Learning support systems

• US 20060154226A1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Perpetual Improvement, LLC
• Original Assignee: Perpetual Improvement, LLC
• Inventors: Maxfield, M. Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/300,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20060154226A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/323
• 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 invention relates to a learning process that is personalized to the learner. Student performance and learning behavior is tracked and analyzed, feedback and reinforcement is given, and educational or training stakeholders are engaged. Continuous improvement of the student, instructor, curriculum, and learning process is envisioned to accelerate learning.

Claims

1. A learning system comprising:

a computer system which stores information related to subject matter modules, which presents one or more learning modules to a learner and assesses the learner'"'"'s competency of the topic;

a computer system which allows for the selection of educational components relevant to the learner'"'"'s interest and skill level; and

a student profile which contains information about the learner'"'"'s behavior and competency level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the student profile contains information about the time interval over which an educational module is opened for learning.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile contains information about how many educational modules are open at a given time by a learner.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile contains information about the activation time for a particular educational module by learner.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile contains information about the time which has elapsed from when the learning module is opened to when the learning module is passed off.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile contains information about the branches of the materials in a curriculum hierarchy the learner utilizes to develop proficiency with the material contained within a particular module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile contains information related to the number of times a learner attempts to demonstrate competency of a particular module.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile contains information related to the curriculum materials utilized during the educational process.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a computer system analyzes the data in the student profile and provides feedback to the learner in order to maximize the rate of learning.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a computer system utilizes behavioral information from the profile to provide feedback to a student regarding student behaviors that may be modified to increase the rate of learning.

11. The system of claim 1, utilized to educate adults in a commercial setting.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is utilized to educate students in a school setting.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the education materials utilized to teach a student may be selected from a list consisting of classroom instruction, student groups, teachers, text books, library sources, lectures, computer database networks, written text, human instructors or lecturers, performances, electronic teaching databases, computer systems, Internet resources, and peers.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising periodic and random assessment of the learner to verify subject retention.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile for each student contains information related to behavioral skills wherein the behavioral skills are comprised of information related to how often a student indicates they are ready to take an exam.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile for each student contains behavioral information related to how often the student asks a teacher, expert, or peer a question related to a particular learning module.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises the step of utilizing the profile created for each student to modify the curriculum utilized by the student and to modify the suggestions for modifying the student'"'"'s behavioral practices.

18. A method for accelerating the educational process comprising:

storing information related to curriculum modules on a computer database presenting one or more educational modules to a student;

assessing the student'"'"'s mastery of the information or skill covered by the module;

allowing the learner to select an educational program relevant to the learner'"'"'s interest and skill level;

tracking information about the learner'"'"'s behavior and educational level in a student profile; and

utilizing the student profile, populated with behavioral data, to modify the curriculum and method of learning the curriculum for each individual learner.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the student profile contains information selected from a list comprising:

the time interval over which an educational module is opened for learning;

information about how many educational modules are open at a given time by a learner;

information about the activation time for a particular educational module by learner;

information about the time which has elapsed from when the learning module is opened to when the learning module is passed off;

information about the branches of the materials in the curriculum the learner utilizes to develop proficiency with the material contained within a particular module;

information related to the number of times a learner attempts to test out of a particular module;

information related to the curriculum materials utilized during the educational process.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a computer system analyzes the data in the student profile and provides feedback to the learner in order to maximize the rate of learning.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein a computer system utilizes behavioral information from the profile to provide feedback to a student regarding student behaviors that may be modified to increase the rate of learning.

22. The method of claim 18, utilized to educate learners in an environment selected from a list comprising:

adults in a work setting; and

students in a school setting.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the education materials utilized to teach a student may be selected from a list comprising classroom instruction, student groups, teachers, text books, library sources, lectures, computer database networks, written text, human instructors or lecturers, performances, electronic teaching databases, computer systems, Internet resources, and peers.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising spot checking to verify learner progress.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the profile for each student contains information related to behavioral skills wherein the behavioral skills are comprised of information related to how often a student indicates they are ready to take an exam.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the profile for each student contains behavioral information related to how often the student asks a teacher, expert, or peer a question related to a particular learning module.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises the step of utilizing the profile created for each student to modify the curriculum utilized by the student and to modify the suggestions for modifying the student'"'"'s behavioral practices.