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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for teaching by
brief, flashed, visual presentation of information, primarily textual
information. The present invention more particularly relates to (i) a
computer-based tachistoscope for ordered presentation of information,
including information briefly exposed to view, particularly for the
purposes of teaching reading and spelling, and (ii) automated,
tachistoscopic, methods for the presentation of information.
2. Background Of The Invention
The previous theory and practice of machine-based instruction, the previous
teaching technique of flash cards, and prior knowledge of reading dynamics
are all pertinent to the present invention.
2.1 General Characteristics of Previous Machine-Based Instruction
It is known that machines, including computer systems, can aid in
delivering educational instruction to students The course of instruction,
or teaching regimens, performed by machines generally exhibit certain
common characteristics. The instruction is stepwise. A student-user often
needs to demonstrate mastery of one piece of information before being
allowed to proceed to assimilate further information. The course of
instruction may be in a fixed path, with all students being presented the
identical information in the identical order, but is not invariably so.
The more sophisticated machine instructional systems employ programmed
learning wherein a student-user's evident mastery, or failings, in one
area of information respectively result either in an immediate advancement
to further related information, or else in a remedial teaching of the
information which the student-user has failed to grasp. The
sophistication, extent, nature, and quality of the curriculum material
taught by machine instructional systems varies widely. However, teaching
machines are currently most widely used for the teaching of low level
information such as that occurring at the elementary school level.
The production of machine-based instructional programs, or curricula, has
generally proven to be an art. Certain programs of machine instruction are
vastly more successful than other programs in inducing student-user to
learn the identical material. Machine instructional programs may be
successful or unsuccessful in varying degrees in accordance with the pace
at which materials are presented, the positive reinforcement that is
provided to the student-user, and the order in which the materials are
presented. A carefully constructed teaching program is necessary in order
to engender student-user interest and cooperation, and in order to promote
maximum learning.
Nonetheless to careful and painstaking design, machine-based instruction is
generally thought to be inferior to human instruction. Part of this
inferiority is attributed to lack of the spontaneity that is normally
inherent in the dialogue between a human teacher and his or her student.
At least part of the superior spontaneity of human dialogue is, no doubt,
based on the subtle, non-verbal, interactions that transpire between a
qualified teacher and his or her student. The teacher is sensitive to
non-verbal or non-written clues regarding the progress of the student, and
this sensitivity allows for the better tailoring and adaptation of the
curriculum. Particularly, the curriculum may be presented in a unique, or
spontaneous, manner for each individual student.
Part of the seeming lack of spontaneity in machine-based instruction may
be, however, simply temporal. The machine often behaves somewhat
"woodenly" in its presentation of material, and becomes a passive
chalkboard-like device in which a rigid series of requests and responses
are mandated in order to permit instruction to progress. Machine-based
instruction in accordance with the present invention will be seen to
require, in some instances, proper student-user responses in order that a
sequence of instruction may progress. However, and substantially unlike
most previous machine-based instruction, in other instances the apparatus
and method in accordance with the present invention will be found to
present certain information only momentarily. After the presentation of
this information, the instruction will continue--substantially without any
mandated interactive student-user response.
The brief and transient, tachistoscopic, visual presentation of certain
information in accordance with the present invention (as hereinafter
explained) will proceed, at least upon occasion, without waiting for a
student-user response. This operation tends to "perk up" the course of
information presentation. It challenges the student-user to pay attention
to what is going on, and to assimilate the information. This is especially
true when, as will be seen to be the case with the present invention,
after the once-presented transitory information is removed from the
student-user's view the student-user must thereafter answer questions
regarding such information. The information must have been assimilated,
and must be recalled, in order to allow progress of instruction.
As still another tachistoscopic instructional technique in accordance with
the present invention, the successive tachistoscopic presentations of
information will be seen to be spontaneously and automatically varied,
normally by being speeded up, at intervals. The intervals are typically
irregular, and the speed up in presentation is typically for several
successive presentations and associated quantums of presented information.
Finally, the display latency time duration of the tachistoscopic
presentations will be seen to be variable, and to be variably sensitive to
characteristics of the information presented.
Although it is known to adjust the rate of tachistoscopic presentations,
with the display latency time of each such presentation being the inverse
of the rate, it is not known to automatically, and independently, adjust
either or both the tachistoscopic display rate and/or the display latency
time durations of the individual presentations.
Resultant to all these variations, machine-based-instruction in accordance
with the present invention will be seen to be "lively" and "dynamic", and
not "wooden" The tachistoscopic presentations will be seen to vary, in
certain temporal and visual characteristics and generally automatically,
so as to appear responsive to the requirements of the student-user, and
not merely capricious or inconstant. The dynamic temporal responsiveness
of tachistoscopic apparatus and methods in accordance with the present
invention will be found to be firmly based on learning dynamics, and, by
such firm foundation, to be extremely friendly and compliant to a
student-user. They elicit learning in a manner that may be favorably
compared with customized human instruction.
2.2 Previous Flash Card Manual Instructional Techniques
Teaching is an old art, preceding not only machine-based instruction but
civilization itself. Therefore a great deal is understood about the
efficacy of prior art human-based educational techniques. One such
time-honored prior art instructional technique is the use of flash cards.
The information upon a flash card is momentarily presented to a
student-user, either by his own actions or (as is more common) by the
actions of another. The flash card is then repositioned so that the
student-user may not read the information thereon, and the student-user is
asked a question concerning such information. Such question may be as
simple as the repetition of the information upon the flash card (such as
to spell the previously exposed word, for example "democracy") or may only
be related to the previously exposed information (such as to explain the
meaning of "democracy"). In other words, flash cards operate at different
levels. The student-user may be asked to respond substantially
contemporaneously with the visually exposed information; i.e., to read the
word "democracy" The student-user may be forced to a response which, by
its innate length, will extend into the period wherein the information is
no longer visible; i.e., to spell the word "democracy" after its
transitory presentation. Finally, flash cards may be mere "ticklers" for
more extensive memory stores. In this case it may not much matter how long
the information is exposed to view; i.e., to explain the meaning of
"democracy" The utility of the flashed presentation of information is that
its assimilation, and retention, is mandated in order that questions
concerning such information may be correctly answered by the student-user
after the information is removed from view. Flash cards are a proven means
of forcing information assimilation, and constitute a rigorous form of
instruction which is generally thought to be demanding, and difficult, by
student-users.
2.3 Reading Dynamics
The dynamics of reading are also well understood. The manner of the
learning, and teaching, of this essential modern skill has been widely
studied in all areas: from improving the reading speed comprehension and
fact retention of college level readers to the earliest instruction of
beginning and/or functionally impaired readers. Certain characteristics of
good reading skills are applicable to a broad spectrum of readers, and to
a broad range of reading speeds. One such characteristic is that a good
reader does not regress in the text read. Rather, the reading progress is
always forward. The good reader of any speed level exhibits no reversion
of eye movement, or attention, to words, phrases, and/or sentences
previously read.
Another characteristic is that a good reader does not read words
individually but, upon gaining increasing visual conversance with word
images, comes to read words as groups, several at a time. Indeed, the very
fastest readers assimilate entire phrases of many words at each movement
of the eyes, "grabbing" off large chunks of text material successively
throughout the passage read. In the extreme, certain speed readers allege
that they do not appreciably read side-to-side, but rather read vertically
down a page assimilating entire lines of text at one time. Regardless of
how numerous the words, or long the phrases, that are assimilated at one
time during reading, even the youngest readers need to be early taught to
desist from the reading of individual words, and to instead progress in
reading text by mentally processing several words upon each successive
fixation of the eyes.
The preferred reading process wherein more than one, and preferably a large
number, of words are simultaneously assimilated upon each successive
fixation by the text-scanning eye may be equally as well described in
terms of the required behavior of the human eye as it may be described in
terms of the required thought of the human brain. Mainly, the reader's eye
must be taught to "leap" from one fixation point to the next across a
line, and down a page, of text. The eye should rest only fleetingly at
each fixation point. The text material assimilated around such point
should be as broad, including as many words, as is possible. This breadth
of reading vision may be called peripheral vision, or the acuity of
peripheral vision. Good readers see, and assimilate, broad swaths of the
text which they are reading.
Even the youngest readers are beneficially early taught to forego
word-by-word progression in reading, and to attempt to read more quickly
by assimilating words in groups, and by phrases. It is currently believed
that readers who assimilate in broad swaths also enjoy better reading
comprehension. That this comprehension variation is not merely an innate
difference between individual readers may be demonstrated by the fact that
even successful, high speed, readers have difficulty assimilating textual
information when they are allowed to read it only but a single word at a
time, no matter how slowly and leisurely the information is presented. A
good reader who is forced to revert to word-by-word reading not only finds
it frustrating, but actually counterproductive to his/her reading
comprehension.
It is therefore desirable that a mechanical device for teaching reading
should be able both to (i) preclude visual regression within the read
text, and (ii) force the eye and mind to assimilate more than one word
during each successive fixation of the eye that occurs during the reading
of a body of text. The present invention will so function to both prevent
that priorly read text should be reread, and, even more importantly, cause
that the student-user's reading of the text must effectively proceed by
assimilations of multiple words, and cannot effectively proceed single
word by single word.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates the tachistoscopic presentation of
information, particularly successive groups of words constituting text, at
(i) a presentation rate that is automatically varied--typically by being
intermittently accelerated up to 10% for two or more, and typically many,
successively presented groups of words--and/or at (ii) a presentation
latency time duration that is automatically varied--typically by being
temporally extended up to 50% for the presentation of as few as one single
group of words.
The tachistoscopic presentation of information in accordance with the
present invention innately tends to force a student-user into paced,
non-regressive, learning. Intermittent accelerations in the tachistoscopic
presentations tend to force the student-user to "sprint", extending his or
her skills. Extensions in the latency time duration of individual
presentations are preferably conditioned on any of the (i) significance,
(ii) length, and/or (iii) punctuation of a particular quantum of textual
information that is being presented. These presentation latency time
duration extensions better focus the paced learning that is resultant from
the tachistoscopic presentations, and make such learning easier and more
natural.
Although tachistoscopes and tachistoscopic methods in accordance with the
present invention perform according to rules, the rules implemented are in
strong accord with modern knowledge of learning, and particularly reading,
dynamics. Tachistoscopic machines and methods in accordance with the
present invention present information, and particularly groups of words
constituting text, at such (i) exact spatial locations, (ii) granularities
of size and (iii) temporal junctures as would be preferred by a skilled
learner of the information, or reader of the text. Accordingly, the
machines and methods simultaneously (i) show a student-user superior
patterns of information assimilation and, to the extent of the
student-user's cooperation, (ii) force him or her to adapt these superior
patterns.
The instruction implemented by tachistoscopic machines and methods in
accordance with the present invention shows good reading and spelling
skills in order to inculcate their development. A student-user of the
tachistoscopic machines is not placed in a position of having to surmount,
or master, the machine and its rigid curriculum. Instead, the
tachistoscopic displays induce fusion in the student-user, inducing a
growing recognition of just how reading, and other cognition, is desirably
achieved.
Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are as a
tachistoscope, and a method of tachistoscopic presentation of information,
directed to successively presenting visual stimuli (i) at some particular
presentation rate between successive presentations, and (ii) at some
particular presentation latency time during which each visual stimuli is
viewable. The tachistoscope, and tachistoscopic method, (i) automatically
varies the particular presentation rate of the successively presenting
during the course of the successive presentations, and/or (ii)
automatically varies the particular presentation latency time of the
successively presenting during the course of the successive presentations.
In the tachistoscope and tachistoscopic method the automatic variation in
the presentation rate preferably increases the presentation rate for at
least two, and normally for many, selective successive presentations of
visual stimuli over that presentation rate, or rates, that the visual
stimuli are presented both before, and after, those presentations which
transpire more quickly. Similarly, the automatic variation in the latency
time preferably increases the latency time of the presentation of as few
as one, and normally one single, selective presentation(s) of visual
stimuli over that presentation latency time, or times, that the visual
stimuli are presented both before, and after, that presentation(s) that is
(are) extended.
Still furthermore, the present invention is embodied in an instructional
method for teaching reading. In the method of the invention a body of text
is organized into lines each containing a multiplicity of words. The
multiplicity of words upon each line are divided into successive groups of
words, each group containing a plurality of words. The successive groups
of words are transitorily successively presented, one group at a time top
to bottom down the body of text. Each successive group of words occupies a
position during its transitory presentation that is equivalent to the
actual position occupied by that group of words within the text line, and
also within the body of text.
This manner of presentation requires a student-user who views the
presenting to read each successive group of words at and upon, and only at
and only upon, the time of their transitory presentation This requirement
results because both before, and after, their transitory presentation each
group of words is not visible to the student-user.
These and other aspects and attributes of the present invention will become
increasingly clear upon reference to the following drawings and
accompanying specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the computerized tachistoscope in
accordance with the present invention in operational use.
FIGS. 2-7 respectively show first through sixth message screens presented
by a preferred embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the
present invention for teaching reading.
FIGS. 8-10 respectively show three successive screens of text presented by
the preferred embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the
present invention for teaching reading.
FIG. 11 shows a seventh message screen presented by the preferred
embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the present invention
for teaching reading.
FIGS. 12 and 13 show two screens of questions presented by the preferred
embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the present invention
for teaching reading.
FIGS. 14-16 respectively show three final, eighth through tenth, message
screens presented by the preferred embodiment of a programmed method in
accordance with the present invention for teaching reading.
FIGS. 17-20 respectively show four, first through fourth, message screens
presented by a preferred embodiment of a programmed method in accordance
with the present invention for teaching spelling.
FIG. 21 shows a fifth message screen in combination with a first static
word screen presented by the preferred embodiment of a programmed method
in accordance with the present invention for teaching spelling.
FIG. 22 shows a second static word screen presented by the preferred
embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the present invention
for teaching spelling.
FIG. 23 shows a screen presenting a six message in accordance with the
preferred embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the present
invention for teaching spelling.
FIG. 24 shows a screen presenting a flashed first word in accordance with
the preferred embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the
present invention for teaching spelling.
FIG. 25 shows a screen of a test of the first flashed word, plus a
definition of that first flashed word, presented by the preferred
embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the present invention
for teaching spelling.
FIG. 26 shows a screen of a second flashed word presented by the preferred
embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the present invention
for teaching spelling.
FIG. 27 shows a screen of a test of the second flashed word, and of the
definition of such word, presented by the preferred embodiment of a
programmed method of the present invention for teaching spelling.
FIG. 28 shows a screen of a seventh message presented by the preferred
embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the present invention
for teaching spelling.
FIG. 29 shows a screen of a second flashed presentation of a first word
presented by the preferred embodiment of a programmed method in accordance
with the present invention for teaching spelling.
FIG. 30 shows a screen of a test of the second flashed first word presented
by the preferred embodiment of a programmed method in accordance with the
present invention for teaching spelling.
FIGS. 31-33 respectively show screens of eighth through tenth messages
presented by the preferred embodiment of a programmed method in accordance
with the present invention for teaching spelling.
FIGS. 34 and 35 show screens respectively of a vocabulary test of a first,
and of a second, word presented by the preferred embodiment of a
programmed method in accordance with the present invention for teaching
spelling.
FIGS. 36-38 respectively show screens of eleventh through thirteenth
messages presented by the preferred embodiment of a programmed method in
accordance with the present invention for teaching spelling.
FIG. 39 shows a computer program flow chart of the preferred embodiment of
a programmed method in accordance with the present invention for teaching
reading.
FIG. 40 shows a computer program flow chart of the preferred embodiment of
a programmed method in accordance with the present invention for teaching
spelling.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is embodied in a tachistoscope, or apparatus for the
brief exposure of visual stimuli. The tachistoscope is preferably
implemented by a computer, and more preferably by a personal computer,
system. The visual stimuli displayed on the tachistoscope are either
single or multiple words. The words are flashed upon the screen of a
monitor for a predetermined display latency time and at a predetermined,
preferably at a user-selected, base rate. The displayed words accord
educational instruction, preferably in reading or spelling but potentially
in diverse disciplines. The user interacts with the system to control the
sequence and extent of staged presentations by the tachistoscope, but
cannot prevent that some presentations will be only momentary.
One preferred instructional method in accordance with the present invention
uses the computer-based tachistoscope for the teaching of reading. A body
of text, typically stored in the computer memory, is organized into lines,
each of which contains a multiplicity of words. The multiplicity of words
upon each line are divided into successive groups of words, each such
group containing a preselected number of words, and typically containing
three words. Each successive groups of words is transitorily successively
presented on the monitor screen to the student-user, one word group at a
time. If the student-user viewing the presenting is to successfully read
the flashed text then it is necessary that the student-user should read
the entirety of each successive word group at and upon, and only at and
only upon, the single instance of its transitory presentation. It is
obviously impossible for a student-user to regress in the text material
read because each word group is no longer visually apparent upon the
monitor screen after its single transitory, flashed, presentation. At a
certain pace of presenting the successive word groups it becomes
essentially impossible that a student-user should be able to keep reading
pace unless the entire word group is visually fixated, and mentally
assimilated, as a multi-word entity, and not individual word by individual
word. By such a forced presentation certain fundamentals of good reading
are induced in the student-user. To repeat, not merely speed but also a
multi-word granularity of reading is induced in the student-user.
Further in accordance with the preferred method of the present invention
for teaching reading, the transitory presentations of successive word
groups transpires positionally across each text line; each successive
group of words occupying a position during its transitory presentation
which is equivalent to that actual position occupied by the group of words
within the actual text line. The transitory successive presentations may
also, optionally, positionally proceed from top to bottom down the body of
the text. In this case each successive group of words occupies a position
during its transitory presentation that is equivalent to the actual
position occupied by the group of words within the entire body of the
text. The natural movement left to right and top to bottom which would be
undergone by the eye in normal reading of a block of text is thusly
replicated when the student- o user follows the sequentially staged,
transitory, flashed, presentations upon the tachistoscope.
Further in accordance with the preferred method in accordance with the
present invention for teaching reading, the rate of the transitory
presentations of successive word groups will increase slightly, typically
ten percent (10%), from pre-set levels intermittently or periodically,
typically approximately every three (3) minutes, during the course of the
tachistoscope's presentation of an entire block of text. This slight rate
variation has several advantages. The student-user of the tachistoscope
cannot assume an absolutely regular and invariant rate of successive eye
fixations, but must accommodate slight, almost imperceptible, rate
changes. These slight changes help to maintain attention and reduce
monotony. Furthermore, the student-user will, at least periodically,
"sprint" through the test at an increase, typically one hundred and ten
percent (110%), over the pre-set presentation rate. Satisfactory
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