System and method for managing continued attention to distance-learning content
Management of a user's continued attention to distance learning content using a general purpose computer having a central processing unit, an operating system configured to run multiple program applications concurrently, and a player suitable for presenting the distance learning content. A distance learning module comprises code executable on the central processing unit, as one of the multiple program applications. The distance learning module is operable to interrupt a presentation of the distance learning content at the player to the user in response to prescribed events concerning another one of the multiple program applications. A method executing on a computer that can concurrently run multiple applications identifies events concerning an application other than the distance learning application, processes the identified events so as to identify a prescribed event among the identified events, and interrupts the presentation of the distance learning content in response to the prescribed event.
1. A computer system to facilitate management of a user's continued attention to distance learning content, the system comprising:
a general purpose computer including:
a central processing unit and an operating system configured to run multiple program applications concurrently; and
a distance learning application comprising a player suitable for presenting the distance learning content; and
a distance learning module comprising code executable on the central processing unit as one of the multiple program applications operable to interrupt a presentation of the distance learning content at the player to the user in response to a prescribed event concerning another one of the multiple program applications,
wherein the prescribed event comprises an event in one of the multiple program applications other than the distance learning application,
wherein the multiple program applications include program applications implemented by the user on the computer and excludes a background process implemented by the computer, the operating system, or a peripheral device, and
wherein the prescribed event in one of the multiple program applications excludes any event generated by the background process.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to resume the presentation of the distance learning content, after the prescribed event concerning the another one of the multiple program applications has ceased, in response to interaction with the distance learning module.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to determine an employee's compliance-standing with continuing education requirements.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to provide notification regarding the employee's compliance-standing with continuing education requirements.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to identify and manage employer identified relationships and continuing education requirements associated with the employer identified relationships.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to identify and manage continuing education content providers and continuing education requirements associated with the continuing education content providers.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to identify and manage continuing education accrediting agency identified relationships and continuing education requirements associated with the continuing education accrediting agency identified relationships.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to identify and manage employee identified relationships and continuing education requirements associated with the employee identified relationships.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to identify and manage regulatory agency identified relationships and continuing education requirements associated with the regulatory agency identified relationships.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to interrogate the user and capture evidence of the user's attendance to the distance learning content.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance learning module is further operable to provide unique codes to the user accessing the distance learning content to be recorded by the user to evidence the user's attendance to the distance learning content.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the player comprises a web browser.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the general purpose computer further comprises a communication port configured to receive the distance learning content as streamed content and wherein the player is configured to present the streamed content under control of the distance learning module.
14. A computer system to facilitate management of a user's continued attention to distance learning content, the system comprising:
a general purpose computer including:
a central processing unit and an operating system configured to run multiple program applications concurrently; and
a distance learning application comprising a player suitable for presenting the distance learning content;
an event module,
wherein the distance learning application comprises code executable on the central processing unit as one of the multiple program applications and includes a plurality of modules executing on the central processing unit including the event module,
wherein the event module executes to identify events concerning another one of the multiple program applications to identify a prescribed event among the identified events in one of the multiple program applications other than the distance learning application; and
an action module which executes to interrupt a presentation of the distance learning content at the distance learning application by the player to the user in response to the prescribed event,
wherein the multiple program applications include program applications implemented by the user on the computer and excludes a background process implemented by the computer, the operating system, or a peripheral device, and
wherein the prescribed event in one of the multiple program applications excludes any event generated by the background process.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the distance learning application is further operable to resume the presentation of the distance learning content, after the prescribed event concerning the another one of the multiple program applications has ceased, in response to interaction with the distance learning application.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the general purpose computer further comprises a communication port configured to receive the distance learning content as streamed content and wherein the player is configured to present the streamed content under control of the distance learning application.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the distance learning application is further operable to interrogate the user and capture evidence of the user's attendance to the distance learning content.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the distance learning application is further operable to provide unique codes to the user accessing the distance learning content to be recorded by the user to evidence the user's attendance to the distance learning content.
19. A method for ensuring a user's continued attention to distance learning content being played on a player, comprising the steps of:
executing code on a processor of a computer comprising a distance learning application that configures the processor to control the presentation of distance learning content by the player to the user on a display connected to the computer, the computer having an operating system configured to concurrently run multiple program applications other than the distance learning application, wherein the multiple program applications include program applications implemented by the user on the computer and excludes a background process implemented by the computer, the operating system, or a peripheral device;
receiving at the machine log-in or registration information from the user prior to prior to any presentation of the distance learning content at the player;
identifying events within one of the multiple program applications other than the distance learning application using an event module executing in the processor;
processing the identified events so as to identify a prescribed event among the identified events using an event processing module executing in the processor; and
interrupting the presentation of the distance learning content on the display connected to the computer in response to the prescribed event in one of the multiple program applications other than the distance learning application,
wherein the prescribed event in one of the multiple program applications excludes any event generated by the background process.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising the step of resuming the presentation of the distance learning content on the display connected to the computer after the prescribed event concerning the one of the multiple program applications other than the distance learning application has ceased.