Patents by Inventor Richard J. Patz

Richard J. Patz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7865131
    Abstract: The current invention is designed to improve the certainty of test-taker classifications in testing programs utilizing open-ended items. The current invention discloses methods to improve certainty in estimates of test-taker performance for all test-takers while using a minimum of scoring resources. The invention selectively allocates resources to scoring by ceasing to allocate scoring resources to test-takers whose performance has been determined with sufficient certainty, and by having an additional reader or readers score responses from test-takers whose scores are close to cutoff levels. The invention further increases precision of scores for test-takers near a cutoff by selectively allocating more reliable and accurate readers to score responses most likely to influence a test-taker's performance classification. Other scoring resources are also shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Patz, David Deas Sinkler Poor
  • Patent number: 7200581
    Abstract: In a method and computer-implemented system of modular instruction a body of knowledge is divided into cognitive constructs, with instructional materials and post-instruction assessments being associated with each of the cognitive constructs and comprising a learning packet. The instructional material associated with each learning packet is presented to a student, followed by the post-instruction assessment associated with each learning packet. A result of the post-instruction assessment is compared to a pre-defined standard for that learning packet to determine whether the instructional material associated with another learning packet should be presented to the student, or if the instructional material associated with the current learning packet should be presented again to the student. The learning packets can be presented in default sequence or they can be reordered and presented in a user-selected sequence, and all or only a portion of the learning packets can be presented to the student.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Taggart, Gregory D. Baker, Richard Douglas Dobbs, Richard J. Patz
  • Patent number: 7149468
    Abstract: The current invention is designed to improve the certainty of test-taker classifications in testing programs utilizing open-ended items. The current invention discloses methods to improve certainty in estimates of test-taker performance for all test-takers while using a minimum of scoring resources. The invention selectively allocates resources to scoring by ceasing to allocate scoring resources to test-takers whose performance has been determined with sufficient certainty, and by having an additional reader or readers score responses from test-takers whose scores are close to cutoff levels. The invention further increases precision of scores for test-takers near a cutoff by selectively allocating more reliable and accurate readers to score responses most likely to influence a test-taker's performance classification. Other scoring resources are also shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Patz, David Deas Sinkler Poor
  • Patent number: 6999954
    Abstract: In a method and computer-implemented system of modular instruction a body of knowledge is divided into cognitive constructs, with instructional materials and post-instruction assessments being associated with each of the cognitive constructs and comprising a learning packet. The instructional material associated with each learning packet is presented to a student, followed by the post-instruction assessment associated with each learning packet. A result of the post-instruction assessment is compared to a pre-defined standard for that learning packet to determine whether the instructional material associated with another learning packet should be presented to the student, or if the instructional material associated with the current learning packet should be presented again to the student. The learning packets can be presented in default sequence or they can be reordered and presented in a user-selected sequence, and all or only a portion of the learning packets can be presented to the student.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Taggart, Gregory D. Baker, Richard Douglas Dobbs, Richard J. Patz
  • Publication number: 20040018480
    Abstract: The current invention is designed to improve the certainty of test-taker classifications in testing programs utilizing open-ended items. The current invention discloses methods to improve certainty in estimates of test-taker performance for all test-takers while using a minimum of scoring resources. The invention selectively allocates resources to scoring by ceasing to allocate scoring resources to test-takers whose performance has been determined with sufficient certainty, and by having an additional reader or readers score responses from test-takers whose scores are close to cutoff levels. The invention further increases precision of scores for test-takers near a cutoff by selectively allocating more reliable and accurate readers to score responses most likely to influence a test-taker's performance classification. Other scoring resources are also shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Richard J. Patz, David Deas Sinkler Poor
  • Publication number: 20030232317
    Abstract: A methodology and system for presenting an assessment includes forming short supplemental assessment forms including NRT items, field test items, and anchor equating items from large groups of such items. Different supplemental assessment are incorporated with a common operational form that is administered to all students of a group of students to form an administered form. The administered forms are presented to the group of students in such a manner that different subgroups of students will take an administered form having a different supplemental form embedded therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventor: Richard J. Patz
  • Publication number: 20030069872
    Abstract: A method and system of modular instruction is provided in which a body of knowledge is divided into N cognitive constructs, with instructional materials and post-instruction assessments associated with each of the N cognitive constructs and comprising a learning packet, and in which the N learning packets may be re-ordered by an administrator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Taggart, Gregory D. Baker, Richard Douglas Dobbs, Richard J. Patz