Stimulating online discussion in interactive learning environments
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of increasing productivity of a discussion server hosting online discussions in connection with an educational resource provided to students over network-connected devices, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) distributing an interactive educational resource over a network to a plurality of student devices, the student devices being associated with students enrolled in a class utilizing the educational resource;
(b) providing a discussion server configured to host a plurality of different online discussions;
(c) hosting, at a discussion server, an online discussion for receiving and making visible, to student devices assigned to a first discussion group, annotations concerning the educational resource and received by the discussion server from the student devices assigned to the first discussion group;
(d) computationally analyzing the annotations to identify high-quality annotations likely to generate responses and stimulate discussion threads based on at least one of historical performance, average word length, or word sophistication; and
(e) making the identified annotations visible to student devices associated with students assigned to one or more second discussion groups to improve quality of annotations received by the discussion server from student devices assigned to the one or more second discussion groups and increase a proportion of generative and argumentative discussion threads in online discussions associated with the one or more second discussion groups, thereby increasing productivity of the discussion server.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In various embodiments, online discussions in connection with an educational resource are improved by analyzing annotations made by students assigned to a discussion group to identify high-quality annotations likely to generate responses and stimulate discussion threads and by making the identified annotations visible to students not assigned to the discussion group.
55 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method of increasing productivity of a discussion server hosting online discussions in connection with an educational resource provided to students over network-connected devices, the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) distributing an interactive educational resource over a network to a plurality of student devices, the student devices being associated with students enrolled in a class utilizing the educational resource; (b) providing a discussion server configured to host a plurality of different online discussions; (c) hosting, at a discussion server, an online discussion for receiving and making visible, to student devices assigned to a first discussion group, annotations concerning the educational resource and received by the discussion server from the student devices assigned to the first discussion group; (d) computationally analyzing the annotations to identify high-quality annotations likely to generate responses and stimulate discussion threads based on at least one of historical performance, average word length, or word sophistication; and (e) making the identified annotations visible to student devices associated with students assigned to one or more second discussion groups to improve quality of annotations received by the discussion server from student devices assigned to the one or more second discussion groups and increase a proportion of generative and argumentative discussion threads in online discussions associated with the one or more second discussion groups, thereby increasing productivity of the discussion server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. An educational system comprising:
-
a plurality of student devices for executing an interactive educational resource received over a network, the student devices being configured to receive student annotations associated with the educational resource and transmit at least some of the annotations to a discussion server; a computer memory; a student database; a resource server in electronic communication with the student devices, the resource server comprising a communication module and being configured to make the resource available to student devices associated with students enrolled in a class; a discussion server, in electronic communication with the student devices and configured to host a plurality of different online discussions, for receiving and making visible, to student devices assigned to a first discussion group in the student database, annotations concerning the educational resource and received from the student devices assigned to the first discussion group; and stored in the computer memory, an analysis module for computationally analyzing the annotations to identify high-quality annotations likely to generate responses and stimulate discussion threads based on at least one of historical performance, average word length, or word sophistication, wherein the discussion server is configured to make the identified annotations visible to student devices associated with students assigned to one or more second discussion groups to improve quality of annotations received by the discussion server from student devices assigned to the one or more second discussion groups and increase a proportion of generative and argumentative discussion threads in online discussions associated with the one or more second discussion groups, thereby increasing productivity of the discussion server. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification