COMPUTER-ASSISTED EDUCATION

• US 20010055749A1
• Filed: 11/04/1994
• Published: 12/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Biotech Pharmaceuticals Limited, NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: SIEFERT, DAVID M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,386,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/12 Use of codes for handling textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

The invention concerns computer-assisted education, in which a school curriculum is stored in computer repositories. A learning profile is maintained for every student, which indicates the student'"'"'s capabilities, preferred learning style, and progress. Based on the profile, an Intelligent Administrator (IA) selects appropriate material for presentation to the student during each learning session.

The IA then assesses whether the student has mastered the material. If not, the material is presented in a different way. If repeated different presentations fail to instill mastery, the IA establishes a video conference between the student and a professor.

Claims

1. An instructional system, comprising:

a) a computer which stores multiple educational programs, which

i) present one or more topics to a student and

ii) assess the student'"'"'s grasp of the topic; and

b) communicator means for allowing the student to

i) select a program and

ii) run it.

2. A system according to

claim 1

, in which at least some educational programs are capable of employing different teaching strategies for a given topic.

3. A system according to

claim 1

and further comprising:

c) a profile for each student, which contains information about the learning characteristics of the student.

4. A system according to

claim 3

, and further comprising

d) administrator means capable of selecting a teaching strategy for a given topic, when multiple strategies are available, based on the student'"'"'s profile.

5. A system according to

claim 3

, in which the profile contains information indicating whether a student has a linear or holistic learning style.

6. A system according to

claim 1

, and further comprising:

c) means for indicating whether a selected student has a linear or holistic learning style.

7. A system for instructing students, comprising:

a) repository means for storing a collection of downloadable lessons; and

b) a plurality of communicators, each able to

i) establish a communication link with the repository means;

ii) order that a lesson be executed;

iii) accept input for the lesson from a student; and

iv) deliver output from the lesson to the student.

8. A system according to

claim 7

in which some of the communication links are of the cellular type.

9. A system according to

claim 7

, in which the repository means comprises multiple computers.

10. A system according to

claim 7

in which the lessons include multiple, different presentations of a single topic.

11. A system according to

claim 7

, and further comprising

c) administrator means, which

i) presents a first topic, according to a first strategy, to a student;

ii) assesses whether the student has grasped the first topic, and,

A) if so, presents a new topic; and

B) if not, presents the first topic according to a second strategy.

12. A system according to

claim 11

, in which the administrator patches the student to a remote, real-time consultant after a predetermined number of presentations of the first topic.

13. A method of instructing a student, comprising the following steps:

a) using a communicator, presenting a first topic, in a first format, to the student;

b) assessing whether the student grasps predetermined points covered by the first topic and

i) if so, presenting a second topic; and

ii) if not, presenting the first topic in a different format.

14. The method according to

claim 13

, and further comprising the step of patching the student to a remote human consultant, after a predetermined number of presentations of the first topic.