Ei authoring tool patent

Abstract

A system for creating educational assessments from content files using an API and inserting the educational assessments into learning programs using tokens.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A learning system, comprising:
 a server;   a learning application executing on the server;   an educational assessment executed by the learning application and configured to assess the abilities of a user based upon an input from the user and to output an educational assessment outcome to the learning application;   a token embedded in the learning application by adding the token to a learning application file, the token being configured to store information regarding the educational assessment;   the learning application reading the information contained in the token, determining the educational assessment assigned to the token based upon the information contained in the token, and executing the educational assessment assigned to the token;   the learning application receiving the educational assessment outcome, producing a learning application outcome based upon at least the educational assessment outcome, and outputting the learning application outcome to a learning management system.   
     
     
         2 . The learning system of  claim 1 , wherein information identifying a location of the educational assessment is contained in the token; and
 wherein the learning application uses the information identifying the location of the educational assessment to retrieve the educational assessment from a digital storage.   
     
     
         3 . The learning system of  claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the educational assessment is contained in multiple tokens, and wherein the learning application reads the information in the token and at least one other token. 
     
     
         4 . The learning system of  claim 1 , further comprising the learning management system, which interacts with the learning application. 
     
     
         5 . The learning system of  claim 4 , wherein the learning application has an LTI tool provider;
 wherein the learning management system interacts with the learning application through the LTI tool provider; and   wherein the learning management system transmits content requests to the LTI provider and/or receives outcomes from the LTI tool provider.   
     
     
         6 . The learning system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second educational assessment executed by the learning application and configured to assess the abilities of the user based upon an input from the user, the second educational assessment outputting a second educational assessment outcome to the learning application;   a second token, the second token configured to store information regarding the second educational assessment;   the learning application reading the information contained in the second token, determining the educational assessment assigned to the second token based upon the information contained in the second token, and executing the educational assessment assigned to the second token;   the learning application receiving the second educational assessment outcome, producing a second learning application outcome based upon at least the second educational assessment outcome, and outputting the second learning application outcome to the learning management system.   
     
     
         7 . A learning system, comprising:
 a server;   a content file stored in a storage, the content file including materials related to an assessment subject matter;   a learning application executing on the server, the learning application analyzing the content file to determine the assessment subject matter stored therein;   an application programming interface executed in the learning application, the application programming interface creating an educational assessment based on the content file;   a database configured to store the educational assessment created by the application programming interface;   wherein the learning application links the educational assessment to a learning program without embedding the educational assessment into the learning program by inserting at least one token in at least one publishing location of the learning program, the at least one token mapping to the educational assessment stored in the database.   
     
     
         8 . The learning system of  claim 7 , wherein the educational assessment includes at least one question; and
 wherein the educational assessment accepts an input responsive to the at least one question and stores the input in the database.   
     
     
         9 . The learning system of  claim 8 , wherein the learning application compares the input stored in the database to a grading key and determines an assessment outcome based upon the comparison; and
 wherein the learning application stores the assessment outcome in the database.   
     
     
         10 . The learning system of  claim 7 , wherein the application programming interface retrieves the educational assessment from the database and transmits the educational assessment to a learning management system via an LTI tool provider. 
     
     
         11 . A learning system, comprising:
 a server;   a learning application executing on the server;   a storage configured to store at least one educational assessment, which is configured to assess the abilities of a user based upon a user input;   the learning application linking the educational assessment to a learning program without embedding the educational assessment into the learning program by inserting at least one token in a publishing location of the learning program, the at least one token mapping to the educational assessment stored in the storage; and   a learning management system in communication with the learning application and being configured to deliver the educational assessment to a user device, wherein the educational assessment outputs an educational assessment outcome to the learning application in response to the user input.   
     
     
         12 . The learning system of  claim 11 , wherein the token contains information that identifies the educational assessment. 
     
     
         13 . The learning system of  claim 12 , wherein the information that identifies the educational assessment includes location information with which the learning application uses to retrieve the educational assessment from the storage. 
     
     
         14 . The learning system of  claim 11 , further comprising an application programming interface executing in the learning application, the application programming interface creating an educational assessment based on a content file. 
     
     
         15 . The learning system of  claim 14 , wherein the content file includes materials related to an assessment subject matter, and wherein the learning application processes the content file to determine the assessment subject matter. 
     
     
         16 . The learning system of  claim 14 , wherein the application programming interface creates the educational assessment based on a framework or rubric by which the learning application structures the educational assessment. 
     
     
         17 . The learning system of  claim 16 , wherein the framework or rubric includes a demonstration criterion. 
     
     
         18 . The learning system of  claim 14 , wherein the application programming interface creates the educational assessment so that a single script call is utilized to store the user input in the storage. 
     
     
         19 . The learning system of  claim 11 , wherein the educational assessment compares the user input to a grading key to determine the educational assessment outcome. 
     
     
         20 . The learning system of  claim 11 , wherein the learning application receives the educational assessment outcome, produces a learning application outcome based on at least the educational assessment outcome, and outputs the learning application outcome to the learning management system to generate a report.