# US 2013/0280690 A1 · Course Skeleton For Adaptive Learning

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- Number: US 2013/0280690 A1
- Document ID: US20130280690A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/913,965
- Filed: 2013-06-10
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-12
- Assignees: Apollo Group, Inc.
- Applicants: Apollo Group, Inc.
- Inventors: Satish Menon; Jayakumar Muthukumarasamy; Partha Saha; Kurtis S. Taylor; James R. Utter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130280690A1

## CPC

- G09B 7/00: Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers (mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F)
- G06Q 50/20: Education
- G09B 7/02: of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
- G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for utilizing a course skeleton for adaptive learning is provided. Based on student profile information and course goal information, a query is generated to dynamically determine which learning items should be presented to the student. The query, which is based on a particular learning goal, may differ from student to student, and therefore different students may be presented with different learning items to achieve the same learning goal. In addition, as new learning items is added to the learning item repository, the learning items returned by the query for a particular learning goal may change, even if the query used for the goal does not.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
maintaining a hierarchy of learning goals that includes a plurality of learning goal nodes, each node corresponding to a learning goal;
adding, to the hierarchy of learning goals, a first learning goal node, corresponding to a particular learning goal;
wherein the particular learning goal is associated with learning goal metadata;
wherein the learning goal metadata includes metadata items for finding learning items without identifying any particular learning items;
maintaining a learning item repository, wherein the learning item repository includes a plurality of learning items;
receiving a request for learning items to assist a particular user to achieve the particular learning goal;
in response to receiving the request, using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item, from the learning item repository, to facilitate achievement of the particular learning goal;
providing the particular learning item as a response to the request for learning items;
wherein the steps of maintaining the hierarchy of learning goals, maintaining the learning item repository, receiving the request, using the metadata items, and providing the particular learning item are performed by one or more computing devices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the metadata items include a metadata item that identifies a learning theory; and
using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item includes finding a particular learning item based, at least in part, on the learning theory.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the metadata items include a metadata item that identifies a content type; and
using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item includes finding a particular learning item that is associated with the content type.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the metadata items include a metadata item that identifies a keyword; and
using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item includes finding a particular learning item that is associated with the keyword.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the metadata items includes particular content; and
using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item includes:
performing a semantic analysis of the particular content to determine keywords, and
finding a particular learning item that is associated with one or more of the keywords.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the hierarchy of learning goals represents all of the learning goals required to complete an educational course; and
the method further comprises linking the first learning goal node to a second learning goal node in the hierarchy of learning goals;
wherein the link between the first learning goal node and the second learning goal node indicates that completing the second learning goal node is a prerequisite to the first learning goal node.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein a second link between the second learning goal node and a third learning goal node of the hierarchy of learning goals indicates that completing the second learning goal node is a prerequisite to the third learning goal node.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein a second link between the first learning goal node and a third learning goal node of the hierarchy of learning goals indicates that completing the third learning goal node is a prerequisite to the first learning goal node.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the metadata items include an assessment metadata item that identifies an assessment that is configured to demonstrate a user's knowledge associated with the particular learning goal; and
the method further comprises:
prior to receiving the request for learning items:
receiving results of the assessment that is identified in the assessment metadata item,
analyzing the results of the assessment to determine a level of learning item; and
wherein using the metadata items to identify the particular learning item further comprises using the determined level of learning item to identify the particular learning item; and
wherein the particular learning item is associated with the determined level of learning item.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item further comprises:
generating a query that includes arguments that are based at least in part on one or more of the metadata items; and
causing the query to be executed against the learning item repository.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of the steps of:
maintaining a hierarchy of learning goals that includes a plurality of learning goal nodes, each node corresponding to a learning goal;
adding, to the hierarchy of learning goals, a first learning goal node, corresponding to a particular learning goal;
wherein the particular learning goal is associated with learning goal metadata;
wherein the learning goal metadata includes metadata items for finding learning items without identifying any particular learning items;
maintaining a learning item repository, wherein the learning item repository includes a plurality of learning items;
receiving a request for learning items to assist a particular user to achieve the particular learning goal;
in response to receiving the request, using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item, from the learning item repository, to facilitate achievement of the particular learning goal;
providing the particular learning item as a response to the request for learning items.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein:
the metadata items include a metadata item that identifies a learning theory; and
using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item includes finding a particular learning item based, at least in part, on the learning theory.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein:
the metadata items include a metadata item that identifies a content type; and
using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item includes finding a particular learning item that is associated with the content type.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein:
the metadata items include a metadata item that identifies a keyword; and
using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item includes finding a particular learning item that is associated with the keyword.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein:
the metadata items includes particular content; and
using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item includes:
performing a semantic analysis of the particular content to determine keywords, and
finding a particular learning item that is associated with one or more of the keywords.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein:
the hierarchy of learning goals represents all of the learning goals required to complete an educational course; and
the instructions further comprise instructions for linking the first learning goal node to a second learning goal node in the hierarchy of learning goals;
wherein the link between the first learning goal node and the second learning goal node indicates that completing the second learning goal node is a prerequisite to the first learning goal node.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein a second link between the second learning goal node and a third learning goal node of the hierarchy of learning goals indicates that completing the second learning goal node is a prerequisite to the third learning goal node.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein a second link between the first learning goal node and a third learning goal node of the hierarchy of learning goals indicates that completing the third learning goal node is a prerequisite to the first learning goal node.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein:
the metadata items include an assessment metadata item that identifies an assessment that is configured to demonstrate a user's knowledge associated with the particular learning goal; and
the instructions further comprise instructions for:
prior to receiving the request for learning items:
receiving results of the assessment that is identified in the assessment metadata item,
analyzing the results of the assessment to determine a level of learning item; and
wherein using the metadata items to identify the particular learning item further comprises using the determined level of learning item to identify the particular learning item; and
wherein the particular learning item is associated with the determined level of learning item.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein using the metadata items to identify a particular learning item further comprises:
generating a query that includes arguments that are based at least in part on one or more of the metadata items; and
causing the query to be executed against the learning item repository.