Techniques for intelligent network-based teaching
An e-learning system that provides a customized e-learning experience for a user. Information is received from a user identifying the user's learning objectives. Based upon the user's objectives, a study plan that is customized for the user is developed. The study plan may comprise one or more course units that the user can access through a server using a client system used by the user. User activity is monitored, including the user's activity within the e-learning system and outside the e-learning system. Information is recorded regarding the user's progress and performance. This information is used to modify the study plan, as appropriate for the user.
1. A method comprising:
storing, at a server system, curriculum information comprising information identifying a plurality of concepts and information identifying a plurality of resources;
receiving, at the server system, information gathered from a student, the information identifying a set of one or more student objectives;
determining a set of one or more concepts from the plurality of concepts based upon the set of student objectives; and
creating a study plan for the student based upon the curriculum information and the set of one or more concepts, the study plan comprising one or more course units, each course unit accessible by the student from the server using a client system coupled to the server via a communication network.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
monitoring the student's activity;
storing information indicative of the student's activity;
for each concept in the set of concepts, storing first information indicative of the student's understanding of the concept; and
updating the first information for at least one concept in the set of concepts based upon the monitored student's activity.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first information for a concept comprises rating information indicative of the student's understanding of the concept and a confidence score indicative of a degree of confidence in the rating information.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the monitoring comprises:
monitoring the student's input at the client system used by the student.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the monitoring comprises:
monitoring the student's response to at least one course unit from the study plan.
6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
modifying the study plan based upon the monitored student activity.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein modifying the study plan comprises at least one of including an additional course unit not already included in the study plan, deleting a course unit from the study plan, replacing a course in the study plan with a different course unit, or changing an order of one or more course units in the study plan.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the curriculum information comprises metatag information, the metatag information providing an association between the plurality of concepts and the plurality of resources; and
creating the study plan comprises:
determining, from the plurality of resources, a first set of one or more resources corresponding to the set of concepts using the tag information;
building the study plan based upon the first set of resources.
9. The method of claim 1 comprising:
storing rules information comprising a set of one or more rules for mapping a student objective to one or more concepts from the plurality of concepts; and
wherein determining the set of one or more concepts based upon the set of student objectives comprises using the rules information to determine the set of concepts from the plurality of concepts.
10. A method comprising:
storing curriculum information comprising information identifying a plurality of concepts and information identifying a plurality of resources;
receiving information for a student identifying a first student objective;
creating a student model for the student, the student model comprising:
information identifying a set of one or more concepts determined from the plurality of concepts based upon the first student objective;
information identifying a study plan for the student, the study plan determined based upon the curriculum information and the set of one or more concepts, the study plan comprising one or more course units, each course unit accessible by the student from a server using a client system coupled to the server via a communication network.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
monitoring the student's activity;
wherein the student model comprises:
information indicative of the student activity;
first information identifying, for each concept in the set of concepts, the student's understanding of the concept, wherein the first information is updated for at least one concept in the set of concepts based upon the information indicative of the student activity.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
providing a set of one or more tools for monitoring the student activity.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the set of tools comprises a tool for monitoring the student's input at the client system.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the set of tools comprises a tool for monitoring the student's response to at least one course unit from the study plan.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising modifying the study plan based upon the information indicative of the student activity and the first information.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein the curriculum information comprises metatag information, the metatag information providing an association between the plurality of concepts and the plurality of resources, the method further comprising:
determining, from the plurality of resources, a first set of one or more resources corresponding to the set of concepts using the tag information; and
building the study plan based upon the first set of resources.
17. The method of claim 10 comprising:
storing rules information comprising a set of one or more rules for mapping a student objective to one or more concepts from the plurality of concepts; and
wherein determining the set of one or more concepts based upon the set of student objectives comprises using the rules information to determine the set of concepts from the plurality of concepts.
18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
receiving information identifying a second student objective; and
modifying the study of plan in response to receiving the information identifying the second student objective.
19. A method comprising:
storing, at a server system, curriculum information comprising information identifying a plurality of concepts and information identifying a plurality of resources;
receiving, at the server system, information gathered from a first student, the information identifying a set of one or more first student objectives;
determining a first set of one or more concepts from the plurality of concepts based upon the set of first student objectives;
creating a first study plan for the first student based upon the curriculum information and the first set of one or more concepts, the study plan comprising one or more course units, each course unit accessible by the first student from the server using a client system coupled to the server via a communication network;
receiving, at the server system, information gathered from a second student, the information identifying a set of one or more second student objectives;
determining a second set of one or more concepts from the plurality of concepts based upon the set of second student objectives; and
creating a second study plan for the second student based upon the curriculum information and the second set of one or more concepts, wherein the second study plan is different from the first study plan.
20. The method of claim 19 comprising:
monitoring the first student activity when the first student accesses a course unit in the first study plan; and
modifying the first study plan based upon the monitored first student activity.