Educational devices, educational methods, educational programs, and computer-readable recording media

Abstract

To provide an educational device, educational method, educational program, and computer-readable recording medium that enable more appropriate education tailored to the user's abilities. [Solution] An educational device 100 for providing education to a user, comprising: an evaluation unit 140 that evaluates the user on at least one of five evaluation items: multidimensionality, which indicates the ability to think about one thing from multiple perspectives; multitasking ability, which indicates the ability to think about multiple things in parallel; processing speed, which indicates the ability to process problems quickly; memorization ability, which indicates the degree to which the user remembers the content of content previously provided; and knowledge amount, which indicates the degree to which the user knows about content that has not been provided in the past; and a distribution control unit 130 that provides the user with content or problem content at a level higher than the evaluated level for at least one of the evaluation items evaluated by the evaluation unit 140.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an educational device, an educational method, an educational program, and a computer-readable recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a communication education system that provides learning content to users has been proposed. For the purpose of improving learning efficiency, this communication education system uses an avatar to attract the user's interest and improve the visual effect at that time (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the system as described in Patent Document 1 only aims to attract the user's interest and improve the visual effect, and it is difficult to say that appropriate education according to the user is being carried out by providing content according to the user's ability.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide an educational device, an educational method, an educational program, and a computer-readable recording medium capable of performing more appropriate education according to the user's ability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The educational device according to the present invention is an educational device that provides education to a user, and comprises an evaluation means for evaluating the user with respect to at least one of five evaluation items: multidimensionality, which indicates the ability to think about one thing from multiple perspectives; multitasking ability, which indicates the ability to think about multiple things in parallel; processing speed, which indicates the ability to process problems quickly; memorization ability, which indicates the degree to which the user remembers the content of content previously provided; and knowledge amount, which indicates the degree to which the user knows about content that has not been previously provided; and a provision processing means for providing the user with content or problem content at a level higher than the evaluated level for at least one of the evaluation items evaluated by the evaluation means.

[0007] The educational method according to the present invention is an educational method using an educational device that provides education to a user, comprising: an evaluation step in which the user is evaluated for at least one of five evaluation items: multidimensionality, which indicates the ability to think about one thing from multiple perspectives; multitasking ability, which indicates the ability to think about multiple things in parallel; processing speed, which indicates the ability to process problems quickly; memorization ability, which indicates the degree to which the user remembers the content of content previously provided; and knowledge amount, which indicates the degree to which the user knows about content that has not been previously provided; and a provision processing step in which content or problem content at a level higher than the evaluated level is provided to the user for at least one of the evaluation items evaluated in the evaluation step.

[0008] Furthermore, the educational program according to the present invention is an educational program that causes a computer to function as the above-mentioned educational device, and the computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which the above-mentioned educational program is recorded. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide more appropriate education tailored to the user's abilities. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing a configuration of an educational system including an educational device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the details of the educational device. [Figure 3] This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the content provided to users. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the multidimensional memory content of the content creation criteria memory unit. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory contents related to multidimensionality within the evaluation criteria memory unit. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory contents related to multitasking within the content creation criteria memory unit. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory contents related to multitasking within the evaluation criteria memory unit. [Figure 8] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents related to processing speed within the content creation criteria storage unit. [Figure 9] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents of the evaluation criteria storage unit related to processing speed. [Figure 10] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory content related to memorization ability within the content creation criteria memory unit. [Figure 11] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory content related to memorization ability within the evaluation criteria memory section. [Figure 12] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory content related to the amount of knowledge in the content creation criteria memory unit. [Figure 13] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory content related to knowledge quantity within the evaluation criteria memory unit. [Figure 14] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the basic data of the content stored by the basic data storage unit. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart showing the educational method using the educational system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16]It is a first schematic diagram showing the stored content of the evaluation memory unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a second schematic diagram showing the stored content of the evaluation memory unit according to the second embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in accordance with preferred embodiments. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. Also, in the embodiments shown below, there are some places where the illustration and description of some configurations are omitted. Regarding the details of the omitted technologies, it is needless to say that well-known or widely known technologies are appropriately applied within the range that does not conflict with the content described below.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an educational system including an educational device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The educational system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is for educating a user, and includes an educational device 100 and a user-side terminal T, which are connected via a network N.

[0013] The user-side terminal T is a terminal device such as a personal computer or a smartphone held by the user who receives education. This user-side terminal T can perform a selection operation of the educational content desired to be received, and transmits information on the selected educational content to the educational device 100. Also, the user-side terminal T outputs video and audio for the content of the educational content distributed from the educational device 100. Furthermore, the user-side terminal T can also perform operations such as inputting an answer to a question.

[0014] The educational device 100 delivers educational content that the user wishes to receive to the user terminal T via the network N. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the details of the educational device 100 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the educational device 100 comprises a storage unit (recording medium) 110, a content creation unit 120, a distribution control unit (providing processing means) 130, and an evaluation unit (evaluation means) 140, and is designed to provide education to users while applying a load to facilitate the improvement of the user's abilities.

[0015] The memory unit 110 stores various data and programs necessary for the educational device 100 to function, and includes a user data storage unit 111, a content creation criteria storage unit 112, an evaluation criteria storage unit 113, and a basic data storage unit 114.

[0016] The user data storage unit 111 stores user information, including information about the user receiving education and their guardians, as well as information about content already provided. User information consists of contact information such as address, name, telephone number, direct debit account number, login ID, and password.

[0017] Furthermore, the user data storage unit 111 includes an evaluation storage unit 111a that stores the user's individual evaluation. The evaluation storage unit 111a stores evaluation values ​​that assess the user across five evaluation items: multidimensionality, multitasking ability, processing speed, memorization ability, and knowledge volume. The evaluation values ​​are not particularly limited as long as they indicate a level, and may be numerical values ​​such as "1" to "10," or they may indicate a degree such as "high," "medium," or "low." In the first embodiment, the evaluation storage unit 111a stores the user's most recent evaluation value.

[0018] Here, multidimensionality refers to the ability to think about a single thing from multiple perspectives. Multitasking refers to the ability to perform multiple thoughts in parallel. Processing speed refers to the ability to process problems quickly. Memorization ability is related to memory, and in the first embodiment, it indicates the degree to which the content within previously provided content is remembered. Knowledge amount is also related to memory, and in the first embodiment, it indicates the degree to which the user knows about content that has not been previously provided. Note that knowledge amount may refer to knowledge of content outside of previously provided content, even if it is content that cannot be provided in this educational system 1 (see Figure 1). For example, if this educational system 1 is for elementary school students, knowledge amount may refer to knowledge of content learned in high school that cannot be provided in this educational system 1.

[0019] The content creation criteria storage unit 112 stores criteria for creating content according to user evaluations. The evaluation criteria storage unit 113 stores criteria for evaluating users. Since the educational device 100 is equipped with such an evaluation criteria storage unit 113, the evaluation unit 140 can evaluate users according to the evaluation criteria stored in the evaluation criteria storage unit 113. Furthermore, since the educational device 100 is equipped with a content creation criteria storage unit 112, the content creation unit 120 can create content according to user evaluations according to the creation criteria stored in the content creation criteria storage unit 112. In addition, the created content is provided to the user terminal T (see Figure 1) by the distribution control unit 130. It is preferable that the evaluation unit 140 is equipped with AI (Artificial Intelligence) so that evaluations can be made using the functions of AI.

[0020] Next, referring to Figures 4 to 13, we will explain the contents stored by the content creation criteria storage unit 112 and the evaluation criteria storage unit 113 shown in Figure 2. Before that, however, we will explain the content provided to the user.

[0021] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of content provided to the user. As shown in Figure 3, the content provided to the user is divided into, for example, a lesson part in the first half and a problem explanation part in the second half. The lesson part is the part that provides lessons on the educational content, and the problem explanation part is the part that presents questions and provides explanations for those questions. It is preferable that the problem explanation part is longer than the lesson part. In particular, it is preferable that the problem explanation part is longer than the lesson part even when the number of questions changes (when the number of questions is at its lowest), as described later. The content may also include other parts such as a break part. Alternatively, the content may have a problem part that only presents questions, with the explanations included in a booklet sent separately to the user. Furthermore, the content may not have a problem explanation part at all, but instead send a separate booklet containing the questions and explanations, indicating which questions to solve and which explanations to read.

[0022] Next, referring to Figures 4 to 13, the contents stored by the content creation criteria storage unit 112 and the evaluation criteria storage unit 113 will be explained. In Figures 4 to 13, the example will be given where the evaluation is in three stages: "high," "medium," and "low."

[0023] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory contents related to multidimensionality in the content creation criteria memory unit 112 shown in Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory contents related to multidimensionality in the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 shown in Figure 2.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores that for low multidimensionality, education should be conducted from "one perspective" in the lesson part, and the end of the questions in the problem explanation part should be "...answer." Furthermore, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores that for medium multidimensionality, education should be conducted from "two perspectives" in the lesson part, and the end of the questions in the problem explanation part should be "...answer from two perspectives." In addition, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores that for high multidimensionality, education should be conducted from "three perspectives" in the lesson part, and the end of the questions in the problem explanation part should be "...answer from three perspectives."

[0025] Therefore, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with low multidimensionality, it will educate students on the educational content from "one perspective" and create content in which at least one question ends with "...answer." To give an example, suppose the educational content is "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture." In this case, the content creation unit 120 will create a lesson part that educates students on the reasons why rice cultivation is thriving in Niigata Prefecture from a climatic perspective (one perspective). The content creation unit 120 will also create a question explanation part that includes the question, "Answer why rice cultivation is thriving in Niigata Prefecture."

[0026] Furthermore, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with "medium" multidimensionality, it will educate students on the educational content from "two perspectives" and create content in which at least one question ends with "...answer from two perspectives." Let's explain an example. As above, suppose the educational content is "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture." In this case, the content creation unit 120 will create a lesson part that educates students on the reasons why rice cultivation is thriving in Niigata Prefecture from two perspectives: a climatic perspective and a human perspective that emphasizes rice cultivation in the summer because agriculture is impossible in winter. The content creation unit 120 will also create a question explanation part that includes the question, "Answer from two perspectives why rice cultivation is thriving in Niigata Prefecture." The same applies to "high" multidimensionality.

[0027] Thus, the content creation criteria storage unit 112 stores content creation criteria that modify both the lecture part and the problem explanation part according to the level of multidimensionality (see Figure 3).

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 stores "one or fewer perspectives in the answer" for a "low" multidimensionality evaluation, "two perspectives in the answer" for a "medium" multidimensionality evaluation, and "three or more perspectives in the answer" for a "high" multidimensionality evaluation. The evaluation unit 140 evaluates the user's multidimensionality based on the number of answers (perspectives) in the problem explanation part. For example, in the problem explanation part, if the user cannot answer any questions or can only answer one perspective, in response to the question "Explain the reasons why rice cultivation is thriving in Niigata Prefecture from three perspectives," the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 stores "one or fewer" for a "low" multidimensionality evaluation in order to evaluate the user's multidimensionality as "low." The same applies to "medium" and "high" multidimensionality evaluations.

[0029] Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents related to multitasking in the content creation criteria storage unit 112 shown in Figure 2, and Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents related to multitasking in the evaluation criteria storage unit 113 shown in Figure 2.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores "only one educational content A" in the lesson part and "created from educational content A" for the problems in the problem explanation part for low multitasking. Furthermore, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores "add another educational content B of XX minutes to one educational content A" in the lesson part and "created from educational content A and B" for the problems in the problem explanation part for medium multitasking. In addition, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores "add another educational content B of XX minutes to one educational content A, and then add another educational content C of XX minutes" in the lesson part and "created from educational content A to C" for the problems in the problem explanation part for high multitasking.

[0031] Therefore, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with low multitasking capabilities, it will create content consisting of a lesson part that covers "only one educational content A" and a problem explanation part that contains questions "created from educational content A". To give an example, suppose the educational content is "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture". In this case, the content creation unit 120 will create a lesson part that teaches about "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture". The content creation unit 120 will also create a problem explanation part consisting of questions about "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture", such as "What is the most widely grown rice variety in Niigata Prefecture?".

[0032] Furthermore, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with "medium" multitasking capabilities, it will create content consisting of a lesson part where "XX minutes of other educational content B is added to one educational content A," and a problem explanation part with questions "created from educational content A and B." To give an example, suppose the educational content is "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture." In this case, the content creation unit 120 will create a lesson part that teaches about "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture" and adds XX minutes of educational content on the "foehn phenomenon," which involves saturated water vapor and rising and falling air currents, in order to explain why Niigata Prefecture gets hot in the summer and is suitable for rice cultivation. In addition, the content creation unit 120 will create a problem explanation part that includes not only questions about "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture," such as "What is the most widely grown rice variety in Niigata Prefecture?", but also questions about the "foehn phenomenon," such as "Does rain often fall due to rising air currents when air currents cross mountains during the foehn phenomenon?" The same applies to "high" multitasking capabilities.

[0033] Thus, the content creation criteria storage unit 112 stores content creation criteria that change both the lecture part and the problem explanation part according to the level of multitasking (see Figure 3).

[0034] Furthermore, while the content creation unit 120 added the educational content "Foehn phenomenon" to the educational content "Rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture," it may add completely different educational content, such as "crane and turtle problem." Also, the content creation unit 120 may store criteria for what educational content to add to a given educational content, or it may be predetermined that certain educational content will be added to specific educational content.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 stores "Other than the above" for a "Low" multitasking ability evaluation and "Correct answer rate of △△% or higher for each of the problems in educational content A and B" for a "Medium" multitasking ability evaluation. In addition, the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 stores "Correct answer rate of □□% or higher for each of the problems in educational content A to C" for a "High" multitasking ability evaluation. The evaluation unit 140 evaluates the user's multitasking ability based on the correct answer rate in the problem explanation part, etc. For example, if the problem explanation part does not include a problem in educational content B but includes a problem in educational content A, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates multitasking ability as "Low". Furthermore, if the correct answer rate for each of the problems in educational content A and B is low, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates multitasking ability as "Low" because it indicates that the user could not process them in parallel. The "Medium" and "High" multitasking ability evaluations are evaluated similarly.

[0036] In the above example, other educational content (B) is added to one educational content (A) for a certain amount of time, thus incorporating other educational content between sessions. Therefore, the education is conducted in the order of educational content A → educational content B. However, educational content A and B can be conducted completely simultaneously. For example, in the education of medical students, educational content A could involve teaching the effects of a specific drug while educational content B involves listening to heart murmurs. This would allow educational content A and B to run completely in parallel, resulting in a more multitasking approach.

[0037] Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents related to processing speed in the content creation criteria storage unit 112 shown in Figure 2, and Figure 9 is a conceptual diagram showing the contents related to processing speed in the evaluation criteria storage unit 113 shown in Figure 2.

[0038] As shown in Figure 8, the content creation criteria storage unit 112 stores "◇ seconds or more" for the questions in the problem explanation part when the processing speed is "low". The content creation criteria storage unit 112 also stores "◆ seconds or more and less than ◇ seconds" for the questions in the problem explanation part when the processing speed is "medium". Furthermore, the content creation criteria storage unit 112 also stores "less than ◆ seconds" for the questions in the problem explanation part when the processing speed is "high".

[0039] Therefore, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with a "low" processing speed, it will create content that includes a question explanation part with a time limit of ◇ seconds or more for answering the question. To give an example, suppose the educational content is "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture." In this case, the content creation unit 120 will create a question explanation part that includes a question such as "What is the most widely grown rice variety in Niigata Prefecture?" with the added phrase "Answer within ◇ seconds," or a countdown display starting from ◇ seconds.

[0040] Furthermore, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with a "medium" processing speed, it will create content that includes a question explanation section with a question answer time of ◆ seconds or more and less than ◇ seconds. In addition, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with a "high" processing speed, it will create content that includes a question explanation section with a question answer time of less than ◆ seconds. The specific example is the same as above.

[0041] Thus, the content creation criteria storage unit 112 stores content creation criteria that change the problem explanation part according to the processing speed level (see Figure 3).

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the evaluation criteria storage unit 113 stores "low" processing speed evaluation as "answer time to the problem is ◇ seconds or more, or the correct answer rate is less than ◎◎%", and "medium" processing speed evaluation as "answer time to the problem is ◆ seconds or more but less than ◇ seconds and the correct answer rate is ◎◎% or more". The evaluation criteria storage unit 113 also stores "high" processing speed evaluation as "answer time to the problem is less than ◆ seconds and the correct answer rate is ◎◎% or more". The evaluation unit 140 evaluates the user's processing speed based on the answer time to the problems in the problem explanation part and the correct answer rate. For example, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the processing speed as "low" if the answer time to the problems in the problem explanation part (e.g., average time) is ◇ seconds. Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the processing speed as "low" if the answer time to the problems is ◆ seconds or more but less than ◇ seconds and the correct answer rate is less than ◎◎%, because the user was unable to arrive at the answer within a sufficiently short answer time. The "medium" and "high" processing speed evaluations are evaluated similarly.

[0043] Figure 10 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory content related to memorization ability in the content creation criterion memory unit 112 shown in Figure 2, and Figure 11 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory content related to memorization ability in the evaluation criterion memory unit 113 shown in Figure 2.

[0044] As shown in Figure 10, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores, for example, "5 questions from past content" for the questions in the question explanation part for a "low" memorization ability. The content creation criterion memory unit 112 also stores, for example, "10 questions from past content" for the questions in the question explanation part for a "medium" memorization ability. Furthermore, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores, for example, "15 questions from past content" for the questions in the question explanation part for a "high" memorization ability.

[0045] Therefore, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content for a "low" memorization level, it creates a question and answer section that presents five questions from content the user has previously received education on. Similarly, if the content creation unit 120 wants to create content for a "medium" memorization level, it creates a question and answer section that presents ten questions from content the user has previously received education on. The same applies to "high" memorization levels.

[0046] In this case, the questions are assigned levels of priority, such as "high," "medium," and "low." It is preferable that the content creation unit 120 creates the question explanation part so that users with "low" memorization ability are presented with only "high" priority questions that are essential to memorize, and for users with "medium" memorization ability, it creates the question explanation part so that "high" and "medium" priority questions are presented. Furthermore, it is preferable that the content creation unit 120 creates the question explanation part so that users with "high" memorization ability are presented with "high," "medium," and "low" priority questions.

[0047] Furthermore, it is preferable that the content creation standard memory unit 112 stores information to highlight sections in the lesson part that correspond to the questions to be asked, such as underlining, changing the background color, font size, or font type. In this case, for example, if the lesson part contains the same wording as the answers to the five questions for the "low" memorization level, the content creation unit 120 will highlight it by adding or changing at least one of the following: underlining, changing the background color, or changing the font size. In other words, the lesson part will also be modified. Similarly, for the "medium" and "high" memorization levels, if the lesson part contains the same wording as the answers to 10 or 15 questions, it will be highlighted.

[0048] Thus, the content creation criteria memory unit 112 stores content creation criteria that change the problem explanation part according to the level of memorization ability (see Figure 3). Furthermore, the content creation criteria memory unit 112 may also store content creation criteria that change the lesson part according to the level of memorization ability.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 stores "low memorization ability" as "a correct answer rate of questions in past content is less than ●●%", and "medium memorization ability" as "a correct answer rate of questions in past content is ●●% or more and less than ■■%". The evaluation criteria memory unit 113 also stores "high memorization ability" as "a correct answer rate of questions in past content is ■■% or more". The evaluation unit 140 evaluates the user's memorization ability based on the correct answer rate of questions in the question explanation part. For example, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates memorization ability as "low" if the correct answer rate of questions in the content the user has previously studied is less than ●●% in the question explanation part. Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates memorization ability as "medium" if the correct answer rate is ●●% or more and less than ■■%. The evaluation of "high" memorization ability is performed in a similar manner.

[0050] Here, memorization ability is preferably divided into categories: short-term memory, long-term memory, auditory memory, visual memory, and textual memory. In this case, the user is further evaluated based on categories such as "high" for short-term memory, "low" for long-term memory, "high" for auditory memory, "low" for visual memory, and "high" for textual memory. Content is also created according to each of these subdivided evaluations.

[0051] To explain in detail, short-term memory is the ability to remember information acquired within a predetermined period. The content creation criteria memory unit 112 and the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 store the same information regarding short-term memory as shown in Figures 10 and 11. Therefore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates short-term memory based on the correct answer rate for questions related to the content provided within the predetermined period from the present. In addition, the content creation unit 120 creates content with a large number of questions related to the content provided within the predetermined period from the present, for example, in the order of "high," "medium," and "low" levels for the evaluation items of short-term memory.

[0052] Long-term memory refers to the ability to remember information acquired over a specific period of time, beyond a predetermined timeframe. The content creation criteria memory unit 112 and the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 store the same information regarding long-term memory as shown in Figures 10 and 11. Therefore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates long-term memory based on the correct answer rate for questions related to the content provided over a specific period of time in the past from the present. In addition, the content creation unit 120 creates content with a large number of questions related to the content provided over a specific period of time in the past, for example, in the order of "high," "medium," and "low" levels for the evaluation items of long-term memory.

[0053] Auditory memory is the ability to remember content represented by sound. For example, in the medical field, normal and abnormal sounds such as heart sounds and respiratory sounds are memorized, and abnormalities in the area being auscultated are judged by whether abnormal sounds are mixed in. Similarly, abnormalities are judged by whether abnormal sounds are mixed in during post-manufacturing inspections of products or percussion tests of tunnels. The content creation criteria memory unit 112 and the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 store the same content as in Figures 10 and 11 regarding auditory memory. Therefore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates auditory memory based on the accuracy rate of questions that include sounds, such as "Is the following sound a normal or abnormal heart sound?" The content creation unit 120 also creates content with a large number of questions related to auditory memory, for example, in the order of "high," "medium," and "low" levels of the auditory memory evaluation items.

[0054] Image memory is the ability to remember content represented by images. For example, in social studies, it may involve identifying relevant historical figures or buildings from images; in science, identifying relevant organisms or equipment from images; and in the medical field, judging normal or abnormal X-ray or MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) images. The content creation criteria memory unit 112 and the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 store the same information regarding image memory as shown in Figures 10 and 11. Therefore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates image memory based on the accuracy rate of questions that include images, such as "Name the historical figure in the following image." The content creation unit 120 also creates content with a large number of questions related to image memory, for example, in the order of "high," "medium," and "low" levels of the image memory evaluation items.

[0055] Textual memory refers to the ability to remember content expressed solely in text. The content creation criteria memory unit 112 and the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 store the same information regarding textual memory as shown in Figures 10 and 11. Therefore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates textual memory based on the correct answer rate for questions consisting only of text. In addition, the content creation unit 120 creates content with an increasing number of questions related to textual memory, for example, in the order of the evaluation items for textual memory being "high," "medium," and "low."

[0056] Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory contents related to knowledge quantity in the content creation criterion memory unit 112 shown in Figure 2, and Figure 13 is a conceptual diagram showing the memory contents related to knowledge quantity in the evaluation criterion memory unit 113 shown in Figure 2.

[0057] As shown in Figure 12, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores, for example, "1 question outside of past content" for the questions in the question explanation part when the knowledge level is "low". The content creation criterion memory unit 112 also stores, for example, "2 questions outside of past content" for the questions in the question explanation part when the knowledge level is "medium". Furthermore, the content creation criterion memory unit 112 stores, for example, "3 questions outside of past content" for the questions in the question explanation part when the knowledge level is "high".

[0058] Therefore, when the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with a "low" level of knowledge, it creates content for a question explanation part that presents one question from outside the content the user has previously received education on. Similarly, when the content creation unit 120 wants to create content with a "medium" level of knowledge, it creates content for a question explanation part that presents two questions from outside the content the user has previously received education on. The same applies to content with a "high" level of knowledge. The questions from outside the content the user has previously received education on may be from educational content within content that the user has not received education on, among the educational content that is the subject of education in this education system 1 (including not only code Pa1 in Figure 14 described later, but also codes Pa3 and PA5), or they may be from educational content that is not the subject of education in this education system 1 at all. Questions from educational content that is not the subject of education in this education system 1 may be stored in advance in the memory unit 110, or they may be obtained from an external source via the network N (see Figure 1).

[0059] Thus, the content creation criteria memory unit 112 stores content creation criteria that change the problem explanation part according to the level of knowledge (see Figure 3). It is preferable that the number of questions based on knowledge amount be fewer than the number of questions based on memorization ability. This is because users can improve their overall accuracy rate by thoroughly studying the lesson part, which makes it easier to increase their motivation to learn.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, the evaluation criteria memory unit 113 stores the following for a "low" knowledge level evaluation: "One question or two or more questions outside of past content with a correct answer rate of less than ▲▲%", and for a "medium" knowledge level evaluation: "Two questions outside of past content with a correct answer rate of ▲▲% or higher". The evaluation criteria memory unit 113 also stores the following for a "high" knowledge level evaluation: "Three questions outside of past content with a correct answer rate of ▲▲% or higher". The evaluation unit 140 evaluates the user's knowledge level based on the correct answer rate of the questions in the question explanation part. For example, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the knowledge level as "low" if the user answers two questions outside of content they have previously studied with a correct answer rate of less than ▲▲% in the question explanation part. Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the knowledge level as "medium" if the user answers two questions outside of content they have previously studied with a correct answer rate of ▲▲% or higher. The "high" knowledge level evaluation is performed similarly.

[0061] Refer to Figure 2 again. The basic data storage unit 114 stores programs and other information necessary for the educational device 100 to function. The basic data storage unit 114 also stores basic data for the content.

[0062] Figure 14 is a conceptual diagram showing the basic data of the content stored by the basic data storage unit 114 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 14, the basic data storage unit 114 stores the content of the lesson part and the content of the problem answer part as basic data of the content, enough to cover all combinations of evaluation item levels. Then, when the content creation unit 120 creates content according to the user's evaluation, it creates content according to the user's evaluation by deleting unnecessary parts from the basic data of the content.

[0063] For example, the content creation criteria memory unit 112 stores that, for high multidimensionality, education in the lesson part will be conducted from "three perspectives". Also, for high multitasking, the content creation criteria memory unit 112 stores that, in the lesson part, "add XX minutes of other educational content B to one educational content A, and then add XX minutes of other educational content C". Therefore, the basic data memory unit 114 stores, as basic data for the content, the lesson part will "add XX minutes of other educational content B to one educational content A, and then add XX minutes of other educational content C", and that "education will be conducted on educational content A from three perspectives".

[0064] To explain in detail, lesson part Pa consists of the following content in this order: 1st Educational Content (Educational Content) Pa1, 1st Perspective Pa2, 2nd Educational Content (Educational Content) Pa3, 2nd Perspective Pa4, 3rd Educational Content (Educational Content) Pa5, and 3rd Perspective Pa6. 1st Perspective Pa2, 2nd Perspective Pa4, and 3rd Perspective Pa6 are explanations of 1st Educational Content Pa1, but are explained from different perspectives. For example, if the educational content is "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture," then 1st Educational Content Pa1 will cover topics such as "production volume and varieties." Furthermore, 1st Perspective Pa2, 2nd Perspective Pa4, and 3rd Perspective Pa6 will explain "the reasons why rice cultivation is thriving in Niigata Prefecture" from different perspectives, such as climatic and human factors. Furthermore, the second educational content Pa3 and the third educational content Pa5 are different from the first educational content Pa1, and the educational content "rice cultivation in Niigata Prefecture" may be related to that content (for example, "foehn phenomenon" or "seasonal winds") or it may be completely unrelated content (for example, "crane and turtle problem" or "electrical circuits").

[0065] Thus, the basic data storage unit 114 stores the lesson part Pa as shown in Figure 14 as the basic data of the content. Therefore, when the content creation unit 120 creates content for lesson part Pa with high multidimensionality and high multitasking capabilities, it can simply read the basic data of the content directly from the basic data storage unit 114. Also, for example, when the content creation unit 120 creates content for lesson part Pa with medium multidimensionality and medium multitasking capabilities, it can read the basic data of the content from the basic data storage unit 114 and delete the unnecessary parts. The same applies when creating content at other levels.

[0066] Furthermore, the basic data storage unit 114 also stores as basic data the case where the level of the evaluation item is at its maximum in the problem explanation part Pb. For example, the content creation criteria storage unit 112 stores that for multidimensionality "high", the end of the question in the problem explanation part Pb should be "...answer from three perspectives." Therefore, the basic data storage unit 114 stores as basic data the first perspective explanation Pb2, the second perspective explanation Pb3, and the third perspective explanation Pb4 after the first question Pb1 concerning the first educational content Pa1.

[0067] Furthermore, the content creation criteria memory unit 112 stores "Created from educational content A to C" for the problem explanation part Pb when multitasking ability is "high," and "Created from educational content A" for the problem explanation part Pb when multitasking ability is "low." In addition, the content creation criteria memory unit 112 stores "15 questions from past content" for the problem explanation part Pb when memorization ability is "high." For this reason, the basic data memory unit 114 stores the first problem group Pb5, which has 14 questions (because there is one question Pb1) related to the first educational content Pa1, along with their respective explanations, to accommodate both low multitasking ability and high memorization ability. Furthermore, in order to accommodate high multitasking ability and high memorization ability, the basic data storage unit 114 stores a second group of questions Pb6, which has, for example, 5 questions and their respective explanations related to the second educational content Pa3, and a third group of questions Pb7, which has, for example, 5 questions and their respective explanations related to the third educational content Pa5.

[0068] Furthermore, the content creation criteria memory unit 112 stores, for example, "3 questions outside of past content" for the question explanation part Pb when the knowledge level is "high". For this reason, the basic data memory unit 114 stores a fourth question group Pb8 consisting of a large number of questions that may be outside of the content the user has previously received education on, along with their respective explanations. Since it is unknown which content the user will receive education from in the future, it is preferable that the number of questions in the fourth question group Pb8 is not limited to 3, but rather more. Also, the fourth question group Pb8 may consist of 3 questions and their explanations that are outside of the content of this education system 1. This is because it is possible to limit the number of questions and present questions from content that the user has not previously received education on.

[0069] Thus, the basic data storage unit 114 stores the problem explanation part Pb shown in Figure 14 as the basic data of the content. Therefore, when the content creation unit 120 creates content for the problem explanation part Pb with high multidimensionality, high multitasking ability, high memorization ability, and high knowledge amount, it only needs to read the basic data of the content from the basic data storage unit 114 and delete 10 questions and their explanations from the first problem group Pb5. Furthermore, the content creation unit 120 only needs to keep 3 questions and their explanations from the fourth problem group Pb8 that have not been taught in the past, and delete the rest. The same applies when creating content at other levels.

[0070] Furthermore, the content creation unit 120 should perform processing such that the response time is clearly defined when a question is presented, in terms of processing speed.

[0071] Furthermore, if the memorization ability includes short-term memory, long-term memory, auditory memory, visual memory, or textual memory, the basic data storage unit 114 will store basic data of the content, which includes the corresponding questions and explanations.

[0072] Furthermore, the content creation unit 120 may not only use basic content data as shown in Figure 14, but may also create content by having the basic data storage unit 114 store content where all evaluation items are at their lowest level, and adding it to the basic data according to the level of the evaluation items. Alternatively, the basic data storage unit 114 may store content where all evaluation items are at a medium level, and the content creation unit 120 may add or delete data from the basic data according to the level of the evaluation items. Moreover, the content creation unit 120 may be provided with training data, enabling it to create content using AI without basic data.

[0073] In addition, the basic data storage unit 114 stores a program that creates content at a higher level (for example, one level higher) than the evaluated level for at least one of the user evaluation items evaluated by the evaluation unit 140. As a result, the content creation unit 120 creates content (lesson part Pa) or problems (problem explanation part Pb) at a higher level than the evaluated level for at least one of the user evaluation items, and the distribution control unit 130 provides such content to the user. For example, a user with low current multitasking ability will be provided with lesson part Pa or problem explanation part Pb that have medium multitasking ability, which will increase the user's workload and provide content that will improve the user's abilities. Accordingly, the education system 1 according to the first embodiment is configured to provide education that is more appropriate to the user's abilities.

[0074] Next, the educational method using the educational system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the educational method using the educational system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0075] First, the educational device 100 determines whether educational content has been selected based on information from the user terminal T (S1). If no educational content has been selected (S1:NO), this process is repeated until educational content is selected.

[0076] On the other hand, if educational content is selected (S1:YES), the content creation unit 120 reads the user's evaluation from the evaluation storage unit 111a of the user data storage unit 111 (S2).

[0077] Next, the content creation unit 120 creates content (lesson part Pa) or questions (problem explanation part Pb) at a higher level than the level evaluated for at least one evaluation item based on the user evaluation read in step S2 (S3). At this time, the content creation unit 120 creates the content based on the creation criteria stored in the content creation criteria storage unit 112 and the basic data of the content stored in the basic data storage unit 114.

[0078] Subsequently, the distribution control unit 130 distributes the content created in step S3 to the user terminal T (S4: Provisioning process). Next, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the user's multidimensionality, multitasking ability, processing speed, memorization ability, and knowledge base based on the question structure, correct answer rate, and response time in the question explanation part Pb of the distributed content (S5: Evaluation process).

[0079] Subsequently, the user data storage unit 111 stores the trained content, which is the content delivered in step S4, and the evaluation content, which was evaluated in step S5 (S6). The stored evaluation content will be read in the next step, S2.

[0080] In this way, the educational system 1, educational method, educational program, and computer-readable recording medium according to this embodiment evaluate the user on five evaluation items: multidimensionality, multitasking ability, processing speed, memorization ability, and amount of knowledge. For at least one of the evaluated evaluation items, the system provides the user with content or problems at a level higher than the evaluated level. As a result, content at a higher level than the current user evaluation is provided, preventing the provision of content that is too easy and instead providing content that challenges the user and improves their abilities. Consequently, more appropriate education can be provided that is in line with the user's abilities.

[0081] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the multidimensionality evaluation items based on the number of perspectives represented in the answers to a single problem. Therefore, it can evaluate the multidimensionality, which indicates whether the user can approach a single problem from multiple perspectives.

[0082] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the multitasking ability based on the correct answer rate for each of the multiple educational content questions when education is conducted using multiple different educational content within a single piece of content. In this way, the correct answer rate when education is conducted using multiple educational content can be used to determine whether the user was able to think in parallel, and thus the multitasking ability can be evaluated.

[0083] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the processing speed based on the time it takes to answer the questions. Therefore, the processing speed is determined by the speed at which the user quickly understands the questions and arrives at the answers, allowing for an evaluation of the user's processing speed.

[0084] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates memorization ability based on the correct answer rate of questions related to content previously provided to the user. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate the user's memorization ability with greater certainty, without having to rely on the correct answer rate of questions on content that the user has never been taught.

[0085] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates short-term memory items based on the correct answer rate of questions related to the content provided within a predetermined period, and evaluates long-term memory items based on the correct answer rate of questions related to the content provided more than a certain period in the past beyond the predetermined period. In this way, it is possible to distinguish and evaluate whether a user is good at short-term memory or long-term memory, which can contribute to providing more appropriate content.

[0086] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the evaluation items for auditory memory based on the correct answer rate for questions including sound, the evaluation items for image memory based on the correct answer rate for questions including images, and the evaluation items for character memory based on the correct answer rate for questions containing only characters. In this way, it is possible to distinguish and evaluate whether a user is good at auditory memory, image memory, and character-based memory, which can contribute to providing more appropriate content.

[0087] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates the knowledge level based on the correct answer rate of questions related to content outside of the previously provided content. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate the user's knowledge level with greater certainty without having to rely on the correct answer rate of questions related to the content the user has been taught.

[0088] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The educational system 1 and educational method, etc., according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, but some configurations are different. Below, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described. In addition, the same reference numerals will be used for elements that are the same or similar as those in the first embodiment in the second embodiment.

[0089] Figure 16 is a first schematic diagram showing the contents of the evaluation storage unit 111a according to the second embodiment. The evaluation storage unit 111a according to the first embodiment stored the latest value of the user's evaluation. In contrast, the evaluation storage unit (storage means) 111a according to the second embodiment stores not only the latest value of the user's evaluation but also the evaluation values ​​of the evaluation items evaluated by the evaluation unit 140 in chronological order. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the educational device 100 can refer to the progression of the user's evaluation.

[0090] In the example shown in Figure 16, memorization ability is evaluated on a 10-point scale. Initially, the evaluation did not improve much, but in the most recent specified period, the evaluation of memorization ability has improved significantly.

[0091] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the basic data storage unit 114 stores a program that creates content (lesson part Pa) or problems (problem explanation part Pb) at a higher level than the normal higher level for any evaluation item that has shown an improvement of a predetermined value or more compared to the evaluation value stored by the evaluation storage unit 111a. For this reason, the basic data storage unit 114 stores a program that creates content or problems at a higher level than the evaluation value stored by the evaluation storage unit 111a for at least one evaluation item, and also stores a program that creates content or problems at an even higher level for any evaluation item that has shown an improvement of a predetermined value or more compared to the evaluation value stored by the evaluation storage unit 111a.

[0092] Figure 17 is a second schematic diagram showing the contents of the evaluation memory unit 111a according to the second embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 17, for example, memorization ability is evaluated on a 10-point scale, and the evaluation has not improved much from the past.

[0093] In this second embodiment, the basic data storage unit 114 stores a program that prohibits the creation of higher-level content or problem content for evaluation items if, among the evaluation values ​​stored by the evaluation storage unit 111a, there are evaluation items that have only shown improvement below a predetermined value compared to the evaluation value before a specified period. This program, for example, creates content or problem content at a lower level than the higher level.

[0094] The distribution control unit 130 then distributes the content created by the content creation unit 120 based on the program described above to the user. Although the above describes memorization ability, the same applies to other evaluation items.

[0095] Thus, according to the educational system 1, educational method, educational program, and computer-readable recording medium of the second embodiment, it is possible to provide education that is more appropriate to the user's abilities, similar to the first embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to evaluate multidimensionality, multitasking ability, processing speed, memorization ability, and amount of knowledge, and it is possible to provide more appropriate content.

[0096] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, if there is an evaluation item that has improved above a predetermined value, the user is provided with content or problem content at an even higher level than the previous level for that evaluation item. Therefore, content is provided that places a greater burden on the evaluation item in which the user is in a period of improvement, enabling more appropriate education tailored to the user's abilities.

[0097] Furthermore, if any evaluation item shows improvement below a certain threshold, the system prohibits providing the user with higher-level content or problematic content for that evaluation item. This allows for a reduction in the burden on users who are inherently only capable of single-tasking, for whom multitasking education is less effective. This, for example, allows for a reduction in workload, making it easier for other evaluation items to improve, and enabling more appropriate education tailored to the user's abilities.

[0098] Although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications may be made or publicly known or well-known technologies may be combined without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0099] For example, in the above embodiment, the evaluation items for multidimensionality, multitasking, and processing speed are not limited to the number of answers, correct answer rate, and answer speed of the questions in the problem explanation part Pb within the content. Rather, when registering with the educational system, the user may be asked to answer multiple questions as initial information, and the evaluation may be based on the number of answers, correct answer rate, and answer speed. In addition, when the educational system is first used, the evaluation unit 140 may present a large number of questions because no previously provided content exists, and evaluate the amount of knowledge based on the correct answer rate.

[0100] Furthermore, the basic data storage unit 114 stores basic data of the content, but is not limited to this. For example, if each of the five evaluation items has a level of 10, then for one educational content item, 10 5 Individual pieces of content may be stored. Furthermore, the content creation unit 120 may use AI to create content.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the evaluation unit 140 evaluates five evaluation items: multidimensionality, multitasking ability, processing speed, memorization ability, and knowledge quantity. However, it is not limited to these, and the evaluation unit 140 may evaluate the user on at least one of these evaluation items. In addition, the content creation unit 120 may create content or problems at a higher level than the evaluated level for at least one of the evaluated evaluation items, and content that is not at a higher level for the remaining evaluation items.

[0102] Furthermore, the flowchart shown in Figure 15 is merely an example, and the order of processes can be rearranged or other processes added as much as possible. Moreover, some processes may be omitted.

[0103] Furthermore, although the educational program is stored in the storage unit 110 of the educational device 100 in the above embodiment, it is not limited to this and may be stored in other types of recording media such as HDD, USB, CD-ROM, CD-R, etc.

[0104] In addition, although the above embodiment assumes that the educational device 100 is a single device, it is not limited to this and may be a system composed of multiple devices. Furthermore, although the educational device 100 is configured to distribute content via a network N, it is not limited to this and may be a format in which a user operates a single device and the content is displayed as video or otherwise from that device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0105] 1: Education System 100: Educational equipment 110: Memory unit (recording medium) 111a: Evaluation memory unit (memory means) 120: Content Creation Department 130: Distribution control unit (providing processing means) 140: Evaluation unit (evaluation means) Pa1: 1st education content (educational content) Pa3:Second education content (educational content) Pa5: 3rd education content (educational content) T: User terminal

Claims

1. An educational device that provides education to users, An evaluation means for evaluating the user based on at least one of the following five evaluation items: multidimensionality, which indicates the ability to think about one thing from multiple perspectives; multitasking, which indicates the ability to think about multiple things in parallel; processing speed, which indicates the ability to process problems quickly; memorization ability, which indicates the degree to which the user remembers the content of previously provided content; and knowledge, which indicates the degree to which the user knows about content that has not been previously provided. A provisioning processing means that provides the user with content or problem content at a level higher than the evaluated level for at least one of the evaluation items evaluated by the evaluation means, An educational device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The evaluation means evaluates the multidimensional evaluation items based on how many perspectives were represented in the answers to a single problem. The educational device according to feature 1.

3. The evaluation means evaluates the evaluation item of multitasking based on the correct answer rate for each of the multiple educational content questions when education is conducted using multiple different educational content within a single piece of content. The educational device according to feature 1.

4. The evaluation means evaluates the processing speed with respect to the evaluation item based on the time taken to answer the problem. The educational device according to feature 1.

5. The evaluation means evaluates the evaluation item of memorization ability based on the correct answer rate of questions related to the content previously provided to the user. The educational device according to feature 1.

6. The evaluation means evaluates the evaluation items of memorization ability based on the correct answer rate of questions related to the content provided within a predetermined period from the present, and evaluates the evaluation items of long-term memory based on the correct answer rate of questions related to the content provided within a specific period beyond the predetermined period from the present. The educational device according to feature 1.

7. The evaluation means evaluates the evaluation items of memorization ability based on the correct answer rate for questions including sound, the evaluation items of image memory based on the correct answer rate for questions including images, and the evaluation items of character memory based on the correct answer rate for questions containing only characters. The educational device according to feature 1.

8. The evaluation means evaluates the evaluation items of the amount of knowledge based on the correct answer rate of questions related to content outside of the content previously provided. The educational device according to feature 1.

9. The system further comprises a storage means for storing the evaluation values ​​of the evaluation items evaluated by the evaluation means in chronological order. If the aforementioned processing means finds an evaluation item among the evaluation values ​​stored by the storage means that has improved by a predetermined value or more compared to the evaluation value prior to a specified period, it will provide the user with content or problem content at a level even higher than the higher level for that evaluation item. The educational device according to feature 1.

10. The system further comprises a storage means for storing the evaluation values ​​of the evaluation items evaluated by the evaluation means in chronological order. The provision processing means prohibits providing the user with higher-level content or problem content for any evaluation item among the evaluation values ​​stored by the storage means that has shown only an improvement of less than a specific value compared to the evaluation value prior to a specified period. The educational device according to feature 1.

11. An educational method using an educational device that provides education to users, An evaluation process to evaluate the user based on at least one of the following five evaluation items: multidimensionality, which indicates the ability to think about one thing from multiple perspectives; multitasking, which indicates the ability to think about multiple things in parallel; processing speed, which indicates the ability to solve problems quickly; memorization, which indicates the degree to which the user remembers the content of previously provided content; and knowledge, which indicates the degree to which the user knows about content that has not been previously provided. A provisioning process that provides the user with content or problem content at a higher level than the evaluated level for at least one of the evaluation items evaluated in the evaluation process, An educational method using an educational device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

12. An educational program for causing a computer to function as the educational device described in claim 1.

13. A computer-readable recording medium on which the educational program described in claim 12 is recorded.

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