E-learning incentive system, apparatus and methodology

• US 20040091846A1
• Filed: 11/07/2002
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Via Training LLC (Learning Technologies Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Via Training LLC (Learning Technologies Group Plc)
• Inventors: Aughenbaugh, Robert S., Carocci, Bruce A.
• Application Number:
  US10/290,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20040091846A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/350
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus and methodology employable in an e-learning environment which links with a selected e-learning management system to respond to e-learning benchmarks, and other events relating to e-learning activities, by offering buildable student bank accounts of value points which can be redeemed for various incentive awards that are made known and available to a participating student via a virtual store which is configurable freely to show and describe, and to present values of, such awards. Award inventory, award value, and the relationship which exists between made-available awards and particular benchmarked learning activities, or other events, are freely and widely reconfigurable and modifiable in various ways by a host who manages and configures the system and methodology of the invention.

Claims

1. Apparatus employable in an e-learning environment which includes a user-accessible e-learning activity, and an e-learning management structure capable of tracking, at least in certain respects, a user'"'"'s pattern of engagement with that activity, said apparatus comprising

reporting interface structure operatively connectable to said management structure, operable to furnish selected reports regarding such a user'"'"'s engagement pattern with the activity, and

an e-learning incentive generator operatively connectable to said interface structure in a manner of connection which is selectable from the range of options including (a) inherently dedicated, and (b) inherently non-dedicated, said generator being configurable for receiving such selected reports, and for exposing to the user appropriate c-learning incentives which relate to the user'"'"'s engagement with the activity as reflected in the selected reports.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incentive generator includes a hosting input constructed to enable, selectively, both local (self) and remote (third-party) configuring and managing of generator behavior, including specifying the offering of particular award incentives in relation to a user'"'"'s accomplished e-learning activity(ies).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hosting input is constructed to permit the preparation and delivery of different, selectable apparatus-related management reports.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 which is operatively connectable to an incentive award fulfillment system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incentive generator includes an inventory-manageable virtual store of incentive rewards, and associated with that store, (a) structure for assigning reward-item values, and (b) structure for assigning e-learning accomplishment values which are employable by a user, in relation to virtual store inventory, and to assigned reward-item values, to request an incentive award.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said values are point-count values.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said virtual store is capable of presenting to a user at least one of (a) image and (b) text descriptions of available incentive awards.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said incentive generator includes freely changeable scheduling structure which enables the generator to offer different award responses to a student based upon different, selectable patterns of e-learning accomplishments.

9. A method for employing e-learning incentives for a user of an e-learning activity, where, associated with that activity, there is an e-learning management structure that is capable of tracking, at least in certain respects, the user'"'"'s pattern of engagement with that activity, said method comprising,

reporting, selectively, the user'"'"'s tracked engagement pattern with the activity, and

based upon said reporting, exposing to the user, in a potentially time-variant, selectively engagable manner, appropriate incentive awards which are, at that point in time, selectively related to such activity engagement.

10. The method of claim 9 which further includes enabling the selective making of changes in one or more of (a) changing the content and/or nature of incentivized activities, and (b) changing the incentivizing value relationship between an incentivized activity and its associated incentivizing award.

11. The method of claim 9 which further includes offering to a user for viewing a virtual store stocked with activity-related incentive awards.

12. The method of claim 9 which further includes enabling the preparation and delivery of different, selectable management reports.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the relationship which exists between an incentivized e-learning activity and an associated incentive award can be described as being a point-count relationship.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mentioned point-count relationship is handled via a banking deposit and withdrawal analogy.