Learning support system, learning support method, and program

Abstract

This invention provides a learning support system, learning support method, and program that can enhance the convenience of dictionary search functionality while editing electronic sticky notes. [Solution] The learning support system 1 according to this embodiment is a learning support system capable of displaying multiple electronic sticky notes side by side, and includes an editing screen 200 for editing the content displayed on an electronic sticky note selected from among the multiple electronic sticky notes, on which an icon (dictionary icon 206) for displaying a search screen 207A for searching a predetermined string in a predetermined dictionary content is displayed, and a control unit 11 that, when displaying the search screen 207A based on user operation on the icon, allocates a part of the editing screen 200 as an area (search area 207) for displaying the search screen 207A.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a learning support system, a learning support method, and a program. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, there are systems capable of displaying a plurality of electronic sticky notes (see Patent Documents 1 and 2 below). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-5583 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-117378 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] By the way, when a user wants to search for a predetermined character string with an electronic dictionary (dictionary content) while editing content displayed on an electronic sticky note on an editing screen for the electronic sticky note, the user has to once close the editing screen, open a search screen for using a dictionary search function, and search the character string on the search screen.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a learning support system, a learning support method, and a program that can improve the convenience of a dictionary search function during editing of an electronic sticky note. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the learning support system of the present invention is a learning support system capable of displaying a plurality of electronic sticky notes side by side, and includes a control unit that displays an icon for displaying a search screen for searching a predetermined string in predetermined dictionary content on an editing screen for editing the content displayed on an electronic sticky note selected from the plurality of electronic sticky notes, and when the search screen is displayed based on user operation on the icon, allocates a part of the editing screen as an area for displaying the search screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the convenience of the dictionary search function while editing electronic sticky notes can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram of the learning support system of this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a notebook screen. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of terminal devices. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a menu screen. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a dictionary content screen. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a notebook selection screen. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a notebook screen with the operation menu displayed. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the editing screen. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of an editing screen with the search screen displayed. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of an editing screen that displays a search screen containing a list of headwords. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of an editing screen where a search screen containing descriptive information is displayed. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of an edit screen on which a search screen including a selected character string is displayed. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an example of an edit screen on which a search screen including a list of headwords is displayed. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing an example of a word registration screen. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing an example of an edit screen on which a search screen is displayed. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing an example of an edit screen on which a search screen is displayed. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing an example of an edit screen on which an expanded search screen is displayed. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing an example of an edit screen on which a software keyboard and a search screen are displayed. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing an example of an edit screen on which a reduced-size sticky note is displayed. [Figure 21] It is a diagram showing an example of a restriction setting screen. [Figure 22] It is a diagram showing an example of an edit screen when an instruction for search processing via a dictionary icon is invalid. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various technically preferable limitations are applied to the embodiments described below for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. As shown in FIG. 1, a learning support system 1 includes a server 10 and a terminal device 20. The server 10 and the terminal device 20 are communicably connected via a communication network N. The communication network N is any communication network, for example, the Internet, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a wired LAN, a mobile communication network, a short-range wireless communication network, or a combination of some or all of the foregoing. The number of terminal devices 20 is not particularly limited. The learning support system 1 provides students of educational institutions with a learning support service that provides class support such as notebook creation for classes, online dictionaries, mathematical tools, and implementation and submission of assignments from teachers. The learning support service is provided to users whose account information (user ID and password) has been registered in the server 10 in advance.

[0010] The server 10 provides learning support services via the web in response to access from the terminal device 20, stores information input in the learning support service in association with a user ID in the storage unit 12 (see FIG. 2), and reads information stored in the storage unit 12 and transmits it to the terminal device 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the server 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. Each of these units is connected to each other via a system bus 14. The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU of the control unit 11 is a processor that reads out a program 121 stored in the storage unit 12 into the RAM, executes the program, and performs various arithmetic processes to control the operation of each unit of the server 10. The communication unit 13 performs communication operations in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. Through this communication operation, the communication unit 13 transmits and receives data to and from the terminal device 20 via the communication network N.

[0011] The storage unit 12 is a non-temporary recording medium readable by the CPU of the control unit 11. The storage unit 12 stores the program 121 and various data. The storage unit 12 includes non-volatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive). The program 121 includes a program to provide learning support services, which is executed on a web browser (hereinafter referred to as "browser") launched on the terminal device 20. The browser is software that connects to a web server, receives data from a website, and displays it. The storage unit 12 also stores a dictionary DB (database) 122. The dictionary DB 122 stores dictionary content that can be used by the user in the learning support service. In the dictionary content, explanatory information that explains each headword is associated with that headword. The dictionary DB 122 in this embodiment stores dictionary content related to multiple types of dictionaries. The types of dictionaries are not particularly limited as long as explanatory information is associated with headwords, and include language dictionaries such as Japanese dictionaries and English-Japanese dictionaries, encyclopedias, and terminology dictionaries in various fields such as physics dictionaries and chemistry dictionaries. Furthermore, dictionary DB122 stores information such as the dictionary name and a thumbnail image for each dictionary entry. The dictionary name is the name of the electronic dictionary. The dictionary thumbnail image is an image file of the dictionary's cover or similar.

[0012] Furthermore, the memory unit 12 stores the notebook DB 123. The notebook DB 123 stores notebook management information, which manages information related to notebooks created by users in the learning support service, and associates it with the user's user ID. Users can create sticky notes (electronic sticky notes) in the learning support service and place the created sticky notes in the notebook. Figure 3 is an example of the notebook screen 100 that displays the notebook, and sticky notes 101a to 101d are placed in the notebook. The notebook is a notebook-type web component (digital component) that is a display element displayed on the display unit 24 (see Figure 4) of the terminal device 20. Sticky notes are web components that record learning items in various forms. Here, an example in which the shape of the sticky note is roughly rectangular is described, but it is not limited to this. The shape and size of the sticky note are assumed to be such that it can be placed in the notebook. Users can move sticky notes placed in the notebook to any position within the notebook via the operation unit 23 (see Figure 4).

[0013] Furthermore, sticky notes can be connected to each other by a directed connecting line. In the example shown in Figure 3, sticky notes 101a and 101b are displayed connected by a connecting line A1, with sticky note 101a as the starting point (source) and sticky note 101b as the ending point (destination). Sticky notes 101b and 101c are displayed connected by a connecting line A2, with sticky note 101b as the starting point (source) and sticky note 101c as the ending point (destination). Sticky notes 101c and 101d are displayed connected by a connecting line A3, with sticky note 101c as the starting point (source) and sticky note 101d as the ending point (destination). In this embodiment, the connecting line is an arrow, but it is not limited to an arrow as long as it is a line that includes directional information. Multiple sticky notes connected by a connecting line have an order (sequence) depending on the direction of the connecting line. The order of multiple linked sticky notes is, for example, the display order of a slideshow function that displays each sticky note sequentially at set time intervals, or the order of the learning schedule for each sticky note. In the example shown in Figure 3, the order of sticky notes 101a to 101d is, from the beginning, sticky note 101a, sticky note 101b, sticky note 101c, and sticky note 101d. In this embodiment, the linking line is not branched (one sticky note is linked to one sticky note, and one sticky note is not linked to multiple sticky notes). In the example shown in Figure 3, the linking mark C1 attached to sticky note 101d is an instruction means for instructing the sticky notes to be linked together. When the user drags and drops the linking mark C1 of a predetermined first sticky note to a predetermined second sticky note, the CPU 11 links the first sticky note and the second sticky note with a linking line, with the first sticky note as the source and the second sticky note as the destination. In the example shown in Figure 3, the linked mark C2 attached to sticky note 101a indicates that one of the sticky notes is linked to sticky note 101a, and that sticky note 101a is the first sticky note. The notebook management information includes, in association with each other, the identification information of the target notebook, the name of the notebook, the thumbnail image of the notebook, the identification information of the sticky notes placed in the notebook, the coordinate information of the sticky notes in the notebook, and the identification information of the sticky notes that the sticky notes are linked to and to.

[0014] Furthermore, the memory unit 12 stores the sticky note database 124. The sticky note database 124 stores sticky note management information that manages information related to sticky notes created by users in the learning support service. The sticky note management information includes information such as the identification information of the target sticky note, the type of sticky note, and the content of the sticky note. The sticky note type is information that indicates the type of sticky note corresponding to text sticky notes, camera sticky notes, link sticky notes, file sticky notes, dictionary sticky notes, tool sticky notes, etc. The sticky note content indicates the content of the sticky note and is information that clearly indicates strings of text, images, videos, etc. In addition, the sticky note content includes information related to display settings such as the display position, display size, display angle, and background color of the sticky note.

[0015] The terminal device 20 is an information processing device used by users such as teachers and students of educational institutions, and is, for example, a notebook PC. However, the terminal device 20 is not limited to a notebook PC, and may be other information processing devices such as a desktop PC, tablet PC, or smartphone. As shown in Figure 4, the terminal device 20 comprises a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, a communication unit 25, and an audio output unit 26. These units are connected to each other via a system bus 27. The control unit 21 includes a CPU and RAM, etc. The CPU of the control unit 21 is a processor that controls the operation of each part of the terminal device 20 by reading the program 221 stored in the storage unit 22 into RAM, executing it, and performing various calculations. The storage unit 22 is a non-temporary recording medium that can be read by the CPU of the control unit 21. The storage unit 22 stores the program 221 and various data. The storage unit 22 includes non-volatile memory such as an HDD or SSD. The program 221 stored in the storage unit 22 includes a browser, etc.

[0016] The operation unit 23 has a keyboard with various keys and a pointing device that accepts position input, and accepts key input and position input from the user, and outputs the operation information to the control unit 21. Here, the operation unit 23 is assumed to have a mouse as the pointing device. Alternatively, the operation unit 23 may include a touch panel integrally formed on the display panel of the display unit 24, and be configured to accept touch input from the user. The display unit 24 is equipped with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 24 displays various information according to the display information instructed by the control unit 21. The communication unit 25 performs communication operations according to a predetermined communication standard. Through these communication operations, the communication unit 25 sends and receives data to and from the server 10 via the communication network N. The audio output unit 26 is composed of an amplifier, speaker, etc., and outputs audio based on audio data input from the control unit 21.

[0017] Next, the operation of the learning support system 1 will be explained. First, the process executed by the control unit 11 of the server 10 when a user logs in to the learning support service website via the terminal device 20 will be explained. When a user logs in to the learning support service website via the terminal device 20, the control unit 11 of the server 10, in cooperation with the program 121 stored in the memory unit 12, provides the learning support service to the terminal device 20. The learning support service is a service that provides the terminal device 20 with multiple learning functions, such as an electronic dictionary function and a notebook function.

[0018] When a user logs in to the learning support service website via the terminal device 20, the control unit 11 of the server 10 generates image information to display a menu screen 241 (see Figure 5) for the user to select the learning function to use, via the browser. The control unit 11 then transmits the generated image information to the terminal device 20. As a result, the control unit 11 displays the menu screen 241 on the display unit 24 of the terminal device 20. As shown in Figure 4, the menu screen 241 has areas 2411 and 2412. Area 2411 displays selection fields for the user to select the learning function to use. These selection fields include, for example, a dictionary content selection field 241a and a notebook selection field 241b. The dictionary content selection field 241a is for selecting the electronic dictionary function as the learning function to use. The notebook selection field 241b is for selecting the notebook function as the learning function to use. The notebook selection field 241b displays selection fields for selecting whether to use the notebook for classes or self-study.

[0019] Area 2412 displays a UI (User Interface) for using the learning function selected in Area 2411. In this embodiment, the electronic dictionary function is selected by default, and Area 2412 displays a list of dictionary content available to the user. The control unit 11 reads the names and thumbnail images of the dictionary content stored in the dictionary DB 122 and displays them as a list of dictionary content. The operation of the learning support system 1 when the user uses the electronic dictionary function will be described below. An input field 241c is provided in Area 2412. The control unit 11 accepts the input operation of a predetermined string by the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 in the input field 241c. Next, the control unit 11 executes a search process to search for the headword corresponding to the entered string in the dictionary content to be searched. The dictionary content to be searched is stored in the dictionary DB 122 and is dictionary content available to the login account, which is a logged-in authenticated account. If there are multiple dictionary contents to be searched, the control unit 11 simultaneously searches for the headword corresponding to the string instructed to be searched in the multiple dictionary contents (batch search). In the search process, the control unit 11 obtains the headword corresponding to the string for which the search process is instructed, and the descriptive information corresponding to the headword, from the dictionary content to be searched.

[0020] Next, the control unit 11 generates image information for displaying the dictionary content screen 242 (see Figure 6) via a browser and transmits the generated image information to the terminal device 20. As a result, the control unit 11 displays the dictionary content screen 242 on the display unit 24 of the terminal device 20 and displays the search results on the dictionary content screen 242. As shown in Figure 6, the dictionary content screen 242 has a search area 242a and a content area 242d. The control unit 11 displays the string instructing the search process in the input field 242b within the search area 242a. The control unit 11 displays the headwords obtained from each dictionary content targeted for the search in the search process in the list field 242c within the search area 242a, corresponding to the names of the respective dictionary contents. The control unit 11 accepts an operation by the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 to select one of the headwords from the list of headwords displayed in the list field 242c, obtains the explanatory information corresponding to the headword selected by the user from the dictionary content, and displays the obtained explanatory information in the content area 242d. Furthermore, if the user has not selected any headword from the list of headwords, the control unit 11 may retrieve explanatory information corresponding to the top-level headword in the list of headwords displayed in the list field 242c from the dictionary content and display the retrieved explanatory information in the content area 242d.

[0021] Next, the operation of the learning support system 1 when a user uses the notebook function will be explained. The control unit 11 receives an operation from the user to select one of the lessons or self-study items from the notebook selection field 241b via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20. Next, the control unit 11 generates image information for displaying the notebook selection screen 243 (see Figure 7) via the browser and sends the generated image information to the terminal device 20. As a result, the control unit 11 displays the notebook selection screen 243 on the display unit 24 of the terminal device 20. As shown in Figure 7, the notebook selection screen 243 has areas 2431 and 2432. Area 2431 is the same as area 2411 and displays the dictionary content selection field 243a and the notebook selection field 243b. Area 2432 displays a list 243c of the selected lesson or self-study notebooks. The control unit 11 reads the name and thumbnail image of the notebook stored in the notebook DB 123 and associated with the user ID of the login account, and displays it as the list of notebooks 243c. The control unit 11 receives an operation from the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 to select one of the notebooks displayed in the list of notebooks 243c. The control unit 11 then generates screen information for the notebook screen 100, which displays the notebook selected by the user. The control unit 11 then transmits the generated screen information to the terminal device 20. This causes the control unit 11 to display the notebook screen 100 on the display unit 24 of the terminal device 20. The notebook screen 100 is the screen used by the user to utilize the notebook function and sticky note function.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the notebook screen 100 includes a save icon 102, a submit icon 103, a send / receive icon 104, a group of buttons 105, a notebook exit button 107, etc. When a new notebook screen 100 is displayed, no sticky notes are displayed on the initial notebook screen 100. The save icon 102 is used to save sticky notes placed on the notebook screen 100 to a designated folder when the user drags the sticky note onto the save icon 102. The submit icon 103 is used to submit sticky notes placed on the notebook screen 100 to a designated recipient when the user drags the sticky note onto the submit icon 103. The send / receive icon 104 is used to send sticky notes placed on the notebook screen 100 to another user's account when the user drags the sticky note onto the send / receive icon 104. The send / receive icon 104 is also used to receive sticky notes sent from another user's account when the user clicks it. The button group 105 consists of multiple buttons that accept start commands and other instructions for transitioning to the process of creating sticky notes to be placed on the notebook screen 100. The button group 105 includes a text button 105a, a dictionary button 105b, etc. The text button 105a is a button for transitioning to a screen for creating a text sticky note where text entered by the user via the operation unit 23 is displayed. The dictionary button 105b is a button for transitioning to a screen for creating a dictionary sticky note where headwords from the dictionary content stored in the dictionary DB 122 and explanatory information corresponding to those headwords are displayed. The notebook exit button 107 is a button for instructing the user to close the notebook screen 100.

[0023] When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation from the user on a text sticky note placed on the notebook screen 100 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it displays an operation menu 30 near (for example, above) the clicked text sticky note (for example, sticky note 101a), as shown in Figure 8. The operation menu 30 includes an edit button 31. The edit button 31 is a button for transitioning to an editing screen for editing the information displayed on the clicked text sticky note. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation from the user on the edit button 31 corresponding to the text sticky note via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it generates image information for displaying the editing screen 200 (see Figure 9) using a browser and sends the generated image information to the terminal device 20. As a result, the control unit 11 displays the editing screen 200 on the display unit 24 of the terminal device 20. The editing screen 200 is a screen for editing the information displayed on the text sticky note.

[0024] As shown in Figure 9, the editing screen 200 has an icon group 201 and an editing area 202. The icon group 201 includes a text input icon 201a. The text input icon 201a is an icon for accepting text input to be displayed on the sticky note displayed in the editing area 202. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation on the text input icon 201a by the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it displays a text input menu 203a on the editing screen 200 and accepts setting operations related to text input by the user. Specifically, in the text input menu 203a, the control unit 11 can accept setting operations for the size, direction, thickness, and color of the text displayed on the sticky note. When the control unit 11 receives a text input operation by the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it starts displaying the entered text on the sticky note displayed in the editing area 202 as it is entered.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the editing screen 200 has an edit end button 204. The edit end button 204 is a button used to indicate the end of editing of the information displayed on the sticky note in the editing screen 200. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation to the edit end button 204 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it saves the information edited on the editing screen 200 to the sticky note DB 124, closes the editing screen 200, and transitions to the notebook screen 100. Also, if the sticky note displayed on the editing screen 200 is linked to other sticky notes, a pager 205a is displayed in the editing area 202, as shown in Figure 9. The pager 205a displays the number of linked sticky notes and the order of the sticky note displayed on the editing screen 200 among the linked sticky notes. The pager 205a has a previous sticky note button 205aa for moving to the previous sticky note in the sequence of linked sticky notes, and a next sticky note button 205ab for moving to the next sticky note in the sequence of linked sticky notes. Note that if the sticky note displayed on the editing screen 200 is not linked to other sticky notes, the pager 205a will not be displayed. Also, as shown in Figure 9, a character count indicator 205b is displayed in the editing area 202. The character count indicator 205b indicates the number of characters entered by the user in the sticky note displayed on the editing screen 200.

[0026] As shown in Figure 9, a dictionary icon 206 is displayed in the editing area 202. The dictionary icon 206 is an icon that receives instructions to perform a search on a predetermined string entered by the user and displays the search results for that string. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation on the dictionary icon 206 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, as shown in Figure 10, it shrinks the editing area 202 within the editing screen 200 and allocates a portion of the editing screen 200 to the search area 207, which is the area where the search screen 207A is displayed. At this time, the control unit 11 displays the pager 205a in the lower right corner of the editing area 202 so as not to overlap with the search area 207. The search screen 207A has an input field 207a and a search end button 207b. The input field 207a is a field for entering the string to be searched for in the dictionary content. The search end button 207b is a button for instructing to close the search screen 207A. When the control unit 11 receives a click input from the user to the search end button 207b via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it closes the search screen 207A and returns the editing screen 200 to the state shown in Figure 9.

[0027] The control unit 11 accepts input of a predetermined string by the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 in the input field 207a. Next, the control unit 11 performs a search process to find the headword corresponding to the entered string in the dictionary content to be searched. The dictionary content to be searched is stored in the dictionary DB 122 and is dictionary content available to the login account. If there are multiple dictionary contents to be searched, the control unit 11 simultaneously searches for the headword corresponding to the string for which the search process is instructed in all of the dictionary contents (a batch search). In the search process, the control unit 11 obtains the headword corresponding to the string for which the search process is instructed, and the explanatory information corresponding to that headword, from the dictionary content to be searched.

[0028] Next, as shown in Figure 11, the control unit 11 displays the headwords obtained from each dictionary content targeted for the search in the list field 207c within the search screen 207A, corresponding to the names of the respective dictionary contents. Furthermore, when the control unit 11 receives a click input operation from the user to the search end button 207b via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 while the list field 207c is displayed on the search screen 207A as shown in Figure 11, it closes the search screen 207A and returns the editing screen 200 to the state shown in Figure 9. Subsequently, when the control unit 11 receives another click input operation from the user to the dictionary icon 206 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 on the editing screen 200, as shown in Figure 11, it allocates a portion of the editing screen 200 to the search area 207, and displays the list field 207c that was displayed on the search screen 207A before the search screen 207A was closed last time.

[0029] When the control unit 11 receives an operation from the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 to select one of the headwords from the list of headwords displayed in the list field 207c, it retrieves the explanatory information corresponding to the headword selected by the user from the dictionary content. Next, as shown in Figure 12, the control unit 11 displays the headword 2071 selected by the user and the explanatory information 2072 corresponding to that headword on the search screen 207A. Furthermore, when the control unit 11 receives a click input operation from the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 to the search end button 207b while the headword 2071 and explanatory information 2072 are displayed on the search screen 207A as shown in Figure 12, it closes the search screen 207A and returns the editing screen 200 to the state shown in Figure 9. Subsequently, when the control unit 11 receives another click input operation from the user to the dictionary icon 206 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 on the editing screen 200, it allocates a portion of the editing screen 200 to the search area 207, as shown in Figure 12, and displays the headword 2071 and explanatory information 2072 that were displayed on the search screen 207A before the search screen 207A was closed. In other words, the control unit 11 retains (does not reset) the contents displayed on the search screen 207A until the editing screen 200 is closed.

[0030] Furthermore, when the control unit 11 receives a click input from the user to the edit end button 204 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 while the search screen 207A is displayed on the editing screen 200 as shown in Figures 10 to 12, it saves the information edited on the editing screen 200 to the sticky note DB 124, closes the editing screen 200, and transitions to the notebook screen 100. Subsequently, when the control unit 11 receives another click input from the user to the edit button 31 corresponding to the same sticky note on the notebook screen 100, it displays the editing screen 200 with the search screen 207A closed (see Figure 9) on the display unit 24. At this time, when the control unit 11 receives a click input from the user to the dictionary icon 206 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 on the editing screen 200, it displays the search screen 207A in the state shown in Figure 10 within the editing screen 200. In other words, the control unit 11 does not display the content that was displayed on the search screen 207A before the editing screen 200 was closed. In other words, when the editing screen 200 is closed, the control unit 11 does not retain (resets) the content that was displayed on the search screen 207A before the editing screen 200 was closed.

[0031] Furthermore, when the search screen 207A is displayed on the editing screen 200, the control unit 11, upon receiving a click input operation from the user to the previous sticky note button 205aa via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, transitions to an editing screen for editing the previous sticky note in the sequence of linked sticky notes. Initially, the search screen is closed on the editing screen for editing the previous sticky note, and a dictionary icon is displayed instead. Also, when the search screen 207A is displayed on the editing screen 200, the control unit 11, upon receiving a click input operation from the user to the next sticky note button 205ab via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, transitions to an editing screen for editing the next sticky note in the sequence of linked sticky notes. Initially, the search screen is closed on the editing screen for editing the next sticky note, and a dictionary icon is displayed instead. Then, when the control unit 11 receives a click input operation on the dictionary icon via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 in the editing screen for editing the previous sticky note or the editing screen for editing the next sticky note, it displays a search screen 207A in the editing screen that is similar to the state shown in Figure 10. In other words, the control unit 11 does not display (carry over) the content that was displayed on the search screen 207A before transitioning to the editing screen for editing the previous or next sticky note. To put it another way, when the control unit 11 transitions to the editing screen for editing the previous or next sticky note, it does not retain (reset) the content that was displayed on the search screen 207A before the transition. Thus, when the previous sticky note button 205aa or the next sticky note button 205ab is clicked, the state in which the displayed content in the dictionary search function is retained shows a state transition similar to when the editing screen is closed.

[0032] Furthermore, the control unit 11 accepts a selection operation of a predetermined string by the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, for example, by dragging the predetermined string on the text displayed on the search screen 207A. Figure 13 shows the selected string 207d, which is the predetermined string selected by the user. Next, the control unit 11 displays an audio icon 207e and a jump icon 207f on the search screen 207A. The audio icon 207e is an icon for playing the audio of the selected string 207d. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation on the audio icon 207e via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, if audio data for the selected string 207d exists in the dictionary content, it retrieves the audio data from the dictionary content and outputs the audio of the selected string 207d from the audio output unit 26 of the terminal device 20.

[0033] The jump icon 207f is an icon for searching the selected string 207d in the dictionary content. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation on the jump icon 207f from the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it executes a search process to search for the headword corresponding to the selected string 207d in the target dictionary content. Next, as shown in Figure 14, the control unit 11 displays the headwords obtained from each target dictionary content in the search process in the list field 207g of the search screen 207A, associating them with the names of the respective dictionary contents. When the control unit 11 receives an operation from the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20 to select any headword from the list of headwords displayed in the list field 207g, it obtains the explanatory information corresponding to the headword selected by the user from the dictionary content and displays the headword selected by the user and the explanatory information corresponding to that headword on the search screen 207A.

[0034] Furthermore, the search screen 207A has a word registration icon 207h, as shown in Figures 12 and 13. The word registration icon 207h is an icon for registering the headword 2071 displayed on the search screen 207A into a word list. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation on the word registration icon 207h via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it displays the word registration screen 208 on the editing screen 200, as shown in Figure 15. The word registration screen 208 has multiple (in this case, six) word list buttons 208a corresponding to multiple different word lists. The word list buttons 208a are buttons for specifying the word list into which to register the headword 2071 displayed on the search screen 207A. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation from the user to one of the vocabulary list buttons 208a via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it stores data in the storage unit 12 that associates the headword 2071 with information identifying the designated vocabulary list, thereby registering the headword 2071 in the vocabulary list. Once the registration of the headword 2071 in the vocabulary list is complete, the control unit 11 displays a message on the editing screen 200 indicating that the registration of the headword 2071 in the vocabulary list is complete, for example, using a snack bar.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, the search screen 207A has a sticky note creation icon 207i. The sticky note creation icon 207i is an icon for creating a dictionary sticky note that displays the headword 2071 displayed on the search screen 207A and the corresponding explanatory information 2072. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation to the sticky note creation icon 207i from the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it creates a dictionary sticky note that displays the headword 2071 and explanatory information 2072 displayed on the search screen 207A and places it on the notebook screen 100 where the text sticky note (sticky note 101a) corresponding to the editing screen 200 is placed. When the creation of the dictionary sticky note is complete, the control unit 11 displays a message on the editing screen 200 indicating that the creation of the dictionary sticky note is complete, for example, by using a snack bar. Furthermore, if the number of sticky notes placed on the notebook screen 100 has reached a predetermined maximum number at the time the click input operation for the sticky note creation icon 207i is received, the control unit 11 will not create a dictionary sticky note and will instead display an error message indicating that the number of sticky notes placed on the notebook screen 100 has reached the maximum number, for example, via the snack bar.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, in the editing screen 200 where the search screen 207A is displayed, the user can select the icon group 201 via the operation unit 23, and can move the character input menu 203a, which is displayed when the character input icon 201a is selected, to any position within the editing area 202 and the search area 207. In other words, the user can place the character input menu 203a across the editing area 202 and the search area 207 via the operation unit 23. Also, as shown in Figure 17, the icon group 201 includes the handwriting input icon 201b. The handwriting input icon 201b is an icon for accepting input of handwritten objects displayed on sticky notes displayed in the editing area 202. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation on the handwriting input icon 201b by the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it displays the handwriting input menu 203b on the editing screen 200 and accepts setting operations related to handwriting input by the user. Specifically, the control unit 11 can accept setting operations for the thickness of the lines of handwritten objects displayed on sticky notes, the color of the lines of handwritten objects, etc., in the handwriting input menu 203b. When the control unit 11 receives input operations for handwritten objects from the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it starts displaying the input handwritten objects on sticky notes displayed in the editing area 202 as they are entered. In addition, the user can move the handwriting input menu 203b to any position within the editing area 202 and the search area 207 via the operation unit 23. In other words, the user can place the handwriting input menu 203b across the editing area 202 and the search area 207, similar to the text input menu 203a, via the operation unit 23. As described above, the user can display setting menus such as the text input menu 203a and the handwriting input menu 203b on the editing screen 200 where the search screen 207A is displayed, and edit the information displayed on sticky notes in the editing area 202. Therefore, users can edit the information displayed on sticky notes while using the dictionary search function on the search screen 207A.

[0037] Furthermore, in the editing screen 200 where the search screen 207A is not displayed and the dictionary icon 206 is displayed in the editing area 202, the user can move setting menus such as the text input menu 203a and the handwriting input menu 203b to any position within the editing area 202 via the operation unit 23. In this case, if the setting menus such as the text input menu 203a and the handwriting input menu 203b overlap with the dictionary icon 206, the setting menus such as the text input menu 203a and the handwriting input menu 203b will be displayed on top of the dictionary icon 206. Also, as shown in Figure 18, the user can expand the search area 207 in the editing screen 200 via the operation unit 23, in which case the editing area 202 will be reduced by the amount by which the search area 207 has been expanded. Along with the reduction in the editing area 202, the size of the editing target (e.g., text) in this editing area 202 will also be reduced as shown in Figure 18. In this embodiment, the search area 207 can be extended to the left edge of the page of the editing screen 200. When the search area 207 is extended to the left edge of the page of the editing screen 200, the editing area 202 is not displayed on the editing screen 200.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, the control unit 11 may display a software keyboard 210 as an operation unit 23 on the editing screen 200. In this case, the control unit 11 displays the pager 205a and character count indicator 205b at the bottom edge of the editing area 202 on the editing screen 200 without overlapping them with the search area 207. Also, as shown in Figure 20, the icon group 201 includes a zoom in / out icon 201c. The zoom in / out icon 201c is an icon for zooming in or out on the sticky notes displayed on the editing screen 200. When the control unit 11 receives a click input operation to the zoom in / out icon 201c via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20, it displays a zoom in / out menu 203c on the editing screen 200 and accepts setting operations related to the zoom in / out display of sticky notes from the user. The control unit 11 zooms in or out on the sticky notes on the editing screen 200 in response to the user's operation on the zoom in / out menu 203c. Figure 20 shows an example of displaying a sticky note in a reduced size on the editing screen 200. Since the pager 205a, character count indicator 205b, and dictionary icon 206 displayed in the editing area 202 of the editing screen 200 are floating icons, the control unit 11 does not change the positions of the pager 205a, character count indicator 205b, and dictionary icon 206 in the editing area 202, even when displaying the sticky note in a reduced or enlarged size.

[0039] Furthermore, the learning support system 1 can be used in educational institutions to which learners and instructors who guide learners belong. In the learning support system 1, instructors are assigned instructor accounts, and learners are assigned learner accounts. In the learning support system 1, it is possible to set restrictions on the following processes on the notebook screen 100 for learner accounts, depending on user operations in the instructor account. Specifically, when the login account for the learning support service is an instructor account, the control unit 11 displays a restriction setting screen 110 on the notebook screen 100, as shown in Figure 21, in response to a predetermined operation on the notebook screen 100 by the user via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20. On the restriction setting screen 110, the control unit 11 accepts settings for restricting sticky note creation and restricting functions within sticky notes for each notebook, based on user operations in the instructor account. Note that the sticky note creation restriction setting and the sticky note function restriction setting can be set independently on the restriction setting screen 110.

[0040] As shown in Figure 21, the restriction setting screen 110 has a sticky note creation restriction button 111 for enabling or disabling sticky note creation for each sticky note type, and a dictionary search function restriction button 112 for enabling or disabling the dictionary search function in text sticky notes. The control unit 11 enables or disables the creation of sticky notes of the type corresponding to the clicked sticky note creation restriction button 111 in response to a click input operation of the user on the sticky note creation restriction button 111 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20. The control unit 11 also enables or disables the dictionary search function in text sticky notes in response to a click input operation of the user on the dictionary search function restriction button 112 via the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 20. In other words, the control unit 11 accepts a dictionary search setting operation that enables or disables the instruction for search processing by the dictionary icon 206 on the editing screen 200 by clicking the dictionary search function restriction button 112. As described above, the control unit 11 sets whether or not to display the search screen 207A based on user operations on the learner account icon (dictionary icon 206) using the instructor account. The control unit 11 functions as a setting unit.

[0041] When the search process instruction via the dictionary icon 206 is disabled, the control unit 11 displays the dictionary icon 206 on the editing screen 200 in a manner indicating that the search process instruction is disabled, as shown in Figure 22. In this state, if the control unit 11 receives a click input operation to the dictionary icon 206 from the learner account, it displays a message on the editing screen 200 via a snackbar indicating that the search process instruction is disabled (in the example shown in Figure 22, "Use is not permitted by the teacher."). Note that even when the search process instruction via the dictionary icon 206 is disabled, the search process for the string entered in the input field 241c of the menu screen 241 is still valid. The control unit 11 may also accept an operation to set the dictionary content to be searched in the search process instructed by the dictionary icon 206. For example, the control unit 11 accepts an operation to set the dictionary content to be searched in response to a user operation from the instructor account. In this case, the control unit 11 performs a search process to find the headword corresponding to the string entered in the input field 207a on the search screen 207A in the dictionary content set as the target of the search according to the user operation in the instructor account. This allows the system to search for a given string using only the dictionary content specified by the school, even when the dictionary content to be used for the search process is specified on a school-by-school basis.

[0042] As described above, the learning support system 1 according to this embodiment is a learning support system capable of displaying multiple electronic sticky notes side by side, and includes an editing screen 200 for editing the content displayed on an electronic sticky note selected from among the multiple electronic sticky notes, on which an icon (dictionary icon 206) for displaying a search screen 207A for searching a predetermined string in a predetermined dictionary content is displayed, and a control unit 11 that, when the search screen 207A is displayed based on user operation on the icon, allocates a part of the editing screen 200 as an area for displaying the search screen 207A (search area 207). Therefore, the user can edit the information displayed on the sticky note while using the dictionary search function on the search screen 207A. This makes it possible to improve the convenience of the dictionary search function while editing electronic sticky notes.

[0043] Furthermore, the learning support system 1 according to this embodiment has a learner account assigned to the learner and an instructor account assigned to the instructor who instructs the learner. The system includes a setting unit (control unit 11) that allows the instructor account to set whether or not to display the search screen 207A based on user operation of the icon (dictionary icon 206) in the learner account. This allows each instructor to set whether or not to allow the learner to use the dictionary search function on the editing screen 200.

[0044] Furthermore, in the learning support system 1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 displays the search results for the string entered in the search screen 207A in a predetermined dictionary content on the search screen 207A. This allows the user to view the search results for the predetermined string on the search screen 207A and edit the information displayed on the sticky note.

[0045] The above description discloses an example in which storage units 12 and 22 (HDD, SSD) are used as computer-readable media for the program according to the present invention, but the invention is not limited to this example. Other computer-readable media that can be used include flash memory and portable recording media such as CD-ROMs. Furthermore, carrier waves can also be used as a medium for providing program data according to the present invention via a communication line. The above description of embodiments is merely an example of the learning support system, learning support method, and program according to the present invention, and is not limited thereto. For example, in the above embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 is described as a "control unit" and a "setting unit," but the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may also function as a "control unit" and a "setting unit."

[0046] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 1…Learning support system, 11…Control unit

Claims

1. A learning support system that allows multiple electronic sticky notes to be displayed side by side, A learning support system comprising: an editing screen for editing the content displayed on an electronic sticky note selected from among the plurality of electronic sticky notes; an icon for displaying a search screen for searching a predetermined string in predetermined dictionary content; and a control unit that, when the search screen is displayed based on user operation on the icon, allocates a portion of the editing screen as an area for displaying the search screen.

2. Learner accounts are assigned to learners, and instructor accounts are assigned to instructors who guide the learners. The learning support system according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit that allows the instructor account to set whether or not the search screen can be displayed based on user operations on the icon in the learner account.

3. The learning support system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays the results of searching for the string entered on the search screen in a predetermined dictionary content on the search screen.

4. A learning support method implemented by a learning support system capable of displaying multiple electronic sticky notes side by side, A learning support method that includes a control process for displaying an icon for displaying a search screen for searching a predetermined string in predetermined dictionary content on an editing screen for editing the content displayed on an electronic sticky note selected from among the plurality of electronic sticky notes, and for displaying the search screen based on user operation on the icon, by allocating a portion of the editing screen as an area for displaying the search screen.

5. A computer for a learning support system that can display multiple electronic sticky notes side by side, A program that displays an icon for displaying a search screen for searching a predetermined string in predetermined dictionary content on an editing screen for editing the content displayed on an electronic sticky note selected from among the plurality of electronic sticky notes, and functions as a control unit that, when the search screen is displayed based on user operation on the icon, allocates a portion of the editing screen as an area for displaying the search screen.

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