Online Learning Monitor

• US 20080072144A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dunsmoir, John, Chen, Yen-Fu
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Content is transferred from one computer resource to another computer resource by receiving a first insertion point or replacement area from a first user interface to a destination computer resource, receiving an enablement to perform automatic paste operation, switching to a user interface to a source computer resource, receiving a user selection of content from said source user interface, and automatically copying the selected content to a transfer buffer and to the designated insertion point(s) in the destination computer resource. Each time source content is selected, a number of source reference data items such as author, publication date, and source file name or network address are captured and stored. The stored source reference identifies may then be used to automatically generate a monitor report containing this information, which is then provided to an online learning administrator or instructor.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture for monitoring activities of a person quoting information verbatim in an electronic document file being authored, said article comprising:

a computer readable medium suitable for encoding computer program code; and

one or more program codes encoded by said medium configured to perform the steps of;

(a) receiving a user-selected first insertion point or replacement area for placement of verbatim quoted information within a first user interface to a destination electronic document file;

(b) subsequent to receiving said first insertion point, providing a source user interface to a user-selected source electronic document file upon user command;

(c) subsequent to providing said source user interface, receiving a user selection of text content to be transferred from said source user interface to said first insertion point or replacement area;

(d) subsequent to receiving said user selection of content, automatically copying said selected content to a transfer buffer without requiring said user to return to said first user interface;

(e) capturing and recording one or more source reference data items corresponding to said selected content simultaneously with or subsequent to said automatic copying;

(f) producing in said destination electronic document file a footnote, endnote, or bibliographical entry comprising said captured source reference data items; and

(g) automatically generating a human-readable monitor report containing said recorded source reference data items and an identity indicator of said user.

2. The article as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program code for transmitting said monitor report to an online learning administrator.

3. The article as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program code for capturing and recording one or more source reference data items comprises program code which is undetectable by said user when being executed.

4. The article as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program code for recording one or more source reference data items comprises program code for capturing a source identifier selected from the group of a file name, a path name, a folder name, a server name, a Uniform Resource Locator, and a network address.

5. The article as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program code for recording one or more source reference data items comprises capturing a system time, a system date, or both a system time and date.

6. The article as set forth in claim 1 wherein said program code for recording one or more source reference data items comprises program code for capturing an author identifier for said source information.

7. The article as set forth in claim 1 wherein said program code for recording one or more source reference data items comprises program code for capturing a publication date for said source information.

8. The article as set forth in claim 7 further comprising program code for generating a report selected from the group of an electronic mail message, a text file, a binary data file, and a printed report.

9. The article as set forth in claim 1 further comprising program code for providing an administrator graphical user interface through which an administrator may view stored monitor reports for one or more students.

10. The article as set forth in claim 9 wherein said program code for providing an administrator graphical user interface further comprises program code for providing a user interface function selected from the group of a report sorter, a report filter, and a report search function.

11. The article as set forth in claim 10 wherein said program code for providing a user interface function comprises program code for providing a user interface function criteria specifier selected from the group of a student'"'"'s identification, a class of students, a maximum number of references consulted, a list of allowed references for consultation, and a list of disallowed references for consultation.

12. A system for monitoring activities of a person quoting information verbatim in an electronic document file being authored, the system comprising:

a first user-selected insertion point or replacement area received for placement of verbatim quoted information within a first user interface to a destination electronic document file;

a source user interface to a source electronic document file through which said user can manipulate said source computer resource;

one or more text elements selected by said user subsequent to definition of said insertion point or replacement area to be transferred from said source user interface to said first insertion point or replacement area;

an automatic copier configured to copy said user-selected text elements to a transfer buffer subsequent to selection of said elements for transfer, said copier copying said elements without requiring said user to return to said first user interface;

a source reference data item recorder configured to simultaneously with or subsequent to said automatic copying capture one or more source reference data items corresponding to said selected content upon operation of said automatic copier;

a reference note generator configured to produce in said destination electronic document file a footnote, endnote, or bibliographical entry comprising said captured source reference data items; and

a monitor report generator adapted to automatically generate a human-readable monitor report containing said recorded source reference data items and an indicator of the identity of said user.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a report transmitter adapted to transmit said monitor report to an online learning administrator.

14. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said source reference data item recorder is configured to capture and record one or more source reference data items in a manner which is undetectable by said user.

15. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said source reference data item recorder is configured to capture a source identifier selected from the group of a file name, a path name, a folder name, a server name, a Uniform Resource Locator, and a network address.

16. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said source reference data item recorder is configured to capture a system time, a system date, or both a system time and a system date.

17. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said source reference data item recorder is configured to capture an author identifier for said source information.

18. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said source reference data item recorder is configured to capture a publication date for said source information.

19. The system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said monitor report generator is further configured to generate a report selected from the group of an electronic mail message, a text file, a binary data file, and a report on a printer.

20. The system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising an administrator graphical user interface through which an administrator may view stored monitor reports for one or more students.

21. The system as set forth in claim 20 wherein said administrator graphical user interface further comprises a user interface function selected from the group of a report sorter, a report filter, and a report search function.

22. The system as set forth in claim 21 wherein said user interface function

comprises a user interface function criteria specifier selected from the group of a student'"'"'s identification, a class of students, a maximum number of references consulted, a list of allowed references for consultation, and a list of disallowed references for consultation.