Language-based computer generated instructional material

• US 8,342,854 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Educate Online Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Educate Online Technology LLC
• Inventors: Parmer, Anna, Tojek, Joe, Stuppy, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US10/265,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20030049593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,738 Days
• Field of Search: 434156-157, 434/185, 434/219, 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• 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
• 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

Abstract

A learning system includes a plurality of teacher and student stations for holding one or more learning sessions between a teacher and one or more students. A server serves instructional material for creating a learning environment during the learning session, and a database stores at least one of teacher and student attributes that relate to language ability. In the present invention, the instructional material is a computer generated instructional material that is produced based on the language ability of the student or the teacher.

Claims

1. A learning system, comprising:

a plurality of teacher stations and a plurality of student stations for holding one or more interactive learning sessions on a subject between a teacher of a plurality of teachers and at least two students, wherein the teacher and the at least two of the students interact with each other using free-style handwriting via a shared electronic white board of at least one of the plurality of teacher stations and at least two of the plurality of student stations;

a database that stores at least one teacher attribute and at least one student attribute that relate to a language ability and a subject proficiency for the subject; and

a server in communication with the database that;

(i) serves computer generated instructional material relating to the subject to the at least two students through the at least two student stations, the computer generated instructional material for creating an interactive learning environment during the one or more interactive learning sessions, and wherein the computer generated instructional material is customized for the at least two students based on the language ability of each of the at least two students as determined by the server through each of the at least two student'"'"'s respective student attributes stored in the database; and

(ii) after serving the computer generated instructional material to the at least two students, selects the teacher from the plurality of teachers for the at least two students based on the language ability and the subject proficiency of each of the respective plurality of teachers teacher attributes stored in the database, wherein the teacher teaches the subject to the at least two students during the one or more interactive learning sessions in a language determined based on the language ability.

2. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the computer generated instructional material comprises at least one of instructional software, an electronic text book, a work sheet, a practice sheet, and a problem set.

3. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the computer generated instructional material comprises a test for assessing at least one skill gap.

4. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the computer generated instructional material comprises a lesson prescribed for addressing at least one skill gap.

5. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the computer generated instructional material is automatically created during an interactive practice session, while at least one other student is involved in a non-interactive learning session.

6. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the computer-generated instructional material is generated using a computer adaptive assignment process.

7. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the database comprises at least one of a central database and a distributed database.

8. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the database comprises at least one of a public school database and a private school database.

9. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the student attribute further comprises at least one of skill level, grade, ethnic background, age, language, character, past record, grade in the subject, and economic background.

10. The learning system of claim 1, wherein the teacher attribute further comprises at least one of a skill level, a subject proficiency level, an hourly rate, geography, overtime requirement, and work schedule.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer generated instructional material is transformed from a first language to a second different language based on the language ability.

12. A method for learning, comprising

holding one or more interactive learning sessions on a subject between a teacher and at least two students, wherein the teacher and at least two of the students interact with each other using free-style handwriting via a shared electronic white board of at least one of a plurality of teacher stations and at least two of a plurality of student stations;

retrieving at least one teacher attribute and at least one student attribute relating to a language ability and a subject proficiency for the subject from a database;

serving computer generated instructional material relating to the subject to the at least two students through the at least two student stations, the computer generated instructional material for creating an interactive learning environment during the one or more interactive learning sessions, and wherein the computer generated instructional material is customized for the at least two students based on the language ability of each of the at least two students as determined by a server through each of the at least two student'"'"'s respective student attributes stored in the database; and

after serving the computer generated instructional material to the at least two students, selecting the teacher from a plurality of teachers for the at least two students based on the language ability and the subject proficiency of each of the respective plurality of teachers teacher attributes stored in the database, wherein the teacher teaches the subject to the at least two students in a language determined based on the language ability.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one student attribute relating to the language ability of the student is retrieved from a database that comprises at least one of a central database and a distributed database.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the database comprises at least one of a public school database and a private school database.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the computer generated instructional material is transformed from a first language to a second different language based on the language ability.