WO2019113630A1 - Compliance tool - Google Patents

Compliance tool Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2019113630A1
WO2019113630A1 PCT/AU2018/000261 AU2018000261W WO2019113630A1 WO 2019113630 A1 WO2019113630 A1 WO 2019113630A1 AU 2018000261 W AU2018000261 W AU 2018000261W WO 2019113630 A1 WO2019113630 A1 WO 2019113630A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
document
processor
user
task
target document
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU2018/000261
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Amanda Louise GRASSBY
Amanda Louise OFFEN
Original Assignee
Next G Software Solutions Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2017905015A external-priority patent/AU2017905015A0/en
Application filed by Next G Software Solutions Pty Ltd filed Critical Next G Software Solutions Pty Ltd
Publication of WO2019113630A1 publication Critical patent/WO2019113630A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/90—Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
    • G06F16/93—Document management systems
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/30—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of unstructured textual data
    • G06F16/38—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
    • G06F16/383—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using metadata automatically derived from the content
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/40—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
    • G06F16/48—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
    • G06F16/483—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using metadata automatically derived from the content
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/10—Office automation; Time management
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q50/00—Systems or methods specially adapted for specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
    • G06Q50/10—Services
    • G06Q50/20—Education
    • G06Q50/205—Education administration or guidance
    • G06Q50/2057—Career enhancement or continuing education service
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/30—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of unstructured textual data
    • G06F16/38—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
    • G06F16/381—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using identifiers, e.g. barcodes, RFIDs
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/30—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of unstructured textual data
    • G06F16/38—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
    • G06F16/387—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/40—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data
    • G06F16/48—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
    • G06F16/487—Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F40/00—Handling natural language data
    • G06F40/10—Text processing
    • G06F40/194—Calculation of difference between files
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F40/00—Handling natural language data
    • G06F40/20—Natural language analysis

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a compliance tool for any industry having compliance or accreditation requirements including health services, building and construction, accounting, childcare and retirement industries.
  • the present invention also has application for the education and training industry.
  • Vocational education and training prepares people for work in a trade.
  • almost all vocational educational took place in a classroom or at a job site, with students learning trade skills and trade theory from accredited professors or established professionals.
  • online vocational education has grown in popularity and made it easer than ever for students to learn skills from professionals in the industry.
  • the preferred embodiment provides an improved compliance tool.
  • the preferred embodiment also provides a system and method for managing vocational education and training (VET), for assisting with student assessment and/or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.
  • VET vocational education and training
  • an electronic compliance tool including:
  • an evidence manager including: a selector for selecting evidence;
  • a tagger for tagging the selected evidence so that it is populated into a corresponding library.
  • tagger uses the tagger to tag a single piece of selected evidence with multiple tags so that it is populated into multiple libraries avoids the need to physically reproduce the evidence or provide multiple copies of that same evidence during an audit.
  • the tool may further include a search tool for locating evidence in the libraries.
  • the tags may make the evidence easier to locate
  • the evidence in each library may be categorized into one of many evidence types.
  • the selector may select evidence in the form of any one or more of: photo, video, voice recording, writeable document or any other document.
  • the tagger may tag the evidence with one or more hashtags corresponding to corresponding libraries.
  • the tagger may include a box for receiving or selecting a hashtag.
  • the tool may include a auditor access means for enabling a auditor to remotely access the libraries and review the populated evidence.
  • Each library may include a graphical progress interface so that users can see, at a glance, any areas of non-compliance.
  • the present specification discloses a method for managing documents for online vocational education and training (VET), wherein a user is required to complete one or more tasks by submitting a document that demonstrates the user’s skill at the task(s), the method including: receiving, by at least one processor, a target document from a user electronic device of the user, wherein the target document is associated with a document identifier identifying one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
  • VET online vocational education and training
  • the target document upon determining the task(s) to which the target document relates, updating, by the at least one processor, the document identifier with details of the task(s); and storing, by the at least one processor, the target document and the document identifier against a target user profile of the user in a VET database, the VET database including a plurality of user profiles including the target user profile.
  • the target document includes a written document.
  • the step of determining, by the at least one processor, the one or more tasks to which the target document relates preferably includes:
  • the target document includes a multimedia document, such as a photo, video, or an audio file for example.
  • the step of determining, by the at least one processor, the one or more tasks to which the target document relates preferably includes: storing, in a task-characteristic database, one or more key-characteristics associated with one or more tasks, the characteristics corresponding to audio and/or visual key- characteristics;
  • the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document
  • the processing, by the at least one processor, the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document includes image processing and/or audio processing, by the at least one processor, of the target document.
  • the method includes processing, by the at least one processor, to determine if the target document has been plagiarized.
  • the method preferably includes: upon storing the target document and document identifier against the target user profile in the VET database, accessing, by the at least one processor, one or more other documents;
  • the target document comparing, by the at least one processor, the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the target document and the one or more other documents, and
  • the one or more other documents includes document(s) of the same task(s) of other user profiles stored in the VET database.
  • the step of comparing, by the at least one processor, the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the documents includes:
  • the document identifier includes date and time information.
  • the method preferably includes determining, by the at least one processor, the date and time that the target document is created by the user, and updating the document identifier with the determined date and time.
  • the method preferably includes:
  • the user electronic device upon permission being granted by the user electronic device, requesting, by the at least one processor, the date and time that the target document is created from the user electronic device;
  • the document identifier includes geolocation information.
  • the method includes determining, by the at least one processor, the geographic location including information relating to where the document was created by the user; and updating the document identifier with the determined positional information.
  • the method preferably includes:
  • the at least one processor upon permission being granted by the user, requesting, by the at least one processor, the geolocation information relating to where the document is created from the user electronic device;
  • the method further includes:
  • the step of accessing, by the at least one processor, the plurality of user profiles stored on the VET profile includes accessing a random sample of user profiles stored in the VET database.
  • the method further includes:
  • the method includes providing, by the at least one processor, the user summary document to a reviewer or to the user.
  • the present specification discloses a system for managing documents for online vocational education and training (VET), wherein a user is required to complete one or more tasks by submitting a document that demonstrates the user’s skill at the task(s), the system including at least one processor, and a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
  • target document from a user electronic device of the user, wherein the target document is associated with a document identifier identifying one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
  • the VET database including a plurality of user profiles including the target user profile.
  • the target document includes a written document.
  • the at least one processor is preferably configured to:
  • the target document includes a multimedia document, such as a photo, video, or an audio file for example.
  • the at least one processor is preferably configured to:
  • process the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document; compare the extracted audio and/or visual characteristics with the audio and/or visual key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database; and
  • the at least one processor is configured to process the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document includes image processing and/or audio processing of the target document.
  • the at least one processor is configured to process the target document to determine if the target document has been plagiarized.
  • the at least one processor is preferably configured to:
  • the one or more other documents include document(s) of the same task(s) of other user profiles stored in the VET database.
  • the at least one processor is configured to:
  • the document identifier includes date and time information.
  • the at least one processor is preferably configured to determine the date and time that the target document is created by the user, and update the document identifier with the determined date and time.
  • the at least one processor is preferably configured to:
  • the document identifier includes geolocation information.
  • the at least one processor is preferably configured to determine the geographic location including information relating to where the document was created by the user; and update the document identifier with the determined positional information.
  • the at least one processor is configured to:
  • the at least one processor is configured to:
  • the plurality of user profiles accessed by the at least one processor is a random sample of user profiles stored in the VET database.
  • the at least one processor is configured to:
  • the at least one processor is configured to provide the user summary document to a reviewer or to the user.
  • Figure 1 shows a system diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 2A shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention for updating a document identifier with one or more tasks to which a target document relates;
  • Figure 2B shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention for updating a document identifier with time and date information and geolocation location;
  • Figure 3 shows fields of a document identifier according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 4 shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention for detecting if a target document has plagiarized
  • Figure 5 shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention for auditing
  • Figure 6 shows an electronic compliance tool with libraries in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 7 shows a standard library of the compliance tool of Figure 6
  • Figure 8 shows an evidence manager of the compliance tool of Figure 6
  • Figure 9 shows an auditor access interface of the compliance tool of Figure 6.
  • a vocational education and training system 100 for managing documents for vocational education and training comprises a processor 120, a computer readable medium 140 storing computer executable instructions for execution by the processor 120, and a communication interface 160 for providing access of the system to one or more user electronic devices 320, 340, 360, 380 via a communications network 200.
  • the communications network 200 may be any form of communications network, such as the Internet for example.
  • the computer readable medium 140 may be any suitable computer storage medium or computer memory.
  • the processor 120 is a computer processor.
  • the processor 120 may be a collection of processors that are each configured to perform a specific function of the VET system.
  • the system 100 is further configured to communicate with a plurality of databases 180.
  • the system 100 is configured to communicate with the database(s) 180 directly via a local network.
  • the system 100 is configured to communicate with the databases(s) 180 via the communications network 200.
  • the plurality of databases 180 comprises a VET database for storing a plurality of profiles of the students and for storing the documents uploaded by the student.
  • the plurality of databases 180 may further comprise a task- keyword database that stores one or more keywords associated with one or more tasks, and/or a task-characteristic database that stores one or more key-characteristics associated with one or more tasks, the characteristics corresponding to audio and/or visual key- characteristics.
  • the system 100 may be accessed through the communications network 200 by one or more of a user electronic device of a student 320 seeking to complete the VET course through a student management interface; a user electronic device of an assessor 340 for reviewing any work submitted onto the system 100 by a student; a user electronic device of an auditor 360 seeking to perform an audit of a VET course, task or assessor; and a user electronic device of an employer or recruitment agent 380 seeking to recruit one or more students.
  • the system 100 enables students to upload, via their electronic device 320, documents that demonstrate the user’s skill at a task(s) that is part of a VET course.
  • the processor 120 is configured to receive a target document from a student electronic device 320.
  • the target document may comprise a written document or a multimedia document, such as a photo, video, or an audio file for example.
  • the target document is associated with a document identifier identifying one or more tasks to which the target document relates.
  • the document identifier further includes date and time information, and geolocation information indicating when and where the document was created.
  • An example of a document identifier is shown in Figure 3.
  • the processor 120 is configured to determine the one or more tasks to which the target document relates. Based on the documents uploaded by the student computing device 320, the processor 120 is configured to predict and suggest one or more tasks to which the document relates.
  • the processor 120 is able to suggest other tasks or areas that the target document may be relevant.
  • the system 100 makes it easier for students to obtain relevant recognition for the documents that are relevant to multiple tasks.
  • the system eliminates multi-handling of a document that applies to multiple tasks.
  • the processor 120 Upon determining the task(s) to which the target document relates, the processor 120 is configured to update the document identifier with the task(s).
  • the method 400 comprises receiving a target document from the user electronic device of the student (step 410).
  • the method then comprises accessing a task-keyword database or a task- characteristic database (step 420), depending on whether the document is a written document or a multimedia document.
  • the method comprises accessing the task- keyword database, which stores one or more keywords associated with one or more tasks (step 420).
  • the method then comprises processing the text in the target document in order to identify words used in the target document (step 430), and then determining if any words used in the target document correspond to the keywords stored in the task-keyword database (step 440).
  • the method comprises updating the document identifier with the task(s) to which the keywords correspond according to the task- keyword database (step 450).
  • the method comprises accessing the task- characteristic database, which stores one or more key-characteristics associated with one or more tasks (step 420).
  • the method then comprises processing the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document (step 430); and then comparing the extracted audio and/or visual characteristics with the audio and/or visual key- characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database (step 440).
  • the processor 120 Upon determining a correspondence of characteristics in the target document to the key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database, the processor 120 is configured to update the document identifier with the task(s) to which the key-characteristic correspond according to the task- characteristics database (step 450).
  • the processing of the multimedia target document may comprise image processing and/or audio processing of the target document depending on the type and format of the target document.
  • the processor 120 is configured to analyse the target document, and offer suggestions on other tasks (units or assessments) to which the document may be relevant. The user can then accept or reject the suggestions. If accepted, the document identifier is updated with the accepted task(s) and the updated document identifier is stored in the VET database.
  • the plurality of databases 180 includes a secondary VET database and the updated document identifier with the accepted task(s) is stored in the secondary VET database.
  • the method further comprises further steps (steps 460) for updating the document identifier with time and date information and/or geographic location indicating when and where the target document is located.
  • the method 460 comprises determining the date and time that the target document is created by the user (step 461), and update the document identifier with the determined date and time (step 462).
  • the processor 120 is configured to: request permission to access date and time information from a user electronic device of a student 320; upon permission being granted by the user electronic device 320, request the date and time that the target document is created from the user electronic device; receive the date and time from the user electronic device; and updating the document identifier with the received date and time information.
  • the student is required to grant permission for the processor 120 to access the date and time information of the user electronic device in order for the student to access the VET system 100.
  • the method comprises determining the geographic location comprising information relating to where the document was created by the user (step 463); and updating the document identifier with the determined positional information (464).
  • the processor 120 is configured to: request permission to access geolocation information from a user electronic device of the student 320; upon permission being granted by the user, request the geolocation information relating to where the document is created from the user electronic device; receive the geolocation information from the user electronic device; and update the document identifier with the received geolocation information.
  • the student is required to grant permission for the processor 120 to access the geolocation information of the user electronic device in order for the student to access the system 100.
  • the authenticity and the currency of the submitted document can be ensured.
  • the document identifier 500 comprises a User ID field 510 containing information relating to the student that uploaded the target document and a Document ID field 520 containing an identifier for the target document.
  • the document identifier 500 further comprises a Task field 530 containing one or more subfields 532, 534, 536 that contain information relating to the one or more tasks associated to the target document as determined and as accepted by the student by the system.
  • the document identifier 500 further includes a Time/Date field 540 for containing information relating to the time and date on which the target document was created and a Geolocation field 550 for containing information relating to the geographic location at which the target document was created.
  • the document identifier 500 can further include an Assessor field 560 containing information of identifying an assessor to which the target document has been allocated for marking, and a Result field 570 containing information relating to the results of the assessment of the target document by the by the assessor.
  • the processor is further configured to store the target document and the document identifier against a target user profile of the user in a VET database of the plurality of databases, the VET database comprising a plurality of user profiles including the target user profile.
  • the system 100 provides a student management interface, which is accessible by the student electronic device 320 for uploading documents relating to the task(s).
  • the system 100 also has the ability to collect the regulatory data as part of the VET.
  • the data includes data that is required for AVETMISS reporting, compliance for ASQA, and CRICOS reporting. Because all of the interfaces are linked, the students enrolment records and all of their assessment data is maintained in one place with easy accessibility and high levels of security, both of which are imperative with regards to compliance. Assessing the Uploaded Documents
  • the assessor is notified on their electronic device 340 through push notification that a student has uploaded a document for the assessor to mark.
  • the assessor can then instantly mark the work (for example, as competent or not yet competent). Once the document is marked, the student is then instantly notified on their electronic device 320 and can follow up if necessary. Once all of the assessments and tasks for a unit are complete, the unit is marked as competent.
  • the processor is configured to compile and display an overall report of course/unit/assessment pass and fails.
  • the report is may be provided in any suitable format, including in web format or as a PDF document.
  • the report can be further stored and time-stamped in a report database of the plurality of databases 180 for future reference.
  • the processor is configured to process the target document to determine if the target document has been plagiarized.
  • the method for determining plagiarism 600 comprises accessing one or more other documents (step 610); comparing the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the target document and the one or more other documents (step 620); and issuing an alert if any similarities between the documents are detected (step 630).
  • the one or more other documents may for example be documents of the same task(s) of other user profiles stored in the VET database.
  • the processor is further configured to detect if the target document has been plagiarized by performing a web search on phrases used in the target document.
  • the processor is particularly configured to perform searches on the document to extract keywords or strings, analyse trends and the documents, and return an alert or percentage result of potentially plagiarized material.
  • the processor is also configured to analyze patterns in a student’s submitted document, and match them to one or more other documents.
  • the processor is configured to provide highlighted areas in the student’s document that are similar to the content of any one of the other documents, with information indicating the details of the reference document, and the part(s) in the other document that the processor determines to be relevant to the student’s document.
  • the processor is configured to: extract one or more keywords or key-characteristics from the target document; extract one or more keywords or key-characteristics from the one or more other documents; and compare the keywords or key-characteristics of the target document with the keywords or key-characteristics of the one or more other documents to determine if there are similarities between the target document and the one or more other document.
  • the processor is further configured to detect plagiarism in a document that has been modified from the original plagiarized source.
  • the processor is configured to analyze and detect common and generic phrases in the document uploaded by the student that are not relevant to the substance of the document, and replace those phrases with similar strings. The processor then assesses the student’s document relative to the original document to detect if there has been plagiarism.
  • the alert can be a flag or a percentage indicating the amount of plagiarized material in the target document that is included in the document identifier.
  • the method comprises updating the document identifier by setting a flag in the document identifier or by updating a plagiarized alert field in the document identifier.
  • the system provides an audit function of an assessor, of a task, or of a course of the VET.
  • the auditor computing device is configured to: access the VET database and inputting the details of the task to be audited (set 710).
  • the method comprises identifying the user profiles that have completed the task (at step 720) and selecting a random sample of user profiles from the identified user profiles for auditing (step 730).
  • the random sample of user profiles is then processed (at step 740) in order to provide the relevant task information to the auditor computing device.
  • the system Utilizing stored information in the databases, as well as predetermined and random algorithms, the system is able to provide a customizable and dynamic system for auditors to individually log in, and request information from the server. Results would be generated from the information on the server, with random relevant data. Accordingly, because the entries are randomly selected, the audit results in an unbiased report.
  • the report can be presented as a web report, and/or as a downloadable PDF version. The report can also be stored in the database for subsequent viewings and download.
  • the system 100 is further configured to prepare a user summary document outlining the tasks completed by student and provides a student’s competency at the task based on the documents uploaded by the student for that particular task.
  • the system further provides the student with the ability to allow the system to automatically suggest the student to an employer/recruiter seeking employee candidates.
  • a recruiter/employer is able to log into the system and input criteria relating to the details of the job vacancy available. Based on this information, the system is configured to filter the user profiles stored in the VET database of students. If the student has granted permission to the system to automatically suggest the student to the employer/recruiter, the system is configured to generate a user summary report outlining the tasks completed by the student and provide the user summary report to the user electronic device of the employer/recruiter.
  • the CV builder also has the ability to collate geographical and time stamped samples of practical skills acquisition of the student, and to include it in the form of an electronic CV.
  • the processor is configured to generate charts that allows for performance of students to be determined.
  • the chart may be generated in real-time,.
  • the assessor can then change the course and material structure, if necessary, depending on the level of student performance.
  • the processor is further configured to compare the student results for a task/course of the VET to determine if a particular student in the course is facing any particular issues in their studies. For example, the processor is configured to analyse the student’s progress against other students’ progress and against historical/archived data. If the system determines that any particular student’s progress is lacking, the system will log and alert the relevant assessor(s) to prompt the assessor to reach out to that particular student.
  • To processor is configured to log any electronic communication between the assessor and the student in a database of the plurality of databases 180.
  • the system of the present invention can be accessible by students, assessors, workplace supervisors, and administrative staff in order to meet the requirements for more successful outcomes in the VET sector in a more timely, cost effective and environmentally sustainable manner.
  • the system of the present invention is also student-focused as the system makes it easier for students to demonstrate their compliance and allowing students to easily capture and maintain assessment and compliance data.
  • the tool 800 is a URL based application, which also has IOS and Android capabilities, allowing educational institutions to capture, display and retain evidence to support student assessment and regulatory requirements.
  • the tool 800 includes standard libraries 802 for populating with evidence that demonstrates compliance against a standard.
  • a progress bar sits on each standard library 802 and builds as each standard 802 pre-populates so that users can see, at a glance, any areas of non- compliance.
  • the tool 800 can be pre-populated with standards, learning outcomes, performance and knowledge evidence and any other relevant data required to demonstrate compliance or competence in a unit and/or qualification, in addition to compliance with Accreditation criteria where applicable.
  • each standard library 802 can be pre-determined by users according to industry and institutionally relevant evidence libraries.
  • the libraries 802 are then broken down into‘evidence types’ 803 so users can easily refer to or locate specific pieces of evidence 805 that have been uploaded.
  • the evidence in each library 802 is categorized into one of many evidence types.
  • the tool 800 further includes a search tool 804 for locating evidence 805 in the libraries 802.
  • the compliance tool 800 includes an evidence manager 810.
  • the evidence manager 810 includes an evidence-type selector 812 for selecting evidence 805 once the plus sign icon 813 is selected.
  • the selector 812 can be used to select evidence 805 in the form of any one or more of: photo 814, video 816, voice recording 818, writeable document 820 or any other document 822.
  • the evidence manager 810 also includes a tagger 824 for hash-tagging the selected evidence 805 so that it is populated into a corresponding library 802.
  • the tagger 824 includes a dialog box for receiving or selecting a suggested hashtag.
  • using the tagger 824 to tag a single piece of selected evidence 805 with multiple hashtags so that it is automatically populated into multiple standard libraries 802 avoids the need to physically reproduce the evidence 805 or provide multiple copies of that same evidence 805 during an audit.
  • the tags make the evidence 805 easier to locate when searching using the search tool 804.
  • the tagger 824 is used to tag the evidence with one or more hashtags corresponding to corresponding libraries 802.
  • Figure 9 shows an auditor access interface 830 for enabling an auditor to remotely access the libraries 802 and review the populated evidence 805.
  • Accrediting and regulatory bodies can gain access permission from the institution and remotely log into their compliance libraries 802, allowing for remote review and identification of potential non-compliance.
  • the tool 800 minimises the requirement for auditors and quality assurance (QA) officers to physically attend businesses, minimising costs associated with travel and accommodation as well as labour costs.
  • the tool 800 is could based, eliminating file size restrictions that can be experienced in other compliance systems.
  • the tool 800 is built on an API allowing for easy integration with other platforms, including but not limited to student management systems, learning management systems and customer relationship management systems.

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic compliance tool. The tool includes standard libraries for populating with evidence that demonstrates compliance against a standard, and an evidence manager. The evidence manager includes a selector for selecting evidence, and a tagger for tagging the selected evidence so that it is populated into a corresponding library. The tagger may be configured to tag a single piece of selected evidence with multiple tags so that it is populated into multiple libraries and avoids the need to physically reproduce the evidence or provide multiple copies of that same evidence during an audit.

Description

COMPLIANCE TOOL
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a compliance tool for any industry having compliance or accreditation requirements including health services, building and construction, accounting, childcare and retirement industries. The present invention also has application for the education and training industry.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vocational education and training prepares people for work in a trade. Until recently, almost all vocational educational took place in a classroom or at a job site, with students learning trade skills and trade theory from accredited professors or established professionals. In recent times however, online vocational education has grown in popularity and made it easer than ever for students to learn skills from professionals in the industry.
Existing systems are not suitable for managing vocational education and training. In particular, the advent of digital operating environments has introduced complications in managing information and turning that information into actionable material. During compliance auditing, it is still often necessary to manually search out documents and print them which in reality is a difficult and time consuming task
The preferred embodiment provides an improved compliance tool.
The preferred embodiment also provides a system and method for managing vocational education and training (VET), for assisting with student assessment and/or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic compliance tool including:
standard libraries for populating with evidence that demonstrates compliance against a standard; and
an evidence manager including: a selector for selecting evidence; and
a tagger for tagging the selected evidence so that it is populated into a corresponding library.
Optionally, using the tagger to tag a single piece of selected evidence with multiple tags so that it is populated into multiple libraries avoids the need to physically reproduce the evidence or provide multiple copies of that same evidence during an audit.
The tool may further include a search tool for locating evidence in the libraries. The tags may make the evidence easier to locate
The evidence in each library may be categorized into one of many evidence types.
The selector may select evidence in the form of any one or more of: photo, video, voice recording, writeable document or any other document.
The tagger may tag the evidence with one or more hashtags corresponding to corresponding libraries. The tagger may include a box for receiving or selecting a hashtag.
The tool may include a auditor access means for enabling a auditor to remotely access the libraries and review the populated evidence.
Each library may include a graphical progress interface so that users can see, at a glance, any areas of non-compliance.
The present specification discloses a method for managing documents for online vocational education and training (VET), wherein a user is required to complete one or more tasks by submitting a document that demonstrates the user’s skill at the task(s), the method including: receiving, by at least one processor, a target document from a user electronic device of the user, wherein the target document is associated with a document identifier identifying one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
determining, by the at least one processor, the one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
upon determining the task(s) to which the target document relates, updating, by the at least one processor, the document identifier with details of the task(s); and storing, by the at least one processor, the target document and the document identifier against a target user profile of the user in a VET database, the VET database including a plurality of user profiles including the target user profile. In an embodiment, the target document includes a written document. The step of determining, by the at least one processor, the one or more tasks to which the target document relates preferably includes:
storing, in a task-keyword database, one or more keywords associated with one or more tasks;
upon receiving the target document from the user, accessing the task-keyword database, by the at least one processor;
processing, by the at least one processor, the text in the target document in order to identify if words used in the document correspond to the keywords stored in the task- keyword database; and
upon determining a correspondence of words in the target document to the keywords stored in the task-keyword database, updating the document identifier with the task(s) to which the keywords correspond according to the task-keyword database.
In an alternative embodiment, the target document includes a multimedia document, such as a photo, video, or an audio file for example. The step of determining, by the at least one processor, the one or more tasks to which the target document relates preferably includes: storing, in a task-characteristic database, one or more key-characteristics associated with one or more tasks, the characteristics corresponding to audio and/or visual key- characteristics;
upon receiving the target document from the user, accessing the task-characteristic database, by the at least one processor,
processing, by the at least one processor, the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document;
comparing the extracted audio and/or visual characteristics with the audio and/or visual key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database; and
upon determining a correspondence of characteristics in the target document to the key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database, updating the document identifier with the task(s) to which the key-characteristics correspond according to the task-characteristic database.
In an embodiment, the processing, by the at least one processor, the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document includes image processing and/or audio processing, by the at least one processor, of the target document.
In an embodiment, the method includes processing, by the at least one processor, to determine if the target document has been plagiarized. The method preferably includes: upon storing the target document and document identifier against the target user profile in the VET database, accessing, by the at least one processor, one or more other documents;
comparing, by the at least one processor, the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the target document and the one or more other documents, and
issuing an alert if any similarities between the documents are detected.
Preferably, the one or more other documents includes document(s) of the same task(s) of other user profiles stored in the VET database.
Preferably, the step of comparing, by the at least one processor, the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the documents includes:
extracting, by the at least one processor, one or more keywords or key- characteristics from the target document;
extracting, by the at least one processor, one or more keywords or key- characteristics from the one or more other documents; and
comparing the keywords or key-characteristics of the target document with the keywords or key-characteristics of the one or more other documents to determine if there are similarities between the target document and the one or more other documents.
In an embodiment, the document identifier includes date and time information. The method preferably includes determining, by the at least one processor, the date and time that the target document is created by the user, and updating the document identifier with the determined date and time. The method preferably includes:
requesting, by the at least one processor, permission to access date and time information from the user electronic device;
upon permission being granted by the user electronic device, requesting, by the at least one processor, the date and time that the target document is created from the user electronic device;
receiving, by the at least one processor, the date and time from the user electronic device; and
updating, by the at least one processor, the document identifier with the received date and time information. In an embodiment, the document identifier includes geolocation information. The method includes determining, by the at least one processor, the geographic location including information relating to where the document was created by the user; and updating the document identifier with the determined positional information. The method preferably includes:
requesting, by the at least one processor, permission to access geolocation information from a user electronic device of the user;
upon permission being granted by the user, requesting, by the at least one processor, the geolocation information relating to where the document is created from the user electronic device;
receiving, by the at least one processor, the geolocation information from the user electronic device; and
updating, by the at least one processor, the document identifier with the received geolocation information.
In an embodiment, the method further includes:
accessing, by the at least one processor, a plurality of user profiles stored on the VET database;
obtaining, by the at least one processor, documents from the plurality of user profiles relating to a particular task; and
presenting, by the at least one processor, the plurality of documents to a reviewer for auditing.
Preferably, the step of accessing, by the at least one processor, the plurality of user profiles stored on the VET profile includes accessing a random sample of user profiles stored in the VET database.
In an embodiment, the method further includes:
accessing, by the at least one processor, the tasks stored against the target user profile; and
creating, by the at least one processor, a user summary document outlining the tasks completed by the user.
In an embodiment, the method includes providing, by the at least one processor, the user summary document to a reviewer or to the user. The present specification discloses a system for managing documents for online vocational education and training (VET), wherein a user is required to complete one or more tasks by submitting a document that demonstrates the user’s skill at the task(s), the system including at least one processor, and a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
receive a target document from a user electronic device of the user, wherein the target document is associated with a document identifier identifying one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
determine the one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
upon determining the task(s) to which the target document relates, update the document identifier with details of the task(s); and
store the target document and the document identifier against a target user profile of the user in a VET database, the VET database including a plurality of user profiles including the target user profile.
In an embodiment, the target document includes a written document. The at least one processor is preferably configured to:
store, in a task-keyword database, one or more keywords associated with one or more tasks;
upon receiving the target document from the user, access the task-keyword database;
process the text in the target document in order to identify if words used in the document correspond to the keywords stored in the task-keyword database; and upon determining a correspondence of words in the target document to the keywords stored in the task-keyword database, update the document identifier with the task(s) to which the keywords correspond according to the task-keyword database.
In an alternative embodiment, the target document includes a multimedia document, such as a photo, video, or an audio file for example. The at least one processor is preferably configured to:
store, in a task-characteristic database, one or more key-characteristics associated with one or more tasks, the characteristics corresponding to audio and/or visual key- characteristics;
upon receiving the target document from the user, access the task-characteristic database;
process the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document; compare the extracted audio and/or visual characteristics with the audio and/or visual key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database; and
upon determining a correspondence of characteristics in the target document to the key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database, update the document identifier with the task(s) to which the key-characteristics correspond according to the task-characteristic database.
In an embodiment, the at least one processor is configured to process the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document includes image processing and/or audio processing of the target document.
In an embodiment, the at least one processor is configured to process the target document to determine if the target document has been plagiarized. The at least one processor is preferably configured to:
upon storing the target document and document identifier against the target user profile in the VET database, access one or more other documents;
compare the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the target document and the one or more other documents; and
issue an alert if any similarities between the documents are detected.
Preferably, the one or more other documents include document(s) of the same task(s) of other user profiles stored in the VET database.
Preferably, in comparing the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the documents, the at least one processor is configured to:
extract one or more keywords or key-characteristics from the target document;
extract one or more keywords or key-characteristics from the one or more other documents; and
compare the keywords or key-characteristics of the target document with the keywords or key-characteristics of the one or more other documents to determine if there are similarities between the target document and the one or more other documents.
In an embodiment, the document identifier includes date and time information. The at least one processor is preferably configured to determine the date and time that the target document is created by the user, and update the document identifier with the determined date and time. The at least one processor is preferably configured to:
request permission to access date and time information from the user electronic device;
upon permission being granted by the user electronic device, request the date and time that the target document is created from the user electronic device;
receive the date and time from the user electronic device; and
updating the document identifier with the received date and time information.
In an embodiment, the document identifier includes geolocation information. The at least one processor is preferably configured to determine the geographic location including information relating to where the document was created by the user; and update the document identifier with the determined positional information. The at least one processor is configured to:
request permission to access geolocation information from a user electronic device of the user;
upon permission being granted by the user, request the geolocation information relating to where the document is created from the user electronic device;
receive the geolocation information from the user electronic device; and
update the document identifier with the received geolocation information.
In an embodiment, the at least one processor is configured to:
access a plurality of user profiles stored on the VET database;
obtain documents from the plurality of user profiles relating to a particular task; and present the plurality of documents to a reviewer for auditing.
Preferably, the plurality of user profiles accessed by the at least one processor is a random sample of user profiles stored in the VET database.
In an embodiment, the at least one processor is configured to:
access the tasks stored against the target user profile; and
create a user summary document outlining the tasks completed by the user.
In an embodiment, the at least one processor is configured to provide the user summary document to a reviewer or to the user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a system diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention
Figure 2A shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention for updating a document identifier with one or more tasks to which a target document relates;
Figure 2B shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention for updating a document identifier with time and date information and geolocation location;
Figure 3 shows fields of a document identifier according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention for detecting if a target document has plagiarized;
Figure 5 shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention for auditing;
Figure 6 shows an electronic compliance tool with libraries in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 7 shows a standard library of the compliance tool of Figure 6;
Figure 8 shows an evidence manager of the compliance tool of Figure 6; and Figure 9 shows an auditor access interface of the compliance tool of Figure 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figure 1 , a vocational education and training system 100 for managing documents for vocational education and training (VET) comprises a processor 120, a computer readable medium 140 storing computer executable instructions for execution by the processor 120, and a communication interface 160 for providing access of the system to one or more user electronic devices 320, 340, 360, 380 via a communications network 200. The communications network 200 may be any form of communications network, such as the Internet for example. The computer readable medium 140 may be any suitable computer storage medium or computer memory. The processor 120 is a computer processor. In addition, the processor 120 may be a collection of processors that are each configured to perform a specific function of the VET system.
The system 100 is further configured to communicate with a plurality of databases 180. The system 100 is configured to communicate with the database(s) 180 directly via a local network. Alternatively, the system 100 is configured to communicate with the databases(s) 180 via the communications network 200. The plurality of databases 180 comprises a VET database for storing a plurality of profiles of the students and for storing the documents uploaded by the student. The plurality of databases 180 may further comprise a task- keyword database that stores one or more keywords associated with one or more tasks, and/or a task-characteristic database that stores one or more key-characteristics associated with one or more tasks, the characteristics corresponding to audio and/or visual key- characteristics.
The system 100 may be accessed through the communications network 200 by one or more of a user electronic device of a student 320 seeking to complete the VET course through a student management interface; a user electronic device of an assessor 340 for reviewing any work submitted onto the system 100 by a student; a user electronic device of an auditor 360 seeking to perform an audit of a VET course, task or assessor; and a user electronic device of an employer or recruitment agent 380 seeking to recruit one or more students.
The system 100 enables students to upload, via their electronic device 320, documents that demonstrate the user’s skill at a task(s) that is part of a VET course.
The processor 120 is configured to receive a target document from a student electronic device 320. The target document may comprise a written document or a multimedia document, such as a photo, video, or an audio file for example. The target document is associated with a document identifier identifying one or more tasks to which the target document relates. The document identifier further includes date and time information, and geolocation information indicating when and where the document was created. An example of a document identifier is shown in Figure 3. The processor 120 is configured to determine the one or more tasks to which the target document relates. Based on the documents uploaded by the student computing device 320, the processor 120 is configured to predict and suggest one or more tasks to which the document relates. In particular, by having a vastly populated database, along with the ability for the processor to monitor trends, and learn patterns, the processor 120 is able to suggest other tasks or areas that the target document may be relevant. Thereby, the system 100 makes it easier for students to obtain relevant recognition for the documents that are relevant to multiple tasks. In addition, the system eliminates multi-handling of a document that applies to multiple tasks.
Upon determining the task(s) to which the target document relates, the processor 120 is configured to update the document identifier with the task(s).
The method according to an embodiment of the present invention in which the processor 120 is configured to update the document identifier is shown in Figure 2A. The method 400 comprises receiving a target document from the user electronic device of the student (step 410). The method then comprises accessing a task-keyword database or a task- characteristic database (step 420), depending on whether the document is a written document or a multimedia document.
Where the document is a written document, the method comprises accessing the task- keyword database, which stores one or more keywords associated with one or more tasks (step 420). The method then comprises processing the text in the target document in order to identify words used in the target document (step 430), and then determining if any words used in the target document correspond to the keywords stored in the task-keyword database (step 440). Upon determining a correspondence of words in the target document to the keywords stored in the task-keyword database, the method comprises updating the document identifier with the task(s) to which the keywords correspond according to the task- keyword database (step 450).
Where the document is a multimedia document, the method comprises accessing the task- characteristic database, which stores one or more key-characteristics associated with one or more tasks (step 420). The method then comprises processing the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document (step 430); and then comparing the extracted audio and/or visual characteristics with the audio and/or visual key- characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database (step 440). Upon determining a correspondence of characteristics in the target document to the key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database, the processor 120 is configured to update the document identifier with the task(s) to which the key-characteristic correspond according to the task- characteristics database (step 450). The processing of the multimedia target document (at step 430) may comprise image processing and/or audio processing of the target document depending on the type and format of the target document.
The processor 120 is configured to analyse the target document, and offer suggestions on other tasks (units or assessments) to which the document may be relevant. The user can then accept or reject the suggestions. If accepted, the document identifier is updated with the accepted task(s) and the updated document identifier is stored in the VET database. Alternatively, the plurality of databases 180 includes a secondary VET database and the updated document identifier with the accepted task(s) is stored in the secondary VET database.
The method further comprises further steps (steps 460) for updating the document identifier with time and date information and/or geographic location indicating when and where the target document is located.
Referring to Figure 2B, in some embodiments, it will be desirable for the document identifier to further include date and time information. In these embodiments, the method 460 comprises determining the date and time that the target document is created by the user (step 461), and update the document identifier with the determined date and time (step 462). Specifically, referring back to Figure 1 , the processor 120 is configured to: request permission to access date and time information from a user electronic device of a student 320; upon permission being granted by the user electronic device 320, request the date and time that the target document is created from the user electronic device; receive the date and time from the user electronic device; and updating the document identifier with the received date and time information. In some embodiments, the student is required to grant permission for the processor 120 to access the date and time information of the user electronic device in order for the student to access the VET system 100.
Referring to Figure 2B, in some embodiments, it will be desirable for the document identifier to further include geolocation information. In these embodiments, the method comprises determining the geographic location comprising information relating to where the document was created by the user (step 463); and updating the document identifier with the determined positional information (464). Specifically, referring back to Figure 1 , the processor 120 is configured to: request permission to access geolocation information from a user electronic device of the student 320; upon permission being granted by the user, request the geolocation information relating to where the document is created from the user electronic device; receive the geolocation information from the user electronic device; and update the document identifier with the received geolocation information. In some embodiments, the student is required to grant permission for the processor 120 to access the geolocation information of the user electronic device in order for the student to access the system 100.
By including the time and date information and/or the geolocation information in the location identifier, the authenticity and the currency of the submitted document can be ensured.
An example document identifier for a target document is shown in Figure 3. The document identifier 500 comprises a User ID field 510 containing information relating to the student that uploaded the target document and a Document ID field 520 containing an identifier for the target document. The document identifier 500 further comprises a Task field 530 containing one or more subfields 532, 534, 536 that contain information relating to the one or more tasks associated to the target document as determined and as accepted by the student by the system.
The document identifier 500 further includes a Time/Date field 540 for containing information relating to the time and date on which the target document was created and a Geolocation field 550 for containing information relating to the geographic location at which the target document was created.
The document identifier 500 can further include an Assessor field 560 containing information of identifying an assessor to which the target document has been allocated for marking, and a Result field 570 containing information relating to the results of the assessment of the target document by the by the assessor.
The processor is further configured to store the target document and the document identifier against a target user profile of the user in a VET database of the plurality of databases, the VET database comprising a plurality of user profiles including the target user profile.
Referring to Figure 1 , the system 100 provides a student management interface, which is accessible by the student electronic device 320 for uploading documents relating to the task(s). The system 100 also has the ability to collect the regulatory data as part of the VET. For example, the data includes data that is required for AVETMISS reporting, compliance for ASQA, and CRICOS reporting. Because all of the interfaces are linked, the students enrolment records and all of their assessment data is maintained in one place with easy accessibility and high levels of security, both of which are imperative with regards to compliance. Assessing the Uploaded Documents
As the student uploads target documents onto the VET system and populates their assessments, the assessor is notified on their electronic device 340 through push notification that a student has uploaded a document for the assessor to mark. The assessor can then instantly mark the work (for example, as competent or not yet competent). Once the document is marked, the student is then instantly notified on their electronic device 320 and can follow up if necessary. Once all of the assessments and tasks for a unit are complete, the unit is marked as competent.
The processor is configured to compile and display an overall report of course/unit/assessment pass and fails. The report is may be provided in any suitable format, including in web format or as a PDF document. The report can be further stored and time-stamped in a report database of the plurality of databases 180 for future reference.
Plagiarism Detection
The processor is configured to process the target document to determine if the target document has been plagiarized.
The method performed by the processor in determining if a target document has been plagiarized is shown in Figure 4. Once the target document and document identifier has been stored against the target user profile in the VET database, the method for determining plagiarism 600 comprises accessing one or more other documents (step 610); comparing the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the target document and the one or more other documents (step 620); and issuing an alert if any similarities between the documents are detected (step 630). The one or more other documents may for example be documents of the same task(s) of other user profiles stored in the VET database.
Besides accessing documents uploaded by other users that are stored in the VET database for the plagiarism determination (at step 610), the processor is further configured to detect if the target document has been plagiarized by performing a web search on phrases used in the target document.
The processor is particularly configured to perform searches on the document to extract keywords or strings, analyse trends and the documents, and return an alert or percentage result of potentially plagiarized material. The processor is also configured to analyze patterns in a student’s submitted document, and match them to one or more other documents. The processor is configured to provide highlighted areas in the student’s document that are similar to the content of any one of the other documents, with information indicating the details of the reference document, and the part(s) in the other document that the processor determines to be relevant to the student’s document.
In comparing the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the documents (at step 620), the processor is configured to: extract one or more keywords or key-characteristics from the target document; extract one or more keywords or key-characteristics from the one or more other documents; and compare the keywords or key-characteristics of the target document with the keywords or key-characteristics of the one or more other documents to determine if there are similarities between the target document and the one or more other document.
The processor is further configured to detect plagiarism in a document that has been modified from the original plagiarized source. In particular, the processor is configured to analyze and detect common and generic phrases in the document uploaded by the student that are not relevant to the substance of the document, and replace those phrases with similar strings. The processor then assesses the student’s document relative to the original document to detect if there has been plagiarism.
The alert (at step 630) can be a flag or a percentage indicating the amount of plagiarized material in the target document that is included in the document identifier. In particular, if there are similarities between the target document and the other document(s), the method comprises updating the document identifier by setting a flag in the document identifier or by updating a plagiarized alert field in the document identifier.
Auditing VET Assessor/T ask/Course
The system provides an audit function of an assessor, of a task, or of a course of the VET.
The method performed by the processor for auditing is described with reference to Figure 5.
For example, when an audit of a task is required, the auditor computing device is configured to: access the VET database and inputting the details of the task to be audited (set 710). Based on the task details input by the auditor computing device, the method comprises identifying the user profiles that have completed the task (at step 720) and selecting a random sample of user profiles from the identified user profiles for auditing (step 730). The random sample of user profiles is then processed (at step 740) in order to provide the relevant task information to the auditor computing device.
Utilizing stored information in the databases, as well as predetermined and random algorithms, the system is able to provide a customizable and dynamic system for auditors to individually log in, and request information from the server. Results would be generated from the information on the server, with random relevant data. Accordingly, because the entries are randomly selected, the audit results in an unbiased report. The report can be presented as a web report, and/or as a downloadable PDF version. The report can also be stored in the database for subsequent viewings and download.
CV Builder
The system 100 is further configured to prepare a user summary document outlining the tasks completed by student and provides a student’s competency at the task based on the documents uploaded by the student for that particular task. The system further provides the student with the ability to allow the system to automatically suggest the student to an employer/recruiter seeking employee candidates.
For example, a recruiter/employer is able to log into the system and input criteria relating to the details of the job vacancy available. Based on this information, the system is configured to filter the user profiles stored in the VET database of students. If the student has granted permission to the system to automatically suggest the student to the employer/recruiter, the system is configured to generate a user summary report outlining the tasks completed by the student and provide the user summary report to the user electronic device of the employer/recruiter.
The CV builder also has the ability to collate geographical and time stamped samples of practical skills acquisition of the student, and to include it in the form of an electronic CV.
Tracking Student Progress
Based on assessment information stored in the database, the processor is configured to generate charts that allows for performance of students to be determined. The chart may be generated in real-time,. Based on this information, the assessor can then change the course and material structure, if necessary, depending on the level of student performance. The processor is further configured to compare the student results for a task/course of the VET to determine if a particular student in the course is facing any particular issues in their studies. For example, the processor is configured to analyse the student’s progress against other students’ progress and against historical/archived data. If the system determines that any particular student’s progress is lacking, the system will log and alert the relevant assessor(s) to prompt the assessor to reach out to that particular student. To processor is configured to log any electronic communication between the assessor and the student in a database of the plurality of databases 180.
The system of the present invention can be accessible by students, assessors, workplace supervisors, and administrative staff in order to meet the requirements for more successful outcomes in the VET sector in a more timely, cost effective and environmentally sustainable manner.
The system of the present invention is also student-focused as the system makes it easier for students to demonstrate their compliance and allowing students to easily capture and maintain assessment and compliance data.
Compliance Evidence
One aspect of the present invention provides an electronic compliance tool 800 as shown in Figure 6. The tool 800 is a URL based application, which also has IOS and Android capabilities, allowing educational institutions to capture, display and retain evidence to support student assessment and regulatory requirements.
The tool 800 includes standard libraries 802 for populating with evidence that demonstrates compliance against a standard. A progress bar sits on each standard library 802 and builds as each standard 802 pre-populates so that users can see, at a glance, any areas of non- compliance. The tool 800 can be pre-populated with standards, learning outcomes, performance and knowledge evidence and any other relevant data required to demonstrate compliance or competence in a unit and/or qualification, in addition to compliance with Accreditation criteria where applicable.
Accreditation/Industry Compliance varies between jurisdictions and Institutions. However, the populated standard libraries 802 of the tool 800 can be readily adapted to meet these variations for any industry specific requirements. The Australian compliance involves linking directly to the National Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 to clearly and easily demonstrate compliance in the case of an audit. It also allows RTO’s to see at a glance any potential non-compliance and allow them to address this before it escalates.
Turning to Figure 7, each standard library 802 can be pre-determined by users according to industry and institutionally relevant evidence libraries. The libraries 802 are then broken down into‘evidence types’ 803 so users can easily refer to or locate specific pieces of evidence 805 that have been uploaded. The evidence in each library 802 is categorized into one of many evidence types. The tool 800 further includes a search tool 804 for locating evidence 805 in the libraries 802.
Users have the ability to upload evidence 805 from multiple places within the tool 802, and can also upload from directly within the evidence library 802. All evidence 805 is GEO and TIME stamped for authenticity. Individual password protected log in’s act as a digital signature for users.
Turning to Figure 8, the compliance tool 800 includes an evidence manager 810. The evidence manager 810 includes an evidence-type selector 812 for selecting evidence 805 once the plus sign icon 813 is selected. The selector 812 can be used to select evidence 805 in the form of any one or more of: photo 814, video 816, voice recording 818, writeable document 820 or any other document 822.
The evidence manager 810 also includes a tagger 824 for hash-tagging the selected evidence 805 so that it is populated into a corresponding library 802. The tagger 824 includes a dialog box for receiving or selecting a suggested hashtag. Advantageously, using the tagger 824 to tag a single piece of selected evidence 805 with multiple hashtags so that it is automatically populated into multiple standard libraries 802 avoids the need to physically reproduce the evidence 805 or provide multiple copies of that same evidence 805 during an audit.
The tags make the evidence 805 easier to locate when searching using the search tool 804. The tagger 824 is used to tag the evidence with one or more hashtags corresponding to corresponding libraries 802.
Figure 9 shows an auditor access interface 830 for enabling an auditor to remotely access the libraries 802 and review the populated evidence 805. Accrediting and regulatory bodies can gain access permission from the institution and remotely log into their compliance libraries 802, allowing for remote review and identification of potential non-compliance. The tool 800 minimises the requirement for auditors and quality assurance (QA) officers to physically attend businesses, minimising costs associated with travel and accommodation as well as labour costs. The tool 800 is could based, eliminating file size restrictions that can be experienced in other compliance systems. The tool 800 is built on an API allowing for easy integration with other platforms, including but not limited to student management systems, learning management systems and customer relationship management systems.

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. An electronic compliance tool including:
standard libraries for populating with evidence that demonstrates compliance against a standard; and
an evidence manager including:
a selector for selecting evidence; and
a tagger for tagging the selected evidence so that it is populated into a corresponding library.
2. An electronic compliance tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tagger is configured to tag a single piece of selected evidence with multiple tags so that it is populated into multiple libraries and avoids the need to physically reproduce the evidence or provide multiple copies of that same evidence during an audit.
3. An electronic compliance tool as claimed in claim 1 , further including a search tool for locating evidence in the libraries wherein the tags make the evidence easier to locate.
4. An electronic compliance tool as claimed in claim 3, wherein the evidence in each library is categorized into one of many evidence types.
5. An electronic compliance tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the selector selects evidence in the form of any one or more of: photo, video, voice recording, writeable document or any other document.
6. An electronic compliance tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tagger tags the evidence with one or more hashtags corresponding to corresponding libraries.
7. An electronic compliance tool as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tagger includes a box for receiving or selecting a hashtag.
8. An electronic compliance tool as claimed in claim 1 , further including an auditor access means for enabling an auditor to remotely access the libraries and review the populated evidence.
9. An electronic compliance tool as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each library includes a graphical progress interface so that users can see, at a glance, any areas of non- compliance.
10. A method for managing documents for online vocational education and training (VET), wherein a user is required to complete one or more tasks by submitting a document that demonstrates the user’s skill at the task(s), the method including:
receiving, by at least one processor, a target document from a user electronic device of the user, wherein the target document is associated with a document identifier identifying one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
determining, by the at least one processor, the one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
upon determining the task(s) to which the target document relates, updating, by the at least one processor, the document identifier with details of the task(s); and storing, by the at least one processor, the target document and the document identifier against a target user profile of the user in a VET database, the VET database including a plurality of user profiles including the target user profile.
1 1. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of determining, by the at least one processor, the one or more tasks to which the target document relates preferably includes: storing, in a task-keyword database, one or more keywords associated with one or more tasks;
upon receiving the target document from the user, accessing the task-keyword database, by the at least one processor;
processing, by the at least one processor, the text in the target document in order to identify if words used in the document correspond to the keywords stored in the task- keyword database; and
upon determining a correspondence of words in the target document to the keywords stored in the task-keyword database, updating the document identifier with the task(s) to which the keywords correspond according to the task-keyword database.
12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of determining, by the at least one processor, the one or more tasks to which the target document relates preferably includes: storing, in a task-characteristic database, one or more key-characteristics associated with one or more tasks, the characteristics corresponding to audio and/or visual key- characteristics;
upon receiving the target document from the user, accessing the task-characteristic database, by the at least one processor,
processing, by the at least one processor, the target document to extract audio and/or visual characteristics from the target document; comparing the extracted audio and/or visual characteristics with the audio and/or visual key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database; and
upon determining a correspondence of characteristics in the target document to the key-characteristics stored in the task-characteristic database, updating the document identifier with the task(s) to which the key-characteristics correspond according to the task-characteristic database.
13. A method as claimed in claim 10, including processing, by the at least one processor, to determine if the target document has been plagiarized.
14. A method as claimed in claim 13, including:
upon storing the target document and document identifier against the target user profile in the VET database, accessing, by the at least one processor, one or more other documents;
comparing, by the at least one processor, the target document with the one or more other documents to determine if there are any similarities between the target document and the one or more other documents, and
issuing an alert if any similarities between the documents are detected.
15. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the document identifier includes geolocation information, the method including determining, by the at least one processor, the geographic location including information relating to where the document was created by the user; and updating the document identifier with the determined positional information. The method preferably includes:
requesting, by the at least one processor, permission to access geolocation information from a user electronic device of the user;
upon permission being granted by the user, requesting, by the at least one processor, the geolocation information relating to where the document is created from the user electronic device;
receiving, by the at least one processor, the geolocation information from the user electronic device; and
updating, by the at least one processor, the document identifier with the received geolocation information.
16. A system for managing documents for online vocational education and training (VET), wherein a user is required to complete one or more tasks by submitting a document that demonstrates the user’s skill at the task(s), the system including at least one processor, and a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to: receive a target document from a user electronic device of the user, wherein the target document is associated with a document identifier identifying one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
determine the one or more tasks to which the target document relates;
upon determining the task(s) to which the target document relates, update the document identifier with details of the task(s); and
store the target document and the document identifier against a target user profile of the user in a VET database, the VET database including a plurality of user profiles including the target user profile.
PCT/AU2018/000261 2017-12-15 2018-12-12 Compliance tool WO2019113630A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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AU2017905015A AU2017905015A0 (en) 2017-12-15 Compliance tool
AU2017905015 2017-12-15

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Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6976170B1 (en) * 2001-10-15 2005-12-13 Kelly Adam V Method for detecting plagiarism
US20080301172A1 (en) * 2007-05-31 2008-12-04 Marc Demarest Systems and methods in electronic evidence management for autonomic metadata scaling
US20110213722A1 (en) * 2003-05-07 2011-09-01 National Committee For Quality Assurance Automated accreditation system
US20130198094A1 (en) * 2012-02-01 2013-08-01 Benny Arazy System and method for regulation compliance
US20140188574A1 (en) * 2011-05-14 2014-07-03 Anastasia Maria Luca System and method for objective assessment of learning outcomes
US20160012019A1 (en) * 2014-07-10 2016-01-14 International Business Machines Corporation Group tagging of documents

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6976170B1 (en) * 2001-10-15 2005-12-13 Kelly Adam V Method for detecting plagiarism
US20110213722A1 (en) * 2003-05-07 2011-09-01 National Committee For Quality Assurance Automated accreditation system
US20080301172A1 (en) * 2007-05-31 2008-12-04 Marc Demarest Systems and methods in electronic evidence management for autonomic metadata scaling
US20140188574A1 (en) * 2011-05-14 2014-07-03 Anastasia Maria Luca System and method for objective assessment of learning outcomes
US20130198094A1 (en) * 2012-02-01 2013-08-01 Benny Arazy System and method for regulation compliance
US20160012019A1 (en) * 2014-07-10 2016-01-14 International Business Machines Corporation Group tagging of documents

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