Education and demonstration – Question or problem eliciting response
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-05
2001-12-04
Rovnak, John Edmund (Department: 3712)
Education and demonstration
Question or problem eliciting response
C434S118000, C434S323000, C434S362000, C705S052000, C706S927000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325632
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to computer-aided learning methods and systems and more particularly to remotely allowing a student to select an instructor to learn a subject through a computer.
We are living in a global environment where we need to learn to work with people from different parts of the world to get things done. Just using a computer as an example, it is not uncommon that its printed circuit boards are fabricated in Taiwan; monitors are manufactured in Japan; application programs are written in India; and the final products—the computers—are sold in the United States.
The penetration of the World Wide Web (Web) to almost all sectors of the society has further enhanced this global aspects. It will not be long that more products will be sold and more services rendered on the Web than on many other distribution channels.
The global market has significantly increased the value of information, which might have become one of the most important global commodities. We need to learn from and to work with people from other parts of the world.
One of the best ways to learn from and to work with someone is to speak their language and to understand their culture. It would make the process much smoother and more productive. This implies that we should learn foreign languages. However, identifying the right instructor to learn a different language is not an easy task.
In China, the need to learn English is phenomenal, especially for the younger generation. They know that English is one of the, if not the, most important languages to learn. Being proficient in English will open many doors for them. A language tutoring class with a Caucasian instructor can automatically charge a premium because the perception is that a Caucasian is a better English teacher.
Though the best instructor to teach a foreign language may be a person whose mother tongue is that language, typically, such person does not live in your neighborhood. For example, compared to the huge population in China, there are very few instructors with English as their native language living in China. The major English-speaking population is concentrated thousands of miles away. The need is high, but the supply is very low.
It should be apparent from the foregoing that there is a need for a medium that would bring large number of English-speaking instructors to the even larger number of students thousands of miles away, and to help match them together.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides methods and apparatus that match students with instructors that do not have to live in similar neighborhoods. In one embodiment, the students want to learn a foreign language. There are many potential excellent instructors who live thousands of miles away. The challenge is to find the instructors that can satisfy the students, and to find the students that fit the needs of the instructor.
We have different needs. For students, some might be interested in learning elementary English, just sufficient to get by as a tourist. Other might like to make sales presentation in English to potential customers. Another group not only wants to learn how to communicate orally, but also in writing. Some can only learn at night, after work. Others can only learn from around 1 pm to 3 pm when their kids are taking a nap. Some do not care about tuition, as long as the instructor is good. Others only want a reasonable product at a reasonable rate.
Typically, we select instructors based on reputation and recommendation. People attend a good school because it has a good name. Although there are tremendous number of good English instructors in the United States, identifying a good one, thousands of miles away is not an easy task, let alone identifying the one that fits one's individual needs.
Regarding instructors, some might like to teach, but only from 9 am to 11 am, Monday to Thursday, excluding major holidays. They might have retired, and treat teaching as another source of income. For another group, they like to talk to people from a different culture, and getting paid is not that important to them. There are also a group of top instructors who would not contemplate teaching unless they are very well-paid. They do not mind teaching students faraway, as long as they do not have to worry about administrative details, such as payments. For students living hundreds of miles away, it would be a challenge to collect delinquent payments.
One embodiment of the present invention creates a medium that allows students to select instructors who can reside in a very different neighborhood. The embodiment can automatically identify instructors based on the needs and preferences of students. It can also establish the medium of communication to allow them to get acquainted and to start the learning sessions. In addition, the embodiment monitors the communication sessions, processes the billing, and collects payment from the students to pay the instructors. In another embodiment, instructors, based on their interests, can also identify their students of choice.
In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a search engine, a session manager, an account manager, and a categorizer. It allows a student user select an instructor user to learn a language based on information regarding many instructor users previously stored in a storage medium.
After a user enters his user identification into the embodiment, if he is a student, the search engine allows him to search information regarding instructors in the storage medium to select at least one instructor he desires to learn the language from. Then, the session manager establishes a communication connection between the student and the at least one instructor selected. The session manager also monitors the session, such as determining when the session is over. Later, the account manager collects from the student to pay the instructor based on the monitored information. In this embodiment, if the user is an instructor, the categorizer allows him to enter at least one piece of personal information into the storage medium to be searched by students.
Conversely, in another embodiment, the apparatus allows an instructor to select a student to teach a language based on information regarding many students previously stored in the storage medium. In yet another embodiment, the apparatus automatically matches students with instructors based on their interest and preferences.
In one embodiment, students and instructors, located in very diverse locations, can be matched based on their individual needs and interests. For example, students in China can be matched to instructors in the United States, or vice versa. A physically-handicapped instructor does not have to leave his comfort zone to teach—He can teach from his home.
In another embodiment, the matching process can be based on the personal profiles of the users, and can be done automatically. After the matching, the embodiment can establish sessions to allow the users to further negotiate to determine if they really fit. If they decide that they would like to work together, the embodiment can establish sessions for them at their desired time, and monitor the sessions accordingly. The embodiment can process the paperwork contemporaneously and collect payments from the students. The payments can depend on the duration of use. The instructors do not have to worry about administrative details. Furthermore, based on past usage, the embodiment can provide differential billing to different users. Information on learning records can also allow students to find out the reputation of instructors, and vice versa.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates by way of example the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5727951 (1998-03-01), Ho et al.
patent: 5743743 (1998-04-01), Ho et al.
patent: 5743746 (1998-04-01), Ho et al.
patent: 5764958 (1998-06-01), Coskun
patent: 5779486
Chang Hsien Tsung
Chao David
Tong Peter P.
Anabas, Inc.
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Rovnak John Edmund
LandOfFree
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