System and method for teaching job skills to individuals via a network

• US 6,537,072 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Basson, Sara H., Kanevsky, Dimitri, Fairweather, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US09/847,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20020164565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 434/219, 434/112, 434/118
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

A system and method are provided for educating an individual with the skills necessary to perform a new job, as well as providing the individual with practical work experience by providing the individual with work to perform, where the work is capable of being performed by someone having the individual'"'"'s skill level.

Claims

1. A method for educating an individual with skills necessary to complete a job and for providing the individual with practical work experience by providing the individual with work to perform related to the job, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the job to be completed from a job provider over a network;

separating the job to be completed into a plurality of tasks;

receiving a job request from the individual over a network;

matching the individual with at least one of the plurality of tasks and an education process for educating the individual with skills necessary on completing the at least one of the plurality of tasks; and

evaluating the individual'"'"'s performance while performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of categorizing the individual from whom the job request is received from.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of categorizing the individual from whom the job request is received from comprises the step of determining a skill level of the individual corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of tasks.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of categorizing the plurality of tasks.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of categorizing the plurality of tasks comprises the steps of:

identifying a job field for each of the plurality of tasks;

assigning at least one tool for performing each of the plurality of tasks; and

determining a complexity rating for each of the plurality of tasks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of matching the individual with at least one of the plurality of tasks and an education process for educating the individual with skills necessary on completing the at least one of the plurality of tasks comprises the steps of:

searching a data base storing the plurality of tasks;

selecting the at least one of the plurality of tasks matching the job request;

determining a skill and/or knowledge level of the individual and a skill and/or knowledge level required for performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks;

providing the at least one of the plurality of tasks to the individual if the skill and/or knowledge level of the individual matches the skill and/or knowledge level required for performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks; and

providing the education process to the individual if the skill and/or knowledge level of the individual does not match the skill and/or knowledge level required for performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks.

7. A method for educating an individual with skills necessary to complete a job and for providing the individual with practical work experience by providing the individual with work to perform related to the job, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the job to be completed from a job provider over a network;

separating the job to be completed into a plurality of tasks;

receiving a job request from the individual over a network;

matching the individual with at least one of the plurality of tasks and an education process for educating the individual with skills necessary on completing the at least one of the plurality of tasks; and

providing a contract to the individual setting forth one or more terms of performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks and obligations of the individual and the job provider.

8. A work offering system for providing a task to a learning user and an education process, comprising:

a job center for receiving a plurality of tasks that need to be completed from a plurality of job providers, separating the received tasks into a plurality of job tasks, providing the learning user with the education process for completing at least one of the plurality of job tasks, and providing a contract setting forth instruction terms between the job assisting user and the learning user;

a disability center for providing the learning user with at least one tool for completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks if the learning user has a disability; and

at least one user interface for accessing the job and disability centers.

9. The work offering system of claim 8, wherein the job center comprises:

an Input/Output (I/O) Communication Module for communication with the learning user via the at least one user interface;

a Job Data Base for storing the plurality of job tasks;

a Job Transferor Module for separating the receiving task into the plurality of job tasks, categorizing the plurality of job tasks, and providing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks to the learning user;

a User Skills Evaluator Module for evaluating skills of the learning user;

a Learning Tools Data Base for storing a plurality of tools for performing job tasks;

a Learning Tools Acquisition Module for acquiring at least one tool via a network for performing job tasks when the at least one tool is not stored within the Learning Tools Data Base;

a Learning Tools Transferor Module for providing at least one tool to the learning user, where the provided at least one tool is selected from the group consisting of the acquired at least one tool and the plurality of tools stored within the Learning Tools Data Base;

an Assistance Module for selecting the education process, according to the evaluated skills of the learning user by the User Skills Evaluator Module, for assisting the learning user in completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks; and

a User Data Base for storing information corresponding to the learning user, including skill evaluation information provided by the User Skills Evaluator.

10. The work offering system of claim 9, wherein the Job Transferor Module comprises:

a Job Separator Module for separating the plurality of tasks to be completed into the plurality of job tasks;

a Task Classifier Module for categorizing each of the plurality of job tasks by job field, determining a skill level required to complete each of the plurality of job tasks, and determining an experience level required to complete each of the plurality of job tasks;

a Task Offeror Module for providing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks to the learning user;

a Task Contractor Module for creating a contract setting forth employment terms between the learning user and a job provider of the plurality of job providers; and

a Task Evaluator Module for evaluating the performance of learning user in performing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks according to the employment terms between the learning user and the job provider.

11. The work offering system of claim 9, wherein the Learning Tools Transferor Module comprises:

a Learning Tools Job Associator Module for determining the at least one tool required for completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks;

a Learning Scheduler Module for providing a schedule to the learning user indicating an amount of time for learning the at least one tool determined by the Learning Tools Job Associator Module;

a Learning Class Module for providing instructions to the learning user in completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks using the at least one tool;

a Learning Evaluator Module for evaluating the learning process of the learning user in completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks using the at least one tool; and

a Certifier Module for certifying the learning user, if the learning user received an evaluation rating about a predetermined threshold by the Learning Evaluator Module.

12. A work offering system for providing a task to a learning user and an education process, comprising:

a job center for receiving a plurality of tasks that need to be completed from a plurality of job providers, separating the received tasks into a plurality of job tasks, and providing the learning user with the education process for completing at least one of the plurality of job tasks;

a disability center for providing the learning user with at least one tool for completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks if the learning user has a disability; and

at least one user interface for accessing the job and disability centers,

wherein the job center comprises;

an Input/Output (I/O) Communication Module for communication with the learning user via the at least one user interface;

a Job Data Base for storing the plurality of job tasks;

a Job Transferor Module for separating the receiving task into the plurality of job tasks, categorizing the plurality of job tasks, and providing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks to the learning user;

a User Skills Evaluator Module for evaluating skills of the learning user;

a Learning Tools Data Base for storing a plurality of tools for performing job tasks;

a Learning Tools Acquisition Module for acquiring at least one tool via a network for performing job tasks when the at least one tool is not stored within the Learning Tools Data Base;

a Learning Tools Transferor Module for providing at least one tool to the learning user, where the provided at least on e tool is selected from the group consisting of the acquired at least one tool and the plurality of tools stored within the Learning Tools Data Base;

an Assistance Module for selecting the education process, according to the evaluated skills of the learning user by the User Skills Evaluator Module, for assisting the learning user in completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks; and

a User Data Base for storing information corresponding to the learning user, including skill evaluation information provided by the User Skills Evaluator, and the Assistance Module comprises;

an Assistant Selector Module for selecting one of a job assisting user from the User Data Base having skills and knowledge to assist the learning user in completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks;

a Contract/Schedule Agreement Module for providing a contract setting forth instruction terms between the job assisting user and the learning user; and

an Assistance Evaluator Module for evaluating the performance of the job assisting user in assisting the learning user in completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks.

13. A work offering system for providing a task to a learning user and an education process, comprising:

a job center for receiving a plurality of tasks that need to be completed from a plurality of job providers, separating the received tasks into a plurality of job tasks, and providing the learning user with the education process for completing at least one of the plurality of job tasks;

a disability center for providing the learning user with at least one tool for completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks if the learning user has a disability; and

at least one user interface for accessing the job and disability centers,

wherein the job center comprises;

an Input/Output (i/O) Communication Module for communication with the learning user via the at least one user interface;

a Job Data Base for storing the plurality of job tasks;

a Job Transferor Module for separating the receiving task into the plurality of job tasks, categorizing the plurality of job tasks, and providing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks to the learning user;

a User Skills Evaluator Module for evaluating skills of the learning user;

a Learning Tools Data Base for storing a plurality of tools for performing job tasks;

a Learning Tools Acquisition Module for acquiring at least one tool via a network for performing job tasks when the at least one tool is not stored within the Learning Tools Data Base;

a Learning Tools Transferor Module for providing at least one tool to the learning user, where the provided at least one tool is selected from the group consisting of the acquired at least one tool and the plurality of tools stored within the Learning Tools Data Base;

an Assistance Module for selecting the education process, according to the evaluated skills of the learning user by the User Skills Evaluator Module, for assisting the learning user in completing the at least one of the plurality of job tasks; and

a User Data Base for storing information corresponding to the learning user, including skill evaluation information provided by the User Skills Evaluator, and the Learning Tools Acquisition Module comprises;

a Contract Module for providing a contract setting forth terms regarding the creation of a tool which is not stored within the Learning Tools Data Base between a learning tools maker and a system operator; and

a Learning Tools Evaluator for evaluating the tool created by the learning tools maker.

14. A system for educating an individual with skills necessary to complete a job and for providing the individual with practical work experience by providing the individual with work to perform related to the job, the system comprises:

means for receiving the job to be completed from a job provider over a network;

means for separating the job to be completed into a plurality of tasks;

means for receiving a job request from the individual over a network;

means for matching the individual with at least one of the plurality of tasks and an education process for educating the individual with skills necessary on completing the at least one of the plurality of tasks; and

means for evaluating performance of the individual while performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for evaluating the individual'"'"'s performance while performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for categorizing the plurality of tasks.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for categorizing the plurality of tasks comprises:

means for identifying a job field for each of the plurality of tasks;

means for assigning at least one tool for performing each of the plurality of tasks; and

means for determining a complexity rating for each of the plurality of tasks.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for matching the individual with at least one of the plurality of tasks and an education process for educating the individual with skills necessary on completing the at least one of the plurality of tasks comprises:

means for searching a data base storing the plurality of tasks;

means for selecting the at least one of the plurality of tasks matching the job request;

means for determining a skill and/or knowledge level of the individual and a skill and/or knowledge level required for performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks;

means for providing the at least one of the plurality of tasks to the individual if the skill and/or knowledge level of the individual matches the skill and/or knowledge level required for performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks; and

means for providing the education process to the individual if the skill and/or knowledge level of the individual does not match the skill and/or knowledge level required for performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks.

19. A system for educating an individual with skills necessary to complete a job and for providing the individual with practical work experience by providing the individual with work to perform related to the job, the system comprises:

means for receiving the job to be completed from a job provider over a network;

means for separating the job to be completed into a plurality of tasks;

means for receiving a job request from the individual over a network; and

means for matching the individual with at least one of the plurality of tasks and an education process for educating the individual with skills necessary on completing the at least one of the plurality of tasks, and for providing a contract to the individual setting forth one or more terms of performing the at least one of the plurality of tasks and obligations of the individual and the job provider.