System and Method for Providing Online Education

• US 20080162323A1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caroline Mcmillan, Steven Menear
• Original Assignee: Caroline Mcmillan, Steven Menear
• Inventors: Menear, Steven, McMillan, Caroline
• Application Number:
  US11/983,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162323A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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

A system and method for creating and offering online courses and classes provides a computer program accessible over a computer network. The program includes a template for creating a course by assigning predefined attributes and/or parameters, and by adding lessons, activities, and/or material in conformance with predetermined rules. A selected course is converted into a class for offering over the system which may be archived or deleted after the term. New classes may subsequently be made from the original course. Included are translation and/or conversion functions, wherein inputs and outputs may be translated between human languages and/or converted between different analog and digital forms, and a payment system wherein fees may be charged for access to the system, a course, and/or a class.

Claims

1. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium and accessible over a network, for creating a course and offering a class, the computer program product comprising:

(a) a system of predetermined rules for providing at least one of an attribute and a parameter;

(b) a template for creating a course;

(c) said template providing means for adding at least one of a lesson, an activity, and a material to the course;

(d) said template further providing means for assigning at least one of said attribute and parameter to said at least one of lesson, activity, and material.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising means for creating the class that may be offered to a user thereof by assigning at least one of scheduling information and participant information to an instance of the course.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein said class comprises the instance of said course.

4. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising means for customizing said at least one of a lesson, an activity, and a material by assigning a predefined attribute to one of said lesson, activity, and material.

5. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising means for translating at least one of an input and an output between two human languages.

6. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising means for converting at least one of an input and an output between at least one of an analog and a digital form.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said means for converting comprises one of file-type conversion, audio-to-text conversion, and text-to-audio conversion.

8. The computer program product of claim 2 further comprising a fee payment system.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said fees may be charged for access to one of a course and a class.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said fee payment system comprises electronic tokens as a form of currency.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said fee payment is associated with offering a class, and is chargeable to an entity offering the class.

13. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising means for creating a relationship between a plurality of entities to establish a virtual organization.

12. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said fee payment is calculated periodically and is determined as a function of a number of students enrolled in a class.

14. A system for providing online education, said system comprising:

(a) a plurality of predetermined rules for providing at least one of an attribute and a parameter assignable to at least one of a lesson, an activity, and a material for use in developing a course and offering a class;

(b) a plurality of predetermined and secure operational functions, said operational functions further comprising;

(1) a course designer function;

(2) a class manager function;

(3) a class instructor; and

(4) a class user function;

wherein said system provides secure and predetermined access to said at least one lesson, activity, and material according to each said operational function.

15. A method of creating a class comprising the steps of:

providing a system having at least one predetermined permission for use in creating a course;

using said system to create a course;

creating a class, said class comprising an instance of said course.