Management of off-task time in a participatory environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10984670-B2
Application number	US-201815940045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2018
Priority date	Apr 27, 2012
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

Participatory activity carried out using electronic devices is enhanced by occupying the attention of participants who complete a task before a set completion time. For example, a request or question having an expected response time less than the remaining answer time may be provided to early-finishing participants.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of managing data transmissions to electronic devices communicatively couplable with a participation-management computer, the method comprising:
processing, by a participation-management computer, a respective identifier for each participant device of a plurality of participant devices;
transmitting a first question to the plurality of participant devices, the plurality of participant devices comprising a first participant device that provides the first question via a first application, where:
access to content with one or more applications other than the first application is blocked when the first application is in use, and
a timer associated with the first question tracks time corresponding to the first question and identifies when a stop time is reached;

consequent to receiving a response to the first question from the first participant device:
determining, using the timer, a remaining amount of time before the stop time is reached, and
identifying a post-response task for provisioning with the first participant device by determining that a time duration associated with the post-response task is less than or equal to the remaining amount of time, where the post-response task comprises additional information and/or an additional question identified based in part on whether the response demonstrates sufficient understanding of content the first question is to clarify; and

transmitting the post-response task to the first participant device, wherein the first participant device is enabled to interact with the post-response task until the stop time is reached.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing, by the participation-management computer, an indication of performance of the post-response task.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
analyzing the response to the first question and/or the indication of the performance of the post-response task; and
based at least in part on the analyzing, creating a later version of the first question and/or a later version of the post-response task.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
analyzing the response to the first question and/or the indication of the performance of the post-response task; and
based at least in part on the analyzing, generating a profile corresponding to the first participant device.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
analyzing the response to the first question and/or the indication of the performance of the post-response task; and
based at least in part on the analyzing, differentiating the plurality of participant devices in to different groups.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the participation-management computer controls the stop time at least in part by adjusting the stop time.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the participation-management computer controls a display of the first participant device until the stop time is reached.

8. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media having machine-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processing devices, causes the one or more processing devices to perform actions comprising:
processing a respective identifier for each participant device of a plurality of participant devices;
causing transmitting a first question to the plurality of participant devices, the plurality of participant devices comprising a first participant device that provides the first question via a first application, where:
access to content with one or more applications other than the first application is blocked when the first application is in use, and
a timer associated with the first question tracks time corresponding to the first question and identifies when a stop time is reached;

consequent to receiving a response to the first question from the first participant device:
determining, using the timer, a remaining amount of time before the stop time is reached, and
identifying a post-response task for provisioning with the first participant device by determining that a time duration associated with the post-response task is less than or equal to the remaining amount of time, where the post-response task comprises additional information and/or an additional question identified based in part on whether the response demonstrates sufficient understanding of content the first question is to clarify; and

causing transmitting the post-response task to the first participant device, wherein the first participant device is enabled to interact with the post-response task until the stop time is reached.

9. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 8 , the actions further comprising:
processing an indication of performance of the post-response task.

10. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 9 , the actions further comprising:
analyzing the response to the first question and/or the indication of the performance of the post-response task; and
based at least in part on the analyzing, creating a later version of the first question and/or a later version of the post-response task.

11. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 9 , the actions further comprising:
analyzing the response to the first question and/or the indication of the performance of the post-response task; and
based at least in part on the analyzing, generating a profile corresponding to the first participant device.

12. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 9 , the actions further comprising:
analyzing the response to the first question and/or the indication of the performance of the post-response task; and
based at least in part on the analyzing, differentiating the plurality of participant devices in to different groups.

13. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 8 , wherein a participation-management computer controls the stop time at least in part by adjusting the stop time.

14. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 8 , wherein a participation-management computer controls a display of the first participant device until the stop time is reached.

15. A system to manage data transmissions to electronic devices communicatively couplable with a participation-management computer, the system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or memories coupled with the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more memories are configured to perform actions comprising:
processing a respective identifier for each participant device of a plurality of participant devices;
causing transmitting a first question to the plurality of participant devices, the plurality of participant devices comprising a first participant device that provides the first question via a first application, where:
access to content with one or more applications other than the first application is blocked when the first application is in use, and
a timer associated with the first question tracks time corresponding to the first question and identifies when a stop time is reached;

consequent to receiving a response to the first question from the first participant device:
determining, using the timer, a remaining amount of time before the stop time is reached, and
identifying a post-response task for provisioning with the first participant device by determining that a time duration associated with the post-response task is less than or equal to the remaining amount of time, where the post-response task comprises additional information and/or an additional question identified based in part on

Assignees

• Harvard College

Inventors

• King Gary
• Lukoff Brian
• Mazur Eric

Classifications

• G09B7/02 Primary

  of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student · CPC title