Interactive education system

Abstract

An interactive educational system simultaneously provides educational materials to multiple users. The educational system tests and records each user's demonstrated comprehension of the materials provided. The server-based system can provide materials that are data, video data, or audio data. The user may input video, audio or other data. Each user can randomly access the precise location of the educational materials or portion thereof to be presented to the user.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of and claims benefit to U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 056,872 filed Jan. 25, 2002.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to an interactive education system. In particular, the present invention relates to an interactive education system which may include a library of multimedia and interactive programming materials randomly accessed by multiple sites simultaneously and over different types of communication channels. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Education systems which do not require a classroom teacher or instructor are well-known. For example, one type of such an education system involves the use of videotape for presenting educational information over television monitors to multiple locations. Many drawbacks exist, however, with respect to the use of such videotape technology as an educational tool. For instance, students cannot interact with a video tape presentat...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] In accordance with the exemplary embodiment, the interactive educational system may further include multiple user terminals each of which provide random access to the educational materials. The educational materials are stored by the server, and each of the multiple users may access the precise location for materials which the particular user desires to use or be presented. The server prompts each of the separate users to demonstrate their comprehension of the educational materials used by that user or student, and the server evaluates the correctness of each user's responses and re-presents relevant portions of the educational materials to that user when that user fails to demonstrate adequate comprehension of the educational materials. In the exemplary embodiment, the server includes writeable / rewriteable memory, wherein each of the users' responses are recorded in the writeable / rewriteable memory.

Problems solved by technology

Many drawbacks exist, however, with respect to the use of such videotape technology as an educational tool.

In addition, videotape viewed over a communications channel and played from a remote site to multiple, simultaneous students or users cannot be randomly accessed by individual students.

Other problems with videotape systems include the lack of immediate feedback to the user.

In other words, videotape systems cannot provide a means to test the user and provide instantaneous feedback or provide response-dependent reinforcement of the subject material.

Videotape systems also suffer from the requirement that, to be sent over certain communications channels such as Local Area Networks (LANs), the videotape signal must first be converted to a digital signal.

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