Computer-assisted education using video conferencing

• US 6,336,813 B1
• Filed: 01/05/1998
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Siefert, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US09/002,999
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 434/156, 434/157, 434/167, 434/169, 434/188, 434/219, 434/227, 434/236, 434/247, 434/322, 434/323, 434/327, 434/335, 434/350, 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/12 Use of codes for handling textual entities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• 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

The invention concerns computer-assisted education, in which a school curriculum is stored in computer repositories. A learning profile is maintained for every student, which indicates the student'"'"'s capabilities, preferred learning style, and progress. Based on the profile, an Intelligent Administrator (IA) selects appropriate material for presentation to the student during each learning session.

The IA then assesses whether the student has mastered the material. If not, the material is presented in a different way. If repeated different presentations fail to instill mastery, the IA establishes a video conference between the student and a professor.

Claims

1. A system for instructing students, comprising:

a) multiple computers, each computer storing a plurality of educational programs;

b) communication means for

i) allowing a remotely located student to select and run one or more of the educational programs on a respective one of the computers;

c) a network which can link the communication means to a real-time consultant;

d) administrator means for

i) assessing progress of the student and

ii) if assessment indicates that the progress does not meet predetermined criteria, patching the student to the consultant; and

e) a learning profile of the student, which contains information about the student'"'"'s learning characteristics.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the link is a video link.

2. In a computer system which (A) presents educational material to a student, and (B) tests the student'"'"'s grasp of the material, the improvement comprising:

a) a profile of the student, stored in the system, which contains information about the student'"'"'s learning characteristics;

b) an admininstration program which modifies presentation of said material to said student, based on said profile; and

c) the educational material being stored on multiple computers.

3. A system according to claim 2 and further comprising means for modifying the profile, based on the student'"'"'s performance in learning material, and means for permitting conferencing with a consultant.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the conferencing is a video conference.