Method and system for interactive communication skill training

• US 6,705,869 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Darren Schwartz
• Original Assignee: Darren Schwartz
• Inventors: Schwartz, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US09/873,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 434/185, 434/219, 434/236, 434/238, 434/252, 434/308, 434/309, 434/318, 434/319, 434/320, 434/322, 434/323, 434/335, 434/350, 434/353, 434/354, 434/362, 434/365, 434/428
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

A system and method for interactive communications skill training is provided. The system includes a user computer system having a memory, a display device, an input device, a video recording device and an audio device. The system also includes an e-learning web site with skill training software for interactively teaching a skill, that is in communication with the user'"'"'s computer system via a communications network. The system further includes an expert'"'"'s computer system. The method for interactive communications skill training includes the steps of accessing the e-learning web site by the user, selecting a learning module for a communication skill by the user, interacting with the learning module and recording the user interaction using the video recording device. The method also includes the steps of analyzing the user interaction by an expert and providing the expert analysis to the user via the communication network for review by the user to interactively learn the communication skill.

Claims

1. A system for interactive communication skill training of a plurality of users comprising:

a user computer system for each user having a processor, a memory, a display device, an input device, a video recording device and an audio device;

an e-learning web site, wherein said e-learning web site includes a computer system having a processor and a memory, and said e-learning web site includes an executable skill training software program for interactively providing each user the same skill training information using a skill challenge presented in a multimedia format through a plurality of fixed skill training modules, and said e-learning web site is in communication with each of the user'"'"'s computer systems via a communication network;

an expert computer system having a processor, a memory, a display device, and an input device for an expert operatively in communication with said e-learning web site via the communication network; and

wherein each of the users utilize their user computer system to selectively interact with the skill training information provided by the skill training module portion of the skill training software program displayed as a web page by the e-learning web site, record the user'"'"'s response to the skill challenge using the video recording device and the audio device, transmit the user'"'"'s response to said e-learning web site via the communication link for analysis by the expert using the expert computer system, and making the expert'"'"'s analysis of each user'"'"'s response available on the e-learning web site.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the communication network is the Internet.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the communication network is an intranet.

4. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said video recording device is a web camera.

5. A system as set forth in claim 1 where said audio device is a microphone.

6. A method for interactive communication skill training of a plurality of users, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing an e-learning web site by each user utilizing a user computer system having a processor, a memory, a display device, an input device, a video recording device and an audio device, via a communication network wherein the e-learning website includes a server, and the server includes an executable communication skill software program having at least one fixed communication skill learning module that provides each user with predetermined skill training information and a predetermined skill challenge presented in a multimedia format;

selecting a communication skill learning module by each user;

interacting with the learning module skill training information by each user wherein the user is presented with a predetermined skill challenge and the user responds to the predetermined skill challenge;

recording the user'"'"'s response to the predetermined skill challenge by the video recording device;

transmitting the recorded user'"'"'s response to the predetermined skill challenge to the e-learning web site;

analyzing the recorded user'"'"'s response by an expert using an expert computer system that is operatively in communication with the e-learning web site and having a processor, a memory, a display device, and an input device and communicating with the e-learning web site via the communication network; and

making the expert analysis of the user'"'"'s response available on the e-learning website via the communication network.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 further including said step of identifying the user accessing the e-learning web site.

8. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said learning module is a test module, and the e-learning web site provides a web page on the user computer system for measuring the user'"'"'s knowledge of a predetermined communications skill using a multimedia format.

9. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said learning module is a simulation module, and the e-learning web site provides a web page on the user'"'"'s computer system containing a simulated demonstration of a predetermined communication skill using a multimedia format.

10. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said learning module is a role-play module, and the user is presented a predetermined verbal challenge using a multimedia format, the user responds to the verbal challenge, the user self-reviews their response to the verbal challenge using a predetermined criteria and transmits the user'"'"'s response to the expert'"'"'s computer system via the communication network.

11. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of analyzing the interaction by the expert includes the expert comparing the user'"'"'s response to a predetermined format for evaluating the communication skill.

12. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of providing the expert analysis includes the step of providing the expert analysis together with the recorded user'"'"'s response to the user on the user computer system.

13. A method for interactive communication skill training of a plurality of users, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing an e-learning web site by each user utilizing a user computer system having a processor, a memory, a display device, an input device, a video recording device and an audio device, via a communication network wherein the e-learning web site includes a server and the server includes an executable communication skill software program having at least one fixed communication skill learning module that provides each user with predetermined skill training information and a predetermined skill challenge in a multimedia format;

identifying the user accessing the e-learning web site;

selecting, by the user, a communication skill learning module for interactive communication skill training on the e-learning web site, wherein the learning module provides each user with identical communication skill training information using a multimedia format on the user computer system;

interacting with the learning module skill training information by the user wherein the user is presented with a predetermined verbal challenge and the user responds to the verbal challenge;

recording the user'"'"'s response to the verbal challenge using the video recording device;

transmitting the recorded user'"'"'s response to the predetermined verbal challenge to the e-learning web site, from the user computer system via the communication network;

analyzing the recorded user'"'"'s response to the verbal challenge by an expert using an expert computer system that is operatively in communication with the e-learning web site, and having a processor, a memory, a display device and an input device; and

providing the expert analysis of the user'"'"'s response to the verbal challenge to the e-learning web site via the communication network.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said learning module is a test module, and the e-learning web site provides a web page on the user computer system for measuring the user'"'"'s knowledge of a predetermined communications skill using a multimedia format.

15. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said learning module is a simulation module, and the e-learning web site provides a web page on the user'"'"'s computer system containing a simulated demonstration of a predetermined communication skill using a multimedia format.

16. A method for interactive communication skill training of a plurality of users, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing an e-learning web site by each user utilizing a user computer system having a processor, a memory, a display device, an input device, a video recording device and an audio device, via a communication network wherein the e-learning web site includes a server and the server includes an executable communication skill software program having a predetermined communication skill learning module that provides the user with predetermined skill training information and a predetermined verbal challenge using a multimedia format and is stored on the server;

identifying each user accessing the e-learning web site;

selecting, by the identified user, a predetermined communication skill learning module for interactive communication skill training on the e-learning web site;

interacting with the learning module skill training information by the user wherein said learning module is a role-play module, and the user is presented a predetermined verbal challenge, the user responds to the verbal challenge, and the user self-reviews their response to the verbal challenge using a predetermined criteria;

recording the user'"'"'s response to the verbal challenge using the video recording device;

transmitting the user'"'"'s response to the verbal challenge to the e-learning web site, from the user computer system via the communication network;

analyzing the user'"'"'s response to the verbal challenge by an expert using an expert computer system; and

providing the expert analysis of the user'"'"'s response to the verbal challenge to the e-learning web site via the communication network and the expert analysis is accessible to the user through the e-learning website.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said step of analyzing the interaction by the expert includes the expert comparing the user'"'"'s response to a predetermined format for evaluating the communication skill.

18. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said step of providing the expert analysis includes the step of providing the expert analysis together with the recorded user'"'"'s response to the user on the user computer system.

19. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said learning module also includes a test module, and the e-learning web site provides a web page on the user computer system for measuring the user'"'"'s knowledge of a predetermined communications skill using a multimedia format.

20. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said learning module also includes a simulation module, and the e-learning web site provides a web page on the user'"'"'s computer system containing a simulated demonstration of a predetermined communication skill using a multimedia format.

21. A method of communication skill analysis of a predetermined communication skill of a user through an interactive computer-based communication skill analysis software program, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing a web site maintained on each server, by a user, via a communication network, wherein the server includes the executable communication skill analysis software program, and the server is operatively in communication with a user computer system having a processor, a memory, a display device, an input device, a video recording device and an audio device;

selecting a communication skill analysis module from the communication skill analysis software program, wherein the communication skill analysis module provides each user with predetermined skill analysis information and a predetermined skill challenge using a multimedia format;

interactively responding by the user to the skill analysis information and the skill challenge provided by the communication skill analysis module;

recording the interactive response of the user to the skill challenge by the video recording device;

transmitting the user'"'"'s recorded response to the web site;

reviewing the user'"'"'s recorded response to the predetermined skill challenge by an expert using an expert computer system that is operatively in communication with the server via a communications network; and

making the expert review available on the server.

22. A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein said step of reviewing the user'"'"'s response by the expert includes the expert comparing the user'"'"'s response to a predetermined format for evaluating the communication skill.

23. A method as set forth in claim 21 wherein said step of making the expert analysis available includes the step of providing the expert analysis together with the recorded user'"'"'s response to the skill challenge to the user on the user computer system.

24. A method as set forth in claim 21 is a predetermined test module, and the e-learning web site provide a web page on the user computer system that measures the user'"'"'s knowledge of a predetermined communications skill using a multimedia format.

25. A method as set forth in claim 21 is a predetermined simulation module, and the e-learning web site provides a web page on the user'"'"'s computer system containing a simulated demonstration of a predetermined communication skill using a multimedia format.

26. A method as set forth in claim 21 further comprising a role-play module for interactive role play between the user and an avator, and the user is presented a predetermined verbal challenge by the avator using a multimedia format, the user responds to the verbal challenge, the user self-reviews their response to the verbal challenge using a predetermined criteria and transmits the user'"'"'s response to the expert'"'"'s computer system via the communication network.

27. A method of communication skill analysis of a predetermined communication skill of a user through an interactive computer-based communication skill analysis software program, said method comprising the steps of:

accessing a web site maintained on each server, by a user, via a communication network, wherein the server includes the executable communication skill analysis software program, and the server is operatively in communication with a user computer system having a processor, a memory, a display device, an input device, a video recording device and an audio device;

selecting a communication skill analysis module from the communication skill analysis software program, wherein the communication skill analysis module is provided by the e-learning web site as a web page on the user'"'"'s computer system using a multimedia format and includes a predetermined simulation module containing a simulated demonstration of a predetermined communication skill, or a role-play module for interactive role play between the user and an avator, or a predetermined test module that measures the user'"'"'s knowledge of a predetermined communications skill,;

interactively responding by the user to the skill analysis information and the skill challenge provided by the communication skill analysis module;

recording the interactive response of the user to the skill challenge by the video recording device;

transmitting the user'"'"'s recorded response to the web site;

reviewing the user'"'"'s recorded response to the predetermined skill challenge by an expert using an expert computer system that is operatively in communication with the server via a communications network, wherein the expert compares the user'"'"'s response to a predetermined format for evaluating the communication skill; and

making the expert review available on the server.