System and method for providing and accessing educational information over a computer network

• US 6,683,623 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apex Learning Incorporated (Edmentum Ultimate Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: New Forum Publishers, Inc.
• Inventors: Heller, Douglas J, Cassano, James S., Schmalzbach, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/650,610
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 345/705, 345/708, 345/707, 345/712, 345/713, 345/714, 345/745, 345/747, 345/854, 345/751, 345/742, 434/350, 434/323, 434/365, 434/309, 434/317, 707/501.1, 715/513, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

A web site provides educational information over a computer network such as the Internet. The web site includes a plurality of web pages that can be displayed by the user. The web pages have a particular construction and content to facilitate review by the user. A first web page can be displayed that includes a combination of original information on a given educational topic, a hypertext link corresponding to the educational topic linked to a third party site and customized information corresponding to the third party site. The original information can be comprised of text and/or graphical images. The customized information comprises text in a form designed to encourage curiosity and visitation of a third party site for more information on the given educational topic.

Claims

1. A system for communicating educational information over a computer network comprising:

at least one remote processing device;

at least one local processing device in communication with the at least one remote processing device;

a web site available at the at least one remote processing device for display at the at least one local processing device;

wherein said web site comprises a first web page having embedded therein;

original information on a given educational topic stored at the remote processing device for display at the local processing device;

at least one sub-region having a hypertext link corresponding to the given educational topic, wherein when the at least one sub-region is activated, said web page is linked to a third party site and said third party site is displayed on said local processing device; and

customized information corresponding to said hypertext link stored at the remote processing device for display at the local processing device on said web page proximate said at least one sub-region; and

a navigation sub-region having one or more links to other web pages within the web site including a link to a second web page having embedded therein one or more sub-regions each having a hypertext link to a third party site, customized information corresponding to the third party site and a ranking of the third party site on a rated scale for display at the local processing device.

2. A system according claim 1, wherein said original information comprises at least one of text and graphical images.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said customized information comprises text in a form designed to encourage curiosity and visitation of said third party site.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the second web page further comprises a graphical image corresponding to the one or more hypertext links and textual information proximate each said graphical image.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said first web page further comprises a dictionary look-up region having embedded therein a region for inputting a term and a hypertext link to a third party dictionary site to provide a dictionary definition of said term.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said second web page further comprises a dictionary look-up region having a hyper text link to a third party dictionary site and a link to the first web page.

7. A system according to claim 6, further including a third web page for display at said local processing device having embedded therein original information on said given educational topic locally stored at the remote processing device, at least one sub-region having a hypertext link to a third party site corresponding to said given educational topic, customized information corresponding to said hypertext link displayed on said web page proximate said at least one sub-region and a link to said first web page.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said original information comprises at least one of text and graphical images, said customized information comprises text in a form designed to encourage curiosity and visitation as to the third party site and a dictionary look-up region having a hypertext link to a third party dictionary site for display at the local processing device.

9. A system according to claim 8, further including a fourth web page having embedded therein a textual summary of said first and third web pages in outline format, graphical images from said first web page and original information in a form of at least one of text and graphical images for display at said local processing device.

10. A system according to claim 9, further comprising a fifth web page comprising a textual summary of said first and third web pages in outline format and a textual description of a plurality of educational topics.

11. A graphical user interface for a computer display comprising:

a first web page capable of being displayed on the computer display, said first web page having embedded therein;

original information on a given educational topic;

at least one sub-region having a hypertext link corresponding to the given educational topic, wherein when the at least one sub-region is activated, the web page is linked to a third party site and the third party site is displayed on said computer display;

customized information corresponding to said hypertext link located on said web page proximate said at least one sub-region;

a second web page capable of being displayed on the computer display having embedded therein;

original information on a given educational topic;

at least one sub-region having a hypertext link corresponding to the given educational topic, wherein when the at least one sub-region is activated, the web page is linked to a third party site and the third party site is displayed on the computer display; and

customized information corresponding to said hypertext link located on the web page proximate the at least one sub-region;

the second web page further including a link to the first web page; and

a third web page capable of being displayed on the computer display having embedded therein;

one or more sub-regions each having a hypertext link to a third party site corresponding to the given educational topic, wherein when the at least said one or more sub-regions are activated, the third web page is linked to a third party site and the third party site is displayed on said computer display;

customized information corresponding to the third party site on the third web page proximate the one or more sub-regions; and

a ranking of said third party site on a rated scale positioned on the third web page proximate said customized information;

wherein the first web page further includes a link to the third web page.

12. A graphical user interface according to claim 11, wherein the first, second and third web pages each further comprises a dictionary look-up region having embedded therein a region for inputting a term and a hypertext link to a third party dictionary site to provide a dictionary definition of said term, the original information comprises at least one of text and graphical images, and the customized information comprises text in a form designed to encourage curiosity and visitation of the third party site.

13. A method for communicating educational information over a network from a web site to aplurality of users comprising:

at least first and second web pages, each of the first and second web pages having embedded therein;

original information on a given educational topic locally stored at the web site;

at least one sub-region having a hypertext link corresponding to the given educational topic, wherein when the at least one sub-region is activated, said first and second web pages are linked to a third party site and the third party site is displayed to a user;

customized information corresponding to the hypertext link locally stored at the web site positioned on the web page proximate the at least one sub-region;

a dictionary look-up region having embedded therein a region for inputting a term and a hypertext link to a third party dictionary site to provide a dictionary definition of the term;

wherein the second web page further comprises a link to said first web page; and

a third web page having embedded therein;

one or more sub-regions each having a hypertext link to a third party site;

customized information corresponding to the third party site;

a ranking of the third party site on a rated scale; and

a dictionary look-up region having embedded therein a region for inputting a term a hypertext link to a third party dictionary site to provide a dictionary definition of the term.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the original information comprises at least one of text and graphical images, the customized information comprises text in a form designed to encourage curiosity and visitation to the third party site and the first, second and third web pages each further comprising a navigation sub-region having one or more links to other web pages within said web site.