SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTEGRATING EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE SYSTEMS

• US 20090182716A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackboard Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Blackboard Incorporated
• Inventors: Everhart, Deborah, ALCORN, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for integrating educational software. In one implementation, a first method includes providing on a first server an integrated learning management system adapted to exchange education data and materials via a connector interface, providing on the first server a first component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a first source learning management system, and exchanging education data and materials between the integrated system and the first system via the first component by use of the connector interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for integrating learning management systems, the method comprising:

providing on a first server an integrated learning management system adapted to exchange education data and materials via a connector interface;

providing on the first server a first component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a first source learning management system; and

exchanging education data or materials between the integrated system and the first system via the first component by use of the connector interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing on the first server a second component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a second source learning management system; and

exchanging education data or materials between the integrated system and the second system via the second component by use of the connector interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exchanging education data or materials with a second source learning management system via the first component by use of the connector interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing on the first server a second component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a database, said database storing education data and materials being used by a second source learning management system for storing education data and materials; and

receiving education data or materials from the database via a request made by the integrated system to the connector interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials are displayed to a user; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface in response to a detected role of the user with respect to the educational materials.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

hosting first educational materials corresponding to a first course on the integrated system, the first educational materials having been previously hosted on the first source system; and

obtaining via the connector interface first educational data corresponding to the first educational materials from the first source system, in response to accessing the first educational materials hosted on the integrated system.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

the first educational data comprises course availability or course enrollment data.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials hosted on the first source system are displayed to a user enrolled in a course; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface for displaying the educational materials, based on an indication that visual elements used to the display the educational materials are to correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by the integrated system.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials hosted on the integrated system are displayed to a user enrolled in a course; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface for displaying the educational materials, based on an indication that visual elements used to the display the educational materials are to correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by a different learning management system.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining capabilities of the first component for exchanging education data and materials by a query performed via the connector interface; and

adjusting operations performed by the integrated system in response to a result of the query.

11. An integrated system for integrating learning management systems, the system comprising:

a connector interface adapted to exchange education data and materials in response to a first request by the integrated system; and

a first component that exchanges education data and materials with a first source learning management system, in response to the first request made to the connector interface.

12. The integrated system of claim 11, further comprising:

a second component that exchanges education data and materials with a second source learning management system, in response to a second request made to the connector interface.

13. The integrated system of claim 11, wherein

the first component exchanges education data and materials with a second source learning management system, in response to a second request made to the connector interface.

14. The integrated system of claim 11, further comprising:

a second component that retrieves education data and materials from a database, said database being used by a second source learning management system for storing education data and materials.

15. The integrated system of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface that provides educational materials for display to a user, and selects visual elements provided to the user in response to a detected role of the user with respect to the educational materials.

16. The integrated system of claim 11, wherein

the integrated system is adapted to host first educational materials corresponding to a first course transferred from the source system;

and

the integrated system is adapted to issue an educational data request to the connector interface in response to access of the first educational materials hosted on the integrated system.

17. The integrated system of claim 16, wherein

the connector interface provides course availability or course enrollment data to the integrated system in response to the educational data request.

18. The integrated system of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface that provides educational materials for display to a user, and selects visual elements provided to the user based on an indication that visual elements used to display the educational materials correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by the integrated system.

19. The integrated system of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface that provides educational materials for display to a user, and selects visual elements provided to the user based on an indication that visual elements used to display the educational materials correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by a different learning management system.

20. The integrated system of claim 11, wherein

the connector interface is responsive to a capability request from the integrated system;

the first component is adapted to indicate its capabilities for exchanging education data and materials in response to the capability request; and

operations performed by the integrated system are responsive to a result of the capability request.

21. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method comprising:

providing on a first server an integrated learning management system adapted to exchange education data and materials via a connector interface;

providing on the first server a first component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a first source learning management system; and

exchanging education data or materials between the integrated system and the first system via the first component by use of the connector interface.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

providing on the first server a second component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a second source learning management system; and

exchanging education data or materials between the integrated system and the second system via the second component by use of the connector interface.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

exchanging education data or materials with a second source learning management system via the first component by use of the connector interface.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

providing on the first server a second component which responds to requests made by the integrated system via the connector interface to exchange education data and materials with a database, said database storing education data and materials being used by a second source learning management system for storing education data and materials; and

receiving education data or materials from the database via a request made by the integrated system to the connector interface.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials are displayed to a user; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface in response to a detected role of the user with respect to the educational materials.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

hosting first educational materials corresponding to a first course on the integrated system, the first educational materials having been previously hosted on the first source system; and

obtaining via the connector interface first educational data corresponding to the first educational materials from the first source system, in response to accessing the first educational materials hosted on the integrated system.

27. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 26, wherein

the first educational data comprises course availability or course enrollment data.

28. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, the method further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials hosted on the first source system are displayed to a user enrolled in a course; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface for displaying the educational materials, based on an indication that visual elements used to the display the educational materials are to correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by the integrated system.

29. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, the method further comprising:

providing a user interface, via the integrated system, by which educational materials hosted on the integrated system are displayed to a user enrolled in a course; and

selecting visual elements provided by the user interface for displaying the educational materials, based on an indication that visual elements used to the display the educational materials are to correspond to visual elements used to display educational materials hosted by a different learning management system.

30. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, the method further comprising:

determining capabilities of the first component for exchanging education data and materials by a query performed via the connector interface; and

adjusting operations performed by the integrated system in response to a result of the query.