Automatic determination of user alignments and recommendations for electronic resources

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, using one or more computing devices, a performance level for each of two or more users of an educational platform, the performance level for each user of the two or more users reflecting how the user is performing in a capacity relative to a predetermined standard;

determining, the one or more computing devices, an alignment between the two or more users based on the performance level of each of the two or more users;

defining, using the one or more computing devices, a social graph connection between the two or more users in a social graph of the educational platform, the social graph connection reflecting the alignment of the two or more users based on the performance level of each of the two or more users;

determining, using the one or more computing devices, an electronic training resource using data showing the electronic training resource has previously been effective at providing instruction related to the predetermined standard; and

facilitating, using the one or more computing devices, collaboration on the electronic training resource between the two or more users aligned by the social graph connection on the educational platform to help at least one user of the two or more users develop relative to the predetermined standard.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the alignment between the two or more users includes:

identifying a first user having a performance level that does not satisfy a first criterion; and

identifying, as a mentor for the first user, a second user having a performance level satisfying a second criterion, wherein the first criterion and the second criterion are one of a same criterion or a different criterion.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the alignment between the two or more users includes:

identifying, as a learning community, three or more users of the educational platform based on the performance level of each of the three or more users and an attribute common or compatible between the three or more users.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising:

prior to the defining of the social graph connection between the two or more users in the social graph of the educational platform, generating, using the one or more computing devices, a recommendation recommending the social graph connection;

providing, using the one or more computing devices, the recommendation to a user for presentation; and

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, a recommendation response from the user responsive to the providing of the recommendation, the social graph connection being defined responsive to the receiving of the recommendation response.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , comprising:

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, a digital video of the mentor demonstrating a best practice related to the predetermined standard, wherein the electronic training resource includes the digital video and the facilitating of the collaboration on the electronic training resource includes facilitating communication between the mentor and the first user about the best practice demonstrated by the digital video.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising:

aggregating, using the one or more computing devices, data including one or more of achievement data, profile data, demographics data, standards data, and assessment data, wherein the performance level for each of the two or more users is determined based at least in part on the data.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the electronic training resource further comprises:

analyzing interaction data to determine the electronic training resource as having been interacted with by a set of users of the electronic platform;

calculating a performance trend for the set of users based on one or more of assessment data and achievement data associated with the set of users, the performance trend showing an improvement relative to the predetermined standard and the set of users connected to at least one of the two or more users in the social graph based on a commonality; and

determining the electronic training resource to be effective at providing the instruction related to the predetermined standard based on the performance trend for the set of users.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium including instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

determine a performance level for each of two or more users of an educational platform, the performance level for each user of the two or more users reflecting how the user is performing in a capacity relative to a predetermined standard;

determine an alignment between the two or more users of the educational platform based on the performance level of each of the two or more users;

define a social graph connection between the two or more users in a social graph of the educational platform, the social graph connection reflecting the alignment of the two or more users based on the performance level of each of the two or more users;

determine an electronic training resource using data showing the electronic training resource has previously been effective at providing instruction related to the predetermined standard; and

facilitate collaboration on the electronic training resource between the two or more users aligned by the social graph connection on the educational platform to help at least one user of the two or more users develop relative to the predetermined standard.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein to determine the alignment between the two or more users includes:

identifying a first user having a performance level that does not satisfy a first criterion; and

identifying, as a mentor for the first user, a second user having a performance level satisfying a second criterion, wherein the first criterion and the second criterion are one of a same criterion or a different criterion.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein to determine the alignment between the two or more users includes:

identifying, as a learning community, three or more users of the educational platform based on the performance level of each of the three or more users and an attribute common or compatible between the three or more users.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

prior to defining the social graph connection between the two or more users in the social graph of the educational platform, generating a recommendation recommending the social graph connection;

provide the recommendation to a user for presentation; and

receive a recommendation response from the user responsive to the recommendation being provided, the social graph connection being defined responsive to the recommendation response being received.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

receive a digital video of the mentor demonstrating a best practice related to the predetermined standard, wherein the electronic training resource includes the digital video and to facilitate collaboration on the electronic training resource includes facilitating communication between the mentor and the first user about the best practice demonstrated by the digital video.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

aggregate data including one or more of achievement data, profile data, demographics data, standards data, and assessment data, wherein the performance level for each of the two or more users are determined based at least in part on the data.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein to determine the electronic training resource further comprises:

analyzing interaction data to determine the electronic training resource as having been interacted with by a set of the users of the electronic platform;

calculating a performance trend for the set of users based on one or more of assessment data and achievement data associated with the set of users, the performance trend showing an improvement relative to the predetermined standard and the set of users connected to at least one of the two or more users in the social graph based on a commonality; and

determining the electronic training resource to be effective at providing the instruction related to the predetermined standard based on the performance trend for the set of users.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

an assessment module, executable by the one or more processors, to determine a performance level for each of two or more users of an educational platform, the performance level for each user of the two or more users reflecting how the user is performing in a capacity relative to a predetermined standard;

an alignment module, executable by the one or more processors, to determine an alignment between the two or more users of the educational platform based on the performance level of each of the two or more users;

a graphing module, executable by the one or more processors, to define, in a social graph, a social graph connection between the two or more users of the educational platform, the social graph connection reflecting the alignment of the two or more users based on the performance level of each of the two or more users;

an analyzer, executable by the one or more computing devices, to determine an electronic training resource using data showing the electronic training resource has previously been effective at providing instruction related to the predetermined standard; and

a social network module, executable by the one or more processors, to facilitate collaboration on the electronic training resource between the two or more users aligned by the social graph connection on the educational platform to help at least one user of the two or more users develop relative to the predetermined standard.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alignment module is further configured to determine the alignment between the two or more of the users based on an alignment type.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alignment module is further configured to determine the alignment between the two or more users by identifying a first user having a performance level that does not satisfy a first criterion, and identifying, as a mentor for the first user, a second user having a performance level satisfying a second criterion, wherein the first criterion and the second criterion are one of a same criterion or a different criterion.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the alignment module is further configured to determine the alignment between the two or more users by identifying, as a learning community, three or more users of the educational platform based on the performance level of each of the three or more users and an attribute common or compatible between the three or more users.

19. The system of claim 15 , comprising:

a recommender, executable by the one or more processors, to generate a recommendation for the social graph connection between the two or more users in the social graph of the educational platform prior to the graphing module defining the social graph connection between the two or more users in the social graph; and

a communication unit for sending and receiving data,

wherein the recommender is coupled to the communication unit to provide the recommendation to the user for presentation and to receive a recommendation response from the user responsive to the recommendation being provided, and the graphing module is configured to define the social graph connection in the social graph responsive to the recommendation response being received.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the recommender is coupled to receive the alignment from the alignment module or a data store, and the alignment module is coupled to receive the performance level for each of the two or more users from the assessment module or a data store.

21. The system of claim 15 , comprising:

an aggregator, executable by the one or more processors, to aggregate data including one or more of achievement data, profile data, demographics data, standards data, and assessment data, wherein the assessment module is configured to determine the performance level for each of the two or more users based at least in part on the data.

22. The system of claim 15 , wherein the analyzer is further configured to determine the electronic training resource by:

analyzing interaction data to determine the electronic training resource as having been interacted with by a set of users of the electronic platform;

calculating a performance trend for the set of users based on one or more of assessment data and achievement data associated with the set of users, the performance trend showing an improvement relative to the predetermined standard and the set of users connected to at least one of the two or more users in the social graph based on a commonality; and

determining the electronic training resource to be effective at providing the instruction related to the predetermined standard based on the performance trend for the set of users.

23. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

a content module, executable by the one or more processors, to receive a digital video of the mentor demonstrating a best practice related to the predetermined standard, wherein the electronic training resource includes the digital video and to facilitate collaboration on the electronic training resource includes facilitating communication between the mentor and the first user about the best practice demonstrated by the digital video.