Electronic classroom system enabling self-paced learning

Claim 1

An interactive electronic classroom system, comprising: a central computer, including a central processor, a monitor, and associated peripheral hardware, for running individual classroom programs, including programs which accept sequences of input associated with student tasks to which students provide responses, said peripheral hardware storing said programs and said responses, said central processor providing analyses of said responses, under control of the teacher, via said programs for display on said monitor; a plurality of student terminals, each including a microprocessor, a keyboard, and a display, for receiving said student tasks from said central computer, for executing said student tasks by students to provide said responses, for transmitting said responses to said central computer, and for providing feedback to the students; network means for transmitting data between said central computer and said plurality of student ter­minals, said data including said student tasks and said responses; a communication protocol, associated with said central computer, said network means, and said plurality of student terminals, for transmitting said data between said central computer and said plurality of student terminals, for downloading of ones of said student tasks from said central computer to said plurality of student terminals, and for transmitting said responses from said plurality of student terminals to said central computer; activation means, associated with said central computer, said plurality of student terminals, said network means, said communication protocol, and said individual classroom programs, for allowing the teacher to initiate and terminate said student tasks on said interactive electronic classroom system, such that each of said plurality of student terminals provides said responses to said student tasks at a pace that is under the control of the teacher, with said responses being transmitted to and monitored by said central computer; viewing and analyzing means for viewing and analyz­ing said responses; and electronic display means for displaying informa­tion, by the teacher to the students.

Claim 5

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein ones of said classroom programs further comprise control program means for enabling the teacher, during a class, to select, retrieve, and use said sequences of input or a subset thereof, and optionally may comprise means for enabling the teacher, during a class, to enter, in real time, a new sequence of input.

Claim 6

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said viewing and analyzing means further comprises means for viewing previously prepared ones of said sequences of input, said viewing and analyzing means optionally including means for viewing and analyzing said responses both during and after a classroom session, on a separate computer from the remainder of said electronic classroom system, said separate computer optionally being net­worked through separate network means to said central computer.

Claim 7

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, further com­prising database means for storing class records and said responses in accordance with a selectable format, said database means optionally including means for storing class rolls, student attendance records, and said sequences of input.

Claim 8

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said viewing and analyzing means includes means for analyzing responses to said student tasks in accordance with the type of student task.

Claim 9

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, further com­prising preparation means for enabling preparation of said sequences of input for use during a class, and for storing said sequences of input for later use, said preparation means optionally comprising either means for displaying teacher choices in a menu format or language means, selected from the group consisting of high level programming languages, low level programming languages, and computer-responsive languages, for enabling prepara­tion of said sequences of input, said system optionally further comprising a subroutine library, callable by said language means, for preparing said sequences of input.

Claim 10

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, further com­prising grading means for enabling a teacher to assign grades to said responses.

Claim 11

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising logon means for identifying the students individually to the system by personal identity and by location in the classroom.

Claim 12

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said central computing unit comprises one of a personal computer and a workstation.

Claim 13

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising means for transmitting prerecorded video information to said electronic display means for viewing by said students, wherein said electronic display means optionally comprises means for playing segments of prerecorded video and audio information under control of said central computer, said segments being selected in accordance with said sequences of input and said respon­ses.

Claim 14

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said network means comprises a local area network (LAN), and optionally comprising at least one network controller, at least one microprocessor from said plurality of student terminals optionally acting as a microcontroller with said network network controller, said network means optionally further comprising means for transmitting said data by electromagnetic waves.

Claim 15

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said student tasks are compiled from the group consisting of questions, quizzes, tests, classroom exercises, didactic programs, instructional games, simulations, and homework, and wherein ones of said student tasks option­ally include programs, executing on said student ter­minals, for providing local analyses of said responses and for providing individual instructions and feedback to the students.

Claim 16

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said communication protocol transmits said data and downloads said ones of said programs from said central computer to said plurality of student terminals, both selectively and collectively, and optionally allows transmission of said data from said central computer to only one of said plurality of student terminals at a time, or simul­taneously to a selected subset consisting of fewer than all of said plurality of student terminals, or simul­taneously to a plurality of selected subsets each consisting of fewer than all of said plurality of student terminals, or between said student terminals both selectively and collectively.

Claim 17

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said electronic display means comprises a display selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display, a color television, and a color television projector, or optionally comprises means for displaying said informa­ tion, by the teacher to the students, at the display of each of said student terminals.

Claim 18

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said sequences of input optionally are compiled from the group consisting of said student tasks, student task description, student task time limits, computer programs, enhanced viewing and analyzing tools for specific student tasks, graphic images, and video and audio sequences.

Claim 19

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said sequences of input are input to said central computer via devices compiled from the group consisting of a keyboard, pointing device, floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, modem, and computer network.

Claim 20

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said student terminals includes means for providing narrative responses to said student tasks.

Claim 21

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said student terminals is portable and comprises means for performing at least one function selected from the group consisting of computer, cal­culator, appointment diary, typewriter, phone directory, alarm clock, thesaurus, and dictionary.

Claim 22

A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said data transmitted by said network means under said communication protocol includes said information for display by said electronic display means.