Custom electronic learning system and method

• US 7,590,604 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thinkclear, Inc. (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Thinkclear, Inc. (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Geoghegan, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes; Michael B
• Application Number:
  US11/567,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 706/16
• US Class Current: 706/16
• 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 generating a custom learning object. The system and method generate the custom learning object based on a knowledge object and a set of user characteristics for a user. In one embodiment, the knowledge object is converted to a set of knowledge atoms. Each knowledge atom is then mapped to a container defining an output format. One or more containers are combined to define the custom learning object.

Claims

1. A custom electronic learning system, comprising:

at least one computing device including;

a system for converting a knowledge object stored in at least one electronic file in the at least one computing device into a set of knowledge atoms stored in a tree structure in the at least one computing device, each knowledge atom representing an elementary piece of information that is contained in the knowledge object; and

a system for generating an electronic learning object stored in at least one electronic file for presentation to a user based on a set of user characteristics for the user and the set of knowledge atoms, each user characteristic comprising information associated with the user that affects at least one of;

a format or a display of the custom electronic learning object for the user.

2. The system of claim 1, the knowledge object comprising at least one of:

a word processing document, a web page, a spreadsheet, a presentation, an e-mail, a chart, an image, an audio file, or a video.

3. The system of claim 1, each knowledge atom including:

learning data; and

a type attribute describing the learning data.

4. The system of claim 3, each knowledge atom further including a level attribute representing a level of detail for the learning data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system for converting generates a tree structure based on the knowledge object, the tree structure including the set of knowledge atoms.

6. The system of claim 1, the at least one computing device further including a system for obtaining the set of user characteristics.

7. The system of claim 6, the system for obtaining defining at least one of the set of user characteristics based on a test taken by the user.

8. The system of claim 6, the system for obtaining defining at least one of the set of user characteristics based on a group for the user.

9. The system of claim 7, the at least one computing device further including a system for presenting the electronic learning object to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, the set of user characteristics including a level of detail, the system for presenting including a system for dynamically changing the level of detail.

11. A computerized method of generating a custom electronic learning object, the method comprising:

converting a knowledge object stored in at least one electronic file in at least one computing device into a set of knowledge atoms stored in a tree structure in the at least one computing device, each knowledge atom representing an elementary piece of information that is contained in the knowledge object;

generating the custom electronic learning object stored in at least one electronic file for presentation to a user based on a set of user characteristics for the user and the set of knowledge atoms, each user characteristic comprising information associated with the user that affects at least one of;

a format or a display of the custom electronic learning object for the user; and

providing the custom electronic learning object for presentation to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining the set of user characteristics.

13. The method of claim 12, the obtaining including defining at least one of the set of user characteristics based on a test taken by the user.

14. The method of claim 12, the obtaining including defining at least one of the set of user characteristics based on a group for the user.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting the electronic learning object to the user.

16. A computer program comprising program code stored on a computer-readable storage medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method of generating a custom electronic learning object, the method comprising:

converting a knowledge object stored in at least one electronic file into a set of knowledge atoms stored in a tree structure, each knowledge atom representing an elementary piece of information that is contained in the knowledge object; and

generating the custom electronic learning object stored in at least one electronic file for presentation to a user based on a set of user characteristics for the user and the set of knowledge atoms, each user characteristic comprising information associated with the user that affects at least one of;

a format or a display of the custom electronic learning object for the user.

17. The computer program of claim 16, the knowledge object comprising at least one of:

a word processing document, a web page, a spreadsheet, a presentation, an e-mail, a chart, an image, an audio file, or a video.

18. The computer program of claim 16, the custom electronic learning object including at least one of:

an audio file or a streaming video.

19. The computer program of claim 16, the method further comprising obtaining the set of user characteristics.

20. The computer program of claim 16, the method further comprising presenting the electronic learning object to the user.