Abstract:
An education support method includes searching for first student information corresponding to a student whose evaluation score has been improved and discussion information on the basis of evaluation-score-and-group information in which the discussion information identifying a group discussion, group information identifying a group, student information identifying a student and an evaluation score of the student are associated with one another; searching for second student information including group information associated to the first student information on the basis of the first student information and the discussion information; and generating created group information that is associated with the second student information and a selected student information. Further, a computer-readable recording medium storing an education support program that, when executed, causes a computer to perform the education support method.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-230694 filed on November 6, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The embodiments discussed herein are related to an education support program, an education support method, the education support apparatus and an education support system. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A technology has been proposed that stores cooperative learning data in a storage area to be shared between a plurality of students, detects an access request to the cooperative learning data correspondingly to students and calculates the number of access request to the cooperative learning data correspondingly to the students in a cooperative learning of the plurality of students. In the technology, the number of access requests of each of the plurality of students is compared with one another, a comparison result is notified or an electronic mail is transmitted to an instructor or a student according to the comparison result. 
         [0004]    A related technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-323847. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    According to an aspect of the invention, a computer-readable recording medium storing an education support program that, when executed, causes a computer to perform an education support method, the education support method includes searching for first student information corresponding to a student whose evaluation score has been improved and discussion information on the basis of evaluation-score-and-group information in which the discussion information identifying a group discussion, group information identifying a group, student information identifying a student and an evaluation score of the student are associated with one another; searching for second student information including group information associated to the first student information on the basis of the first student information and the discussion information; and generating created group information that is associated with the second student information and a selected student information. 
         [0006]    According to an aspect of the invention, 
         [0007]    The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a functional block for an education support system; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an example of evaluation score and group databases; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the education support system; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary student database; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process of a grouping process; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary display for setting a student and item to be trained displayed on a screen of teacher terminal; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary display of an assignment reply displayed on a screen of a student terminal; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating an exemplary display of skill evaluation displayed on the screen of the student terminal; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating another exemplary display of skill evaluation displayed on the screen of the student terminal. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    However, the technology described in the background does not mention on how to group the plurality of students in order to improve the training effects. Therefore, there remains a problem to be solved as to how to group the plurality of students in order to improve the training effects for a student in a cooperative learning class type in which discussions are conducted in a group. Especially, it has been a problem that it is unable to know how to group the students in a better way when the grouping is intended to obtain a high training effect for a specific student in a group (student of training criteria) is intended. 
         [0018]    Accordingly, it is desired to improve the training effects for a student to be trained in group discussion. 
         [0019]    Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.  FIG. 1  illustrates an education support system  10  according to the present embodiment. The education support system  10  includes a teacher terminal  12  used by a teacher who conducts a class and a plurality of student terminals  14  used by individual students who take the class. The teacher terminal  12  includes a storage unit  16 , a search unit  18  and a generation unit  20 . An evaluation score and group DB  22  is stored in the storage unit  16 . 
         [0020]    In the present embodiment, a group discussion (a cooperative learning) is conducted regularly in a class using the education support system  10  for a plurality of curriculum subjects. Students are divided into a plurality of groups and an individual student decides his opinion on an allocated assignment. A discussion is then conducted in the group to arrange the opinions of individual students. Further, the grouping of students is changed each time by a grouping process, which will be described below, for each group discussion. Further, after each group discussion is completed, the degree of achievement is scored as an evaluation score with respect to plural kinds of evaluation items (skill items) for each individual student. Further, an example of the plural kinds of evaluation items (skill items) may include, for example, “capability for explanation of his opinion,” “capability for listening skill,” and “leadership strength.” 
         [0021]    An evaluation score for each of the plural kinds of evaluation items (skill items) in each group discussion and a group to which the individual student belonged in each group discussion are registered in the evaluation score and group DB  22  stored in the storage unit  16  for each curriculum subject with respect to the individual student as illustrated in, for example,  FIG. 2 . Further, in  FIG. 2 , the evaluation score evaluates the degree of achievement for each evaluation item (skill item) in each group discussion for a curriculum subject (e.g., ZZZZZ) as an example in five grades from “1” to “5”. Further, the field for “date” in  FIG. 2  indicates the date at which the group discussion is conducted. For example, in  FIG. 2 , regarding a student (e.g., AAAA), “2” is registered as the evaluation score of evaluation item 1, “3” as the evaluation score of evaluation item 2, and “3” as the evaluation score of evaluation item 3 in the evaluation score and group DB  22  in a group discussion conducted on January 9. 
         [0022]    Further, in the present embodiment, a specific student corresponding to the training criteria among the individual students is chosen and an evaluation item to be trained is selected among the plurality of evaluation items in grouping the students for conducting the group discussion. Based on information registered in the evaluation score and group DB  22 , the search unit  18  searches for a student for whom an evaluation score of the evaluation item to be trained in the group discussion which was conducted in the past is improved by a predetermined point or more and further, the evaluation score is maintained in an improved high score in a group discussion conducted after the past group discussion. Further, hereinafter, the student extracted by the searching operation of the search unit  18  is referred to as a “student of training criteria”. 
         [0023]    The generation unit  20  extracts a student who belonged to the same group as that to which the student of training criteria belonged in the group discussion where the evaluation score of the evaluation item to be trained of the student of training criteria searched by the search unit  18  is improved by a predetermined point or more among the group discussions which was conducted in the past. Also, the generation unit  20  performs the grouping of the students for the group discussion such that the extracted student and the student to be trained belong to the same group. 
         [0024]    Further, in the disclosed technology, the storage unit  16  is an example of a storage unit, the search unit  18  is an example of a first search unit and second search unit, and the generation unit  20  is an example of a generation unit. 
         [0025]    The education support system  10  may be implemented with a computer system  26  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The computer system  26  illustrated in  FIG. 3  includes, for example, the teacher terminal  12  and the plurality of student terminals  14  connected to the teacher terminal  12  through a network  70  such as a wireless LAN. 
         [0026]    The teacher terminal  12  includes, for example, a CPU  28 , a memory  30 , a storage unit  32 , an input unit  34 , a display unit  36 , a medium reader/writer (R/W)  38  and a communication interface (I/F) unit  40 . The CPU  28 , the memory  30 , the storage unit  32 , the input unit  34 , the display unit  36 , the medium reader/writer  38  and the communication I/F unit  40  may be connected with each other through a bus  42 . The medium reader/writer  38  reads information written in the recording medium  44  and writes information into the recording medium  44 . 
         [0027]    Further, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) or a tablet type terminal may be adopted as the teacher terminal  12 . When the PC is adopted as the teacher terminal  12 , the input unit  34  may include a keyboard and a mouse. Further, when the tablet type terminal is adopted as the teacher terminal  12 , the input unit  34  may include a touch panel sensor provided to overlap with the display unit  36 . 
         [0028]    The storage unit  32  is implemented by, for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. A teacher terminal program  46  may be stored in the storage unit  32 . The teacher terminal program  46  may be stored in the storage unit  32  in such a manner the recording medium  44  in which the teacher terminal program  46  is written is set in the medium reader/writer  38  and the medium reader/writer  38  reads the teacher terminal program  46  from the recording medium  44 . The CPU  28  reads the teacher terminal program  46  from the storage unit  32  to be deployed in the memory  30  to sequentially execute the processes included in the teacher terminal program  46 . 
         [0029]    The teacher terminal program  46  includes, for example, a search process  48  and a generation process  50 . The CPU  28  may execute the search process  48  so as to function as the search unit  18 . Further, the CPU  28  may execute the generation process  50  so as to function as the generation unit  20 . By doing this, the teacher terminal  12  which has executed the teacher terminal program  46  may function as an example of an education support apparatus according to the disclosed technology. Further, the teacher terminal program  46  is an example of an education support program according to the disclosed technology. 
         [0030]    Further, the evaluation score and group DB  22  may be stored in the storage unit  32 . Accordingly, the storage unit  32  may function as the storage unit  16  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Further, the student DB  52  may be stored in the storage unit  32 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the student DB  52  may be provided with various fields such as, for example, “student identifier”, “student name” and “IP address,” and information of individual students are set in the respective records. Further, an IP address of the student terminal  14  used by an individual student may be set in the “IP address” field. The teacher terminal  12  may refer to the student DB  52  to identify the student terminal  14  used by an individual student. 
         [0031]    In the meantime, the student terminal  14  may include a CPU  54 , a memory  56 , a storage unit  58 , an input unit  60 , a display unit  62  and a communication interface (I/F) unit  64 . The CPU  54 , the memory  56 , the storage unit  58 , the input unit  60 , the display unit  62  and the communication I/F unit  64  may be connected with each other thorough a bus  68 . The tablet type terminal is suitable for the student terminal  14 . When the tablet type terminal is adopted as the student terminal  14 , the input unit  60  may include the touch panel sensor provided to overlap with the display unit  62 . The student terminal program  66  may be installed in the storage unit  58 . 
         [0032]    Next, as operation of the present embodiment, the grouping process will be described with reference to  FIG. 5 . The grouping process is performed in such a manner that an instruction to perform a grouping for conducting the group discussion is issued by the teacher using the teacher terminal  12  in a state where the teacher terminal program  46  is being executed in the CPU  28  of the teacher terminal  12 . The grouping process may be performed either immediately before the group discussion or before the day before a date at which the group discussion is conducted. 
         [0033]    At step  100 , the search unit  18  displays a training target set screen  74  as illustrated in  FIG. 6  on the display unit  36  of the teacher terminal  12 . The training target set screen  74  is provided with an input column  74 A for inputting the name of a student to be trained and a plurality of selection columns  74 B for selecting the evaluation item to be trained among the plural kinds of evaluation items (skill items). When the training target set screen  74  is displayed on the display unit  36  of the teacher terminal  12 , the teacher who is using the teacher terminal  12  inputs the name of the student who is set as a student to be trained in the input column  74 A in this group discussion, and selects the evaluation item to be trained through the selection column  74 B. By doing this, the search unit  18  receives the name of the student to be trained and the evaluation item to be trained. 
         [0034]    At step  102 , the search unit  18  selects a curriculum subject having a low evaluation score of the evaluation item to be trained received at step  100  with respect to the student to be trained received at step  100  among the plurality of curriculum subjects of which information are registered in the evaluation score and group DB  22 . 
         [0035]    At step  104 , the search unit  18  refers to the evaluation score and group DB  22  to search for a student for whom the evaluation score of the evaluation item to be trained is increased by 2 (two) points or more in the curriculum subject selected at step  102 , and determines whether the corresponding student exists. When the determination result at step  104  is “YES”, the grouping process proceeds to step  106  and otherwise, when the determination result at step  104  is “NO”, the process proceeds to step  122 . 
         [0036]    For example, when it is assumed that the curriculum subject is ZZZZZ and the evaluation item to be trained is evaluation item 1, the evaluation score for evaluation item 1 of the student AAAA is increased from “2” to “4” as represented with denoting by “(1)” in the evaluation score and group DB  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2  in the group discussion conducted on January 23. Further, the evaluation score for evaluation item 1 of the student CCCC is increased from “1” to “3” as represented with denoting by “(2)” in the evaluation score and group DB  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2  in the group discussion conducted on January 16. In this case, the determination result at step  106  is “YES” and thus the process proceeds to step  106 . 
         [0037]    At step  106 , the search unit  18  extracts all the dates and students of the group discussion at which the evaluation score of the evaluation item to be trained is increased by two points or more than that obtained in a previous group discussion from the evaluation score and group DB  22 . For example, when it is assumed that the curriculum subject is ZZZZZ and the evaluation item to be trained is evaluation item 1, a pair of the student AAAA and the date (January 23) and a pair of the student CCCC and the date (January 16) are extracted, respectively, from the evaluation score and group DB  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0038]    At step  108 , the search unit  18  determines whether there is a student who maintains an evaluation score, which is equal to or greater than that obtained in the group discussion conducted at an extracted date, also in the group discussion conducted at a date after the extracted date. When the determination result at step  108  is “YES”, the process proceeds to step  110  and otherwise, when the determination result at step  108  is “NO”, the process proceeds to step  122 . 
         [0039]    For example, the evaluation score for evaluation item 1 of the student AAAA is still maintained at “4” in the group discussion conducted on January 30 which is the date of the next group discussion after the date (January 23), as represented with denoting by “(3)”, in the evaluation score and group DB  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In the meantime, for example, the evaluation score for evaluation item 1 of the student CCCC is decreased from “3” to “2” in the group discussion conducted on January 23 which is the date of the next group discussion after the date (January 16), as represented with denoting by “(4)”, in the evaluation score and group DB  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In this case, the determination result for the student AAAA at step  108  is “YES” and thus the process proceeds to step  110 . 
         [0040]    At step  110 , the search unit  18  determines whether there is a plurality of students who correspond to the determination result of “YES” at step  108 . When it is determined that the determination result at step  110  is “YES”, the process proceeds to step  112  and otherwise, when the determination result at step  110  is “NO”, the process proceeds to step  122 . Further, when the determination result at step  110  is “NO”, the only student who corresponds to the determination result of “YES” at step  108  becomes the student of training criteria. 
         [0041]    Further, when it is determined that there is a plurality of students who correspond to the determination result of “YES” at step  108 , the search unit  18  selects either a student who has a larger increment of the evaluation score than that of other students or a student who has a longer maintenance period of increment of the evaluation score than that of other students among the plurality of students who correspond to the determination result of “YES” at step  108  as the student of training criteria, at step  112 . 
         [0042]    At step  114 , the generation unit  20  extracts a member, who belonged to the same group as that to which the student of training criteria belonged, in an extracted date (date of the group discussion at which the evaluation score of the evaluation item to be trained with respect to the student of training criteria is increased by two points or more than that obtained in the previous group discussion). 
         [0043]    For example, when the curriculum subject is ZZZZZ and the evaluation item to be trained is evaluation item 1, the student AAAA belongs to group “ccc” as represented with denoting by “(5)” in the group discussion conducted on January 23 at which the evaluation score for evaluation item 1 of the student AAAA is increase from “2” to “4”. The members who belong to group “ccc” at the same date of 1/23 are the student DDDD, the student FFFF and the student GGGG as represented with denoting by “(5)”. Accordingly, in this example, the student DDDD, the student FFFF and the student GGGG are extracted as the members who belonged to the same group as that to which the student of training criteria belonged at step  114 . 
         [0044]    At step  116 , the generation unit  20  newly generates a group in this group discussion with the student to be trained and the members extract at step  114 . For example, when the student to be trained is the student EEEE and the student DDDD, the student FFFF and the student GGGG are extracted at step  114 , a group is generated in which the student DDDD, the student FFFF and the student GGGG are included in addition to the student EEEE to be trained. 
         [0045]    At step  118 , the generation unit  20  determines whether there is a member who does not participate in the current group discussion among the members of the group generated at step  116 . When it is determined that the determination result at step  118  is “YES”, the process proceeds to step  120  and otherwise when the determination result at step  118  is “NO”, the process proceeds to step  122 . At step  120 , the generation unit  20  extracts a student who has obtained an evaluation score for each evaluation item which is similar to the non-participating member to add the extracted student in the group instead of the non-participating member. 
         [0046]    For example, when a group is generated consisting of the student EEEE, the student DDDD, the student FFFF and the student GGGG, the student GGGG is regarded as not participating in the current group discussion (February 6) according to the evaluation score and group DB  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In this case, the determination result at step  118  is “YES” and thus the process proceeds to step  120 . 
         [0047]    Here, the evaluation scores of the student GGGG after the group discussion conducted on January 23 are “2” for evaluation item 1, “4” for the evaluation item 2 and “3” for the evaluation item 3, respectively. The evaluation scores of the student HHHH after the latest group discussion conducted on January 30 are the same as that of the student GGGG after the group discussion conducted on January 23 and specifically, the evaluation scores of the student HHHH are “2” for evaluation item 1, “4” for the evaluation item 2 and “3” for the evaluation item 3, respectively. Therefore, in this example, the student HHHH is added to the group instead of the non-participating student GGGG who does not participate as represented with denoting by “(6)” in  FIG. 2  and thus, the group consisting of the student EEEE, the student DDDD, the student FFFF and the student HHHH is generated at step  120 . 
         [0048]    By doing the processes as described above, when the group in which the student to be trained belongs is generated, the process proceeds to step  122  and the generation unit  20  generates a group by including the student who did not belong to the group, at step  122 . For example, a method in which the student who did not belong to the group is randomly selected to generate the group, may be applied for generating the group at step  122 . 
         [0049]    Further, a method may also be applied in which the student of training criteria is newly selected among the students who did not belong to the group student and a process consisting of step  104  to step  120  of  FIG. 5  is performed again to generate the group. In this case, at least one of a condition that the evaluation score increment criteria is set to 1 (one) point or more and another condition that a determination is omitted as to whether the evaluation score equal to or greater than that obtained in the previous group discussion is maintained in the next group discussion, may be applied. When the processing of step  122  is performed, the grouping process ends. 
         [0050]    Next, descriptions will be made on a group discussion which is conducted by being divided into groups based on a result of the grouping process. When a group discussion is conducted, first, the teacher sets an assignment (topic) for the group discussion in the teacher terminal  12 . When setting of the assignment is completed, the set assignment is transmitted from the teacher terminal  12  to individual student terminals  14  and an assignment reply screen  76  illustrated in  FIG. 7  is displayed on a display units  62  of the individual student terminal  14 . 
         [0051]    The assignment reply screen  76  is provided with a display column  76 A for displaying the assignment which is set by the teacher, an input column  76 B for inputting an opinion for the assignment, and a transmission button  76 C for transmitting the opinion. When the assignment reply screen  76  is displayed on the display unit  62  of the student terminal  14 , the individual student thinks about the assignment, prepares his opinion about the assignment and inputs the prepared opinion into the input column  76 B. 
         [0052]    When inputting the opinion is completed, the opinions input through the transmission button  76 C depressed by individual students are transmitted to the teacher terminal  12  and a list of opinions input by the individual students are displayed on the display unit  36  of the teacher terminal  12 . Further, the teacher terminal  12  divides the opinions received from the individual student terminals  14  into each group in this group discussion and transmits the opinions divided into each group to the student terminals  14  of the students who belong to each group, respectively. By doing this, the list of the opinions of respective students who belong to the same group are displayed on the display unit  62  of the student terminal  14 . 
         [0053]    When the list of opinions of respective students who belong to the same group is displayed on the display unit  62  of the individual student terminal  14 , the students are grouped and the group discussion is conducted. In the group discussion, each student who belongs to the group explains his opinion in sequence while referring to the list of opinions of each student displayed on the display unit  62  of the student terminal  14 . Also, discussion is conducted on each opinion to narrow an opinion representative of the group or forms a new opinion representative of the group. Also, thereafter, each group presents the opinion representative of the group. By doing this, thinking skills, judgments and the ability to express of individual student are trained. 
         [0054]    It is difficult to directly evaluate whether the remaining students of a group excluding a specific student have a talent for improving the skill for an evaluation item to be trained of a certain student though a group discussion. However, when an evaluation score for an evaluation item to be trained of the student of training criteria is improved in a group discussion conducted on a certain date, it may be inferred that the remaining students who belong to the group have the talent for improving the skill for an evaluation item to be trained of other student though the group discussion. For example, when the evaluation score for the evaluation item of “capability for explanation of his opinion” of the student of training criteria is improved in a group discussion conducted on a certain date, it is inferred that the remaining students who belong to the group have the talent for drawing opinions of others by demonstrating leadership. 
         [0055]    A student is searched based on the above description as the student of training criteria that the evaluation score of the evaluation item is improved in the group discussion conducted in the past. Also, the grouping is performed in such a manner that a student (the student except for the student of training criteria) who belong to the same group as that of the searched student of training criteria in the group discussion conducted in the past is allowed to belong to the same group as that of the student to be trained. By doing this, the grouping may be performed so as to improve the training effects on the student to be trained in the group discussion. 
         [0056]    Further, a student that an evaluation score of the evaluation item in the group discussion conducted in the past is improved and further, the evaluation score is maintained in an improved high score in a group discussion conducted after the past group discussion, is searched as the student of training criteria. By doing this, even when an assignment of the group discussion is changed, the student who acquires a skill with which the evaluation score may be maintained in a high score with respect to the evaluation item to be trained is extracted as the student of training criteria. Accordingly, the grouping may be performed such that the training effects on the student of training criteria may be obtained more steadily in the group discussion. 
         [0057]    Further, while only one evaluation item may be prepared in the disclosed technology, the plural kinds of evaluation items are prepared in the present embodiment. Also, a student is searched for whom the evaluation score corresponding to the evaluation item selected as an object to be trained among the evaluation scores of the plural kinds of evaluation items has been improved in the group discussion conducted in the past. By doing this, in the group discussion, the grouping may be performed in such a manner that the training effects on the student to be trained is achieved with respect to the evaluation item to be trained. 
         [0058]    Further, when a plurality of students are extracted by searching for the student of training criteria, a student who has greater improvement of the evaluation score than that of the other students or a student who has a longer maintenance period of improvement of the evaluation score than that of the other students is selected among the plurality of extracted students. By doing this, a student who acquires a higher skill with respect to the evaluation item to be trained or a student who acquires a skill with which the evaluation score may be maintained in a high score with respect to the evaluation item to be trained is extracted as the student of training criteria even when an assignment of group discussion is changed. Accordingly, the grouping may be performed such that the training effects on the student of training criteria may be obtained more steadily in the group discussion. 
         [0059]    Further, when the student who belongs to the same group as that of the searched student in the group discussion conducted in the past does not participate in the group discussion, a student who has obtained an evaluation score similar to that of the student who does not participate in the group discussion is searched and added in the same group as that of the student of training criteria. By doing this, even when a student appears who is not able to participate in the current group discussion among the students who belong to the same group as that of the student of training criteria, grouping may be performed so as to achieve improvement of the training effects on the student of training criteria. 
         [0060]    Finally, descriptions will be made on a scoring method of the evaluation score after the group discussion is completed. Two scoring methods of the evaluation score may be considered. A first scoring method is a method in which the individual student evaluates his skill to score the evaluation score. 
         [0061]    The teacher instructs the individual student to evaluate his skill to input the evaluation score at the time when the group discussion is completed. It does not matter whether the instruction is made verbally or through a pop-up window from the teacher terminal  12  to the student terminal  14 . When the individual student inputs his evaluation score, for example, a skill evaluation screen  78  as illustrated in  FIG. 8  is displayed on the display unit  62  of the individual student terminal  14 . The skill evaluation screen  78  is provided with a plurality of input columns  78 A for inputting the evaluation score for each evaluation item and a transmission button  78 B for transmitting the input evaluation score. 
         [0062]    The individual student manipulates the input unit  60  of the student terminal  14  according to instruction of the teacher to input his evaluation score for each evaluation item in the input columns  78 A, and depresses the transmission button  78 B. By doing this, the evaluation score for each evaluation item is transmitted from the student terminal  14  to the teacher terminal  12 , and thus, a corresponding portion of the evaluation score and group DB  22  is updated as represented with denoting by “(7)” in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0063]    A second scoring method is a method in which the individual student evaluates skill of other student who belongs to the same group to score the evaluation score. 
         [0064]    The teacher instructs the individual student to evaluate the skill of other student who belongs to the same group to input the evaluation score at the time when the group discussion is completed. It does not matter whether the instruction is made verbally or through a pop-up window from the teacher terminal  12  to the student terminal  14 . When the individual student inputs the evaluation score of other student who belongs to the same group, for example, a skill evaluation screen  80  as illustrated in  FIG. 9  is displayed on the display unit  62  of the individual student terminal  14 . The skill evaluation screen  80  is provided with a plurality of input columns  80 A,  80 B and  80 C for inputting the evaluation score for each evaluation item and a transmission button  80 D for transmitting the input evaluation score. 
         [0065]    The individual student manipulates the input unit  60  of the student terminal  14  according to the instruction of the teacher to input the evaluation score of other student who belongs to the same group for each evaluation item in the input columns  80 A,  80 B and  80 C, and depresses the transmission button  80 D. By doing this, the evaluation score for each evaluation item is transmitted from the student terminal  14  to the teacher terminal  12 . When the data of all the students are received, the teacher terminal  12  computes (rounding off a decimal) an average value of the evaluation score for each evaluation item for each individual student to update the corresponding portion of the evaluation score and group DB  22 . 
         [0066]    For example, when “4” points are scored from the student EEEE, “3” points are scored from the student FFFF and “5” points are scored from the student HHHH with respect to the evaluation score of evaluation item 1 for the student DDDD, the evaluation score of the evaluation item 1 becomes “(4+3+5)/3”=“4” (see “(8)” of  FIG. 2 ). Further, for example, when “4” points are scored from the student EEEE, “5” points are scored from the student FFFF and “4” points are scored from the student HHHH with respect to the evaluation score of evaluation item 2 for the student DDDD, the evaluation score of the evaluation item 2 becomes “(4+5+4)/”=“4.3” and is finally rounded off to become “4” (see “(8)” of  FIG. 2 ). Still further, for example, when “4” points are scored from the student EEEE, “5” points are scored from the student FFFF and “5” points are scored from the student HHHH with respect to the evaluation score of evaluation item 3 for the student DDDD, the evaluation score of the evaluation item 1 becomes “(4+5+5)/”=“4.7” and is finally rounded off to become “5” (see “(8)” of  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0067]    Further, an aspect in which the teacher terminal  12  is served as the education support apparatus is described in the above description, but a server may be separately provided from the teacher terminal  12  and the server may be allowed to serve as an education support apparatus. 
         [0068]    Further, an aspect in which a curriculum subject is selected after the name of the student to be trained and an evaluation item to be trained are selected has been described in the above description, but the curriculum subject may be selected first and then the name of the student to be trained is selected to select the evaluation item having a low evaluation score of the selected student as an evaluation item to be trained. 
         [0069]    Further, an aspect in which a teacher terminal program  46  which is an example of an education support program according to the disclosed technology is previously stored (installed) in the storage unit  32  of the teacher terminal  12 , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The education support program according to the disclosed technology may be provided in a form of being recorded in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM or a memory card. 
         [0070]    All the documents, patent applications and technical standards described in the present specification are regarded as incorporated in the specification to the same extent that the document, patent application and technical standard are individually and specifically described in the specification. 
         [0071]    The appended claims are intended to encompass the embodiments described above. 
         [0072]    All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.