Network based educational system

• US 20030152904A1
• Filed: 11/29/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intline. Com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intline. Com, Inc.
• Inventors: Doty, Thomas R. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/307,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20030152904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/350
• 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 network based educational system is described. The system generally includes a student interface, a classroom interface and an administrative interface. Synchronous and asynchronous applications are used, typically with streaming video to deliver courseware to learners on the system.

Claims

1. A network based educational system, comprising:

a student portal providing each student on the system with a personalized knowledge platform;

a classroom interface providing an online classroom environment; and

an administrative portal facilitating the deployment, maintenance and updating of course materials provided on the system.

2. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the classroom interface is composed of synchronous and asynchronous learning applications.

3. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the classroom interface is driven solely by streaming video to bring instructional materials to students participating in the system.

4. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the streaming video is composes of both asynchronous and synchronous learning applications.

5. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the asynchronous learning applications include archived streaming video content.

6. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the asynchronous learning applications include slides synchronized to video.

7. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the asynchronous learning applications include message board including threaded messaging.

8. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the asynchronous learning applications include contact including internal classroom messaging.

9. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronous learning applications include email.

10. The network based education system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronous learning applications include testing composed of real-time questions and data collection.

11. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronous learning applications include chat including real-time interactive text chat.

12. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronous learning applications include polling including real-time polling.

13. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronous learning applications include live streaming video including live webcast within classroom interfaces.

14. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronous learning applications include a user information module composed of student name, email address and real-time scoring.

15. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronous learning applications include a quick access video menu including access to course video modules.

16. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the synchronous learning applications include a system performance module composed of a user'"'"'s system performance console.

17. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the streaming video includes time specific commands that drive interactive elements of the system.

18. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the time specific commands drive flash slides.

19. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the time specific commands drive real-time questions and answers.

20. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the time specific commands are data script commands issued at specific time.

21. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the data script commands are embedded in the streaming video to JavaScript functions within the html and communicate with various media elements making up the system.

22. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the streaming video is provided with time stamps stored within a database of the system.

23. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 22, further comprising means for applying the time stamps to allow students to return to a specific stopping point in the event of an unplanned stoppage in receipt of class material.

24. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the means for applying includes a database of coursemarker tables recording a last question/slide seen by a student and a dynamically created video file sent to a student upon resumption of a discontinued class session.

25. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the administrative portal includes a question provider option allowing providers to monitor and control response time to test questions making up the classroom experience for students.

26. The network based education system as claimed in claim 25, wherein test questions are associated with a predetermined response time and predetermined ramifications are established for students failing to answer the test questions within the predetermined response time.

27. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is AICC and SCORM compliant.

28. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for identifying a student'"'"'s connection speed and forwarding a student appropriate video format based upon the identified connection speed.

29. The network based education system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a system test functionality.

30. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the system test functionality identifies operating system characteristics of a student chosen from the group consisting of an operating system, color depth, resolution and browser version, Internet Protocol address, host name, versions of software and bandwidth.

31. The network based education system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the system test is a Javascript function.

32. The network based education system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet.

33. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the classroom interface provides for real-time testing of students.

34. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the classroom interface is streaming video to bring instructional materials to students participating in the system.

35. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the streaming video includes time specific commands that drive the real-time testing of students.

36. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the time specific commands are data script commands issued at a specific time.

37. The network based educational system as claimed in claim 36, wherein the data script commands are embedded in the streaming video to JavaScript functions within the HTML and communicate with various media elements making up the system.

38. A network based educational interface, comprising:

a student interface;

a classroom interface; and

an administrative interface, wherein the student portal, the classroom interface and the administrative portal are each functionally linked to each other.

39. The network based interface as claimed in claim 38 wherein the student interface comprises a plurality of graphical elements functionally linked to a plurality of additional interfaces.

40. The network based interface as claimed in claim 38 wherein the classroom interface comprises a plurality of graphical elements functionally linked to a plurality of additional interfaces.

41. The network based interface as claimed in claim 40, wherein the classroom interface further comprises streaming video linked to one or more of the graphical elements.

42. The network based interface as claimed in claim 40, wherein the classroom interface further comprises asynchronous and synchronous applications linked to one or more of the graphical elements.

43. The network based interface as claimed in claim 38 further comprising a selfpublishing tool adapted to encode streaming video, index the streaming video and send the encoded video for use in the classroom interface.

44. A method of providing a network based education, comprising:

providing content on the network for a plurality of learners;

providing a platform from which the learners can receive the content;

delivering the content on the platform; and

supporting the content and the platform on the network.

45. The method as claimed in claim 44 wherein providing content comprises delivering streaming video.

46. The method as claimed in claim 45 wherein the video can include test questions to which one or more of the learners can provide answers.

47. The method as claimed in claim 46 wherein supporting the content comprises providing updated video content as needed.

48. The method as claimed in claim 47 wherein supporting the content further comprises providing real time measurement of the learners ability to retain the content.

49. A method of online education, comprising:

providing streaming video on a network;

sending questions and receiving answers through the streaming video;

optionally resuming the streaming video if the video was interrupted;

providing an auto-detect feature on the network to adjust the streaming video as needed; and

providing a systems test to optimize the streaming video delivery.