Systems and methods for integrating educational software systems

• US 20090018986A1
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackboard Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Blackboard Incorporated
• Inventors: Alcorn, Robert L., Everhart, Deborah A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/2057 Career enhancement or continuing education service

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for integrating educational software. In one implementation, a first server receives an identifier of a second server that provides at least one source educational course. A second server receives metadata for the at least one source educational course and stores the metadata.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for integrating educational software, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first server, an identifier of a second server that provides at least one source educational course;

receiving, from the second server, metadata for the at least one source educational course; and

storing the metadata for the at least one source educational course.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is stored in a database that is coupled to the first server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing access, from the first server, to the at least one source educational course.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata indicates at least one role of a user of the at least one source educational course, the method further comprising:

storing the role of the user in the first server; and

providing, by the first server, the user with access rights based on the role.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the access rights specify a type of access that the user can have to content associated with the at least one source educational course.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata for the at least educational course comprises user data, course data, and role data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata for the at least one source educational course comprises location information specifying an address of the at least one source educational course.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting data associated with the at least one source educational course from the first server to a user terminal.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the first server, whether the user data pertains to a user already having an account administered by the first server; and

merging the accounts if the user data pertains to a user already having an account administered by the first server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first server, a second identifier of a third server that provides a second source educational course.

4-5. -5. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. A computer-implemented method for enabling access to educational software, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first server, a selection of an educational course;

determining, by the first server, a storage location of the educational course, wherein the storage location resides on a second server;

transmitting, by the first server, a query to the second server;

receiving, by the first server, an address of the educational course that is stored on the second server; and

enabling the first server to provide access to the educational course.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein enabling the first server to provide access to the educational course comprises:

transmitting, by the first server, data associated with the at least one source educational course to a user terminal.

16-17. -17. (canceled)

19-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer-implemented method for integrating educational software, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first server hosting at least one native educational course, an identifier of a second server that provides at least one source educational course;

receiving, from the second server, metadata for the at least one source educational course, wherein the metadata includes a role of a user of the at least one source educational course;

storing the metadata for the at least one source educational course in a storage device coupled to the first server;

providing access, from the first server, to the at least one source educational course; and

determining, by the first server, access rights of the user based on the role, wherein the access rights specify whether the user can access the least one source educational course and the at least one native educational course.

22. A computer-implemented method for integrating educational software, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first server, role data for at least one user of at least one source educational course that is provided by a second server;

storing the role data in a storage device coupled to the first server; and

determining, by the first server, access rights of the at least one user based on the role data, wherein the access rights specify whether the user can access the least one source educational course.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving, by the first server, an identifier of the second server that provides the at least one source educational course.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the role data of the at least one user specifies whether the user has a role of student, teacher, or administrator.

24. (canceled)

26. A computerized system for integrating educational software, the system comprising:

a storage device; and

a first server coupled to the storage device, the first server;

receiving an identifier of a second server that provides at least one source educational course;

receiving, from the second server, metadata for the at least one source educational course; and

storing the metadata for the at least one source educational course in the storage device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first server provides access to the at least one source educational course.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the first server further hosts at least one native educational course.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the first server manages the at least one source educational course.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the metadata indicates at least one role of a user of the at least one source educational course, the first server storing the role of the user in the first server and providing the user with access rights based on the role.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the access rights specify a type of access that the user can have to content associated with the at least one source educational course.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the metadata for the at least educational course comprises user data, course data, and role data.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the metadata for the at least one source educational course comprises location information specifying an address of the at least one source educational course.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein the first server transmits the data associated with the at least one source educational course to a user terminal.

34. (canceled)

36-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A computer-implemented method for automatically creating a domain during a system integration of educational software, the method comprising:

identifying a source identifier that is associated with at least one source educational course;

automatically establishing the domain, the domain being identified by the source identifier and including metadata associated with the at least one source educational course; and

storing the metadata.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the source identifier is identified by a first server and data associated with the at least one source educational course is stored on a second server and is accessible via the first server.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the metadata for the at least one source educational course includes course data, user data for users associated with the at least one source educational course, and role data for each of the users in the context of the at least one source educational course.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the role data provides access levels of the users associated with the at least one source educational course.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

providing, based on the access levels, users of the first server with access to data stored in the first server or the second server.

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

associating an administrator with the domain; and

determining whether the administrator has access rights to modify the domain.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the metadata provides at least one of course data for the at least one source educational course, user data for users that are associated with the at least one source educational course, and role data for users that are associated with the at least one source educational course.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the metadata is stored in a storage device that is included in or coupled to the first server.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the storage device further stores metadata for additional domains, and users of the first server have one or more roles in one or more of the domains or in one or more courses associated with the domains.

54. A computer-implemented method for creating a domain, the method comprising:

receiving a request to integrate a course to a first server from a second server;

determining, from domain-specific information associated with the course, that the course should be included in an existing domain provided by the first server; and

storing the course in the existing domain.

55. A computer-implemented method for creating a domain, the method comprising:

receiving a request to integrate a course to a first server from a second server;

establishing, from any domain-specific information associated with the course, a domain for the course in the first server; and

permitting access to the course via the first server based on the domain.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein establishing the domain includes:

identifying the domain-specific information in data associated with the course, wherein the domain-specific information includes roles of users associated with the course.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein identifying the domain-specific information further includes:

identifying, from the data associated with the course, an instructor associated with the course.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein identifying the domain-specific information includes:

identifying, from the data associated with the course, at least one student associated with the course.

59. The method of claim 55, wherein an instructor has permissions that allow the instructor to view or edit materials associated with the course and a student has permissions that allow the student to view materials associated with the course.

60. A computer-implemented method for creating a first domain, the method comprising:

analyzing data associated with a plurality of entities;

establishing the first domain for selected ones of the plurality of entities; and

storing data associated with the first domain.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein at least one of the selected entities is a course and the data associated with the first domain provides metadata for the course, users associated with the course, and role data specifying a role of each of the users in the course.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein the entities comprise a plurality of courses or activities.

63. The method of claim 60, further comprising:

determining access rights of a user based on a role of the user in association with a course or the first domain.

64. The method of claim 60, further comprising:

establishing a second domain for selected ones of the plurality of entities; and

storing data associated with the second domain.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the first domain includes at least one entity in common with the second domain.

66. The method of claim 60, wherein the entities comprise one or more of courses, users, activities, organizations, and programs.

67. A computerized system for automatically creating a domain during a system integration of educational software, the system comprising:

a storage device; and

a first server, the first server identifying a source identifier associated with at least one source educational course provided by a second server, automatically establishing the domain, the domain being identified by the source identifier and including metadata associated with the at least one source educational course, and storing the metadata in the storage device.

68. The system of claim 67, wherein the source identifier is identified by the first server and data associated with the at least one source educational course is stored on the second server and is accessible via the first server.

69. The system of claim 67, wherein the metadata for the at least one source educational course includes course data, user data for users associated with the at least one source educational course, and role data for each of the users in the context of the at least one source educational course.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein the role data provides access levels of the users associated with the at least one source educational course and the first server provides, based on the access levels, users of the first server with access to data stored in the first server or the second server.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the metadata provides at least one of course data for the at least one source educational course, user data for users that are associated with the at least one source educational course, and role data for users that are associated with the at least one source educational course.

72. A computer-implemented method for providing an educational course, comprising:

accessing metadata associated with the educational course, the metadata being stored in a first server;

based on the metadata, identifying software providing functionality for the educational course, the software being stored in a second server; and

providing access to the functionality for the educational course via the first server.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein providing access to the functionality for the educational course via the first server further comprises:

determining whether a user of the first server has access rights to the educational course.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein determining whether the user has access rights further comprises:

accessing metadata for a domain associated with the educational course; and

based on the metadata for the domain, determining whether the user is associated with the educational course.

75. The method of claim 72, further comprising:

storing data associated with the educational course in the first server.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein the data associated with the educational course is student-generated data.

77. The method of claim 75, wherein the data associated with the educational course is instructor-generated data.

78. The method of claim 72, further comprising:

providing, via the first server, access to external resources.

79. The method of claim 75, further comprising:

exporting the data to an external system.

80. The method of claim 75, further comprising:

sharing the data on the first server with an evaluation system residing on the first server.

81. The method of claim 79, wherein the external system is an evaluation system that evaluates the data in support of an accreditation process of an institution.

82. The method of claim 79, wherein the external system is an evaluation system that evaluates the data in support of institutional planning or curriculum planning.

83. A computer-implemented method for providing an educational course, comprising:

integrating the educational course to a first server from a second server, wherein metadata associated with the educational course is stored in the first server and software providing functionality for the educational course is stored in the second server;

accessing the metadata stored in the first server; and

enabling a user device to access the functionality for the educational course via the first server.

84. The method of claim 83, further comprising:

storing data associated with the educational course in the first server.

85. The method of claim 84, further comprising:

exporting the data to an external system.

86. The method of claim 84, further comprising:

sharing the data on the first server with an evaluation system residing on the first server.

87. The method of claim 85, wherein the external system is an evaluation system that evaluates the data in support of an accreditation process of an institution associated with the first server.

88. The method of claim 85, wherein the external system is an evaluation system that evaluates the date in support of Institutional planning or curriculum planning.

89. The method of claim 83, further comprising:

establishing a domain for the educational course, wherein a student associated with the domain has access rights to the functionality provided by the educational course.

90. The method of claim 84, wherein the data includes grades for students associated with the educational course.

91. A computerized system for providing an educational course, comprising:

a storage device; and

a first server, the first server accessing metadata stored in the storage device and associated with the educational course, the first server identifying software providing functionality for the educational course, the software being stored in a second server, and the first server providing access to the functionality for the educational course via the first server.

92. The system of claim 91, wherein the storage device is coupled to or included in the first server.

93. The system of claim 91, wherein the first server provides access to the functionality for the educational course by determining whether a user of the first server has access rights to the educational course.

94. The system of claim 91, wherein the first server determines whether the user has access rights by accessing metadata for a domain associated with the educational course and, based on the metadata for the domain, determines whether the user is associated with the educational course.

95. The system of claim 91, wherein the first server stores data associated with the educational course.

96. The system of claim 95, wherein the first server exports the data to an external system.

97. The system of claim 96, wherein the external system is an evaluation system that evaluates the data to determine accreditation of an institution associated with the first server.

98. The system of claim 96, wherein the external system is an evaluation system that evaluates the data to determine whether an institution associated with the first server is meeting goals.