Method and system for selecting training materials

• US 20040014019A1
• Filed: 07/22/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahluwalia, Kamal, Phalp, Daniel George
• Granted Patent: US 6,892,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• 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: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system and method for selecting training materials is provided. In an aspect of the invention, a system is provided that includes a skill requirements database and a training products database. A user can input data representing a student'"'"'s skill level and the system will select one or more suitable products from the training products database that can be used by the student to achieve a desired skill level.

Claims

1. A system for selecting training materials comprising:

a host server having a central processing unit (CPU) for peforming computing operations, a storage device for storing data representative of a plurality of skill requirements, skill levels and training products respective to said skill requirements and skill levels, and an input device operable to receive data representative of a desired skill level for a student and an actual skill level for said student;

said CPU operable to map said desired and actual skills levels of said student to said skill requirements and said training products to determine which of said training products are suitable for said student in order for said student to achieve said desired skill level; and

,

said host server further having an output device for outputting said suitable training products.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said input device and said output device are housed within a client computing device connected to said host server via a network.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of clients each having a said input device and a said output device are connected to said host server via said network.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said data representative of skill requirements further includes a list of roles associated with one or more of said skill requirements, and said input device is further operable to receive a desired role for said student, and said desired skill level is determined by said central processing unit based on said received role, said list of roles and said associated skill requirements.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein said data representative of said training products includes a plurality of metrics associated with each of said training products, said metrics including an entry skill level and an exit skill level for each of said products.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein said metrics include a relevancy measurement for each of said products, said relevancy measurement representing a significance of a particular training product in relation to a particular one of said skills associated with said product.

7. A method for selecting a training product comprising:

receiving data representing a required skill for a student;

receiving data representing actual skill in relation to said required skill for said student;

outputting a null result if said actual skill match or exceed said required skill;

determining at least one required training product for improving said actual skill if if said actual skill is less than said required skill and outputting said determined training product.

8. The method according to claim 7 comprising the additional step of repeating said steps until said actual skill matches or exceed said required skill.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein said null result is a message presented on a display of an output computing device that indicates that no training products are required for said student.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein said data representing a required skill is received in the form of a role for said student which is mapped to one or more associated skills, each of said skills having a requisite skill level associated therewith, and said data representing said actual skills is a measurement of said student'"'"'s actual skill level in relation to said requisite skill level.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said role is a job title in an organization which said student has been selected to fulfill.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein said role is a diploma for a program at an educational institution in which said student is enrolled.

13. The method according to claim 10 wherein a plurality of skills are required for each role.

14. The method according to claim 10 wherein said actual skill level is determined by receiving at least one of a subjective assessment measurements and an objective assessment measurement and applying a predefined weighting to each of said measurements.

15. The method according to claim 10 wherein said subjective measurements is a self-assessment of skill level provided by said student.

16. The method according to claim 10 wherein said subjective measurement is an assessment made by an individual other than said student.

17. The method according to claim 10 wherein said determining step is performed by comparing said requisite skill, said requisite skill level and said actual skill level against a list of training products, each of said training products being associated with at least one of said skills, and each of said training products having an entry skill level and an exit skill level associated with a respective skill, and said determining is performed by selecting one or more of said training products where said actual skill level is between said entry skill level and said exit skill level for that selected training product, and such that said entry skill level is below said requisite skill level for that selected training product.

18. The method according to claim 7 wherein said determined training products is at least one of a class-room course or a text book.

19. The method according to claim 7 wherein said determined at least one training product is an on-line course and comprising the additional step of administering said on-line course after said determining step.

20. A method for determining an actual skill level of a student comprising the steps of:

receiving a first set of data representative of a self-assessment of said actual skill level by said student;

receiving a second set of data representative of an assessment of said actual skill level by a an individual other than said student;

receiving a third set of data representative of results from a test relevant to assessing said skill level, said test having been administered to said student;

applying a preselected weighting to each of said received sets of data;

performing an operation to combine each of said weighted sets of data and generating a fourth set of data representing a determined actual skill level based on said combination; and

,

outputting said fourth set of data.

21. The method according to claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

receiving data representing a required skill level a for a student;

outputting a null result if said actual skill level matches or exceed said required skill level;

determining at least one required training product for increasing said student'"'"'s skill level towards said determined actual skill level if said actual skill level is less than said required skill level and outputting said determined training product.