System and method for interactive reading and language instruction

• US 7,270,546 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fairweather, Peter Gustav, Nix, Don Holmes, Adams, Hugh Williams Jr., Das, Subrata Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): RIMELL, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US09/421,139
• Time in Patent Office: 2,891 Days
• Field of Search: 707/255, 707/270, 707/104.1, 707/100, 434/178, 434/179, 434/180, 434/185
• US Class Current: 434/178
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A reading or language interactive system which utilizes a mechanism to permit a computer-based instruction program in reading or language instruction to implement a shared reading program, wherein portions of the text are read by the student and portions by the computer itself. The proportion of the text “read” by each participant and the pace at which the lesson progresses can each be automatically altered based upon the proficiency of the student. In addition, the system utilizes a computer instructor to share the task of reading or language learning by modeling the task for the learner, variably controlling the amount of material that the student reads aloud based upon a computer assessment of the student'"'"'s ability, helping the learner navigate through the instructional application, and participating in a joint performance that demonstrates the student'"'"'s reading.

Claims

1. A computer-based learning system for providing an interactive lesson between the computer and a student user comprising:

user input means including at least audio input means for delivering audible user responses to said system and speech recognition means associated with said audio input means;

user interface means including at least audio output means;

program controller means for dynamically generating said interactive lesson; and

a plurality of databases for access by said program controller means in interpreting user responses input to said user input means including at least one lesson database and at least one lesson-based speech interpretation database; and

further comprising at least one database of acoustic information for use by said speech recognition means in interpreting student responses.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said database of acoustic information comprises acoustic information relating to speech by a specific class of students.

3. A computer-based learning system for providing an interactive lesson between the computer and a student user comprising:

user input means including at least audio input means for delivering audible user responses to said system and speech recognition means associated with said audio input means;

user interface means including at least audio output means;

program controller means for dynamically generating said interactive lesson; and

a plurality of databases for access by said program controller means in interpreting user responses input to said user input means including at least one lesson database and at least one lesson-based speech interpretation database;

wherein said program controller is adapted to continually monitor student progress based on said student responses.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said program controller is further adapted to generate student progress information based on said monitoring;

and further comprising at least one storage location for storing said student progress information.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said program controller is adapted to alter the level of interaction of the student with said lesson based upon said monitoring.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said program controller is additionally adapted to generate at least audio output based on said monitoring.

7. A computer-based learning system for providing an interactive lesson between the computer and a student user comprising:

user input means including at least audio input means for delivering audible user responses to said system and speech recognition means associated with said audio input means;

user interface means including at least audio output means;

program controller means for dynamically generating said interactive lesson; and

a plurality of databases for access by said program controller means including at least one lesson database and at least one lesson storage database for storing the interactively generated lesson,

wherein said program controller is adapted to continually monitor student progress based on said student responses.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said program controller is further adapted to generate student progress information based on said monitoring;

and further comprising at least one storage location for storing said student progress information.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said program controller is adapted to alter the level of interaction of the student with said lesson based upon said monitoring.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said program controller is additionally adapted to generate at least audio output based on said monitoring.

11. A computer-based learning system for providing an interactive lesson between the computer and a student user comprising:

user input means including at least audio input means for delivering audible user responses to said system and speech recognition means associated with said audio input means;

user interface means including at least audio output means;

program controller means for dynamically generating said interactive lesson; and

a plurality of databases for access by said program controller means in interpreting user responses input to said user input means including at least one lesson database, a plurality of lesson-based speech interpretation databases at least comprising one database of anticipated incorrect student responses and one database comprising the set of all possible combinations of correct student responses; and

at least one database of acoustic information for use by said speech recognition means in interpreting student responses.

12. The system of claim 11 further including at least one lesson storage database for storing the interactively generated lesson.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said program controller is adapted to continually monitor student progress based on said student responses, to generate student progress information based on said monitoring;

and to alter the level of interaction of the student with said lesson based upon said monitoring.

14. A method for providing an interactive language lesson between a student user and a computer having at least a program controller, speech recognition means, at least one first database for storing said lesson and at least one second database for storing lesson-based speech interpretation information, user input means for providing responses from said student user, and output means for providing information relating to said lesson to said user, comprising program controller steps of:

determining an interaction level for said student user; and

dynamically generating said interactive language lesson by;

retrieving lesson information appropriate to said interaction level from said at least one first database and lesson-based speech interpretation information corresponding to said lesson information from said at least one second database;

providing lesson information to said user at said output means;

providing lesson-based speech recognition information to said speech recognition means;

prompting said student user to provide responses at said user input means;

receiving student responses from said user input means;

interpreting said student responses at said speech recognition means; and

generating an output based upon said interpreting of said student responses; and

further comprising said program controller continually monitoring student progress based on said interpreting of said student responses.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said program controller is further adapted to generate student progress information based on said monitoring.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising said program controller altering the prompting of said student based upon said monitoring.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising said program controller generating at least audio output based on said monitoring.

18. A computer-based learning system for providing an interactive lesson between the computer and a student user comprising:

user input means including at least audio input means for delivering audible user responses to said system and speech recognition means associated with said audio input means;

user interface means including at least audio output means;

program controller means for dynamically generating said interactive lesson; and

a plurality of databases for access by said program controller means in interpreting user responses input to said user input means including at least one lesson database and at least one lesson-based speech interpretation database,

wherein said plurality of databases includes a session database for maintaining user session information; and

wherein said program controller is adapted to replay segments of a user session based on input from said session database.

19. A computer-based learning system for providing an interactive lesson between the computer and a student user comprising:

user input means including at least audio input means for delivering audible user responses to said system and speech recognition means associated with said audio input means;

user interface means including at least audio output means;

program controller means for dynamically generating said interactive lesson; and

a plurality of databases for access by said program controller means in interpreting user responses input to said user input means including at least one lesson database and at least one lesson-based speech interpretation database,

wherein said plurality of databases includes a session database for maintaining user session information; and

wherein said program controller receives input from said session database for establishing a starting point for said interactive lesson based on said user session information.

20. A computer-based learning system for providing an interactive lesson between the computer and a student user comprising:

user input means including at least audio input means for delivering audible user responses to said system and speech recognition means associated with said audio input means;

user interface means including at least audio output means;

program controller means for dynamically generating said interactive lesson; and

a plurality of databases for access by said program controller means in interpreting user responses input to said user input means including at least one lesson database and at least one lesson-based speech interpretation database,

wherein said plurality of databases includes at least one text power set database for use by said speech recognition means for interpreting user input.