Computer-aided learning method and systems matching students with instructors

A computer-aided learning method and apparatus allowing a student to select an instructor from many instructors to learn a subject, and vice versa. Each user has an identifier. The apparatus can include a determinator, a search engine, a session manager, an account manager, a categorizer, and a storage medium. The determinator determines the type of user based on at least the identifier of the user. If the user is a student, the search engine identifies the instructor based on information previously stored in the storage medium regarding the instructors; the session manager manages a session between the student and the identified instructor for learning the subject; and the account manager processes an account based on the duration of the session for collecting a payment from the student to pay the instructor. If the user is an instructor, based on inputs from the instructor, the categorizer generates the instructor's profile to be identified.

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.

Same numerals in FIGS. 1-10 are assigned to similar elements in all the
 figures. Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference
 to FIGS. 1-10. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate
 that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures
 is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited
 embodiments.
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 FIG. 1 shows an embodiment 100 of the present invention to implement one
 set of steps 150, as shown in FIG. 2. The embodiment includes a
 categorizer 104 to generate user profiles (Step 154); a search engine 106
 to identify one or more users based on some rules (Step 156); a storage
 medium 108; a session manager 110 to manage sessions (Step 158); and an
 account manager 112 to process accounts (Step 160).
 In another embodiment, the apparatus also includes a determinator 102 to
 determine on the type of users based on information entered by users (Step
 152). FIG. 3 shows two types of users for the present invention, namely
 students, 200, and instructors, 202. There can be other types of users,
 such as system administrators.
 Typically, to use an embodiment of the invention, the user enters his user
 identification. This can be done in many ways. For example, his
 identification can be his real name, a code name, his fingerprint or other
 biometric identifier.
 If the user is a first time user, the user can choose his user
 identification to be entered into the system, which can ask for his
 subject of interest and whether he is a student or an instructor of that
 subject. Such information can be stored in the storage medium 108. A user
 can be an instructor of one subject and a student of another.
 As an example, he wants to teach a subject. When asked by the apparatus,
 the user responds that he is an instructor of that subject. In one
 embodiment, he is then asked a number of questions to generate his
 profile, and to have his profile categorized accordingly. At least one
 piece of information about him can be stored in the storage medium for
 identifying him later to teach a subject. FIG. 4 shows a number of
 categories for the instructor's profile. There can be a dialog box for
 each category, and the dialog box can have a list of entries. For example,
 one category is the subject the instructor is interested in, which, in
 this case, is his subject of specialty, 302. A list of entries can show
 up, such as teach to speak English, and teach to speak Spanish. The user
 can check off the subject he can be an instructor, or his subject of
 interest. For example, he can check off the box to teach to speak English.
 He can also be asked for his place of residence, 304, his native language,
 306, his degrees, 314, his previous work experience, 316, his preferred
 hours to teach 322, and his rate 308, which can be a fixed or an hourly
 rate. He may be asked to send in a personal clip, 321, about himself In
 this invention, a personal clip can be a picture; an audio stream; a video
 stream; a html page; a Web page; a multimedia stream or other file
 formats; or some combination of the above; about himself. If he is not
 available for the next two weeks, but would be free afterwards, he can
 enter such availability information, 320, into the system.
 He may also enter his references, 312. This can be done as a narrative,
 with names and their email addresses. The references can be feedbacks from
 prior students, 310, whom he previously taught using the system. Such
 feedbacks do not have to be entered by him, but by other students after
 their classes with him. Such feedbacks again can be a narrative by those
 students, and can include the students' email addresses. There can be an
 indicator indicating whether each of the feedbacks was solicited by him or
 requested by the system. Because of the feedbacks, his reputation stays
 with him. In one embodiment, he is allowed to comment, 311, on the
 feedbacks. In one embodiment, the instructor also has a category
 describing his past usage 318. Such information builds the profile of the
 instructor.
 In one embodiment, the categories are used to build a hierarchy. For
 example, the peak of a hierarchy is a group of English teachers. The nodes
 connected to that peak node include two separate sub-nodes. One sub-node
 is for those instructors whose native language is English, and the other
 is not. Below each of the sub-node is four sub-sub-nodes, grouping
 instructors based on their rates. Such a hierarchical structure enhances
 searching efficiency.
 In another embodiment, the user is a student. His characteristics again can
 be categorized. FIG. 5 shows examples of different categories of the
 student, 350. They can include the subject he is interested in, which in
 this case, is the subject he wants to learn, 352; and can include his
 present level on the subject, 354, such as kindergarten or high school.
 Other categories can include the reasons of his learning, 356; his
 preferred rates, 359; his preferred work hours, 360; his personal clip,
 361; his native language, 364; the preferred place of residence of his
 instructor, 366; and the preferred learning mode, 368, such as through
 audio-conferencing or video-conferencing.
 Another category is feedbacks from prior instructors, 357, whom he
 previously learnt from using the system. Such feedbacks can be a narrative
 by those instructors, and include the instructors'email addresses. Based
 on the feedbacks, his reputation stays with him. In one embodiment, he is
 allowed to comment, 358, on the feedbacks.
 In another embodiment, the system also keeps track of his place of
 residence. His past usage of the system, 362, can also be included. Such
 information builds the profile of the student user.
 Going back to the example of a student user, after the student enters his
 characteristics into the system, the search engine 106 can automatically
 identify the instructor for the student. This can be done by searching the
 storage medium, 250, and generating the best match, 252, based on
 instructors available in the storage medium, as shown in FIG. 6. For
 example, the student's information includes the following:
 (A) Place of residence of the instructor--United States;
 (B) Subject of interest--Speak English;
 (C) Preferred rate--&lt;$25 an hour; and
 (D) Preferred hours--8 pm to 10 pm in the student's time zone.
 The search engine can automatically match the student's interest with
 instructors having the same characteristics.
 In one embodiment, the student can include a weight next to some of the
 categories he entered. For example, next to a category, there is a set of
 weights entries, as follows:
 (I) Utmost Important
 (II) Very Important
 (III) Important
 (IV) Desirable
 The student can check the appropriate box next to the category. Then, the
 search engine performs the matching of the utmost important category first
 and goes on down.
 A number of rules can be used to generate the best match if there is no
 exact match. For example, if the student's preferred rate is X or less,
 and no instructor has that rate, then the search engine looks for the rate
 of X+5. Such rules should be obvious to those skilled in the art, and
 would not be further described in this application.
 In another embodiment, students can be matched to the instructor's
 characteristics. For example, after the instructor has entered his
 characteristics into the system, the search engine can search and perform
 the best match with information of students in the storage medium.
 In yet another embodiment, the search engine produces a number of matched
 results. It would then be up to the user to select the one or more he
 desires. The user can be allowed to access information in each of matched
 results to get additional data. For example, going back to the example of
 the student user, assume that the search engine produces 5 instructors.
 The student can then access the characteristics of the 5 instructors to
 make his decision. He can access the personal clip of the instructors, if
 they have one. In one embodiment, all of the information in the categories
 shown in FIG. 4 is accessible, except past usages, 318. Based on the
 accessed information, the student can select a number of instructors, such
 as 2.
 After the student has selected the one or more instructors, or vice versa,
 the session manager can establish a session, 408, between the student and
 each of the instructors. If the student or the instructor is not
 available, the session manager can send an email to that party to
 establish a convenient time for them to communicate.
 FIG. 7 shows a number of activities 400 that can be performed by the
 session manager. For example, the session manager can monitor the duration
 of the sessions, 402, and allow for trial or negotiation session, 404.
 The trial session permits the student to communicate with each of the
 instructors for a duration of time, such as 30 minutes, before he has to
 decide on the instructor he wants to learn from. During the session, they
 may change the payment schedule, such as going for a fixed rate, instead
 of an hourly rate. The student and the instructors can communicate through
 email to determine the time of their trial session. After the time is set,
 the session manager can establish the session. Methods to establish and
 monitor sessions by computers should be obvious to those skilled in the
 art and will not be further described.
 Other session manager activities include providing feedbacks regarding the
 user. For example, at the end of learning a subject from the instructor,
 the session manager can send a questionnaire to the student, asking him to
 provide some feedbacks regarding the instructor. Such student feedback
 information 310 can be included as the characteristics of the instructor.
 In another embodiment, the instructor is allowed to review the feedback,
 and comment on them.
 In one embodiment, the session manager can provide learning materials based
 on a syllabus, 410, for the student and the instructor to follow. For
 example, the English instructor can teach the student to speak English
 based on texts provided by the session manager. The text can be shown on
 monitors before the instructor and the student.
 The student can try to learn from the selected instructor, or the
 instructor can try to teach the selected student, at any time. This can be
 done, for example, by the student sending his identification, his subject
 of interest and a request to the apparatus 100, to have a session with the
 instructor. If the instructor accepts, the learning session can start, and
 the session manager can monitor the process.
 Also, a learning session does not have to be limited to one instructor and
 one student. One student can have more than one instructor, or vice versa.
 This is up to the students and the instructors. Establishing and
 monitoring such communication sessions should be obvious to those skilled
 in the art, and will not be further described.
 Information monitored by the session manager can be stored in the storage
 medium, which can include a database. The account manager can generate
 reports on the monitored activities, 510. FIG. 8 shows examples of other
 activities, 500, that can be performed by the account manager. For
 example, the account manager can calculate, 502, the amount owed by the
 student based on the duration of the sessions and the rate of the
 instructor. The account manager can collect from the student, 504, by
 sending the student bills for paying the instructor, 508.
 In one embodiment, the account manager extracts a fixed percentage from the
 payment to the instructor as management fee. This management fee does not
 have to be fixed. The account manager can set differential management
 fees, 506. For example, the first 50 hours of instruction, the management
 fee is 1% of the instructor's payment; and the second 50 hours, the
 management fee is 0.75%. In yet another embodiment, an instructor can
 change, 503, the amount of tuition his student has to pay. In one
 embodiment, if the tuition goes down based on negotiations between the
 instructor and the student, the management fee stays the same. But if the
 tuition goes up, the management fee goes up accordingly.
 FIG. 9 shows computers networked to implement one embodiment of the
 invention. Different elements in the present invention may be in different
 physical components. For example, the embodiment 100 can be in a computer,
 such as a server computer 550, which is accessed by student users and
 instructor users with client computers, 554 or other computing engines
 552, through a network, 556. The computers can have network interface
 adapters to gain access to the network. The network can be a public
 network, such as the Internet; a private network, such as an intranet; or
 a public/private network. Each computer can include a digital camera for
 video-conferencing, or a head set for audio-conferencing. In one
 embodiment, a computer is an apparatus, an engine or a substance that can
 compute, and the computer is at least partially designed by a human being.
 In another embodiment, the determinator is in a client computer. After the
 determinator determines that the user is a student or an instructor of the
 subject of interest, such information is transmitted to a server computer
 to act accordingly. In yet another embodiment, a client computer can have
 both the determinator and the categorizer.
 In yet another embodiment, a client computer, or a computer, can be a thin
 client with minimal computation and memory power. For example, it includes
 an output device, such as a small screen or a speaker; an input device,
 such as a digital camera, a key pad, or a speech recognizer that receives
 and transforms analog speech to digital signals; and a connectivity device
 to couple the computer to a network. Such a thin client can be a computer
 or computation engine used by a student to connect to a server computer,
 which manages a session to connect with another computer used by an
 instructor.
 FIG. 10 shows a set of steps 600 to implement another embodiment of the
 present invention. This embodiment can use such a thin client, for example
 by a student. The thin client or a first computer transmits a piece of
 information (Step 602) from the student to a second computer, such as a
 server computer. The two computers are typically connected by a network.
 The second computer can include components such as the search engine and
 the storage medium. The piece of information can be used to identify an
 instructor based on information of many such instructors previously stored
 in the storage medium, as previously described.
 After the instructor is identified, sessions between the student and the
 instructor can be established. The first computer can initiate (Step 604)
 such sessions between the student and the instructor, who probably is
 using a third computer for teaching the subject. The third computer again
 can be a thin client. In one embodiment, the step of initiating a session
 is sending a request to the third computer asking to have a session
 established.
 These sessions can be during time frames determined by the users. Based on
 one or more of these sessions, an account can be processed by an account
 manager, which can be in the second computer, to collect a payment from
 the student.
 The first computer can also transmit (Step 606) a piece of information to
 the second computer regarding the student. That piece of information can
 be used to build the student's profile and can be stored in the storage
 medium for identifying the student to work on a subject in the future.
 Note that this second transmitting step (606) does not have to be
 performed after the step of initiating a session (604) or the first
 transmitting step (602).
 Note that in one embodiment, the thin client can include the determinator
 to determine on the type of user.
 The present invention can be implemented in hardware or software or both.
 For example, the search engine 106 can be written in software, or can be
 functions performed by a special-purpose chip.
 Although the present invention has been described to teach a language,
 other subjects can be taught by the present invention. In this situation,
 based on the user's identification and the user's subject of interest, the
 determinator can determine whether the user is an instructor or a student,
 based on the user's previous input.
 In one embodiment, students'payments are based on the duration of time
 services were rendered, with the services rendered based on personal
 interaction. For example, the instructor is a lawyer, the student is a
 client, and the subject is paying taxes. In this example, the client is
 learning how to prepare his tax return from the lawyer. In this situation,
 learning covers problem solving.
 In one embodiment, students use the search engine 106 to identify the
 desired instructors. In other words, the search engine 106 does not
 perform automatic matching of the students with the instructors. It is up
 to the students to look for the instructors. In this embodiment, the step
 of identifying (Step 156) is by the search engine, 106, as used by the
 students.
 In one embodiment, the embodiment 100, or a number of components in the
 embodiment 100, reside in a Web server, with the server managing the
 sessions. In other words, the method 150, or a number of steps in the
 method 150, are implemented in a Web server. The server can include a HTTP
 server that understands HTTP or equivalent protocol.
 Due to the penetration of the Web to different parts of the world, a
 student in South Africa can learn from an instructor in Brazil using an
 embodiment of the invention. Each can have a digital camera for
 video-conferencing. The present invention provides a medium for them to
 develop a personal relationship. This can create a sense of community and
 family for people in different parts of the world. Through learning a
 subject, they can share their mutual interest. Note that in one
 embodiment, as long as the users are using a part of their sessions to
 learn, they would be considered learning. In other words, the users can
 spend some of their connection time to chat on other areas.
 In one embodiment, if the list of subjects previously in the storage medium
 does not include the subject of the user's interest or specialty, he can
 create his own subject. For example, his specialty is in making sushi, and
 there is no such subject in the list of subjects. He can create that
 subject. Next time, a student who wants to learn how to make sushi may be
 matched to him.
 As described above, an instructor can select a student or vice versa to
 work on a subject. Thus, a first type of user, a student or an instructor,
 can identify a user of the second type based on information of many users
 of the second type previously stored in the storage medium. Then, the
 session manager can manage a session between the user of the first type
 using a first computer and the identified user of the second type using a
 second computer for learning the subject. The time to learn can be
 determined by the users. The account manager can process an account based
 on the session for collecting a payment from the user learning the
 subject. One piece of information about the user of the first type can
 also be stored in the storage medium so that he can be identified in the
 future to work on a subject. The present invention allows the user of the
 first type and the identified user of the second type to use different
 computers, with the two computers being connected by a network. Since the
 user of the first type and the user of the second type can pick the
 computers they want to use, they have a certain degree of freedom to pick
 the locations to work on the subject. Moreover, embodiments of the present
 invention allow one type of user to select a user of another type to work
 on a subject.
 Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the
 art from a consideration of this specification or practice of the
 invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and
 examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit
 of the invention being indicated by the following claims.