Method and system for interactively generating and presenting a specialized learning curriculum over a computer network

• US 7,013,325 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genworth Holdings, Inc. (Genworth Financial Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genworth Financial Incorporated
• Inventors: Vivian, Kathryn B., Hjelle, Steinar
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HIEU C
• Application Number:
  US09/695,830
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/104, 709217-219, 709/18, 709/276, 709/229, 709/228, 709/206, 709/204, 434322-323, 434/350, 434/362, 713/182, 707/104, 707/102, 707/10, 715/531
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 for providing a specialized learning curriculum to users over a computer network. At least one server computer associated with a education content provider hosts a learning center web site that solicits and receives personal information from users relating to the users'"'"' interest preferences and demographic information. Using this information, the server computer generates a specialized learning curriculum based upon each user'"'"'s selected interests and other information. The curriculum may include articles, on-line courses, on-line workshops, interactive games and user activities, and interactive calculation tools provided by both the education content provider and third party content providers. Upon curriculum creation, the user may select content items for subsequent display and evaluation. The system also provides a variety of additional features such as an internal message service, a reminder service, a news service, and a notes service.

Claims

1. A method for interactively providing a specialized learning curriculum over a computer network comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a client computer associated with a user, personal information relating to at least one user interest;

storing said personal information on at least one server computer associated with an education content provider;

generating a specialized learning curriculum based upon said personal information; and

displaying said specialized learning curriculum to said user;

wherein said personal information includes community information generally describing the user;

wherein said personal information further includes interest topic information more specifically describing the interests of the user;

further comprising the steps of;

displaying a plurality of selectable interest topic fields to the user; and

receiving user selections of at least one of said plurality of the interest topics included in said selectable interest topic fields;

wherein the step of generating a specialized learning curriculum based upon said personal information further comprises the steps of;

determining, based upon said received community information and said selected interest topics, a preselected number of interest topics to utilize in generating said specialized learning curriculum;

identifying content elements categorized into said preselected number of interest topics;

selecting, for each of said preselected number of interest topics, a predetermined number of content elements for inclusion in said learning curriculum; and

displaying a listing of said preselected number of content elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said content elements include interactive courses and workshops, basic tutorials, articles, and interactive games, user activities and calculation tools.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of content elements includes selecting two course and workshop elements, one basic tutorial element, four article elements, and two game and tool elements.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating, based upon said community information, a priority listing of available interest topics wherein each available interest topic has a rating;

determining whether the user has selected the preselected number of interest topics;

if it is determined that the user has selected less than the preselected number of interest topics, selecting, from said priority listing, the highest rated interest topics not previously selected by the user so that a total number of interest topics selected is equal to the preselected number of interest topics; and

if it is determined that the user has selected more than the preselected number of interest topics, randomly selecting the preselected number of Interest topics from the user selected interest topics.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the preselected number of interest topics is four.

6. A method for interactively providing a specialized learning curriculum over a computer network comprising the steps of:

receiving, from a client computer associated with a user, personal information relating to at least one user interest;

storing said personal information on at least one server computer associated with an education content provider;

generating a specialized learning curriculum based upon said personal information; and

displaying said specialized learning curriculum to said user;

further comprising the steps of;

receiving a request to view a content element identified in said specialized learning curriculum;

displaying said content element to said user; and

receiving content evaluation information from the user relating to the displayed content element.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said content evaluation information includes a numerical rating.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said content elements include interactive courses and workshops, basic tutorials, articles, and interactive games, user activities and calculation tools.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said one or more instructions for selecting a predetermined number of content elements includes one or more instructions for selecting two course and workshop elements, one basic tutorial element, four article elements, and two game and tool elements.

8. A system for providing a specialized learning curriculum over a computer network, comprising:

at least one server computer associated with an education content provider; and

a plurality of client computers associated with a plurality of users, said plurality of client computers being connected to said at least one server computer over the computer network,

wherein said at least one server computer incorporates at least one server application including one or more instructions for receiving personal information relating to at least one user interest, one or more instructions for storing said personal information on said at least one server computer, one or more instructions for generating a specialized learning curriculum based upon said personal information, and one or more instructions for displaying said specialized learning curriculum to said user;

wherein said personal information includes community information generally describing the user;

wherein said personal information further includes interest topic information more specifically describing the interests of the user;

wherein said at least one server application further includes;

one or more instructions for displaying a plurality of selectable interest topic fields to the user; and

one or more instructions for receiving user selections of at least one of said plurality of the interest topics included in said selectable interest topic fields;

wherein the one or more instructions for generating a specialized learning curriculum based upon said personal information further comprises;

one or more instructions for determining, based upon said received community information and said selected interest topics, a preselected number of interest topics to utilize in generating said specialized learning curriculum;

one or more instructions for identifying content elements categorized into said preselected number of interest topics;

one or more instructions for selecting, for each of said preselected number of interest topics, a predetermined number of content elements for inclusion in said learning curriculum; and

one or more instructions for displaying a listing of said preselected number of content elements.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one server application further includes:

one or more instructions for generating, based upon said community information, a priority listing of available interest topics wherein each available interest topic has a rating;

one or more instructions for determining whether the user has selected the preselected number of interest topics;

one or more instructions for selecting, from said priority listing, the highest rated interest topics not previously selected by the user so that a total number of interest topics selected is equal to the preselected number of interest topics if it is determined that the user has selected less than the preselected number of interest topics; and

one or more Instructions for randomly selecting the preselected number of interest topics from the user selected interest topics if it is determined that the user has selected more than the preselected number of interest topics.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the preselected number of interest topics is four.

13. A system for providing a specialized learning curriculum over a computer network, comprising:

at least one server computer associated with an education content provider; and

a plurality of client computers associated with a plurality of users, said plurality of client computers being connected to said at least one server computer over the computer network,

wherein said at least one server computer incorporates at least one server application including one or more instructions for receiving personal information relating to at least one user interest, one or more instructions for storing said personal information on said at least one server computer, one or more instructions for generating a specialized learning curriculum based upon said personal information, and one or more instructions for displaying said specialized learning curriculum to said user;

wherein said at least one server application further includes;

one or more instructions for receiving a request to view a content element identified in said specialized learning curriculum;

one or more instructions for displaying said content element to said user; and

one or more instructions for receiving content evaluation information from the user relating to the displayed content element.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said content evaluation information includes a numerical rating.