Computer-aided education systems and methods

• US 20040133532A1
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chris W. Anderson, Thomas R. Seitz
• Original Assignee: Chris W. Anderson, Thomas R. Seitz
• Inventors: Seitz, Thomas R., Anderson, Chris W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/11
• 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

Computer-aided education systems and methods provide a learner with a pedagogically appropriate interaction, including determining learner information. A state for the interaction is determined based on the determined learner information. A concept pattern is created based on the determined state. The appropriate interaction is then accessed based on the concept pattern and the determined state.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a learner with a pedagogically appropriate interaction, the method comprising:

determining learner information, including at least one of the learner'"'"'s identity or data about the learner'"'"'s previous interactions;

determining a state for the interaction based on the determined learner information;

creating a concept pattern based on the determined state; and

accessing the appropriate interaction based on the concept pattern and the determined state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the possible determined states include at least a first state and a second state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined state is the first state if the determined learner information includes a positive trend in past interactions.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined state is the second state if the determined learner information includes a negative trend in past interactions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the appropriate interaction includes at least one of:

a tutorial sequence or one or more questions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the concept pattern includes a list of concepts.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the concept pattern further includes a level value associated with each concept in the list of concepts.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the list of concepts further includes a link to concepts in a hierarchy of concepts.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the appropriate interaction further comprises accessing an external server to retrieve the appropriate interaction.

10. A system for presenting a learner with a pedagogically appropriate interaction, the system comprising:

an output device for displaying the interaction to the learner;

an input device to allow the learner to interact with the system; and

a computer,

wherein the computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory including an intelligent computer-aided instructional (CAI) system and

wherein the intelligent CAI system further includes;

a session player for presenting the interaction to the output device;

a movie data component for storing media files to be used by the session player;

an agent engine for determining the appropriate interaction to be played by the session player and for determining movie data in the movie data component to be accessed by the session player; and

a concept matrix used by the agent engine to determine the appropriate interaction.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the intelligent CAI system further includes a report administrator for providing details about the interaction.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an external server connected to the system via an Internet connection for retrieving the appropriate interaction based on a network address specified by the concept matrix.