Learning system for enabling separate teacher-student interaction over selected interactive channels

• US 20030054328A1
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Educate Online Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Sylvan Learning
• Inventors: Stuppy, John, Parmer, Anna, Tojek, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 6,733,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• 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

A learning system includes a teacher station and a plurality of student stations for holding learning sessions between a teacher and a plurality of students over a plurality of interactive communication channels. The teacher station selects an interactive communication channel to communicate with one of said plurality of student stations. As a result, the teacher to separately interacts with each of the plurality of students over a selected interactive communication channel.

Claims

1. A learning system, comprising:

a teacher station and a plurality of student stations for holding learning sessions between a teacher and a plurality of students over a plurality of interactive communication channels, wherein said teacher station selects an interactive communication channel to communicate with one of said plurality of student stations, thereby allowing a teacher to separately interact with each of the plurality of students over a selected interactive communication channel.

2. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the learning sessions comprise a learning space that is shared by the teacher and one of the students.

3. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication channels supports at least one of audio, text and video communication.

4. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the learning sessions comprise computer generated instructional material having a test for assessing at least one of a skill gap.

5. A method for communicating between at least one teacher and a plurality of students, comprising:

holding a plurality of learning sessions between the at least one teacher and the plurality of students over a network that comprises at least one teacher station and a plurality of student stations;

establishing a plurality of interactive communication channels between the teacher station and each of said plurality of student stations; and

separately interacting with each student via an interactive communication channel, which is selected by the at least one teacher station.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the learning sessions comprise a learning space that is shared by the teacher and one of the students.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of interactive communication channels supports at least one of audio, text and video communication.

8. The method claim 5, wherein the learning sessions comprise computer generated instructional material having a test for assessing at least one of a skill gap.