IP Library Granted Patent US 8,340,993
Granted Patent B2
US 8,340,993 · App. 11/404,515 · Granted Dec 25, 2012

Method and system for importing and exporting assessment project related data

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,340,993
App. No.
11/404,515
Granted
Dec 25, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system of hardware and software provides a systematic and systemic method for performing assessment of the effectiveness of different levels within an institution. The system includes template driven definitions that span multiple tiers of hierarchically arranged operating units within the institution thereby providing flexibility and customization to handle a user-definable model of the institution's organization. In particular, the assessment management system may share data in a format that is importable by other management systems. Sharing of data does not necessarily mean the concurrent sharing of data but rather that the data is exported in a format that is transportable to another system. Portions of an assessment project may be shared in this way with other institutions even if the organization levels and other operating units are not the same between the two institutions.

Claims (63)

1. A method for sharing data related to an assessment project of a multi-level institution, the method comprising the steps of:

developing, using a processor, at least a portion of the assessment project, based on input received from one or more users, within a first instantiation of a first assessment management system; and

exporting the portion of the assessment project in a format importable by a second assessment management system,

wherein the first assessment management system is a first instantiation of a first computer-based assessment system and the second assessment management system is a second instantiation of a second computer-based assessment system,

wherein the portion of the assessment project comprises at least one of:

a third party standard associated with an accreditation body;

a set of assessment objectives associated with an accreditation body;

one or more templates associated with an accreditation body; and

one or more program objectives associated with an accreditation body, and a set of courses aligned with those program objectives.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes the third party standard.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of assessment objectives is hierarchically arranged.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more templates are customizable.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes results data associated with the customizable templates.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes the one or more program objectives and the set of courses aligned with those program objectives.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of:

offering for purchase the at least a portion of the assessment project.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the institution comprises at least three organizational levels including multiple levels of operating units.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least three organizational levels further comprise a programs level, a course level, and a section level.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assessment project includes at least one customizable assessment project associated with a node corresponding to one of the levels of the institution.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one customizable assessment project is based on an editable template.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein contents of the editable template are based on a particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the editable template includes at least one objective form.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one objective form comprises a plurality of different objective forms.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein a set of activity forms is associated with the at least one objective form.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the set of activity forms comprises one or more different activity forms.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein membership in the set of activity forms is based on a particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein contents of each activity form within the set of activity forms are based on the particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project.

19. A system for sharing data related to an assessment project of a multi-level institution, comprising:

a programmable computer configured to:

develop at least a portion of the assessment project, based on input received from one or more users, within a first instantiation of a first assessment management system; and

export the portion of the assessment project in a format importable by a second assessment management system,

wherein the first instantiation of the first assessment management system is of a first computer-based assessment system and the second assessment management system is a second instantiation of a second computer-based assessment system,

wherein the portion of the assessment project comprises at least one of:

a third party standard associated with an accreditation body;

a set of assessment objectives associated with an accreditation body;

one or more templates associated with an accreditation body; and

one or more program objectives associated with an accreditation body, and a set of courses aligned with those program objectives.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes the third-party standard.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the set of assessment objectives is hierarchically arranged.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the one or more templates are customizable.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes results data associated with the customizable templates.

24. The system of claim 19 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes the one or more program objectives and the set of courses aligned with those program objectives.

25. The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least a portion of the assessment project is offered for sale.

26. The system of claim 19 , wherein the institution comprises at least three organizational levels including multiple levels of operating units.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the at least three organizational levels further comprise a programs level, a course level, and a section level.

28. The system of claim 19 , wherein the assessment project includes at least one customizable assessment project associated with a node corresponding to one of the levels of the institution.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the at least one customizable assessment project is based on an editable template.

30. The system of claim 28 , wherein contents of the editable template are based on a particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project.

31. The system of claim 28 , wherein the editable template includes at least one objective form.

32. The system of claim 31 , wherein the at least one objective form comprises a plurality of different objective forms.

33. The system of claim 31 , wherein a set of activity forms is associated with the at least one objective form.

34. The system of claim 33 , wherein the set of activity forms comprises one or more different activity forms.

35. The system of claim 34 , wherein membership in the set of activity forms is based on a particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project.

36. The system of claim 34 , wherein contents of each activity form within the set of activity forms are based on the particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project.

37. Computer readable media containing programming instructions for sharing data related to an assessment project of a multi-level institution, that upon execution thereof, causes one or more processors to perform the steps of:

developing at least a portion of the assessment project, based on input received from one or more users, within a first instantiation of a first assessment management system; and

exporting the portion of the assessment project in a format importable by a second assessment management system,

wherein the first assessment management system is a first instantiation of a first computer-based assessment system and the second assessment management system is a second instantiation of a second computer-based assessment system,

wherein the portion of the assessment project comprises at least one of:

a third party standard associated with an accreditation body;

a set of assessment objectives associated with an accreditation body;

one or more templates associated with an accreditation body; and

one or more program objectives associated with an accreditation body, and a set of courses aligned with those program objectives.

Assignments (19)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2026
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
To: BLACKBOARD LLC
Reel/Frame 073942/0611 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2026
From: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC
To: BLACKBOARD LLC (F/K/A BLACKBOARD INC.); BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 073932/0199 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: BLACKBOARD LLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 072440/0589 →
ENTITY CONVERSION Recorded Jul 13, 2025
From: BLACKBOARD INC.
To: BLACKBOARD LLC
Reel/Frame 071930/0172 →
SUCCESSION OF AGENCY (REEL 058081 / FRAME 0073) Recorded Jul 11, 2025
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 071890/0005 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 19, 2024
From: BLACKBOARD LLC (F/K/A BLACKBOARD INC.)
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 067172/0148 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Oct 27, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; EDLINE LLC; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 057941/0752 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 058298/0577 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058081/0025 →
SECOND LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 058081/0073 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: BLACKBOARD, INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050965/0354 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE, INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 050953/0361 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 20, 2016
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040435/0932 →
RELEASE OF LIEN ON PATENTS Recorded Nov 19, 2013
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; EDLINE LLC; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC
Reel/Frame 031689/0871 →
SECOND PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 6, 2011
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; EDLINE LLC; TEACHERWEB, INC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 027027/0497 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 6, 2011
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC; EDLINE LLC; TEACHERWEB, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N. A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 027027/0328 →
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2011
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: BLACKBOARD INC.
Reel/Frame 027015/0787 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 5, 2010
From: BLACKBOARD INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 024794/0340 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2008
From: YASKIN, DAVID, MR.; RITTER, GREG, MR.
To: BLACKBOARD INC.
Reel/Frame 021783/0892 →