System and method for hybrid course instruction

• US 9,466,222 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Learning Box LLC
• Original Assignee: The Learning Box LLC
• Inventors: Laine, Kendall, O'Neal, Dave, Haden, Beth, Nylund, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/730,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20150269858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• 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 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/10 all student stations being capable of presenting the same information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence
• 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: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

Systems and methods related to providing an electronic presentation to both in-class attendees and remotely located out-of-class attendees, in which video and audio associated with the presentation is provided to the remote attendees, and out-of-class programmable systems are programmed to execute an educational exercise associated with the presentation and be remotely operated by the remote attendees.

Claims

1. A method of providing an electronic presentation comprising:

providing a presentation control interface on a console programmable computer, the presentation control interface directing visual content to a presentation display for viewing by a plurality of in-class participants;

capturing video data of a presenter by a camera;

capturing audio data of the presenter by a microphone;

receiving video data from the camera, audio data from the microphone, and the visual content displayed on the presentation display;

encoding the video data, audio data, and visual content as outgoing data;

transmitting the outgoing data to a plurality of remote attendee systems via a network;

receiving incoming data from the plurality of remote attendee systems via the network;

in response to the incoming data, outputting audio via a speaker;

executing an educational exercise in a software learning environment on an in-class programmable system, the in-class programmable system located in a classroom and having a display and input device for operation by one of the plurality of in-class participants;

executing the educational exercise in the software learning environment on an out-of-class programmable system, the out-of-class programmable system located in same classroom and having a display, wherein the out-of-class programmable system is operated by one of the plurality of remote attendee systems via the network,

wherein the executing comprises;

sending the educational exercise to the software learning environment via a respective in-class or out-of-class programmable system, and

allowing the educational exercise to be performed by the one or more respective in-class participants or remote attendee systems.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exchanging data by a connection server with the plurality of remote attendee systems over the network; and

compressing high bandwidth video data into low bandwidth video data for transmission over the network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

executing demonstrations by the presenter using a demonstration computer to remote attendee systems; and

controlling a demonstration window on remote attendee systems.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing a user interface for displaying the presentation display to remote attendee systems;

providing a chat interface in the user interface;

accepting annotations of presentation materials; and

displaying the annotations in the presentation display.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the demonstration computer is configured to display output of at least one of the out-of-class programmable systems to observe use of the out-of-class programmable systems by remote attendee systems.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by a breakout programmable computer, a virtual whiteboard on a breakout display for displaying inputs entered via a breakout input device,

receiving breakout video data from a breakout camera and breakout audio data from a breakout microphone,

encoding the breakout video data and breakout audio data into outgoing breakout data,

transmitting the outgoing breakout data to a subset of the plurality of remote attendee systems via the network,

transmitting inputs entered via a breakout input device to the subset of the plurality of remote attendee systems,

receiving encoded audio data from a remote attendee system included in the subset of the plurality of remote attendee systems, and

outputting the received audio data via a breakout speaker.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the breakout programmable computer is configured to allow remote access by the presenter for the purpose of assisting with or reviewing the progress of a breakout session.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the breakout programmable computer is configured to display a breakout interface on the breakout display for a breakout session, and the breakout interface is displayed on the subset of remote attendee systems participating in the breakout session.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing an option to a remote attendee system to switch between the breakout session and a main presentation session when the breakout session is taking place.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a result of the educational exercise to the presenter by the out-of-class programmable system display to observe use of the out-of-class programmable systems by remote attendee systems.