System and method for the delivery, authoring, and management of courseware over a computer network

• US 6,162,060 A
• Filed: 08/09/1991
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Bryant, Richard, Harmon, Verlon P., Richard, Jerry P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Application Number:
  US07/742,974
• Time in Patent Office: 3,420 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/335, 434/322, 434/323, 434/336, 434/350, 434/362, 395/927, 395/934, 364/400, 364/419
• US Class Current: 434/118
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• 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

A network system for computer aided instruction, includes a main computer including a repository for storing courseware, a network of servers connected to the main computer, a number of local area networks, each of the networks connected to a server, and each including a number of interconnected workstations, a distributed delivery system responsive to a student'"'"'s request for a course, operable to search the network for a server where the requested course resides, and operable to retrieve the course from the repository, and an authoring system distributed over the workstation, the servers and the main computer, and operable to transfer courses of the courseware from a workstation to the repository, and a course management system distributed over the workstation, the servers and the main computer, and operable to manage course enrollment and to monitor student performance at the servers, and further operable to transfer information concerning course enrollment from the servers to the main computer. A computer program having provisions for training users in its use, includes application code, hook points connected to the application code, and embedded training routines connected to the hook points, so that there is a mapping between the hook points and the embedded training routines. The application code has code responsive to a user action to transfer control from the hook points to the embedded training routines.

Claims

1. A network system for computer aided instruction, comprising:

a main computer including a repository for storing courseware;

a network of servers connected to said main computer;

a plurality of local area networks, each of said local area networks connected to a server, and each of said local area networks comprising a plurality of interconnected workstations;

a distributed delivery system responsive to a request of said server for a course of said courseware, selectively operable to search said network of said servers for said server where said course resides, operable to transfer said course from said server where said course resides, and selectively operable to retrieve said course from said repository if said course cannot be found at said server;

an authoring system distributed over a workstation of said workstations, said servers and said main computer, and operable to transfer courses of said courseware from said workstation to said repository; and

a course management system distributed over said workstation, said servers and said main computer, and operable to manage course enrollment and to monitor student performance at said servers, and further operable to transfer information corresponding to said course enrollment from said servers to said main computer;

wherein said network of servers comprises a first set including said servers connected to said main computer, a second set including said servers connected to other servers and to said main computer, and a third set including said servers connected to said other servers; and

wherein said course is in said repository and at said servers.

2. The network system of claim 1, wherein said repository comprises:

a database for storing additional information corresponding to said courses and students enrolled in said courses; and

file storage for the storage of programs implementing said courses.

3. The network system of claim 1, wherein said distributed delivery system comprises programs distributed over said servers in said workstation;

and wherein said programs communicate by sending messages.

4. The network system of claim 1, wherein said main computer further includes a supervisory module.

5. The network system of claim 4, wherein said supervisory module is operable to automatically archive information, to manage student enrollment, and course accounting.

6. The network system of claim 5, wherein said supervisory module is operable to request said other servers in said network to provide said supervisory module with information required by said supervisory module to maintain said repository.

7. The network system of claim 6, wherein said supervisory module communicates with said other servers by sending messages across said network.

8. The network system of claim 7, wherein said messages are standardized so that said servers of different manufacture can communicate with said other servers.

9. A computer aided instruction system, comprising:

a network of interconnected servers;

a main computer connected to at least one of said servers;

a repository connected to said main computer;

at least one workstation connected to one of said servers; and

a course authoring system distributed over said at least one workstation, said servers, and said main computer to deliver a course from said at least one workstation to said repository.

10. The computer aided instruction system of claim 9, wherein said computer-aided instruction system further comprises a course authoring system distributed over said at least one workstation, said servers, and said main computer.

11. The computer aided instruction system of claim 10, wherein said course authoring system comprises programs resident on said at least one workstation, said servers, and said main computer.

12. The computer aided instruction system of claim 11, wherein said programs communicate by sending messages.

13. A method for training users in use of a computer program, comprising:

providing application code of said computer program to control a computer;

providing hook points connected to said application code; and

connecting training routines to said hook points, so that mapping is provided between said hook points and said training routines,

said application code being responsive to user action of said user to transfer control from said hook points to said embedded training routines,

wherein said method further comprises the step of providing code for transferring control from said embedded training routines to computerized courses to provide detailed training for the entire computer program.

14. A method for training users in use of a computer program, comprising:

providing application code of said computer program to control a computer;

providing hook points connected to said application code; and

connecting training routines to said hook points, so that mapping is provided between said hook points and said training routines,

said application code being responsive to user action of said user to transfer control from said hook points to said embedded training routines,

wherein said method further comprises the step of providing a diagnostic expert system for evaluating student responses and directing student progress in response to said student response.

15. The method for training users of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises the step of providing rules for said diagnostic expert system responsive to student interaction with said program.

16. The method for training users of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the step of using said rules to redirect a student to another position in said embedded training.

17. The method for training users of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises the step of providing addresses for machine code corresponding to said other positions and implementing said embedded training routines.