IL30686A - Apparatus for monitoring examination replies - Google Patents

Description

mmpnn Vy ητηση av^ pnn Apparatus for monitoring examination replies PHOTO-UNION Socie*te* de Personnes a' responsabilite* limite'e The object of the present invention is an apparatus for the automatic and individual monitoring of replies given to questions posed during an examination to which several persons are being subjected.

With this object, the apparatus comprises a panel displaying light signals which are visible to the examiner and possessing, for each person under examination, a series of at least three stations which may, for example, be illuminated to indicate the response or responses given to the question or. questions posed.

For each person under examination the apparatus includes a set of contactors of which one or several are operated by this person in order to give the reply or replies that the person assumes to be correct.

For the examiner, the apparatus contains a system of differentiation which acts before or after the replies haVe been given by the persons under examination so that each reply registers on one of the stations on the panel dependent on a predetermined code, for example a light signal, so that the correct reply or replies can be immediately distinguished from the incorrect reply or replies on the panel by a series of stations. The apparatus also contains a suitable means for retaining the signals given by the panel.

The number of stations n, provided for in each series and which may not be less than three in order to avoid a person under examination giving a reply by making a haphazard choice between two possibilities, will be such as to allow the posing of one to n questions so allowing each person under examination to indicate one to n replies on the panel. The number of contactors of the set of contactors put at the disposition of each person under examination corresponds, at least, to the number of stations of each series of stations. Moreover, in order to indicate his choice, each person under examination will operate at a maximum (n-l) contactors of the set of contactors which is at his disposal.

On the other hand, the set of contactors may be operated directely or remotely by the person or. persons under examination in order that each reply made may be cancelled by the person or persons under examination.

To achieve this, the set of contactors,which may be current relays or no-volt contactors, is connected by control wires - which function mechanically, magnetically or electro-magnetically - which are at the disposal of each person under examination. Moreover> in order to avoid a mass and complexity of different connections, it can be arranged that the set of contactors can be operated remotely by the persons concerned and more particularly by means of wireless control. These controls may be transmitted by radio waves or by ultrasonic techniques.

When radio waves are used as the means of control each person under examination should be provided with,either a transmitter with four wavebands, or four transmitters functioning on one wavelength, these transmitters being tuned to one or several receivers.

In order that each person examined is able to cancel one or several replies given, each person has at his disposition, a system of contact breakers which permit him to override the contact or contacts made in the relays. To achieve this, a single contact breaker can be provided for all the indivi- dualised contactors or a contact breaker can be provided for each contactor, and these contactors themselves operated in the opposite sense may serve as contact breakers.

In. the most simple form, the system of differentiation which is at the disposal of the examiner is controlled by a set of contactors comprising a number n of contactors allowin the examiner to interject into the circuit between the contactors put at the disposition of the persons under examination and the signals on the stations of the panel, the correct reply or correct replies. The number of these correct replies may vary from one to (n - l) .

The system of differentiation may also be controlled by punched cards or transparencies or any other system carrying the correct replies or correct reply.

By means of this system of differentiation the examiner changes the light of. the stations selected by each person under examination in such a way that each answer given appears . under a different aspect on the panel depending on whether it is correct or incorrect.

Moreover this system may be adapted for the automatic ' monitoring of the orientation of the group of replies from persons under examination. To achieve this, the. system of differentiation comprises circuits independent of each other, each of these circuits allowing the differentiation of stations by the line which they form on the panel.

The line of stations representing, in the case where " the stations of persons under examination are placed in a row, the attitude of a reply given to a question by the group of persons under examination.

The system of differentiation functions in such a way that every reply given registers on one of the stations of the panel in accordance with a predetermined code, for example by use of a two coloured signal system to distinguish immediately on the panel on the one hand, by a row of stations,the correct reply or replies from the incorrect reply or replies given by a single person under examination and, on the other hand, by a line of stations or by the question posed, the total of correct replies from the. total of incorrect replies given by a group of persons under examination.

The predetermined code may be a two coloured lighting system or a lighting system of differing intensities.

The panel may also contain,for each series of stations a counter which simply totals the correct replies from each person under examination or which totaJLs the points awarded to each one of these.

Many applications can be found for the apparatus as invented such as an instrument of teaching for subjecting the pupils of a class to an examination,or for testing persons before they are subjected to an aptitude test.

As an instrument of instruction the apparatus includes, advantageously,a set of contactors for each pupil-and for the teacher, as well as a signal light panel,for exemple green for the correct replies and red for the incorrect replies. The panel being visible only or not by the teacher contains under the name of each pupil a certain number of signal lamps as well as a counter for the correct replies or points awarded.

In order to make a rapid check of the effectiveness of his lecture, the teacher can proceed xd.th,when he wishes,a simultaneous questioning of all the pupils and the illumination in red or green of all the replies given enables him immediately to detect the pupils who have been inattentive or are backward. He can keep the signals illuminated just as long as he wishes and he can on the other hand have recourse to individual counters for the correct answers for all the questions during the course of. a lesson or during periodic examinations. On the other hand, if he so desires,he can after each period of questioning for example attribute a certain number of points which can be added to or subtracted from those already awarded.

The possibility of being able to examine simultaneousl the whole group of persons and to immediately distinguish the correct and incorrect replies made by each person constitutes an appreciable gain in time by reference to coral individual examination or by written examination of a group of persons. This apparatus permits therefore, in a given time, to provide for many more interrogations or questionings per person.

The attached drawing, is an example of the different circuits employed.

For reasons of simplification of the description and of the drawing the circuits have been limited to two persons under examination,£1 and £2.

Each, of these persons having at his disposition a . series of four contactors, to be known as £1,1, £1>2, £1*3, £1,4-,and £2,1, £2,2, £2,3, £2,4- each connected to an independent circuit, to the known as Cl,l, CI,2, CI,3, CI,4 and C2,l, C2,2, C2,3, C2,4. Two lamps of differen colours,for example, the one green, and the other red, are connected into these circuits. These circuits may be closed by the changeover switches,Pj, Pg* P^* P^ which are at the disposal of the examiner. The number of changeover switches forming the different circuits of differentiation being at least equal to those of the contactors put at the disposition of the persons under examination.

By operating the changeover switch P^, the examiner closes the circuits Cl,l and C2,l, by operating the changeover switch P2, he closes the circuits Cl,2 and C2,2. The changeover switch P^ may therefore, depending on the choice of the examiner, make contact with all the first line stations showing green or make contact with all the first line of stations showing red. It is clearly understood that the stations will be illuminated if the corresponding contactors have been operated by the person under examination , i.e., if a reply-has been given.

The examiner closes the circuits of differentiation in such a way that one of the lamps of each circuit lights so as to indicate the reply for example in green if this is correct or in red if the reply made is incorrect. So, supposing that the examiner poses a question to which he suggests four replies of which only one is correct, for example the first, the persons under examination would use contactors El,l and E2,l in the case of a correct selection and would thus allow the circuits to be illuminated. When the examiner wishes to obtain the results to a question,he makes use of the changeover switch P-^, green lamps of circuits Cl,l, and C2,l would :'be illuminated. If one of the persons under examination had operated another contactor, for example El,3, the examiner by using the changeover switch would light up the red lamp of circuit CI,3, which would indicate an incorrect choice* With the system of differentiation of the present invention,the number of replies given to a question,has no limit; in effect, it is possible to foresee the case where the persons examined would use as many contactors as it is considered necessary to indicate all the correct replies required* So that in this way there would appear on the panel one or several lines of illuminated stations whose general appearance would constitute a useful indication of the degree f knowledge of the persons under examination.

Since as many circuits of differentiation as contactors, put at the disposition of each person under examination can be provided the number of replies may be equal to the sum of the possible combinations of n taken from p to p, n being the number of contactors per person examined and the number p varying from 1 to n. Further, the total absence of any reply may be considered as expression of a choice.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the forms of use which have been described as an example and represented on the drawing attached, and no departure is being made from its basis by carrying out modifications,more particularly by adding other signalling devices to the panel.

Claims (1)

1. Apparatus for signalling and monitorin a plurality of individual selections made from a plurality of possible comprising a plurality of selection and a monitoring each selection station being provided with at least three ble selector each selector switch having selector switch positions and actuating in one said selector switch position a preselected one of two distinguishable visual signal indicators located at the monitoring and operative to provide at the monitoring station a visible indication ever the selector switch is in said selector switch said visible indication being distinguishable from the visual signals provided by the visual signal the selection stations being respectively provided with an identical number of selector switches in an identical predetermined the monitoring station being provided with means for forming the preselection of either one of said visual signal indicators to be identical for corresponding selector switches in all of the selection Apparatus as defined in claim wherein the said visual signal indicators comprise for each selector switch a signal light of a first colour a signal light of a second colour distinguishable from the first Apparatus as defined in claim wherein the said visible indication for the other selector switch position of each selector switch is an absence of light from either of said signal lights for said selector Apparatus as defined claim wherein the signal lights at the monitoring station are arranged in an ordered rectangular array wheregy the set of signal lights for each selection station is arranged in a line parallel to the lines of signal lights the other selection stations the or each set of corresponding selector switches of the selection is arranged in a line perpendicular to the said lines of signal lights for each selection station and parallel to the lines of signal lights for other sets of corresponding selector switches of the selection as in claim wherein the means for conforming the preselection of cither one of said visual signal indicators is a manually operable switch for each corresponding set of selector switches for simultaneously switching in a first switch the signal lights for said corresponding set of the first colour into ith the respective selector switclies so as to be illuminated in the said one selector switch and in a second switch the signal lights for said corresponding set of the second colour into the respective selector switches so as to be illuminated in the said one selector switch Apparatus as defined in claim 3 or wherein each selector switch is part of a complete electric circuit comprising the following elements in a source of said selector and the preselected signal light actuated by said selector Apparatus as defined in claim wherein each selector switch is part of a complete electric circuit the following elements in source of said selector and ponding pole of said each branch of the parallel circuit combination one of said signal lights and one of said contacts the Applicants AND insufficientOCRQuality