Method and system for improving the quality of teaching through analysis using a virtual teaching device

• US 8,682,241 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Huerta, Juan Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zaman, Sadaruz
• Application Number:
  US12/464,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20100291528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/319, 434/320, 434350-353, 434/365, 434/367, 704/200, 704/203, 704/216, 704/231, 704/3, 704/9, 704/206, 704/237, 704/251
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A learning support method and system for a classroom includes a monitoring device configured to capture real-time participant events and stimuli in a learning environment. The participant events include classroom and collaboration-oriented input. A database is configured to store and organize a-priori skills of a typical student and a-priori knowledge a participating student. A set of cognitive model profiles are stored in system memory representing typical student behaviors and participant student behaviors with access to the captured participant events, the stimuli and the a-priori knowledge and skills. An interaction manager is configured to be responsive to the participant events and stimuli to perform interactive tasks during a class session. The interactive tasks may include posing a question, supplementing a lecture, tracking progress and rating teacher performance.

Claims

1. An analysis system for a classroom, comprising:

a monitoring device configured to capture audio events of classroom participants comprising at least one teacher participant and student participant in a learning environment;

a transcription device coupled to the monitoring device to transcribe speech dialogue of the classroom participants in the audio events;

a processing device coupled to the transcription device to identify and classify at least the transcribed speech dialogue and to define educational strategies and mechanisms selected from the group consisting of problem solving, prompting for student participant, enforcing classroom discipline and establishing educational goals, in accordance with a context of the learning environment based on at least the transcribed speech dialogue, wherein scores are computed for each of the educational strategies and mechanisms in a accordance with observed audio events and processed to decide on a preferred action in the learning environment, wherein the scores are determined based on at least one of input from the monitoring system, output of the transcription device and output of the processing device; and

a reporting mechanism configured to produce at least one annotated evaluation report based on observed data, the scores for the identified educational strategies and mechanisms to the at least one teacher participant.

2. The analysis system as recited in claim 1, wherein the report includes at least one of hyperlinks to specific classroom moments that influenced each specific score and hyperlinks to specific classroom examples from expert educators that provide examples of best practices.

3. The analysis system as recited in claim 2, wherein the report includes comparative analyses and critiques between practices of an evaluated teacher participant and the examples from expert educators.

4. The analysis system as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring system includes input from at least one of visual sensors and visual displays.

5. The analysis system as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring system includes input from classroom material including at least one of books, syllabi, smartboards and lecture notes.

6. The analysis system as recited in claim 1, wherein the transcription device detects and annotates biometric oriented signals including at least one of emotion, disposition, and interest from classroom participants.

7. A method for analyzing classroom events, comprising:

monitoring observed events including at least audio events of classroom participants comprising at least one teacher participant and student participant in a learning environment using a sensor device;

parsing and transcribing the observed events and audio events comprising speech dialogue of the classroom participants to classify the observed events, to understand their impact and to characterize the observed events and audio events;

identifying and defining educational strategies and mechanisms selected from the group consisting of problem solving, prompting for student participation, enforcing classroom discipline and establishing educational goals, in accordance with a context of the learning environment based on the observed events and audio events including speech dialogue of the classroom participants, wherein scores are computed for each of the educational strategies and mechanisms in accordance with the observed events and the transcribed speech dialogue and processed to decide on a preferred action in the learning environment; and

interacting with the classroom participants based on the scores for the identified educational strategies and mechanisms.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising reporting at least one annotated evaluation report based on observed data, and the scores for the identified educational strategies and mechanisms.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein reporting includes providing hyperlinks to at least one of specific classroom moments that influenced each specific score and specific classroom examples from expert educators that provide examples of best practices.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein reporting includes generating a report with comparative analyses and critiques between practices of an evaluated teacher participant and the examples from expert educators.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein monitoring further includes monitoring input from at least one of visual sensors and visual displays.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein monitoring further includes inputting classroom material including at least one of books, syllabi, smartboards and lecture notes.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein parsing detects and annotates biometric oriented signals including at least one of emotion, disposition, and interest from classroom participants.

14. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein parsing transcribes speech from the classroom participants.

15. A computer readable medium comprising a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of claim 7.