# US 8,787,820 B2 · Content creation in an online learning environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,820 B2 - Document ID: US8787820B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/645,393 - Filed: 2012-10-04 - Published: 2013-02-28 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-20 - Assignees: Collaborize Inc. - Applicants: Richard Lang; Colt Briner - Inventors: Richard Lang; Colt Briner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787820B2 ## CPC - G09B 5/02: with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip - 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 - H04L 12/1822: {Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission} - 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 - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A collaborative learning service allows for a participant to create and share content for discussion with other participants in an online learning environment. Tagged content along with descriptive content regarding the tagged content is received from a participant. The content may be associated with a particular topic and/or forum. The content is published into a forum for discussion amongst participants. Following the publishing of the content to the online learning environment, participants, such as educators and students, may discuss, interact, and collaborate with one another regarding the content. The content may be stored in a library of topics for subsequent retrieval by any participant namely an educator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for creating content in an online learning environment, comprising: creating a topic for discussion between a plurality of participants in an online learning environment, wherein the topic for discussion includes a title; receiving tagged content over a network, the tagged content received from a computing device associated with a participant from the plurality of participants, wherein the tagged content is associated with the topic for discussion; receiving descriptive information from the participant regarding the tagged content; and executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor: publishes the tagged content into a forum of the online learning environment for discussion; and updates the forum with feedback received from one or more participants in the online learning environment in response to the tagged content, wherein the received feedback is in a structured format including quantitative collaborative input elements and is extensible to other participants participating in the online learning environment by way of an application executed at a computing device associated with the other participants, and wherein the topic for discussion, associated tagged content, descriptive information, and received feedback form a self-contained learning unit, the self-contained learning unit embeddable in a digital environment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking participation of the one or more participants on a time-stamped basis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein feedback regarding the topic for discussion may not be received after an expiration date associated with the topic for discussion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the tagged content in a library of topics. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the tagged content is associated with metadata identifying the tagged content within the library of topics for subsequent retrieval of the tagged content by the one or more participants. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback includes a rating of the topic for discussion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the execution of instructions by the processor further generates a cumulative rating of the topic for discussion based on the received feedback. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tagged content includes a photo. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tagged content includes a video. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the description information includes a caption. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the description information includes a photo associated with the tagged content. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile device and the tagged content includes a photo captured by the mobile device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising assessing a fee to the one or more participants that have provided feedback in response to the tagged content. ### Claim 14 A system for creating content in an online learning environment, comprising: memory that stores tagged content received over a network, the tagged content received from a computing device associated with a participant from a plurality of participants in the online learning environment, wherein the tagged content is associated with a topic for discussion; and an application server that: creates a topic for discussion between a plurality of participants in an online learning environment, wherein the topic for discussion includes a title, receives tagged content over the network, receives descriptive information from the participant regarding the tagged content; publishes the tagged content into a forum of the on-line learning environment for discussion; and updates the forum with feedback received from one or more participants in the online learning environment in response to the tagged content, wherein the received feedback is in a structured format including quantitative collaborative input elements and is extensible to other participants participating in the online learning environment by way of an application executed at a computing device associated with the other participants, and wherein the topic for discussion, associated tagged content, descriptive information, and received feedback form a self-contained learning unit, the self-contained learning unit embeddable in a digital environment. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method creating content in an online learning environment, the method comprising: creating a topic for discussion between a plurality of participants, wherein the topic for discussion includes a title; receiving tagged content from a participant of the plurality of participants, wherein the tagged content is associated with the topic for discussion; receiving descriptive information regarding the tagged content; and publishing the tagged content into a forum for discussion; and updating the forum with feedback received from one or more participants in response to the tagged content, wherein the received feedback is in a structured format including quantitative collaborative input elements and is extensible to other participants participating in the online learning environment by way of an application executed at a computing device associated with the other participants, and wherein the topic for discussion, associated tagged content, descriptive information, and received feedback form a self-contained learning unit, the self-contained learning unit embeddable in a digital environment.