Learning support device
The learning support device addresses the challenge of complex educational materials by using optical reading and AI to generate memos and tests, improving student understanding.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024068220
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing educational materials are often difficult for students to understand, hindering effective learning support.
A learning support device equipped with a learning material reader, information acquisition unit, and test generator that optically reads materials, identifies keywords, and generates memos and tests based on AI analysis to facilitate understanding.
Enhances student comprehension of learning materials by providing clear memos and tailored tests, supporting effective learning.
Smart Images
Figure 2025164338000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a learning support device. [Background technology]
[0002] A learning support device according to the background art automatically generates a series of test questions to be used when generating tests to be administered to examinees (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0179082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] Generally, the teaching materials used in educational institutions are often difficult to understand, making it difficult for students to understand the materials.
[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a learning support device for supporting the understanding of learning materials. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] A learning assistance device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a learning material reader, an information acquisition unit, a memo generator, and a test generator. The learning material reader optically reads learning materials to generate first image data. The information acquisition unit acquires first information indicating keywords and second information indicating a test format. The memo generator generates second image data representing memos for portions of the learning materials that include the keywords based on the first image data and the first information. The test generator generates third image data representing a test for the learning materials based on the first image data and the second information. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] According to the present disclosure, a learning support device for supporting understanding of learning materials can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a learning assistance device 100. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of a control unit 7 shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the teaching material M01. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a keyword K01 and a test format T01. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a memo M11 and an example of a test T02. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 shows an example of an answer sheet T03 and an example of a marking result T04. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing the process of generating a memo M11 and a test T02. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing the process of generating a marking result T04 of an answer sheet T03. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Hereinafter, a learning support device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the repeated description will be avoided.
[0010] [Learning support device 100 (hardware configuration)] 1, learning support device 100 is a printer, a facsimile, a copier, or a multifunction device having these functions. In detail, learning support device 100 includes operation display unit 1, ADF 2, reading unit 3, supply unit 4, printing unit 5, discharge unit 6, and control unit 7.
[0011] The operation display unit 1 is, for example, a touch panel or a touch screen. The touch panel or touch screen has, for example, a display 11 and a touch sensor 12. Note that the operation display unit 1 may include physical keys or buttons instead of the touch sensor 12. The operation display unit 1 displays various images on the screen under the control of the control unit 7. The operation display unit 1 transmits to the control unit 7 information indicating the coordinates of the position on the displayed image that the user has touched with, for example, a fingertip or a stylus (hereinafter also referred to as "position information").
[0012] The ADF 2 is an automatic document feeder. The ADF 2 has a supply tray 21, a discharge tray 22, a transport path 23, and transport rollers 24, and transports documents to be read by the reading unit 3 from the supply tray 21 to the discharge tray 22 via the transport path 23.
[0013] The reading unit 3 is, for example, a line sensor 31. The line sensor 31 is, for example, a CIS (Contact Image Sensor), and is located on the conveying path 23. The reading unit 3 optically reads an image (hereinafter also referred to as an original image) shown on the original conveyed on the conveying path 23, and transmits image data representing the original image to the control unit 7.
[0014] The reading unit 3 may be a reduction optical system instead of the line sensor 31. The reduction optical system is located below the ADF 2 in the learning support device 100. The reduction optical system optically reads the document placed on the contact glass.
[0015] The supply unit 4 has a supply cassette 41, a conveyance path 42, and a conveyance roller 43, and supplies sheets to the printing unit 5. The sheets are, for example, paper.
[0016] In the case of an electrophotographic system, the printing unit 5 has, for example, photosensitive drums 51 for each color of YMCK. Y is yellow, M is magenta, C is cyan, and K is a key plate. The printing unit 5 has a charging device 52, a developing device 53, and a primary transfer roller 54 on the peripheral surface of each photosensitive drum 51 along the circumferential direction of the photosensitive drum 51. The printing unit 5 also has an exposure device 55, an intermediate transfer belt 56, a secondary transfer roller 57, and a fixing device 58. The printing unit 5 forms an image based on image data on a sheet conveyed by the supply unit 4 using an electrophotographic system to generate a printed matter.
[0017] The printing unit 5 may form an image on a sheet by other methods (for example, inkjet recording method) instead of the electrophotographic method.
[0018] The discharge unit 6 has a discharge tray 61 , a transport path 62 , and transport rollers 63 , and discharges the printed material to the outside of the learning support device 100 .
[0019] The control unit 7 includes a memory unit and a central processing unit (hereinafter also referred to as CPU). The memory unit stores various data and computer programs. The control unit 7 may include a processing device for a specific purpose, such as an application specific integrated circuit or a field programmable gate array. The memory unit includes a main storage device such as a semiconductor memory and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive. The CPU controls each component of the learning support device 100 by executing the computer program stored in the memory unit.
[0020] [Learning support device 100 (functional block configuration)] 2, the control unit 7 executes a computer program to function as a teaching material reading unit 71, an information acquiring unit 72, a memo generating unit 73, a test generating unit 74, an answer reading unit 75, and a grading unit 76. That is, the control unit 7 includes the teaching material reading unit 71, the information acquiring unit 72, the memo generating unit 73, the test generating unit 74, the answer reading unit 75, and the grading unit 76.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the learning material reading unit 71 optically reads the learning material M01 (see FIG. 3) to generate first image data D01. The first image data D01 is data representing the learning material M01 as an image. The information acquiring unit 72 acquires first information D11 indicating the keyword K01 (see FIG. 4) and second information D12 indicating the test format T01 (see FIG. 4). The memo generating unit 73 generates second image data D02 representing a memo M11 (see the left side of FIG. 5) of a portion of the learning material M01 that includes the keyword K01, based on the first image data D01 and the first information D11. The test generating unit 74 generates third image data D03 representing a test T02 (see the right side of FIG. 5) of the learning material M01, based on the first image data D01 and the second information D12.
[0022] Note that Fig. 4 shows examples of keywords K01, such as ecosystem, decomposition, dynamics, and ecology. Also, as an example of test format T01, Fig. 4 shows that the number of questions is four. Also, as an example of test format T01, Fig. 4 shows that questions are randomly selected from multiple-choice questions P01, fill-in-the-blank questions P02, true / false questions P03, and enumeration questions P04 (see Fig. 5).
[0023] The answer sheet reading unit 75 optically reads the answer sheet T03 (see the left side of FIG. 6) for the test T02 to generate fourth image data D04. The grading unit 76 generates fifth image data D05 representing the grading result T04 (see the right side of FIG. 6) for the answer sheet T03 based on the fourth image data D04. The learning support device 100 can support the user's understanding of the learning material M01.
[0024] 2, the memo generation unit 73 performs optical character recognition 731 on the first image data D01 and AI sentence generation 732 using artificial intelligence with the first information D11. The memo generation unit 73 generates a high-quality memo M11.
[0025] The memo M11 may be created using a sentence outline, as illustrated in Fig. 5. In the sentence outline, the memo M11 may include a complete sentence K03 that includes a keyword K01 and a subitem K02 of the keyword K01 in the learning material M01 (see Fig. 3). In addition to the example of Fig. 5, the memo M11 may also be created using a topic outline. In the topic outline, the memo M11 may include a brief explanation of the keyword K01 and the subitem K02 of the keyword K01 instead of the complete sentence K03 that includes the keyword K01 and the subitem K02 of the keyword K01.
[0026] As shown on the right side of FIG. 5, the test T02 may include at least one of a multiple-choice question P01, a fill-in-the-blank question P02, a true / false question P03, and an enumeration question P04.
[0027] [Detailed Processing of Learning Assistance Device 100] Next, the processing of the learning support device 100 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.
[0028] In FIG. 7, the process of generating the memo M11 and the test T02 includes steps S101 to S110.
[0029] The user places the teaching material M01 as a manuscript on the supply tray 21 of the ADF 2, and then operates a read process start button (not shown) provided in the learning support device 100. In response to this user operation, the control unit 7 in the learning support device 100 functions as a teaching material reading unit 71 and operates the ADF 2 and the reading unit 3, thereby causing the reading unit 3 to optically read the teaching material M01 (i.e., the manuscript) (step S101). As a result, the reading unit 3 generates first image data D01 representing the teaching material M01 and transmits it to the control unit 7. The control unit 7 temporarily stores the first image data D01 in a storage unit (step S101).
[0030] After operating the start button for the reading process, the user further operates the learning support device 100 to start the computer program. After the computer program has started, the control unit 7 displays a dialogue screen P11 (see FIG. 4) on the display 11 of the operation display unit 1 (step S102).
[0031] The dialog screen P11 includes an input field P111 for the keyword K01, radio buttons P112, P113, and P114, an input field P115 for the number of questions, and radio buttons P116 to P119. The input fields P111 and P115 and the radio buttons P112 to P114 and P116 to P120 allow the user to specify required items through operation.
[0032] The radio button P112 specifies whether or not to activate the memo generation unit 73 (see FIG. 2). The radio button P113 specifies whether to generate the memo M11 as a topic outline or a sentence outline. The radio button P114 specifies whether or not to activate the test generation unit 74 (see FIG. 2). The radio buttons P116 to P119 specify whether or not to include multiple-choice questions P01, fill-in-the-blank questions P02, true / false questions P03, and enumeration questions P04 in the test T02. The radio button P120 specifies whether or not to include questions randomly selected from the multiple-choice questions P01, fill-in-the-blank questions P02, true / false questions P03, and enumeration questions P04 in the test T02.
[0033] When the user completes the specification of required items on the dialog screen P11, the control unit 7 functions as the information acquisition unit 72 and acquires the required items (step S102). Specifically, the control unit 7 acquires first information D11 indicating a keyword K01 as a required item. The control unit 7 further acquires second information D12 indicating a test format T01 as a required item.
[0034] Next, the control unit 7 performs optical character recognition 731 on the first image data D01 stored in step S101 (step S103). As a result, the image included in the learning material M01 represented by the first image data D01 is converted into a character code string. The control unit 7 identifies the keyword K01 specified in step S102, and identifies the paragraph including the keyword K01 as the focus area (step S103).
[0035] Next, when the radio button P112 is set to enable the memo generating unit 73, the control unit 7 functions as the memo generating unit 73 (steps S104 to S108). When the radio button P112 is not set to enable the memo generating unit 73, the control unit 7 executes step S109 without executing steps S104 to S108.
[0036] In step S104, the control unit 7 causes the AI sentence generation 732 to group the text in the focus area into keywords K01 and small items K02.
[0037] After step S104, if the radio button P113 specifies that the memo M11 is to be generated in a sentence outline ("Sentence" in step S105), the control unit 7 generates second image data D02 representing the memo M11 (see Figure 5) using keywords K01 and sub-items K02 in the sentence outline (step S106).
[0038] On the other hand, after step S104, if the radio button P113 is set to generate the memo M11 in a topic outline ("Topic" in step S105), the control unit 7 generates second image data D02 representing the memo M11 using keywords K01 and sub-items K02 in the topic outline (step S107).
[0039] The control unit 7 operates the supply unit 4, the printing unit 5, and the discharge unit 6 to generate the memo M11 as a printed matter based on the second image data D02 generated in one of steps S106 and S107 (step S108). As a result, the user can obtain the printed matter of the memo M11 from the discharge tray 61.
[0040] In step S109, if the radio button P114 specifies that the test generation unit 74 should be activated, the control unit 7 functions as the test generation unit 74. Note that if the radio button P114 does not specify that the test generation unit 74 should be activated, the control unit 7 ends the process of generating the memo M11 and the test T02 without executing step S109 and subsequent steps.
[0041] In step S109, the control unit 7 uses the AI sentence generation 732 to create questions P01 to P04, the number of which is specified via the input field P115 in step S102. In particular, the control unit 7 generates questions of the type specified via the radio buttons P116 to P120, from among multiple-choice questions P01, fill-in-the-blank questions P02, true / false questions P03, and list questions P04. Each question contains at least one of an interrogative pronoun, an interrogative adverb, and an interrogative adjective. Whether the question contains an interrogative pronoun, an interrogative adverb, or an interrogative adjective may be specified by a user operation.
[0042] In step S109, the control unit 7 further generates third image data D03 that represents the created question sentences P01 to P04 as a test T02 for the learning material M01.
[0043] In step S110, the control unit 7 operates the supply unit 4, the printing unit 5, and the discharge unit 6 to generate a test T02 as a printed matter based on the third image data D03 generated in step S109 (step S110). As a result, the user can obtain the printed matter of the test T02 from the discharge tray 61. The user creates an answer T03 for each of the questions P01 to P04 written on the test T02.
[0044] In FIG. 8, the process of generating a marking result T04 for an answer sheet T03 includes steps S201 to S204.
[0045] Next, the user places an answer sheet T03 as a document on the supply tray 21 of the ADF 2, and then operates a start button (not shown) for the reading process. This user operation causes the control unit 7 to operate the ADF 2 and the reading unit 3, thereby causing the reading unit 3 to optically read the answer sheet T03 (i.e., the document) (step S201). As a result, the reading unit 3 generates fourth image data D04 representing the answer sheet T03 and transmits it to the control unit 7. The control unit 7 temporarily stores the fourth image data D04 in the storage unit (step S201).
[0046] After operating the start button for the reading process, the user further operates the learning assistance device 100 to start the computer program.
[0047] Next, the control unit 7 performs optical character recognition 731 on the fourth image data D04 stored in step S201 (step S202). As a result, the image included in the answer sheet T03 represented by the fourth image data D04 is converted into a character code string.
[0048] The control unit 7 extracts the answers to the questions P01 to P04 from the character code string of the answer sheet T03 obtained in step S202, determines whether the answers are correct, and grades the answer sheet T03 (step S203). The control unit 7 further generates fifth image data D05 representing the graded result T04 of the answer sheet T03 (see the right side of Figure 6) (step S203).
[0049] In step S204, the control unit 7 generates the grading result T04 as a printout based on the fifth image data D05 generated in step S203 by operating the supply unit 4, the printing unit 5, and the discharge unit 6. As a result, the user can obtain the printout of the grading result T04 from the discharge tray 61.
[0050] Furthermore, the drawings mainly show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual configuration due to the convenience of creating the drawings. Furthermore, the configuration of each component shown in the above embodiment is an example and is not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within a scope that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]
[0051] The learning assistance device according to the present disclosure has industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]
[0052] 100 Learning support device 71 Teaching Material Reading Section 72 Information Acquisition Department 73 Memo Generation Unit 731 Optical Character Recognition 732 AI sentence generation 74 Test Generation Unit 75 Answer Reading Section 76 Scoring Department
Claims
1. a learning material reader that optically reads the learning material and generates first image data; an information acquisition unit that acquires first information indicating a keyword and second information indicating a test format; a memo generating unit that generates second image data representing a memo of a portion of the teaching material that includes the keyword based on the first image data and the first information; a test generation unit that generates third image data representing a test on the teaching material based on the first image data and the second information; A learning support device comprising:
2. an answer sheet reading unit that optically reads the test answer sheet and generates fourth image data; a grading unit that generates fifth image data representing a grading result of the answer sheet based on the fourth image data; The learning support device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
3. The learning support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the memo generation unit includes optical character recognition for the first image data and artificial intelligence-based sentence generation using the first information.
4. The learning support device according to claim 1 , wherein the memo includes the keyword, a subcategory of the keyword, and a brief explanation of the keyword and the subcategory of the keyword.
5. The learning support device according to claim 1 , wherein the memo includes a sentence in the learning material that includes the keyword and a subcategory of the keyword.
6. The learning support device according to claim 2 , wherein the test includes at least one of multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, true / false questions, and enumeration questions.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Dynamic Identification and Validation of Test Questions from a Corpus
US20150179082A1