Computer-implemented method, system and program product for providing an educational program

• US 9,472,114 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Morariu, Janis A., Stapel, Steven W., Straach, Janell, Wright, Elizabeth E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Utama, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US10/873,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20050282136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,501 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/322, 434/118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

Under the present invention a plurality of learning objects for an educational program are provided. Based on the selections, a solution scenario having contextual data for interrelating the plurality of learning objects is developed, and is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects. Using the solution scenario, the plurality of learning objects are aggregated to form the educational program.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing an educational program in an educational content design and distribution environment, comprising:

providing, on a computer device, a plurality of learning objects, each learning objects in the plurality of learning objects having educational content used to educate an intended recipient, the plurality of learning objects being stored in a content repository having a plurality of blocks in a row-column matrix arranged according to a set of proficiency levels and a set of delivery strategies;

developing, using the computer device, a solution scenario that defines a framework, independent of the plurality of learning objects, for an entirety of the educational program by indicating an order of each of the plurality of learning objects and any relationships between individual ones of the plurality learning objects by way of contextual data, the contextual data including informational content that adapts a first learning object of the plurality of learning objects and a second learning object of the plurality of learning objects for specific use with one another within the educational program, wherein the solution scenario is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects;

aggregating, with the computer device, the plurality of learning objects using the solution scenario to yield the educational program;

developing, using the computer device, a second solution scenario having the first learning object and a third learning object but not the second learning object and having different contextual data that adapts the first learning object and the third learning object for specific use with one another, wherein the solution scenario is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects;

aggregating, with the computer device, the plurality of learning objects using the second solution scenario to yield a second educational program; and

outputting, from the computer device, results from the aggregating.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the plurality of learning objects and the solution scenario.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a plurality of learning objects comprises:

providing a design repository having a plurality of blocks arranged according to a set of proficiency levels and a set of delivery strategies, each block in the design repository being directly associated with a similarly situated block in the content repository, wherein each of the plurality of blocks provides a unique framework for developing educational content;

assessing a set of requirements for the educational program; and

selecting from the plurality of blocks based on the assessment of the educational requirements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of delivery strategies comprises informative, interactive, collaborative and co-located.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of proficiency levels comprises awareness, conceptual, functional, competent and expert.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the framework within each of the plurality of blocks comprises at least one of templates, patterns, tools and practice examples for developing the educational content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing a solution scenario comprises:

identifying contextual data having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of learning objects;

classifying the contextual data based upon the relationship; and

storing the contextual data in the solution scenario.

8. A computerized system for providing an educational program in an educational content design and distribution environment, comprising at least one computer device that performs a method, comprising:

providing a plurality of learning objects, each learning object in the plurality of learning objects having educational content used to educate an intended recipient, the plurality of learning objects being stored in a content repository having a plurality of blocks in a row-column matrix arranged according to a set of proficiency levels and a set of delivery strategies;

developing a solution scenario that defines a framework, independent of the plurality of learning objects, for an entirely of the educational program by indicating an order of each of the plurality of learning objects within the educational program and any relationships between individual ones of the plurality learning objects by way of contextual data, the contextual data including informational content that adapts a first learning object of the plurality of learning objects and a second learning object of the plurality of learning objects for specific use with one another within the educational program, wherein the solution scenario is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects;

developing, using the computer device, a second solution scenario having the first learning object and a third learning object but not the second learning object and having different contextual data that adapts the first learning object and the third learning object for specific use with one another, wherein the solution scenario is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects;

aggregating, with the computer device, the plurality of learning objects using the second solution scenario to yield a second educational program; and

outputting results from the aggregating.

9. The system of claim 8, the method further comprising separately storing the plurality of learning objects and the solution scenario.

10. The system of claim 8, the method further comprising assessing a set of requirements for the educational program, and selecting from a plurality of blocks of a design repository based on the assessment of the educational requirements, wherein each of the plurality of blocks provides a framework for developing educational content.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the framework within each of the plurality of blocks comprises at least one of templates, patterns, tools and practice examples for developing the educational content.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of blocks are arranged in the design repository according to a set of set of proficiency levels and a set of delivery strategies.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of delivery strategies comprises informative, interactive, collaborative and co-located.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of proficiency levels comprises awareness, conceptual, functional, competent and expert.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the process of developing the solution scenario identifies contextual data having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of learning objects, classifies the contextual data based upon the relationship, and stores the contextual data in the solution scenario.

16. A program product stored on a computer readable device for providing an educational program in an educational content design and distribution environment, which when executed, performs a method, comprising:

providing a plurality of learning objects, each learning object in the plurality of learning objects having educational content used to educate an intended recipient, the plurality of learning objects being stored in a content repository having a plurality of blocks in a row-column matrix arranged according to a set of proficiency levels and a set of delivery strategies;

developing a solution scenario that defines a framework, independent of the plurality of learning objects, for an entirety of the educational program by indicating an order of each of the plurality of learning objects within the educational program and any relationship between individual ones of the plurality learning objects by way of contextual data, the contextual data including informational content that adapts a first learning object of the plurality of learning objects and a second learning object of the plurality of learning objects for specific use with one another within the educational program, wherein the solution scenario is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects aggregating the plurality of learning objects using the solution scenario to yield the educational program;

developing, using the computer device, a second solution scenario having the first learning object and a third learning object but not the second learning object and having different contextual data that adapts the first learning object and the third learning object for specific use with one another, wherein the solution scenario is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects;

aggregating, with the computer device, the plurality of learning objects using the second solution scenario to yield a second educational program; and

outputting results from the aggregating.

17. The program product of claim 16, the method further comprising separately storing the plurality of learning objects and the solution scenario.

18. The program product of claim 16, the method further comprising assessing a set of requirements for the educational program, and for selecting from a plurality of blocks of a design repository based on the assessment of the educational requirements, wherein each of the plurality of blocks provides a framework for developing educational content.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein the framework within each of the plurality of blocks comprises at least one of templates, patterns, tools and practice examples for developing the educational content.

20. The program product of claim 18, wherein the plurality of blocks are arranged in the design repository according to a set of set of proficiency levels and a set of delivery strategies.

21. The program product of claim 20, wherein the set of delivery strategies comprises informative, interactive, collaborative and co-located.

22. The program product of claim 20, wherein the set of proficiency levels comprises awareness, conceptual, functional, competent and expert.

23. The program product of claim 16, wherein the program code for providing the solution scenario identifies contextual data having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of learning objects, classifies the contextual data based upon the relationship, and stores the contextual data in the solution scenario.

24. A system for deploying an educational program application in an educational content design and distribution environment, comprising:

a computer infrastructure being operable to;

provide a plurality of learning objects, each learning object in the plurality of learning objects having educational content used to educate an intended recipient, the plurality of learning objects being stored in a content repository having a plurality of blocks in a row-column matrix arranged according to a set of proficiency levels and a set of delivery strategies;

develop a solution scenario that defines a framework, independent of the plurality of learning objects, for an entirety of the educational program by indicating an order of each of the plurality of learning objects within the educational program and any relationship between individual ones of the plurality learning objects by way of contextual data, the contextual data including informational content that adapts a first learning object of the plurality of learning objects and a second learning object of the plurality of learning objects for specific use with one another within the educational program, wherein the solution scenario is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects;

aggregate the plurality of learning objects using the solution scenario to yield the educational program;

develop, using the computer device, a second solution scenario having the first learning object and a third learning object but not the second learning object and having different contextual data that adapts the first learning object and the third learning object for specific use with one another, wherein the solution scenario is maintained separately from each of the plurality of learning objects;

aggregate, with the computer device, the plurality of learning objects using the second solution scenario to yield a second educational program; and

output results from the aggregating.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to separately store the plurality of learning objects and the solution scenario.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to provide the plurality of learning objects by:

providing a design repository having a plurality of blocks arranged according to a set of proficiency levels and a set of delivery strategies, wherein each of the plurality of blocks provides a framework for developing educational content;

assessing a set of requirements for the educational program; and

selecting from plurality of blocks based on the assessment of the educational requirements.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the set of delivery strategies comprises informative, interactive, collaborative and co-located.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the set of proficiency levels comprises awareness, conceptual, functional, competent and expert.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the framework within each of the plurality of blocks comprises at least one of templates, patterns, tools and practice examples for developing the educational content.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein computer infrastructure provides the solution scenario by:

identifying contextual data having a relationship to at least one of the plurality of learning objects;

classifying the contextual data based upon the relationship; and

storing the contextual data in the solution scenario.