Learning system and method based on review

• US 5,863,208 A
• Filed: 07/02/1996
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IpLearn LLC
• Original Assignee: Ho Chi Fai, Peter P. Tong
• Inventors: Tong, Peter P., Ho, Chi Fai
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/675,391
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

A system and method to provide dynamic reviews for individual students. In one embodiment for a student, the system selects an un-learnt line-item, and generates detailed learning materials for the un-learnt line-item. Then the system selects a learnt line-item based on one or more learnt-line-item-selection rules, and generates summarized-learning materials on the selected learnt line-item for the student to review. The summarized-learning materials include study-plans. The detailed learning materials may include questions, in addition to study-plans. For an un-learnt line-item, after presenting the generated learning materials to the student, the present invention assesses the student'"'"'s understanding in the line-item. If the assessment is satisfactory, the un-learnt line-item is re-classified as a learnt line-item. In another embodiment, the present invention accesses a line-item probability value, which is used to select a line-item. If the line-item is an un-learnt line-item, the invention generates detailed learning materials for the student; and if the student is successful in learning the materials, the invention re-classifies the line-item to a learnt line-item. If the line-item is a learnt line-item, which is selected based on one or more learnt-line-item-selection rules, the invention generates summarized learning materials for the student. The invention then repeats and selects another line-item.

Claims

1. A computer-aided educational method to reinforce a student'"'"'s learning of a subject through reviews, the subject including a number of line-items, with at least one being a learnt line-item, and with the line-items being stored in a line-item storage-medium, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a learnt line-item from the line-item storage-medium based on one or more learnt-line-item-selection rules; and

generating summarized-learning materials on the learnt line-item for the student;

such that;

a learnt line-item is a line-item that the student has achieved a preset level in learning that line-item; and

although the student has learnt a line-item, learning materials on the line-item might still be selectively generated for the student so as to reinforce the student'"'"'s learning of the subject through reviews.

2. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the subject includes at least one un-learnt line-item, which is a line-item that the student has not achieved the preset level in learning that line-item; and

the method further comprises the step of selecting an un-learnt line-item from the line-item storage-medium before the step of selecting a learnt line-item.

3. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on the time elapsed from the time when the student has achieved the preset level for that line-item.

4. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 3 wherein

each line-item has a weight;

the weight of each learnt line-item is a function of the time elapsed from the time the student achieved the preset level for that line-item; and

the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on the weight, which de-emphasizes the line-item the student has just learnt.

5. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 wherein:

each line-item has a difficulty level;

each line-item has a weight;

the weight of each learnt line-item is a function of the time elapsed from the time the student achieved the preset level for that line-item; and

the step of selecting a line-item depends on the weight, which de-emphasizes line-items learnt more than a fixed period ago because presumably the student has progressed to have learnt even more difficult line-items.

6. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on the level achieved by the student in learning that learnt line-item.

7. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 6 wherein

each line-item has a weight;

the weight of each learnt line-item is a function of the level achieved by the student in learning that line-item; and

the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on its weight, which emphasizes on reinforcing a student'"'"'s learning of a learnt line-item whose weight is lower than other learnt line-items.

8. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 wherein

each line-item has a difficulty level;

and

the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on the difficulty level of the line-items.

9. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 8 wherein:

each line-item has a weight;

the weight of each learnt line-item is a function of its difficulty level; and

the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on the weight, which emphasizes on selecting more difficult line-items.

10. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on whether the learnt line-item is related to the selected un-learnt line-item so as to reinforce the student'"'"'s learning of the subject through association.

11. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on whether that learnt line-item has been selected before so as to discourage selecting a learnt line-item that has been selected before.

12. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step of generating a summarized-learning material comprising the steps of:

generating a summarized study-plan for the line-item; and

presenting the study-plan to the student.

13. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of generating detailed learning-materials for the selected un-learnt line-item before the step of selecting a learnt line-item.

14. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of generating detailed learning-materials for the selected un-learnt line-item after the step of generating summarized-learning materials on the learnt line-item.

15. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 14 wherein the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on whether the learnt line-item is related to the selected un-learnt line-item so as to reinforce the student'"'"'s learning of the subject through association.

16. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 14 wherein the step of generating detailed-learning materials comprising the steps of:

generating a detailed study-plan for the line-item; and

presenting the detailed study-plan to the student.

17. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 16 wherein after the step of presenting the detailed-study-plan to the student, the method further comprises the steps of:

generating questions on the line-item for the student;

presenting the questions for the student; and

assessing the student'"'"'s answers to those questions to determine the level achieved by the student in learning that line-item.

18. A computer-aided educational method to reinforce a student'"'"'s learning of a subject through reviews, the subject being divided into un-learnt and learnt line-items, with the learnt line-items being those the student has achieved a preset level in learning that line-item, the un-learnt line-items being those the student has not achieved the preset level in learning that line-item, and with the line-items being stored in a line-item storage-medium, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a line-item probability value;

selecting either a learnt or an un-learnt line-item from the line-item storage-medium based on the line-item probability value;

if a learnt line-item is selected, then generating summarized-learning materials for the learnt line-item;

if an un-learnt line-item is selected, then

generating detailed learning-material for the un-learnt line-item, and

if the student has achieved a preset level in learning that line-item, then re-classifying the un-learnt line-item as a learnt line-item; and

repeating from the step of selecting either a learnt or an un-learnt line-item;

such that although the student has learnt a line-item, learning materials on the line-item might still be selectively generated for the student so as to reinforce the student'"'"'s learning of the subject through reviews.

19. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 18 wherein the learnt line-item is selected based on one or more learnt-line-item selection rules.

20. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 19 wherein:

each line-item has a difficulty level; and

the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on;

the level achieved by the student in learning that line-item, and

the difficulty level of that line-item.

21. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 19 further comprising the step of selecting an un-learnt line-item from the line-item storage-medium before the step of accessing a line-item probability value.

22. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 21 wherein:

each line-item has a difficulty level; and

the step of selecting a learnt line-item depends on;

the level achieved by the student in learning that line-item,

the difficulty level of that line-item,

the time elapsed from the time when the student has achieved the preset level for that line-item, and

whether the learnt line-item is related to the un-learnt line-item just selected.

23. A computer-aided educational method as recited in claim 19 wherein:

the step of generating summarized learning-material for the learnt line-item comprises the steps of;

generating a summarized study-plan for the learnt line-item; and

presenting the summarized study-plan to the student; and

the step of generating detailed learning-material for the un-learnt line-item comprises the steps of;

generating a detailed-study plan for the un-learnt line-item;

presenting the detailed-study-plan to the student;

generating questions on the un-learnt line-item for the student;

presenting the questions for the student; and

assessing the student'"'"'s answers to those questions to determine the level achieved by the student in learning the un-learnt line-item.

24. A computer-aided educational apparatus to reinforce a student'"'"'s learning of a subject through reviews, the subject including a number of line-items, with at least one being a learnt line-item, and with the line-items being stored in a line-item storage-medium, the apparatus comprising:

a storage-medium for storing the line-items;

a rule-storage medium for storing one or more learnt-line-item-selection rules;

a selector coupled to the storage-medium and the rule-storage medium for selecting a line-item based on at least one of the line-item selection-rules; and

a learning-material generator for generating learning materials on the selected line-item for the student;

such that;

a learnt line-item is a line-item that the student has achieved a preset level in learning that line-item;

the selector based on one or more of the learnt-line-item-selection rules at least selects one learnt line-item for the generator to generate summarized learning-materials for the student; and

although the student has learnt a line-item, learning material on the line-item might still be selectively generated for the student so as to reinforce the student'"'"'s learning of the subject through reviews.

25. A computer-aided educational apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein:

the subject includes at least one un-learnt line-item, which is a line-item that the student has not achieved the preset level in learning that line-item; and

the selector at least selects one un-learnt line-item for the generator to generate detailed learning-materials for the student.

26. A computer-aided educational apparatus as recited in claim 25 wherein the learning-material generator further comprises:

a study-plan generator for generating study-plans;

a presenter for presenting to the student;

a question generator for generating questions; and

an assessor for assessing the student'"'"'s answers to questions.