Interactive virtual classroom

Abstract

A system for allowing interactivity between an instructor provided with an instructor's workstation and a plurality of student's monitoring student workstations all of which are remote with respect to each other. A video and audio presentation would be transmitted in real time from the instructor's workstation to each of the student's workstation. Each of the student's workstation would include a monitor for displaying a video portion of the instructor's presentation as well as including response buttons for answering various questions posed by the instructor. The instructor's workstation would include a monitor for displaying the student's responses to the instructor's questions.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention is directed to an interactive teaching system in which a lecturer is located at a remote location from the students. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Conventional brick and mortar have, by their very nature, a limited capacity to accommodate students due to space considerations. Once all available classroom space is filled, no other students can attend that class, thereby limiting the availability of educational opportunities for certain segments of the potential student body. This would also limit tuition paid to these institutions due to lack of facility space. An instructor in a conventional classroom can only teach those students who are physically present in that classroom. Transportation availability, distance and cost may all conspire to limit or even to preclude student attendance. Furthermore, an institution of higher learning may not have an instructor on staff that is qualified to teach a certain subject, or the classr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] The deficiencies of the prior art are addressed by the present invention which relates to a virtual classroom or learning system providing interactivity between a lecturer and one or more students, each remotely located with respect to the lecturer. This virtual classroom is designed to allow the remote students at any location to synchronously attend a live class and participate during the class session, and create and submit class work assignments for i

Problems solved by technology

Conventional brick and mortar have, by their very nature, a limited capacity to accommodate students due to space considerations.

Once all available classroom space is filled, no other students can attend that class, thereby limiting the availability of educational opportunities for certain segments of the potential student body.

This would also limit tuition paid to these institutions due to lack of facility space.

An instructor in a conventional classroom can only teach those students who are physically present in that classroom.

Transportation availability, distance and cost may all conspire to limit or even to preclude student attendance.

Furthermore, an institution of higher learning may not have an instructor on staff that is qualified to teach a certain subject, or the classroom sessions for a particular instructor who is versed in that subject matter may be filled to capacity.

Short of the expensive proposition of building new or expanding old facilities, the conventional classroom based institution is not capable of the rapid expansion needed to

Images