Claims:We Claim:
1. A method for providing data to a web browser, comprising the steps of:
a. generating the data
b. determining the data
c. identifying the data
d. formatting the data
e. transmitting the data
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchange of course content and related information between non-collocated instructor users and student or trainee users.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the course files including course lectures, textbooks, literature, and other course materials, receive student questions and input, and conduct participatory class discussions using an electronic network
, Description:Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for the exchange of information between instructors and students in an educational context.
Background of the Invention
The advent of networked computers and communications has afforded a partial solution to these limitations. In particular, the widespread use and availability of electronic networks such as the Internet and the WWW have made it possible for students and educators to overcome geographic dispersion and physical location as a barrier to education or training. Using this electronic medium, students and instructors are able to exchange information including live or transcribed classroom lectures, homework assignments, texts and materials, grading, live or transcribed question and answer interaction sessions, and other related information to affect a traditional learning or educational experience regardless of physical location.
However, electronic networks, including the Internet, are complex technological systems requiring the user to have or acquire specialized knowledge in order to use them effectively. Even graphical user interfaces (GUIs) designed to enhance simplicity of use, such as that provided by the WWW, may require specialized knowledge of network terminology and technical aspects. For example, an Internet user's ability to access information using that medium is significantly reduced if the user lacks understanding of how to use Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to navigate web pages. Slow adoption of new technology and lack of technological sophistication have a chilling effect on the widespread use of the medium in general. Applied specifically in an educational context, these chilling factors apply to instructors who, while possessing high expertise in their respective intellectual or educational fields, would be required to further attain technological knowledge necessary to effectively use the Internet to educate non-collocated students.
Furthermore, the complexity of using the Internet for educational purposes is compounded as the number of user choices required at the user interface increases because not only must the instructor and students acquire technological competency in the use of the medium, but they must in addition understand the presentation and consequences of large number of choices required by a particular user interface such as a web page. The design of the user interface, therefore, can be critical in enabling widespread use of the medium in an educational context. Solutions other than the present invention may be characterized as having relatively complicated and confusing user interfaces. Users, including students and instructors, of these other solutions are confronted with one or more web pages that typically require the user to review and select a subsequent web page or function from among a large array of potential user choices, thereby complicating the user's task of interacting with the system. Current educational and company-based systems have difficulty being provided in various languages. Typically, in order to obtain a system that will be presented in a different language, it is necessary to take the system as created in a native language and translate it in its entirety to be presented in the second language. Current-day systems are not particularly adaptable to be rapidly changed from one language to another with little effort without the need to separately translate the system.
The present invention overcomes the problems of conventional system to provide a system that is user friendly and easy to use through a user interface.
Object of the Invention
The object of the present invention to provide a system and methods that allow users to interact with a computer network-based education support system through means of a simplified, easy-to-use user interface.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a system and methods that can accommodate a variety of diverse teaching modes without requiring substantial modifications to the system.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention also includes a method for providing on-line education that further may include the steps of establishing a course to be offered on-line, offering the course to be taken on-line to a group of student users, and providing access over the network to the course files to student users who have enrolled in the course. The establishment of the course includes an instructor user generating a set of course files for use in teaching the course, then transferring the course files to a server computer for storage. The stored files will be accessible by a predefined community of student users having access to the server computer over a network.
Preferably, at least one of the course files may include a course assignment. The student user creates a student file in response to the course assignment and transfers the student file to the server computer. The instructor user accesses the student file from the server computer, reviews the student file to determine compliance with the course assignment, and assigns a grade to the student file as a function of the determination of compliance with the course assignment. The instructor user also may post the grade to a file on the server computer accessible only by the student user with which the grade is associated. The instructor user may repeat this process for a number of student users that are enrolled in a course, and then perform a statistical analysis on the grades assigned to the student users. The results of the statistical analysis may be made available to the student users enrolled in the course.
An asynchronous communication tool accessible to student users enrolled in the course may be provided for enabling asynchronous communication amongst the student users. Likewise, a synchronous communication tool accessible to student users enrolled in the course may be provided for enabling synchronous communication amongst the student users.
The present invention also provides a flexible infrastructure for colleges, universities, and other institutions desiring to facilitate on-line registration and tuition payment. Further, the present invention can accommodate different billing methods, including, but not limited to, billing on a per-credit-hour basis, and billing on a per registrant basis. Tuition may be paid by credit card, debit card, check, or other verifiable payment method. Payment verification may be performed by the present invention, or the present invention may interface with third parties providing payment verification services. In addition, the present invention allows on-line billing information to easily interface with a college, university, or other institution's standard billing practices. Integrating with existing billing practices simplifies transition to automated systems.
The present invention may be configured as an open system to which anyone can connect to a server over the Internet or WWW and create a course on-line that may be taken by anyone else connected over the network. Thus, anyone may create a virtual classroom available to anyone else, regardless of whether they are affiliated with an institution. For example, a lawyer may create a course in patent law on-line and configure the system to require entry of a password to enroll. The lawyer may then disseminate the passwords to students who desire to enroll in the course. Alternately, the lawyer can request the system to require payment to enroll in the course, such as by credit card.
In an embodiment of the invention, the system is capable of storing and displaying multiple locales, including a locale precedence that permits the locale to be displayed in a hierarchy. The present invention can display course materials in a specific locale, for example, to teach a foreign language course and/or to teach a course in a foreign language. Similarly, the present invention can be used to serve organizations that have a diverse user population that require courses in multiple locales.
In another embodiment of the invention, the system can be operated to use and display information in multiple languages and even display content at different locations of a web page in different languages.
The system and method of the present invention will be described in further detail in the remainder of the specification, including the claims, referring to the attached drawings.
Brief description of Drawings:
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary high-level diagram of the system architecture, indicating a logical relationship between various system components.
Detailed Description of Invention:
Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a system and methods for the exchange of course content and related information between non-collocated instructor users and student or trainee users. An instructor user, interacts with one or more non-collocated student or trainee users, by using the system and methods of the present invention to, without limitation, transmit course files including course lectures, textbooks, literature, and other course materials, receive student questions and input, and conduct participatory class discussions using an electronic network such as a LAN, a MAN, a WAN, the Internet and/or the WWW, of which is representative. Access to the course file is controlled by access levels assigned to system users and control logic, which helps ensure the integrity and security of the system. Also, administrator users, such as at have access to the system to perform administrative tasks as defined herein. Web resources connect to the system to provide additional services and or functionality. Finally, system server also connects to the network. A system user may have multiple access levels. Here, the user is an instructor/student a further detailed view and shows an exemplary component architecture that (i) indicates logical relationships between various components, and (ii) can be used to implement multiple locales in a web-based implementation. These tiers are user interface tier, platform tier, and data tier. Other numbers of tiers can also be used and are encompassed within the scope of the present invention. User interface tier includes components from an end user perspective. They may be used, for example, for a user to logon to server and conduct subsequent interactions. User interface tier will permit the system user to access, interact with, and retrieve information. For example, user interface layer can generally be used to create, revise, and/or delete content from system. At user interface layer, system can generate, access, retrieve and/or receive hypertext mark-up language (HTML) pages, optionally in an extensible mark-up language (XML) environment. Applets can be used in a conventional manner to enhance browser functionality. Portal unit can utilize portal classes, for example, to render and/or aggregate the actual data displayed on portal pages.