Method of distance learning

• US 20060115803A1
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anna Kalisiak-Ward
• Original Assignee: Anna Kalisiak-Ward
• Inventors: Kalisiak, Jerzy
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/323
• 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

The present invention relates generally, to a method of distance learning. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of distance learning comprising the steps of: installation on at least one education center server of a software for database management, data transfer and communication amongst the education system users; student registration in the scope of which they receive at least one electronic data carrier containing educational material for the subject studied in a given format; establishing at least one interactive on-line session between a lecturer and the students, during which session the lecturer presents educational material to the students'"'"' interface, in particular by means of activating the material contained in the students'"'"' electronic data carriers, and asks the students questions and/or transfers tests and/or exercises to solve, wherein the students'"'"' interface is comprised of windows and tools, including those of remote communication, such as electronic mail, voice mail, chat and forums; and finishing the on-line session within a predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. A method of distance learning using at least one education center server comprising software for database management, data transfer and communication amongst the education system users;

the education center server further comprising an educational platform comprising software for conducting on-line education lessons;

method comprising the steps of;

a) dividing an education program into several education levels of which each level includes at least one module (M₁, M₂, . . . M_n), the at least one module corresponding in its contents to a subject of a traditional education;

b) providing each registered student with at least one electronic data carrier including a workshop material and a multi-media electronic textbook for independent study, and with an access password to the educational platforms;

c) establishing at least one interactive on-line session of electronic workshops for each module (M₁, M₂, . . . M_n) within each education level in a predetermined time after the registration of the student, the at least one interactive session being established through the educational platform containing a web site, and the at least one interactive session including a presentation to the students by the lecturer of the workshop material, submitting to the students questions and exercises to resolve, checking and discussing by the lecturer of the exercises'"'"' solutions and a group discussion among students, with use of remote communication means;

d) activating electronic consultations between the students and the lecturers, following the termination of each interactive session of the electronic workshops, with use of remote communication means;

e) providing each student, following the termination of a predetermined session, with a subject of a test work for individual preparation and submission of a test work report to the educational platform at a predetermined time; and

f) conducting a final examination for each module (M₁, M₂, . . . M_n).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each education level includes at least several modules (M₁, M₂, . . . M_n)

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein for each module (M₁, M₂, . . . M_n) are organized several interactive sessions of the electronic workshops of which each has a duration between 1 and 5 hours.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the workshop material is activated during the interactive electronic workshops and the material comprises a sequence of a presentation of problems, description, explanation, illustration, actual example from an economic reality, indication of application possibilities, checking of the students'"'"' understanding of the material and a recommendation for individual application.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of dividing each session of the electronic workshops into several independent parts with the same or different duration, the several independent parts comprising a first part including a presentation to the students of the workshop material, a discussion of the issues by the lecturer and students'"'"' replies to the lecturer'"'"'s questions;

a second part including transmitting by the lecturer of exercises for individual resolution and their resolving by the students;

a third part including checking of the exercise solutions by the lecturer and a discussion between the students by means of remote communication means;

a fourth part including summing-up of the issues and exercise solutions by the lecturer; and

a fifth part including a discussion between the students by means of remote communication.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of directing the students, who login to the educational platform after the start of a first part of the electronic workshops, first into a “

waiting room” and

then automatically including them into participation in the electronic workshops, prior the commencement of a next part the workshops.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the “

waiting room”

for delayed students is created by parallel, shifted in time running of several similar electronic workshops.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein several first parts of the several similar electronic workshops are run shifted in time with respect to each of the several first parts.

9. A method according to claim 5, wherein during the presentation of successive issues by the lecturer, the students are provided with a list for saving Internet addresses relating to the issue discussed, to which new addresses are then attached to the list relating to consecutive issues.

10. A method according to claim 5, wherein for a discussion are utilized remote communication means in the form of at least one tool selected from a group consisting of:

electronic mail, voice mail, discussion group, chat and forum.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic consultations are conducted by means of the educational platform with use of e-mail and a discussion group that comprises the students registered for a given module, and with a participation of an operator/consultant and/or the lecturers.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein upon receipt of a question by an operator/consultant within the electronic consultations a check is first made in a knowledge database and if it does contain an answer to the question asked, the operator/consultant transmits it the answer to the student, while in the case of a lack of such an answer, the question is directed to a lecturer running a given module, which transmits the answer to the operator/consultant and the latter to the student.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the answer to a question asked is added to the knowledge database.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein a lecturer is the operator/consultant of the electronic consultations.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of activating interactive archived electronic workshops, the archived workshops being activated after the termination of the electronic workshops, but prior to returning the test work report.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein after return of the test work report, the lecturer sends to the students in a determined time, advantageously by electronic mail, results of the test together with a commentary.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of activating interactive electronic reviews, the reviews being activated prior to the final examination for each module (M₁, M₂, . . . M_n) with a participation of the lecturer, the electronic reviews comprising a repetition of the material covered within the electronic workshops and a group discussion, with use of remote communication means.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the electronic reviews are conducted similarly to the electronic workshops.

19. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of creating, prior to commencing the examination, a dynamic examination list which is blocked at a predetermined time before the start of the examination.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the examination is conducted by a traditional way.

21. A method according to the claim 1, wherein the examination is conducted by an electronic means.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein the interactive electronic workshops, the archived workshops, the test works, the electronic reviews, the examination, the test work subjects and results, and the examination grading, are included in the web site of the educational platform, which is accessible through the use of the access password and a student'"'"'s identification number.

23. A method according to claim 1, further comprises the step of creating a dynamic electronic library in the web site of the educational platform, the library being accessible through the use of the access password and a student'"'"'s identification number.

24. A method according to the claim 1, further comprising the step of checking, prior to the commencement of the electronic workshop session, of a student'"'"'s computer'"'"'s equipment and software, in communication with the educational platform, the checking being made by means of test software included in the educational platform'"'"'s web site wherein in the case of finding by the test software of a deficiency of software, an automatic installation of such software through the educational platform'"'"'s web site follows.

26. A method according to the claim 1, the workshop material and the multi-media electronic textbook provided to the students are included in a single CD-ROM or DVD disk.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein each registered student is provided for each module (M₁, M₂, . . . M_n) with a syllabus contained in an electronic data carrier in the CD-ROM or DVD disk including the workshop material and the multi-media textbook.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the CD-ROM or DVD disk, further contains a starter package including a particular didactic guide, a technical instruction and software necessary to open the formats of the files contained in the workshop material and the electronic textbook.

29. A method according to claim 17, further comprising, during the interactive electronic workshops and the electronic reviews, displaying on a student'"'"'s computer an interface including tool bars and at least two main windows selected from the group consisting of:

an information window, an action window and a dialogue window.

30. A method according to claim 29, further comprising presenting in the information window complementary information relating to the material discussed, presenting in the action window an educational material concerning the issues discussed by the lecturer, and presenting in the dialogue window a syllabus, an index of key notions, definitions and formulas, a calculator, the electronic textbook, chat and e-mail.

31. A method according to claim 30, further comprising presenting in the action window videos, 3-D animations, 2-D illustrations, layouts, diagrams, texts, calculations and other dynamic information.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the videos presented in the action window include at least one presentation selected from the group consisting of:

video with a lecturer or other individual discussing an issue-, recorded earlier or taken by a camera in real-time, video with an example illustrating an issue, interviews, documentary films and video showing utilization of computer programs.

33. A method according to claim 29, wherein the tool bars comprise communication buttons for chat, e-mail and forum, and recall buttons to the electronic textbook, to a glossary of terms, to a syllabus, to Internet addresses and to a calculator.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein in various phases of the electronic workshops individual communication and recall buttons are enabled or disabled.

25. (canceled)