example, application 208 can configure client device
104a to update a question counter after each audio file playback, or after
each
received answer. Client device 104a can compare the counter to a completion
threshold (e.g. a number of total questions, or a number of correct answers,
or a
combination thereof), and when the counter reaches the completion threshold,
the determination at block 560 is affirmative. Otherwise, the determination at
block 560 is negative, and the presentation of content, and reporting of input
data, continues. In other embodiments, the determination at block 560 can be
time-based instead of, or in addition to, the factors noted above. For
example,
client device 104a can be configured to make an affirmative determination if
the
total execution time for application 208 (for a single launch) has exceeded a
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threshold (e.g. twenty minutes). Thresholds evaluated at block 560 can be
preconfigured within application 208, or can be provided to client device 104a
by
server 116 along with the content identifiers received at block 545. For
example,
server 116 can instruct client device 104a as to which content to present, and
also as to the time period for which the content should be presented. In such
embodiments, the selection of content identifiers at block 535 can include the
selection of a time period associated with the content identifiers (e.g. based
on
the client profile, including indications of completion times for previous
stages,
scores for previous stages and the like).
[0056] When the determination at block 560 is affirmative, client device
104a
sends a further report to server 116 indicating that the presentation of
content
whose identifiers were most recently received from server 116 is complete.
Client
device 104a then returns to block 520, and requests further content
identifiers.
[0057] At block 555, following the receipt of the completion report from
client
device 104a, server 116 is configured to update the corresponding client
profile,
for example to complete the performance indicator for the relevant stage.
Following the performance of block 555, database 246 may be updated as
shown below in Table 3:
Table 3: Updated Client Profile Database 246
Client Device 104a Client Device 104b
Username 104a = =
Password .
Stage 1 scores 65% . = =
Stage 1 repeat score N/A . = .
Stage 1 remedial N/A . = =
Stage 2 scores N/A . = =
Stage 2 repeat score N/A = = =
Stage 2 remedial N/A = = =
Stage 3 scores N/A = = =
Stage 3 repeat score N/A = = =
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Stage 3 remedial N/A = . =
Stage 4 scores N/A
Stage 4 repeat score N/A . . .
Stage 4 remedial N/A . .
[0058] As seen above, one session score for the first content stage is
present
in database 246. Through further performances of blocks 520-560, it will be
assumed that database 246 is further updated as shown in Table 4:
Table 4: Updated Client Profile Database 246
Client Device 104a Client Device 104b
Username 104a . . .
Password .
Stage 1 scores 65%; 70%; 72% . . .
Stage 1 repeat score N/A . .
Stage 1 remedial N/A . . .
Stage 2 scores N/A . . .
Stage 2 repeat score N/A . . .
Stage 2 remedial N/A . . .
Stage 3 scores N/A .
Stage 3 repeat score N/A . . .
Stage 3 remedial N/A . . .
Stage 4 scores N/A
Stage 4 repeat score N/A . . .
Stage 4 remedial N/A . .
[0059] As seen above, three session scores are now present in database 246
for the stage 1 content, as a result of client device 104a having been
provided
with the stage 1 content identifiers, and having completed presentation of the
corresponding content, three times. As shown in Table 1, database 242 at
server
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116 requires each stage to be completed three times before advancing to the
next stage, and also before calling the redirection routine.
[0060] Thus, at the next performance of block 530, the determination is
affirmative, and rather than proceed to block 535, server 116 is configured to
execute an additional component of application 238, or a separate application
stored in memory 234. Referring briefly to FIG. 7, an illustration of the
operation
of the redirection routine is provided. Specifically, application 208 is shown
at
client device 104a, and application 238 is shown at server 116. In addition, a
redirection application (which may also be integrated into application 238) is
shown in communication with application 238 within server 116. It is presently
contemplated that redirection routine 700 does not communicate directly with
application 208, but rather communicates solely with application 238. As will
now
be apparent, the architecture shown in FIG. 6 permits a variety of ancillary
routines to be triggered from the primary routine represented by method 600,
without requiring updates to application 208.
[0061] Turning to FIG. 7, a method 700 is shown illustrating the
operation of
the redirection routine at server 116. Method 500 will be described in
conjunction
with its performance by system 100, and specifically by control server 116 via
the
execution of application 238 or a separate application.
[0062] At block 705 (at which server 116 arrives following an affirmative
determination at block 530), server 116 is configured to retrieve the most
recent
completed session score from the client profile retrieved at block 525. In the
present example, that score is for the third session, and has a value of 72%.
It is
contemplated that the scores need not be percentages ¨ any of a wide variety
of
scoring notations may be employed.
[0063] At block 710, server 116 is configured to determine whether the
score
retrieved at block 705 exceeds a predefined threshold. In the present example,
the threshold is 75%, although it will now be apparent that application 238
(or, if
the redirection routine of method 700 is provided by a distinct application,
then
that application) can be configured with any of a wide variety of thresholds.
As
CA 02918380 2016-01-21
seen in Table 4, the most recent session score is 72%, which does not exceed
the threshold. The performance of method 700 therefore proceeds to block 715.
[0064] At block 715, server 116 is configured to determine whether the
content corresponding to the score retrieved at block 705 has already been
replayed. The determination at block 715 consists of examining the client
profile
for a replay score corresponding to the most recently completed content. As
seen
in Table 4, there is no replay score for stage 1 content, indicating that no
replay
has occurred. The determination at block 715 is therefore negative, and the
performance of method 700 proceeds to block 720.
[0065] At block 720, server 116 is configured to select the current (that
is,
most recently completed) content identifiers, and return control to the
primary
routine depicted in FIG. 5. More specifically, as seen in FIG. 5, block 720
returns
control to block 540, which bypasses the default content identifier selection
of
block 535. In other words, method 700 overrides the content selection process
of
method 500.
[0066] Server 116 is configured, following the receipt of an override
stage
selection, transmits the content identifiers to client device 104a at block
540.
Client device 104a presents the corresponding content as described above, with
the eventual result of a further update to database 246, as shown in Table 5
below.
Table 5: Updated Client Profile Database 246
Client Device 104a Client Device 104b
Username 104a . . .
Password . . .
Stage 1 scores 65%; 70%; 72% . . .
Stage 1 repeat score 81% . . .
Stage 1 remedial N/A . . .
Stage 2 scores N/A . . .
Stage 2 repeat score N/A . . .
Stage 2 remedial N/A . . .
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Stage 3 scores N/A . = =
Stage 3 repeat score N/A . . .
Stage 3 remedial N/A . . =
Stage 4 scores N/A ...
Stage 4 repeat score N/A . . =
Stage 4 remedial N/A = = =
[0067] As seen above, the performance indicator updated at block 555 is
inserted in the repeat (i.e. replay) score field rather than as an additional
session
score. Server 116 may be configured to set a flag or other indicator for any
updates at block 555 upon receiving override content identifiers, in order to
update a replay score rather than a session score.
[0068] A further performance of block 530, in the present embodiment,
leads
to a further calling of the redirection routine of method 700 (because three
sessions have been completed for the current content). In this performance of
method 700, the replay score is retrieved at block 705, and the determination
at
block 710 is affirmative. Therefore, the performance of method 700 proceeds to
block 725, at which control is returned to the primary routine of method 500,
at
block 535. In other words, when the scoring threshold in the redirection
routine is
met, no override content identifiers are selected. Instead, the default
content
identifiers are selected ¨ in the present embodiment, since stage 1 is
complete,
the content identifiers selected at block 535 for transmission to client
device 104a
are those of stage 2 (see Table 1).
[0069] Returning again to FIG. 7, if the determination at block 710 is
negative
following a replay, the determination at block 715 will be affirmative, and
performance of method 700 proceeds to block 730. At block 730, server 116 is
configured to determine whether remedial content has been completed by client
device 104a for the current content stage. The determination at block 730 is
based on the contents of the remedial field in database 246 corresponding to
the
current content stage. If the field does not contain a flag or score
indicating that
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remedial content has been completed, the determination is negative, and method
700 proceeds to block 735. Otherwise, method 700 proceeds to block 725 (in
other words, only one instance of remedial content is required; after one
instance
of remedial content, client device 104a will be permitted to advance to the
next
default stage).
[0070] At block 735, override content identifiers corresponding to a
remedial
content stage are selected and returned to the primary routine at block 540.
The
remedial content identifiers can be selected in a variety of ways. For
example,
database 242 can contain a remedial stage record that, as with the stage
records
shown above, specifies content identifiers. In other embodiments, a distinct
remedial stage record can be included for each regular stage record. In
further
embodiments, certain stage records can be both regular stage records in the
default sequence, and also remedial stage records for other stages. For
instance,
stage 1 may be both the first stage in the sequence and also the remedial
stage
employed in response to low performance in stage 3.
[0071] In still further embodiments, remedial stage records can be
dynamically generated rather than explicitly defined in database 242. For
example, server 116 can be configured to identify the graphical foreground and
audio elements most strongly associated with incorrect answers from client
device 104a, and dynamically build a remedial content stage containing those
elements.
[0072] Thus, server 116, through the performance of methods 500 and 700,
can guide client devices 104 through the content stored in local memory at
those
client devices, thus controlling content playback without being required to
stream
large volumes of graphical and audio data over network 108.
[0073] Variations to the above systems and methods are also
contemplated.
For example, audio elements may be divided into background and foreground
audio elements. In such embodiments, audio elements 308 as described above
are more accurately referred to as foreground audio elements. Background audio
elements can include audio files for backing soundtracks and the like.
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[0074] In further variations, method 700 (or an additional redirection
routine
called either from block 530 or from another decision block in method 500) can
include a determination of whether or not client device 104a should be
accelerated through the content stages, in addition to the determination
(discussed above) of whether client device 104a requires repeated or remedial
content. Such a determination can be based, for example, on a determination as
to whether the most recent session score exceeds an upper threshold (e.g.
90%). As a result of an acceleration decision, server 116 may select an
override
content stage that advances through the sequence of stages more quickly than
the default sequence.
[0075] In some variations to method 700, various thresholds can be
employed
at block 710. For example, rather than only evaluating the most recent session
score, server 116 can evaluate an average (e.g. a weighted average) of the
most
recent session score and the preceding session score. Separate thresholds can
also be applied to the most recent session score and the preceding session
score.
[0076] The scope of the claims should not be limited by the embodiments
set
forth in the above examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation
consistent with the description as a whole.
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