Patent ID: 6793498
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: G09B

Abstract:
A computer assisted learning apparatus comprising:a database having at least one developmental network, the network having a plurality of nodes, each node representing a developmental skill or an inference concerning such a skill, and links between nodes, each link being between a node for a first skill and a node for a second easier skill, the links providing alternate paths between the nodes, the database further comprising interactive activity modules associated with the nodes, means for allowing an interactive activity module defined in the database to be chosen by a user, means for presenting a selected activity module defined in the database to the user whether visually, audibly or otherwise, means for allowing the user to interact with an activity so presented, means for recording at least some of the user's actions during or responses to the presented activity, and means for evaluating at least some of those recorded actions or responses to decide, or provide an inference as to, whether the user has attained a skill associated with a node, and access prevention means operative in respect of at least a particular node of a network at least for some of the time, for preventing the user from choosing an activity module associated with that particular node according to some criterion based, at least in part, on the results of said evaluation for at least one activity module associated with at least one node of said network, said access prevention means is arranged to prevent access to nodes for which the user has attempted an associated activity module but has not attained the skill that the node represents, said access prevention means allows, after a period, access to a node for which an associated activity module has been attempted but for which the skill that the node represents has not been attained, and said access prevention means allows access to a node via one of the links for which the user has attempted an associated activity module but has not attained the skill that the node represents once the user has subsequently attained the skill for an easier node that is connected to that node via a certain number of links, each in the direction of a node for a harder skill to one for an easier skill.