METHODS AND COMPUTER-PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR TEACHING A TOPIC TO A USER

• US 20130029308A1
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arthur C. Graesser, Diane F. Halpern, Keith Millis
• Original Assignee: Arthur C. Graesser, Diane F. Halpern, Keith Millis
• Inventors: GRAESSER, ARTHUR C., HALPERN, DIANE F., MILLIS, KEITH
• Application Number:
  US13/648,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20130029308A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/327
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• 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

Aspects of the invention provide methods and computer-program products for teaching a topic to a user. One aspect of the invention provides a method for teaching a topic to a user. The method includes: administering one or more question to assess the user'"'"'s knowledge of the topic; displaying a first interactive pedagogical agent and a second interactive pedagogical agent; and facilitating a trialog between the user, the first interactive pedagogical agent, and the second interactive pedagogical agent.

Claims

1. A method for teaching a topic to a user, the method comprising:

administering one or more question to assess the user'"'"'s knowledge of the topic;

displaying a first interactive pedagogical agent and a second interactive pedagogical agent; and

facilitating a trialog between the user, the first interactive pedagogical agent, and the second interactive pedagogical agent;

thereby teaching the topic to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the user has a low level of knowledge of the topic, the step of facilitating a trialog includes presenting a lesson from the first interactive pedagogical agent to the second interactive pedagogical agent while the user observes the lesson.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the user has a medium level of knowledge of the topic, the step of facilitating a trialog includes presenting a lesson from the first interactive pedagogical agent to the user while the second interactive pedagogical agent observes the lesson.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the user has a high level of knowledge of the topic, the step of facilitating a trialog includes asking the user to present a lesson to the second interactive pedagogical agent while the first interactive pedagogical agent observes the lesson.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pedagogical agent is a human.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pedagogical agent is a computer-implemented character.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second pedagogical agent is a human.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second pedagogical agent is a computer-implemented character.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented in a game environment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is a computer-implemented method.

11. A computer program product comprising computer-usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to implement method for teaching a topic to a user, the control logic comprising:

first computer-readable program code means for administering one or more question to assess the user'"'"'s knowledge of the topic;

second computer-readable program code means for displaying a first interactive pedagogical agent and a second interactive pedagogical agent; and

third computer-readable program code means for facilitating a trialog between the user, the first interactive pedagogical agent, and the second interactive pedagogical agent.

12. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein, if the user has a low level of knowledge of the topic, the third computer-readable medium presents a lesson from the first interactive pedagogical agent to the second interactive pedagogical agent while the user observes the lesson.

13. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein, if the user has a medium level of knowledge of the topic, the third computer-readable medium presents a lesson from the first interactive pedagogical agent to the user while the second interactive pedagogical agent observes the lesson.

14. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein, if the user has a high level of knowledge of the topic, the third computer-readable medium asks the user to present a lesson to the second interactive pedagogical agent while the first interactive pedagogical agent observes the lesson.

15. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein the first pedagogical agent is a human.

16. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein the first pedagogical agent is a computer-implemented character.

17. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein the second pedagogical agent is a human.

18. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein the second pedagogical agent is a computer-implemented character.

19. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein the method is implemented in a game environment.

20. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-usable medium is non-transitory and tangible.