DYNAMIC COMPOSITION OF RESTRICTED E-LEARNING COURSES

• US 20030152903A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Theilmann, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 6,884,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A learning system may be used to dynamically create courses tailored to the needs of a learner. In one implementation, the learning system may dynamically create, assemble, and/or build new temporary courses from the structural elements of an existing course according to the specific needs of a learner. The learner'"'"'s needs may be expressed using a budget and other criteria provided by the learner. Using the budget and criteria, the learning system may identify existing structural elements that may be used to assemble a dynamic course. After the course is assembled, the course may be temporarily stored and presented to the learner using the learning station.

Claims

1. A method for creating a dynamic course, the method comprising:

determining a budget of a learner;

determining a target element;

determining a set of elements related to the target element; and

adding the target element and one or more of the related elements together to create the dynamic course based on the budget.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a target element includes determining a cost of the target element and determining the set of elements includes determining a cost of each element of the related element set.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein adding the target element and the one or more elements includes decreasing the budget by the cost of each element used to create the dynamic course.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein adding the target element and the one or more elements includes creating a course set;

decreasing the budget by the cost of each element added to the course set, and creating the dynamic course from the course set when the budget is depleted.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein adding the one or more elements includes determining a distance of the one or more elements from the target element.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising determining a distance weighting constant, wherein adding the one or more elements is based on the distance weighting constant.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein adding the one or more elements includes adding one or more restricted elements based on the distance weighting constant.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the set of related elements includes removing elements based on one or more restriction factors.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein removing elements based on one or more restriction factors includes removing elements based on knowledge of the learner.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein removing elements based on one or more restriction factors includes removing elements based on access rights.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein removing elements based on one or more restriction factors includes removing elements based on device types.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein removing elements based on one or more restriction factors includes removing elements based on a competency of the learner.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein determining a cost of the target element and determining the set of related elements includes determining a cost in time of each element.

14. The method of claim 2 wherein determining a cost of the target element and determining the set of related elements includes determining a cost in monetary units of each element.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the created dynamic course to the learner.

16. A system for creating a dynamic course comprising:

an interface to access a course and associated course elements; and

a processor to determine a budget of a learner, determine a target element of the course from the course elements, to determine a set of elements related to the target element from the course elements, and to add the target element and one or more of the related elements together to create the dynamic course based on the budget.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to determine a cost of the target element and a cost of each element of the related element set.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to decrease the budget by the cost of each element used to create the dynamic course.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to create a course set, decrease the budget by the cost of each element added to the course set, and create the dynamic course from the course set when the budget is depleted.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to determine a distance of the one or more elements from the target element.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the processor is configure to determine a distance weighting constant, wherein adding the one or more elements is based on the distance weighting constant.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein adding the one or more elements includes adding one or more restricted elements based on the distance weighting constant.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein determining the set of related elements includes removing elements based on one or more restriction factors.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein removing elements based on one or more restriction factors includes removing elements based on knowledge of the learner.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the one or more restriction factors include access rights.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the one or more restriction factors include device types.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the one or more restriction factors include a competency of the learner.

28. The system of claim 17 wherein the cost is a time associated with each element.

29. The system of claim 17 wherein the cost is monetary units associated with each element.

30. The system of claim 16 further comprising an interface to present the created dynamic course to the learner.

31. A computer readable medium including instructions for causing a processor to:

determine a budget of a learner;

determine a target element;

determine a set of elements related to the target element; and

add the target element and one or more of the related elements together to create the dynamic course based on the budget.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to determine a cost of the target element and to determine a cost of each element of the related element set.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to decrease the budget by the cost of each element used to create the dynamic course.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 32 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to create a course set;

decrease the budget by the cost of each element added to the course set, and create the dynamic course from the course set when the budget is depleted.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 31 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to determine a distance of the one or more elements from the target element.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 35 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to determine a distance weighting constant and to add the one or more elements is based on the distance weighting constant.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 36 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to add one or more restricted elements based on the distance weighting constant.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 31 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to remove elements based on one or more restriction factors.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to remove elements based on knowledge of the learner.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 38 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to remove elements based on access rights.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 38 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to remove elements based on device types.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 38 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to remove elements based on a competency of the learner.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 32 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to determine a cost in time of each element.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 32 w further comprising instructions to cause a processor to determine a cost in monetary units of each element.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 31 further comprising instructions to cause a processor to present the created dynamic course to the learner.