Abstract:
A system and method for providing education-related alerts in an online learning environment is provided. An online learning environment including a plurality of users participating in online educational activities is monitored. An online database including event rules and education-related information for the online educational activities is maintained. An event occurring in the online learning environment is identified. The event satisfies at least one of the event rules. A benchmark is determined for the event. The benchmark includes at least one of information selected from and information indicated by the education-related information. An alert is generated for the event by selecting a template for the event and populating the template with the benchmark as the alert. The alert is provided to one or more of the users.

Description:
FIELD 
     The invention relates in general to online education, and in particular, to a system and method for providing education-related alerts in an online learning environment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Education is important in our society. Each year, significant time and money are spent on improving the quality of education, increasing scores on standardized tests, and stimulating students&#39; interests in learning. Today&#39;s students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, social economic levels, and ethnicities. Traditional teaching methods have shown to be ineffective for all types of students, and alternative learning methods provide some students with an education better tailored to their specific learning needs. Alternative learning is often beneficial because students are presented with educational materials through non-traditional methods. For example, an alternative learning program can be administered to honors students or those students that have fallen behind in class. 
     With the increase in use of the Internet, online education offers a popular alternative learning method. Online education allows each student to work at his own pace and to access learning materials suitable to his learning style. Students can participate from a traditional school setting or from home. 
     Generally, online education includes an electronic curriculum of courses that are offered as a stand-alone education or as a supplement to traditional education. Each course provides online lessons, study materials, and assignments, for which the student is responsible. Completed materials can be electronically graded or sent to a live teacher. Should questions arise, the teacher and students can communicate via the Internet. In some settings, no face-to-face interaction ever occurs. 
     The lack of face-to-face interaction complicates obtaining the teacher&#39;s attention. In traditional classrooms, students can simply raise their hand or speak directly to the teacher. In contrast, an online teacher is not readily accessible to her students. If an online teacher is not logged on to her computer, she will be unable to determine whether a particular student needs help or has a question. 
     Attempts have been made to facilitate communication between educators, students, and parents in an online learning environment. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0127870, to Fields et al. (“Fields”), discloses notifying an educator, student, or parent that an event requiring a conference has occurred. For instance, if a student&#39;s grade falls below a threshold, an alert is sent to schedule an off-line conference. The alert is automatically generated by applying a fixed criteria not adjusted to student or teacher considerations, or on extensive factors. Moreover, Fields fails to provide recipient alert interpretation and temporal alert expiration. 
     SUMMARY 
     Conventional online learning environments often lack direct communication between individuals. The lack of communication can hinder the effectiveness of the online learning environment. Education-related alerts and education support groups provide near real time communication of event occurrences between individuals associated with the online learning environment. 
     An embodiment provides a system and method for providing education-related alerts in an online learning environment. An online database including event rules and education-related information for the online educational activities is maintained. An event occurring in the online learning environment is identified. The event satisfies at least one of the event rules. A benchmark is determined for the event. The benchmark includes at least one of information selected from and information indicated by the education-related information. An alert is generated for the event by selecting a template for the event and populating the template with the benchmark as the alert. The alert is provided to one or more of the users. 
     A further embodiment provides a system and method for providing an educational alert. Education-related information maintained on a database is monitored. An event is identified based on a change in the education-related information, wherein the change includes a benchmark for the event. An alert is generated for the event. A customized group of educational support members is formed and the education support members of the customized group are selected as recipients of the alert. A delivery mechanism is determined based on preferences of each recipient. An expiration threshold for the alert is provided based on the event. A template is selected for the event. The benchmark and the template are provided as the alert. The alert is delivered to the recipients using the selected delivery mechanism. The alert is removed upon satisfaction of the expiration threshold. 
     A further embodiment provides a system and method for providing response action elements in the alert indicating an appropriate response action for the user. Such amplifying information can be derived from an expert system embodying the collective expertise of education professionals familiar with the function of the online learning system, the educational content presented to the student, and the event triggering the alert. 
     A further embodiment provides a system and method for triggering an automated response action on behalf of the user. Such automated actions can be informed by a rule set encapsulating the collective expertise of education professionals familiar with the function of the online learning system, the educational content presented to the student, and the event triggering the alert. A notification informs the user that a corrective action was taken on their behalf. 
     Still other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein are described embodiments by way of illustrating the best mode contemplated. As will be realized, other and different embodiments are possible and their several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and the scope. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram showing an online learning environment. 
         FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram showing an online learning environment with an education support group. 
         FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram showing a system for providing education-related alerts in the online learning environment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a data flow diagram showing categories of education-related information. 
         FIG. 5  is a process flow diagram showing a method for providing education-related alerts in the online learning environment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a data flow diagram showing processes for identifying an event. 
         FIG. 7  is a process flow diagram showing a process for generating an alert. 
         FIG. 8  is a process flow diagram showing a process for delivering an alert. 
         FIG. 9  is a process flow diagram showing a process for interpreting a benchmark. 
         FIG. 10  is a screen shot showing, by way of example, a Website for entering user preferences. 
         FIG. 11  is a screen shot showing, by way of example, an alert displayed on a Web page. 
         FIG. 12  is a screen shot showing, by way of example, an alert received via email. 
         FIG. 13  is a block diagram showing, by way of example, an alert received via a text message. 
         FIG. 14  is a screen shot showing, by way of example, an alert with response action elements. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Increased use of the Internet has led to more options in education through online learning. Online learning provides an alternative for in-classroom learning, which is not always suited to different learning styles and levels.  FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram showing an online learning environment. A registered student can access online learning material  18  and enter user preferences  17  through a computer  11  that is connected to a server  14  via an internetwork  16 , such as the Internet. The online learning material  18  and user preferences  17  are stored in a database  15  that is coupled to the server  14 . The online learning material  18  can include homework assignments, lesson content and plans, online tests, progress reports, and other material. A teacher, often remotely located from the student, is able to post lesson plans, track students&#39; progress, and obtain posted material via a computer  12  that is also connected to the server  14  via the internetwork  16 . The teachers and students can communicate with a service center  13  for an online education provider that provides technical support and manages the online curriculum. The service center  13  is remotely connected to the internetwork  16 . 
     Conventional online learning environments do not require the student and the teacher to be logged on to their respective computers at the same time. Instead, communication can occur through email, discussion boards, or instant messaging. Since students can access the online learning environment at any time, the online teacher is often unavailable for immediate questions, unlike a traditional classroom where a student can raise his hand or speak directly to the teacher. In addition, other people having an interest in a student&#39;s progress, such as parents, tutors, coaches, and counselors, often do not have access to the student&#39;s status or grades. Thus, these individuals often rely on the students for updates on progress. The lack of direct one-to-one communication, as well as absence of face-to-face interactions between teachers, students, and other individuals, can hinder student progress and decrease overall effectiveness of online education as an alternative for traditional teaching methods. 
     An online learning environment differs from a traditional classroom in which a class of students receive in-person instruction from a live teacher, who provides educational lessons, testing, grading, feedback, and in-classroom activities. The teacher is generally available for discussion with or to answer questions from the students when class is in session, before or after class, or during office hours. Further, interested individuals, such as parents or guardians, can monitor student progress and communicate with the teacher through report cards, parent-teacher conferences, and telephone calls. 
     The ease of initiating communication in a traditional classroom setting can also be provided by the online learning environment through education-related alerts and education support groups. The alerts and groups help to increase the effectiveness of the online learning environment by providing surrogate channels of communication.  FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram  20  showing an online learning environment with an education support group. In the online learning environment, individuals  21 ,  24 ,  25 - 27 ,  28  can be associated with the online learning environment directly or through another individual, such as a particular student enrolled. The individuals can include a teacher  21 , counselor  24 , student  25 - 27 , parent  28 , coach  31 , or members of the online learning staff (not shown). Other types of individuals are possible. The education support group includes automatic groupings or participant-selected groups of the individuals. Near-simultaneous communication of an event occurrence in the online learning environment is provided to the individuals in the education support group. 
     In the online learning environment, online teachers  21  are often remotely located from their students  25 - 27 . The students  25 - 27  can be remotely located from one another or can be located in the same room, such as a traditional classroom. Each student  25 - 27  enrolled in the online learning environment participates in an online curriculum provided through an Internet accessible computer  32 - 34 . The online curriculum includes online courses offered by the online learning environment and the material associated with the online courses. 
     Once logged on, a student  25 - 27  can request particular learning material  35  for an online course, such as a lesson, assignment, or test for display on the computer  32 - 34 . The requested learning material  35  is stored on a database  23 , which is coupled to a server  22 . The server  22  obtains the requested learning material  35  from the database  23  for serving to the student&#39;s computer  32 - 34 . 
     The online learning material  35  is part of the education-related information  31  maintained by the online environment. The database  23  stores the education-related information  31 , which can be served to the student&#39;s computer  32 - 34  via the server  22 . The education-related information  31  can include all information in the online learning environment that is related to online educational activities, including the planning, offering, and processing of the online curriculum, as well as a functioning of a system that provides the online learning environment. More specifically, the education-related information  31  can include performance, homework, communication, enrollment, system, and scoring data. However, other types of education-related information are possible. Education-related information is discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 4 . 
     An online education provider, including an online learning staff, supervises the online learning environment and maintains the education-related information in the database by generating rules for providing an effective online curriculum. The rules can include processes for assigning passwords, offering courses, selecting coursework, identifying cheating, measuring student progress against established objectives and benchmarks, establishing alternative educational paths through the curriculum, offering additional educationally relevant material to support student learning, administering tests and other coursework, and providing status reports. Other types of rules are possible. The online learning staff can access the education-related information associated with individuals, including all parties having a relationship to the online learning environment, such as the teacher, student, parents, mentors, counselors, administrators, and members of the online learning staff. The members of the online learning staff can observe behaviors exhibited by the individuals, as well as patterns of performance based on the education-related information. Reports and statistics can be generated to show the behaviors, performance, and results of the individuals in the online learning environment, which are then provided with an alert. 
     The education-related information can also be used to identify events. An event is related to online educational activities, such as performing an action by an individual in the online learning environment, determining an individual&#39;s accessibility to use the online learning environment, and determining an online learning status for an individual. Other types of online educational activities are possible. The event can be identified by a change to the education-related information  31 , a request for an event, satisfaction of a threshold, change with respect to a baseline or determined by an expert system. A change includes an addition, deletion, or modification of the education-related information. For example, a change to the performance data could be an addition of a student score to an electronic grade book. The student received a score of 74 percent on a test, which is added to the electronic grade book by the online learning environment or assigned by a teacher. The event is the entry of the score the student received on the test, which is related to a student action of taking the exam and the online learning environment or teacher action of grading the exam. In a separate example, a credit recovery organization has preregistered for a particular number of students, which represents an enrollment threshold. Once the enrollment threshold is satisfied, an event is identified and an alert is sent. The event is the satisfaction of the enrollment threshold by the credit recovery organization. 
     During event identification, a benchmark is determined. A benchmark includes information related to the event, such as a score, report, notification, status, message, or quantity. The benchmark information can be determined based on the education-related information that was changed, collected from, or determined during the occurrence of the event. Other types of benchmark information are possible. The benchmark represents a starting point for interpretation of the event by a recipient of the alert. Event identification is described below with further reference to  FIG. 6 . 
     After identification of an event, an alert is generated and transmitted for providing real time notification. An alert includes a template having filled or tillable text for information regarding the event, such as the benchmark. Recipient information and response action elements can also be included in the alert. Returning to the previous threshold example, once the enrollment threshold has been satisfied, an event is detected and an alert is transmitted. Additional information can be included in the alert such as charts, graphs, statistics, and previous benchmark information that is related to the event. As described above, the online learning staff or online learning environment can generate the additional information. Alternatively, an individual can prepare the additional information; however, the individual&#39;s access to the education-related information can be restricted. Alert generation is discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 7 . 
     Recipients of an alert can include an individual or an education support group, which includes multiple individuals with interest in the education-related information or in a particular student enrolled in the online learning environment. The individuals in a an education support group can include a teacher  21 , student  25 - 27 , parent  28 , administrator (not shown), coach  31 , counselor  24 , paraprofessional (not shown), tutor (not shown), or a member of an online learning staff (not shown). Other types of interested individuals are possible. For example, an education support group including a parent, coach, and counselor is generated for a particular student. The parent and counselor are concerned with the student&#39;s past scores and would like to closely monitor new scores received. In addition, the student is involved in basketball; however, he is not allowed to play if his grades fall below a predetermined threshold. The coach receives alerts with the new scores to ensure that the student is eligible to participate in basketball games. Alert delivery is discussed below with reference to  FIG. 8 . Upon receipt, each recipient can analyze the alert to determine a significance of the event. Alert interpretation is discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 9 . 
     The online learning environment can be modeled after a traditional classroom. For instance, the online learning environment can include a teacher and class that meet virtually through the online learning system, as described in  FIG. 1 . The online learning environment can be implemented in a variety of organizations, including a traditional classroom or school, an after school program, a credit recovery program, an honors program, a seminar, and for individual students. Additionally, the online learning environment can be modified to include multiple teachers or no teachers. Other types of online learning environments and modifications are possible. 
     Alert System 
     The alerts increase the effectiveness of an online learning environment by prompting and facilitating communication between teachers, parents, students, administrators, and members of the online learning staff, as well as others.  FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram showing a system  40  for providing an education-related alert in the online learning environment  41  of  FIG. 1 . The online learning environment manages and tracks education-related information to identify interesting events, which are transmitted to one or more recipients via alerts. The alerts provide a near real time communication between teachers, students, parents, administrators, and members of the online learning staff. The alerts can cover a broad range of topics that are important to providing a successful online learning environment. 
     A watcher  42  monitors the online learning environment  41  by tracking education-related information. The watcher  42  is a standalone program that passively receives data from the online learning environment  41 , such as the education-related information, including performance, homework, communication, enrollment, system, and scoring data. Other types of education-related information are also possible, including data related to a specific online learning environment, which is further discussed below with reference to  FIG. 4 . The watcher  42  identifies events based on changes in the education-related information, a request for an event, satisfaction of a threshold, a change with respect to a baseline, and as determined by an expert system. Identifying an event is discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 6 . A benchmark is then determined for the event. 
     Once identified, events are sent to a queue  43 , which is a passive module that holds the events until obtained by an alert processor  44 . The events can be ordered in the queue  43  by date or time of receipt, by importance, or by subject matter of the event. Other methods for organizing and holding events in the queue  43  are possible. 
     Periodically or on demand, the alert processor  44  selects an event from the queue  43  and generates an alert. To generate the alert, the alert processor  44  can select a template based on a type of the event, the benchmark, the subject matter of the event, or other factors. Next, the alert processor  44  determines to whom the alert will be sent. Selecting recipients for an alert is discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 7 . The alert processor  44  also determines a delivery mechanism for the alert, which can include a Website  47 , email  45 , SMS text messaging  46 , and instant messenger (IM) (not shown). Delivery of the alert is discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 8 . 
     Education-Related Information 
     A wide range of information is generated during operation of the online learning environment and various pieces of the information may be of interest to the individuals.  FIG. 4  is a data flow diagram  50  showing categories of education-related information  51 . These categories broadly define topics of possible interest to the individuals, including teachers, students, parents, guardians, mentors, administrators, and members of the online learning staff, as well as other individuals. The education-related information  51  can include performance  52 , homework  53 , communication  54 , enrollment  55 , system  56 , and scoring data  57 . However, other types of data are possible, including data that is specific to a particular online learning environment. Each category will now be discussed in detail. 
     The performance data  52  can include grade book information for a student, such as test scores, absences, and student identification numbers. Homework data  53  can include whether a student turned in a particular assignment and how well the student performed on the assignment. Performance  52  and homework  53  data is tracked to allow individuals, including students, parents, teachers, and administrators with an up-to-date status of student progress. Each alert can include a report of student activity or inactivity. For example, a student skips school and the teacher enters an unexcused absence into an electronic grade book. The entry of the absence is identified as an event and an alert is generated. The alert is sent to the parents to provide notification that the student was not present in class on that day. Other types of homework and performance data are possible. 
     Communication data  54  involves initiating a communication session with a teacher, student, parent, administrator, an online learning staff member, or other interested individual or member of an education support group. For instance, communication data  54  can include a question posted on a discussion board or selecting a help button on a Web page associated with the online learning environment. The action of entering the posted question or selecting the help button is identified as an event for which an alert is generated. Scoring data  57  can include information that indicates cheating, which is determined based on a number of factors, such as time, score, and student identity. For example, a change in the scoring data can indicate suspected cheating when a student takes an exam and receives a low score, and within a short time period, re-takes the exam and receives a high score. An alert for the suspected cheating event can be sent to the teacher or administrator to provide notification that an unusual event has occurred that may require action on behalf of the teacher or administrator. Other types of communication and scoring data are possible. 
     Enrollment data  55  can include information showing enrollment of a new student, withdraw of a registered student, or a hold status assigned to a registered student. Alerts regarding the enrollment data  55  can be provided to an administrator and a member of the online learning staff when enrollment status changes to determine whether additional subscriptions to the online learning environment should be obtained. System data  56  can include notification of inoperability or inaccessibility of the online learning environment, such as rebooting the online learning system or experiencing a power outage. Alerts regarding the system data  56  can be provided to the teachers, administrators, students, parents, and online learning staff to provide notification that the online learning environment may be inaccessible for use. Other types of enrollment and system data are possible. 
     Education-related information specific to an online learning environment  58  can include mastery based learning, where each teaching segment or section cumulatively builds on earlier learning. Consequently, mastery of prior material is key and a student who fails one section is generally held back until that section has been successfully mastered. A mastery based learning program requires a student to pass an end-of-section test prior to moving on to the next section of educational material. If a student repeatedly fails to pass the section test, the student is blocked from accessing further materials and must contact a teacher or administrator, who may then unblock student access or recommend further study or tutoring. The alert notifies the teacher or administrator that the student access has been blocked. The student can explain why he failed to pass within a predetermined number of times or can ask for help to successfully pass the section. 
     Alert Process 
     Upon identification of an event, an alert is sent to one or more recipients. The alert provides notification of the event occurrence in near real time.  FIG. 5  is a process flow diagram  60  showing a method for providing education-related alerts in the online learning environment of  FIG. 1 . A watcher monitors education-related information  61  on a periodic or continuous basis. If the watcher is set on a periodic basis, a member of the online learning staff can select predetermined times intervals for monitoring the education-related information. The watcher can also monitor all of the education-related information or particular categories of the education-relation information. A member of the online learning staff can generate categories based on a type of the education-related information, such as performance, homework, communication, enrollment, system, and scoring data. Other types of education-related information and categories are possible. The watcher identifies an event  62  based on a change in the education-related information, a request for an event, a satisfaction of a threshold, a change in relation to a baseline, or as determined by an expert system. A benchmark is determined during the event identification, which is discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 6 . 
     After an event has been identified  62 , the watcher determines whether the event necessitates an alert  63 . Alerts provide near real time communication in an online learning environment. Currently, the individuals in a conventional online learning environment experience difficulty in initiating communication based on the responsibility of each individual to proactively check and respond to emails and postings to message boards. If one of the individuals fails to check the email messages or postings on a message board, communication between a receiving individual and a requesting individual cannot occur. The alerts provide near real time notification of an event occurrence. If an alert is not necessary, the watcher continues to monitor the education-related information  61 . However, if the event requires an alert, an alert is generated  64 . Alert generation is discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 7 . Once generated, the alert is delivered to one or more recipients  65  through one or more delivery mechanisms, including a Website, email, text messaging, or instant messaging. Delivery of the alert is further discussed below with reference to  FIG. 8 . 
     Upon receipt of the alert, processing can optionally occur. The processing can include recipient interpretation  66  of the alert based on the benchmark for the event. The interpretation allows the recipients to form an opinion and come to a conclusion on their own regarding a particular event and corresponding benchmark. Recipient interpretation is described below with further reference to  FIG. 9 . 
     Optionally, the alert can be associated with an expiration date. Once the expiration date is reached, the alert expires and is automatically removed  67  from an email inbox, text messaging menu, instant messenger, or Website. The expiration date can include a time period, which begins once the alert is received or once the alert has been viewed by the recipient. Other types of expiration dates and time periods are possible. 
     Identifying an Event 
     A variety of methods can be used to identify a particular event.  FIG. 6  is a process flow diagram showing processes for identifying an event. The event  71  can be identified by event rules, such as a change in the education-related information, a request for an event, a satisfaction of a threshold, a change in relation to a baseline, or as determined by an expert system. The change in the education-related information, which can include an addition  72 , deletion  74 , or modification  78  of the education-related information. For instance, an addition of education-related information can include the addition of a student score, the return of completed homework, enrollment of a new student, or a new discussion board posting. In contrast, a deletion of education-related information can include removal of an incorrect score or a student withdraw. Modification events can include changing a student score or student status. Other types of addition, deletion, and modification events are possible. 
     In addition, an event can be detected based on satisfaction of a pre-determined threshold  73  by the event-related information. For example, each student must maintain a course grade of 75 percent; otherwise, the student is not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities. Once a student falls below the 75 percent threshold, an event is identified and an alert is sent to interested individuals, such as a parent and coach. Other types of pre-determined thresholds are possible. An event can also be identified based on a change in relation to a baseline. For example, a student receives a score of six out of ten answers correct on an exam. Previously, the student received an average of nine out of ten answers correct. The new test score is analyzed against the previous scores to determine whether the change is significant to warrant the sending of an alert. Alternatively, the change may not be significant and is thus, an indication that the student had a bad day. Other types of baseline changes are possible. 
     Further, an event can be determined by an expert system  75  or provided by an individual  76 . An expert system can monitor the education-related information and detect an event based on one or more factors. For instance, cheating can be detected by considering multiple factors, such as time, score, and student identity. A process is performed by the expert system  75  to identify the cheating event. In addition, an individual can request an event  76  by selecting a contact button or entering a notification into the online learning environment. For example, a parent may request communication with a teacher or the online learning staff may enter a notification that the online learning system will reboot within one hour. Other types of expert system determinations and individual provided events are possible. 
     A single event occurrence may trigger additional event occurrences to generate a cascade of events  78 . For example, upon enrollment of a new student, an event is identified and an alert is delivered to one or more recipients. If the addition of the new student exceeds a number of subscriptions purchased, another alert is also generated. The new student alert and exceed subscription alert can be delivered individually or combined to form a single alert. Other methods for sending single or multiple alerts are possible. 
     During event identification, a benchmark is determined for inclusion in the alert. In a first example, a teacher performs an online educational activity by assigning homework to the students in an online course. The watcher identifies the addition of the homework to the online learning environment and the education-related information as an event. The homework assignment is identified as the benchmark. Even though the alert was received, the student may not be required to complete the homework if the student has already mastered the material or has obtained the points required for the online class. Thus, the student can determine whether he must complete the homework. In a second example, a site coordinator, such as an administrator, is responsible for the number of students enrolled in the online learning environment for a particular organization. The organization can include a school, home, after school group, and credit recovery organization. The organization is registered for a particular number of student enrollments, which is tracked by the watcher. The organization performs an online educational activity by registering a student in the online learning environment. Once the number of students enrolled reaches or exceeds the number of registrations, an event is identified and the number of students enrolled is the benchmark for the event. Alternatively, the benchmark could include a number of students above the number of registrations, the names of the students, or a cost for the additional students. The credit recovery organization can interpret the benchmark to determine whether they want to pay for the additional students or withdraw the students from registration. Benchmarks provide a starting point for recipient interpretation of an event provided in an alert. 
     Once an event is identified, a watcher determines whether the event requires an alert to be sent. If required, an alert is generated. Otherwise, the watcher continues to monitor the education-related information. 
     Generating an Alert 
     Communication can be initiated between individuals associated with an online learning environment using an alert to provide near real time notification of an event.  FIG. 7  is a process flow diagram showing a process  80  for generating an alert  81 . An alert processor retrieves an event with a corresponding benchmark from a queue  82  and selects a template  83  based on factors, such as a type of the event, the benchmark, the subject matter of the event, or other factors. A template is a predetermined format for an alert. A standard template can be used for all alerts or generated for a specific type of alert. Alternatively, the template can be customizable. Each template can include text, fillable fields, or blank text boxes that are filled by the alert processor. Also, an individual, such as a teacher, student, or parent can manually fill the template. Other types of templates are possible. The alert processor then determines recipients of the alert  84 . The recipients can be selected from the individuals of an online learning environment, including teachers, students, parents, administrators, mentors, members of the online learning staff, or others, such as counselors, paraprofessionals, and coaches. Alternatively, the recipients can include one or more members of an education support group. 
     Education support groups help individuals to learn together. The education support groups are formed from the individuals, which can be automatically selected based on factors, including a type of event, a subject of the event, or based on a relationship with one or more of the individuals, or as a combination of automatic and individual initiated groupings. For example, when a student is enrolled in the online learning environment, an education support group, including a teacher and a parent is automatically generated. However, the student may also work closely with a counselor or mentor, who can also be added to the education support group. Other methods of grouping and selecting recipients are possible. 
     After determining the recipients  84 , the alert processor can determine one or more delivery mechanisms for the alert  85 . The delivery mechanisms can include email, instant messaging, text messaging, and display on a Website. Selecting a delivery mechanism is described below with further reference to  FIG. 10 . Optionally, response action elements  86 , such as action buttons, text recommendations, hyperlinks, and images can also be included in the alert. The response action elements can include interactive elements that allow recipients of an alert to perform a response action, such as obtaining or providing additional information, initiating a communication, sending an additional alert, and restricting or allowing access to the online curriculum. The response action elements can be selected by an individual, included with an alert template, or automatically selected based on a type of the event. Other types of response action elements and methods for selecting the response action elements are possible. The response actions and response action elements are discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 14 . 
     Once determined, the benchmark  82 , template  83 , recipients  84 , delivery mechanisms  85 , and response action elements  86  are compiled  87  to form the alert. Each recipient of an alert can enter user preferences for receiving particular types of alerts or for receiving the alerts through a particular delivery mechanism. Other types of user preferences are possible. Upon alert generation and determination of the user preferences, the alert is delivered. 
     Delivering an Alert 
     Each recipient can select to receive alerts via one or more delivery methods.  FIG. 8  is a process flow diagram  90  showing a process for delivering an alert. An alert processor can access user preferences to determine delivery mechanisms for sending the alert. Alternatively, the delivery mechanisms can be automatically selected based on delivery factors, including a type of alert, designated recipients, or subject matter of the event. However, other types of delivery mechanisms, user preferences, and delivery factors are possible. 
     The alert processor determines whether an alert should be sent to a Website  91  based on the user preferences or delivery factors. If not, the alert processor then determines whether the alert should be sent via email  94 . However, if so, the alert is delivered  92  and displayed. After delivery, the alert processor determines whether an additional delivery mechanism  93  is selected. If no other delivery mechanism has been selected, the delivery alert process ends. Otherwise, if another delivery mechanism is selected, the alert processor determines whether the alert should be sent via email  94  based on the user preferences and delivery factors. 
     If email  94  has not been selected as a method of delivery, the alert processor then determines whether an alert should be sent via text messaging  97 . But, if selected, the alert is delivered via email  95 . Once delivered, the alert processor determines whether another delivery method has been selected  96 . If not, the delivery alert process terminates. However, if another delivery mechanism has been selected, the alert processor determines whether text messaging  97  has been selected as a delivery mechanism based on the user preferences and delivery factors. If not selected, the alert processor determines whether another delivery mechanism  100  has been selected, whereas the alert is delivered  98  when text messaging has been selected. After delivery, the alert processor determines whether another delivery mechanism  99  has been selected. If not, the delivery alert process ends. However, if another delivery mechanism  99  has been selected, the alert processor determines the type of delivery mechanism  100 , and the alert is delivered using that delivery mechanism  101 . The process ends after the alert has been delivered via all selected delivery mechanisms. 
     Upon receipt of the alert, each recipient can interpret a significance of the event using a benchmark. The benchmark is determined from a change in the online learning environment, including a change in education-related information, from the information provided by an individual to initiate an event, from threshold conclusions, from changes related to a baseline, or from conclusions by an expert system. 
     Interpreting a Benchmark 
     A benchmark provides a starting point for a receiving individual to determine a significance of an event.  FIG. 9  is a process flow diagram  110  showing a process for interpreting a benchmark  111 . An individual receives an alert  112  with a benchmark for a particular event. The receiving individual can analyze the benchmark  113  by comparing interpretation data, such as graphs, previous student information, thresholds, and averages with the benchmark. The interpretation data can be included in the alert or accessed by the individual through the online learning environment. After analyzing the benchmark, the receiving individual can determine a significance of the event  114  provided by the alert. The determination of significance can prompt the individual to optionally perform a response action  115 , including obtaining or providing additional information, initiating a communication, sending an additional alert, initiating a change to the education-related information, and restricting or allowing access to the online curriculum and education-related information. The response alert can include information directly entered by an individual or can be generated based on a change in the education-related information. Response actions are discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 14 . 
     An example of benchmark interpretation involves a student who is taking a math test online. Once the student has completed the exam, an alert is sent to the teacher to notify her that the exam has been completed. Upon receipt of the alert, the teacher can then select to grade the exam at anytime. After grading the exam, the teacher enters the test score for the student into the online learning environment. An alert is generated with a benchmark for the event, such as the score and delivered to the student. The alert notifies the student that he has received six out of ten answers correct. For this particular student, the score is significant since on a previous math exam, the student received two out of ten answers correct. Thus, the student has improved considerably since the previous math exam. However, another student who receives a score of six out of ten answers correct may not conclude that the score is significant, such as a student who consistently receives the same scores. 
     In a further example, a member from the online learning staff requests an alert having a benchmark that provides notification of a system reboot to be sent to all administrators. The alert may be significant to one administrator who is generating reports via the online learning environment. However, the alert may be insignificant to another administrator who is on vacation. As described, different conclusions of significance can be formed from the same benchmark. 
     The alerts provide a near real time method of notifying recipients that an event has occurred. The recipients are provided with a benchmark transmitted in the alert to determine a significance of the event and whether a response action should be taken. Each recipient can customize the types of alerts received and the delivery mechanisms for receiving the alerts. 
     Response Actions 
     Once a recipient has determined a significance of the alert, response actions can be performed. The response actions can be performed independently by the recipient or based on suggested response actions provided by the alert. The suggested response actions can be displayed to a user by response action elements, such as action buttons, text recommendations, hyperlinks, and images, which are displayed in the alert message received. The text can provide a process or series of steps to perform in regards to a particular event, whereas, the action buttons can perform a particular action when selected by the recipient. The suggested response actions can be provided based on an expert system, related curriculum, and a related event. Other determinations and provisions of the suggested response actions are possible. The expert system can generate the suggested responses using expert knowledge to determine one or more appropriate response actions for a particular event. The expert knowledge is derived from a collective expertise of education professionals familiar with the functioning of the online learning environment. The response actions allow the recipients to obtain or provide additional information, initiate a communication, send an additional alert, initiate a change to the education-related information, and restrict or allow access to the online curriculum by selecting a response action element. The response actions and response action elements are discussed below with further reference to  FIG. 14 . 
     The recipient can select one or more suggested response actions based on an interpretation of the benchmark for an event. For example, an event, such as cheating or suspected cheating by a student can be detected using knowledge from the expert system. Upon detection, an alert is sent to an online teacher as notification of the cheating or suspected cheating event. The alert includes two response buttons and response text. If selected, the first button allows the teacher to restrict the student&#39;s access to the online curriculum and the second button allows the teacher to immediately notify the student. The text recommendation includes information from the expert system, which describes how the cheating event was determined. For instance, in this example, the student received a perfect score. However, the student took the same exam yesterday and received a score of 20 percent. In addition, the student only took one minute to complete the exam for which he received a perfect score. 
     The text also includes recommended steps for the teacher to follow with regards to the cheating event. For instance, a first step recommends that the teacher suspend the student&#39;s access to the curriculum. A second step suggests that the teacher review all the student&#39;s scores prior to initiating communication. A third step suggests discussing the event with the student over the phone, instead of through email. Based on the results of the third step, additional and alternative steps are also provided. 
     Alternatively, the response actions can be performed automatically on behalf of a user based on an event occurrence. For example; a student is enrolled in an online credit recovery program with the online learning environment. The student completes a chapter exam and receives a score of three out of ten. Upon identification of the student&#39;s low score, a study plan is generated by the expert system and transmitted to the student. The study plan is provided as an additional learning tool and can include a guide to mastering the material by outlining important subject matter, by providing a timeline for studying particular parts of the subject matter, and by providing additional information regarding the subject matter. When performed automatically, a notification of the response action is provided to one or more individuals, including for instance, one or more members of an education support group or the student himself. 
     The notification can include a message describing the reasons for performing the automatic response action and the automatic response itself. Returning to our previous example, a parent of the student may receive a notification identifying that their student received a low score and in-turn, was provided with a study guide. Alternatively, the parent may also be provided with a notification having a copy of the study guide. In addition, the student can also receive a notification of the automated response action, such as when a hardcopy of the study guide is mailed. The notification informs the student that he will be receiving a study guide. Other types of notifications are possible. 
     Alert Screenshots 
     Recipients can enter user preferences for customizing the type of alerts received and the delivery methods used.  FIG. 10  is a screen shot  120  showing, by way of example, a Website  121  for entering user preferences. The Website includes a tab  122 , which displays a title regarding the subject matter for the Web page. A tool box  123  is displayed on the left side of the Website, underneath the tab  122 . The tool box  123  lists education actions that can be performed by the individual, including maintaining a grade book, generating reports, setting up announcements, setting up an online classroom, sending a class roster, preparing student correlations, changing personal information, preparing a course orientation, and running a system checkup. A user preference box  124  is located below the tab, on the right side of the Website  121 . In the user preference box  124 , an individual is able to select his preferences for types of alerts received and alert delivery methods. Other types of user preferences and displays for entering the user preferences are possible. 
     The individual can select to receive alerts from any of the categories of education-related information, described above with reference to  FIG. 4 , by clicking on a checkbox, selecting a category from a drop down menu, or by typing in a particular category. The individual can also select delivery mechanisms for receiving the alert. The delivery mechanisms include a display on a Website, an email, or text message. Other types of delivery mechanisms are possible, such as instant messaging. The individual may be required to provide additional information to ensure delivery via a selected method. For example, to receive alerts on a cellular telephone, the individual can enter his telephone number  127  and service provider  128 . After entering the user preferences, the individual can select a submit button  129  to store the preferences. Other methods for entering and selecting user preferences are possible. 
     An alert is sent once the user preferences are set and an event is identified.  FIG. 11  is a screen shot  130  showing, by way of example, an alert  132  displayed on a Website  131 . Receipt of a new alert  132  can be displayed on the Website  131  as a pop up message, an icon, a highlighted menu option, or by an alert button  135 . The individual can click on the pop up message, icon, highlighted menu option, or alert button  135  to view the alert. Alternatively, the alert  132  itself can be displayed as a pop up message  132  when the individual is logged in to the online learning environment. Each alert  132  can include a title  133  for a category of education-related information and a benchmark  134  for the event that triggered the alert. Other methods for displaying an alert on a Website and notifying an individual that an alert has been received are possible. 
     The alert can also be received through email.  FIG. 12  is a screen shot  140  showing, by way of example, an alert  142  received via email  141 . An individual can access his email inbox  145  to determine whether an alert  142  has been received. The alert  142  can be identified by a title  146  of the event. The title  146  can also be used as a heading for the subject matter  143  of the email  141 . The individual can select the email  141  to display a benchmark  144  for an event, which is located in a text box  142 . Other methods for displaying an alert by email are possible. 
     The alert can also be received through a text message.  FIG. 13  is a block diagram  150  showing, by way of example, an alert  151  received via a text message  152 . The alert  151  is displayed on a cellular telephone to notify the individual that an event has occurred. A benchmark  153  is also displayed. Other displays and delivery methods for an alert are possible. 
     Each type of alert can include response action elements for allowing recipients of the alert to perform actions in response to an event.  FIG. 14  is a screen shot  160  showing, by way of example, an alert  161  with response action elements. The response action elements can include action buttons  166 , text recommendations  163 , hyperlinks  164 , and images  165 . The alert is displayed in an email  162  and notifies a recipient that a particular student has earned a perfect score on Activity 1.1.3 in a precalculus class. 
     The text recommendations  163  can provide a process, list of recommended steps, detailed information of the event, historical information, subscription numbers and cost, or contact information to the recipient. The hyperlinks allow the recipient to quickly and easily access a Web page for performing a response action. In addition to the hyperlinks, the response action buttons  166  can also allow the recipient to initiate a response action. The response action buttons  166  can include response actions, such as forwarding a message, initiating a communication, recording an event, and purchasing additional subscriptions. Images, such as an award medal, copy of a grade book, and videos can also be displayed in the alert. Other types of response action elements and response actions are possible. 
     The recipient of an alert may be part of an education support group created for an individual of the online education environment, such as the student. The education support group includes multiple individuals with an interest in education-related information or in the particular student enrolled in the online learning environment. Alerts can be transmitted to one or more of the individuals based on a type of the alert. Further, the response actions provided by the response action elements can be selected based on a type of the individual. For example, when a student receives a perfect score, an alert is sent to an education support group associated with the student. The education support group may include a teacher, parent, and mentor, as well as other individuals with an interest in the student&#39;s educational progress. The alert received by the teacher may include response action elements for response actions, such as sending a congratulations message to the student and a hyperlink to a grade book for ensuring the perfect score is recorded. Since the parent and mentor are unable to access the grade book, their alerts contain only the response action element for sending the congratulations message. 
     In a further embodiment, the alerts can be customized by the online learning staff, teachers, students, parents, or administrators. The customization can include layout, text, hyperlinks, animation, color, and sound. Other types of customization are possible. 
     In a further embodiment, the education-related information can be used to generate comparisons within, between, and among different grouping&#39;s of individuals and organizations associated with the online learning environment. The individuals can include administrators, teachers, students, and others. The comparisons can be based on a comparison factor, such as location, age, social economic class, dropout rate, organization size, ethnic background, student behavior, or the groupings. 
     In addition, the comparisons can be used to evaluate the progress of one or more individuals or organizations. For instance, a first teacher teaches a geometry class for a group of students located in the city of Seattle, Wash. Upon termination of the course, cumulative scores for each student are combined to generate an evaluation indicator for the geometry class. The evaluation indicator can then be used for comparing with another evaluation indicator for a geometry class taught by a second teacher under the same conditions. The same conditions can be evaluated using the comparison factors. Thus, the second teacher may teach a geometry class in the city of Portland, Oreg., which is fairly comparable to Seattle in size, population, and ethnic background. The comparison of the indicators can be used to evaluate the teachers&#39; performance, as well as the students&#39; performance. 
     In a further embodiment, an event occurrence may have an effect on the occurrence of an additional event. For example, a student has been caught cheating. The process and rules for determining cheating is changed to a lower standard for that student to identify further instances of suspected cheating. 
     In yet a further embodiment, an individual can override a particular alert by selecting an override button or by entering a particular subject matter of the alert. The override prevents individuals from receiving alerts they would ordinarily receive, such as during a meeting or online class seminar. 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described as referenced to the embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.