Online educational software

• US 8,112,497 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Social IT Pty. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Social IT Pty. Ltd.
• Inventors: Gougousis, Kanella, McNamara, Michelle, Sabbagh-Jafari, Seyed Mojtaba
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US13/152,392
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/225, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of educating a user about the use of a website. The method includes the step of obtaining interactive web content from the website, and displaying the interactive web content to the user, along with information educating the user about how to interact with the website. The method then further includes receiving user input for a user interaction with the web content. The user interaction is assessed, to determine if it is in accordance with the information presented to the user. If so, the interaction is transmitted to the website. The present invention has particular application to social networking websites, and educating a user about behavioral and ethical issues associated with social networking online.

Claims

1. A method for educating a user about the use of an independent website, comprising:

obtaining, via a computer network, interactive web content from the website;

displaying, to the user, the interactive web content and information to educate the user about how to interact with the web content;

receiving user input for a user interaction with the interactive web content; and

assessing the user interaction, prior to transmission of the user interaction to the website, to determine whether the user interaction was in accordance with the information displayed to the user; and

sending the user interaction to the website if the user interaction was in accordance with the information displayed to the user, or not sending the user interaction to the website if the user interaction was not in accordance with the information displayed to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the preceding step of causing the website to create the interactive web content, and wherein the interactive web content relates to an interaction between a profile of the user on the website, and a further profile of another member of the website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the website is a social networking website, and the information relates to user behavior on the social networking website.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is displayed using a video narrator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the interactive content is associated with an educational module, and if the user interaction is in accordance with the information displayed to the user, the educational module is passed, allowing the user to attempt one or more subsequent educational modules.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium, encoded with data representing a computer program, for directing a programmable device to perform the method of claim 1.

7. A method of educating a user about the use of an independent website, comprising:

transmitting instructions over a computer network, to a server, instructing the server to perform the method of claim 1; and

receiving display instructions from the server, the display instructions detailing information and content to display to the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interaction is a valid interaction permissible by the website, but is assessed as being not in accordance with the information displayed to the user.

8. A computing device for educating a user about the use of an independent website, comprising:

a memory;

a network interface; and

one or more processors connected to the memory, and configured to;

obtain, via the network interface, interactive web content from the website;

provide display data, for displaying to the user, the interactive web content, and information educating the user about how to interact with the web content;

receive user input for a user interaction with the interactive web content; and

assess the user interaction, prior to transmission of the user interaction to the website, to determine whether the user interaction was in accordance with the information displayed to the user;

wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to send the user interaction to the website if the user interaction was in accordance with the information displayed to the user;

and wherein the one or more processors are further adapted not to send the user interaction to the website if the user interaction was not in accordance with the information displayed to the user.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to cause the website to create the interactive web content, and wherein the interactive web content relates to an interaction between a profile of the user on the website, and a further profile of another member of the website.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the website is a social networking website, and the information relates to user behavior on the social networking website.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the information is displayed using a video narrator.

12. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising a display device in communication with the one or more processors, to display the display data to the user.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

15. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the user interaction is a valid interaction permissible by the website, but is assessed as being not in accordance with the information displayed to the user.