Education assistance device and education assistance method

Abstract

An education assistance device according to the present invention is configured to comprise: an understanding degree identification unit (11) that identifies a degree of understanding in learning by a user; an advice determination unit (12) that determines advice to the user on the basis of the degree of understanding identified by the understanding degree identification unit (11); and an advice provision unit (13) that provides the user with the advice determined by the advice determination unit (12).

Description

Educational Support Device and Educational Support Method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an educational support device and an educational support method.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been an educational support device (hereinafter referred to as "conventional educational support device") that provides advice to a user according to the user's ability to receive education. By the way, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an educational support system that supports efficient learning of learners. The teacher client program of this educational support system includes a group of instructions for realizing a function of supporting the grading work of tests and a function of advising on teaching methods.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-81588

[0004] Although the conventional educational support device can provide advice according to the user's ability, there is a problem that the advice according to the user's ability is not necessarily advice that is useful for the user to continue learning. In addition, although the teacher client program disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a function of advising on teaching methods, the advice on teaching methods is not advice for the user. Therefore, even if the teacher client program could be applied to the conventional educational support device, it would not be possible to provide the user with advice that is useful for the user to continue learning.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to obtain an educational support device that can provide the user with advice that is useful for the user to continue learning.

[0006] The educational support device according to the present disclosure includes an understanding degree specifying unit that specifies the degree of understanding of learning by the user, an advice determination unit that determines advice for the user based on the degree of understanding specified by the understanding degree specifying unit, and an advice providing unit that provides the advice determined by the advice determination unit to the user.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide the user with advice that is useful for the user to continue learning.

[0008] This is a diagram showing the configuration of an educational support device according to Embodiment 1. This is a hardware configuration diagram showing the hardware of the educational support device according to Embodiment 1. This is a hardware configuration diagram of a computer when the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware, etc. This is a flowchart showing the educational support method, which is the processing procedure of the educational support device according to Embodiment 1. This is a diagram showing the configuration of an educational support device according to Embodiment 2. This is a hardware configuration diagram showing the hardware of the educational support device according to Embodiment 2. This is a flowchart showing the educational support method, which is the processing procedure of the educational support device according to Embodiment 2. This is a diagram showing the configuration of an educational support device according to Embodiment 3. This is a hardware configuration diagram showing the hardware of the educational support device according to Embodiment 3. This is a flowchart showing the educational support method, which is the processing procedure of the educational support device according to Embodiment 3. This is a diagram showing the configuration of an educational support device according to Embodiment 4. This is a hardware configuration diagram showing the hardware of the educational support device according to Embodiment 4.

[0009] To provide a more detailed explanation of this disclosure, the forms for implementing this disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing an educational support device according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the hardware of the educational support device according to Embodiment 1. The educational support device shown in Figure 1 includes an understanding level identification unit 11, an advice decision unit 12, and an advice provision unit 13.

[0011] The comprehension level identification unit 11 is implemented, for example, by the comprehension level identification circuit 21 shown in Figure 2. The comprehension level identification unit 11 identifies the level of comprehension of the learning in the user receiving education. The comprehension level identification unit 11 outputs information indicating the level of comprehension of the learning to the advice decision unit 12.

[0012] The advice decision unit 12 is implemented, for example, by the advice decision circuit 22 shown in Figure 2. The advice decision unit 12 obtains information indicating the level of understanding from the understanding level identification unit 11. Based on the level of understanding identified by the understanding level identification unit 11, the advice decision unit 12 determines advice for the user. The advice decision unit 12 outputs the advice for the user to the advice provision unit 13.

[0013] The advice provision unit 13 is implemented, for example, by the advice provision circuit 23 shown in Figure 2. The advice provision unit 13 obtains advice for the user from the advice decision unit 12. The advice provision unit 13 provides the user with the advice determined by the advice decision unit 12.

[0014] In Figure 1, it is assumed that the comprehension level identification unit 11, the advice decision unit 12, and the advice provision unit 13, which are components of the educational support device, are each implemented by dedicated hardware as shown in Figure 2. That is, it is assumed that the educational support device is implemented by a comprehension level identification circuit 21, an advice decision circuit 22, and an advice provision circuit 23. The comprehension level identification circuit 21, the advice decision circuit 22, and the advice provision circuit 23 can be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0015] The components of an educational support device are not limited to those implemented by dedicated hardware; the educational support device may also be implemented by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is stored as a program in the computer's memory. A computer refers to the hardware that executes programs, and includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, processor, or DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

[0016] Figure 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of a computer when the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware. When the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware, programs that cause the computer to execute the respective processing procedures in the comprehension level determination unit 11, the advice decision unit 12, and the advice provision unit 13 are stored in memory 31. The computer's processor 32 then executes the programs stored in memory 31.

[0017] Furthermore, Figure 2 shows an example in which each component of the educational support device is implemented by dedicated hardware, and Figure 3 shows an example in which the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware, etc. However, this is only one example, and some components of the educational support device may be implemented by dedicated hardware, while the remaining components may be implemented by software or firmware, etc.

[0018] Next, the operation of the educational support device shown in Figure 1 will be explained. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the educational support method, which is the processing procedure of the educational support device according to Embodiment 1. The comprehension level identification unit 11 identifies the user's level of understanding of the learning (step ST1 in Figure 4). The comprehension level identification unit 11 outputs information indicating the level of understanding of the learning to the advice decision unit 12.

[0019] The following describes in detail the process of determining the level of understanding by the understanding level determination unit 11. For example, if a user receiving education takes a test, the understanding level determination unit 11 obtains a standard score indicating the user's test results. Based on the standard score, the understanding level determination unit 11 determines the level of understanding of the learning. For example, if the standard score is higher than 60, the understanding level is determined to be A; if the standard score is 53 or higher but less than 60, the understanding level is determined to be B; if the standard score is 47 or higher but less than 53, the understanding level is determined to be C; if the standard score is 40 or higher but less than 47, the understanding level is determined to be D; and if the standard score is less than 40, the understanding level is determined to be E. In this case, the order of understanding levels is A > B > C > D > E.

[0020] If a learning model that identifies the level of understanding based on the answers to questions is installed in a robot or the like, the robot or the like may ask questions to the user, obtain answers from the user, and the learning model may output information indicating the level of understanding based on the answers to the questions. During training, such a learning model is given data indicating the answers to questions and data indicating the level of understanding as training data, and learns the level of understanding corresponding to the answers to the questions. During inference, when the learning model is given data indicating the answers to questions, it outputs information indicating the level of understanding corresponding to the answers to the questions. Such a learning model may be installed inside or outside the educational support device.

[0021] The advice decision unit 12 obtains information indicating the level of understanding from the understanding level identification unit 11. Based on the level of understanding, the advice decision unit 12 determines advice for the user (step ST2 in Figure 4). The advice decision unit 12 outputs the advice for the user to the advice provision unit 13.

[0022] The following describes in detail the advice decision process by the advice decision unit 12. If a database containing advice corresponding to the level of learning comprehension is available, the advice decision unit 12 retrieves advice corresponding to the level of learning comprehension from the database. If a learning model is available that determines advice for the user based on the level of learning comprehension, the advice decision unit 12 provides the learning model with information indicating the level of learning comprehension and retrieves advice for the user from the learning model. During training, such a learning model is provided with information indicating the level of learning comprehension and data indicating advice as training data, and learns advice corresponding to the level of learning comprehension. During inference, when the learning model is provided with information indicating the level of learning comprehension, it outputs data indicating advice corresponding to the level of learning comprehension. Such a learning model may be provided inside the educational support device or outside the educational support device.

[0023] The following are examples of advice corresponding to different levels of understanding. For convenience, we assume that the learning is about programming. [Low level of understanding] Situation: The user is trying to learn a new programming language and lacks basic concepts. Example advice: "When learning a new programming language, you need to start by learning basic concepts such as variables and control structures. For example, understand that a variable is a container for storing data."

[0024] [For moderate level of understanding] Situation: The user is trying to learn the basic concepts of functions and object-oriented programming and has some understanding. Example advice: "To deepen your understanding of functions and object-oriented programming, concrete examples and analogies are helpful. For example, let's look at a concrete example of a function to understand how a function represents a reusable block of code."

[0025] [High Level of Understanding] Situation: The user is trying to learn advanced theories such as algorithms and data structures and has a sufficient understanding. Example Advice: "To deepen your understanding of advanced theories such as algorithms and data structures, it is a good idea to apply them to real-world problems. For example, try selecting an appropriate data structure and algorithm for a specific problem and implementing it to explore the application of the theory."

[0026] The advice provision unit 13 obtains advice for the user from the advice decision unit 12. The advice provision unit 13 provides the advice to the user by, for example, displaying it on a display (not shown) (step ST3 in Figure 4). The advice provision unit 13 also provides the advice to the user by, for example, transmitting data indicating the advice to the user to the user's mobile terminal (step ST3 in Figure 4).

[0027] In the above embodiment 1, the educational support device is configured to include a comprehension level identification unit 11 that identifies the user's level of understanding of the learning, an advice determination unit 12 that determines advice for the user based on the level of understanding identified by the comprehension level identification unit 11, and an advice provision unit 13 that provides the advice determined by the advice determination unit 12 to the user. Therefore, the educational support device can provide the user with advice that is useful for the user to continue learning. Specifically, the educational support device can analyze the user's level of understanding of the learning in detail and provide specific and practical advice according to that level of understanding. As a result, the user can maintain motivation to continue learning efficiently and maximize the learning effect. Therefore, compared to the conventional technology, an improvement in the learning continuation rate and learning effect can be expected.

[0028] Embodiment 2. Embodiment 2 describes an educational support device equipped with an emotion analysis unit 14 that analyzes the user's emotions.

[0029] Figure 5 is a configuration diagram showing the educational support device according to Embodiment 2. In Figure 5, the same reference numerals as in Figure 1 indicate the same or corresponding parts, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Figure 6 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the hardware of the educational support device according to Embodiment 2. In Figure 6, the same reference numerals as in Figure 2 indicate the same or corresponding parts, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The educational support device shown in Figure 5 includes an emotion analysis unit 14, an advice decision unit 15, and an advice provision unit 13.

[0030] The emotion analysis unit 14 is implemented, for example, by the emotion analysis circuit 24 shown in Figure 6. The emotion analysis unit 14 analyzes the user's emotions. The emotion analysis unit 14 outputs analysis data showing the results of the emotion analysis to the advice decision unit 15.

[0031] The advice decision unit 15 is implemented, for example, by the advice decision circuit 25 shown in Figure 6. The advice decision unit 15 acquires analysis data indicating the results of the emotion analysis from the emotion analysis unit 14. Based on the emotions analyzed by the emotion analysis unit 14, the advice decision unit 15 determines advice for the user. The advice decision unit 15 outputs the advice for the user to the advice provision unit 13.

[0032] In Figure 5, the emotional analysis unit 14, the advice decision unit 15, and the advice provision unit 13, which are components of the educational support device, are assumed to be implemented by dedicated hardware as shown in Figure 6. That is, the educational support device is assumed to be implemented by an emotional analysis circuit 24, an advice decision circuit 25, and an advice provision circuit 23. The emotional analysis circuit 24, the advice decision circuit 25, and the advice provision circuit 23 can be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0033] The components of the educational support device are not limited to those implemented by dedicated hardware; the educational support device may also be implemented by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. When the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware, a program that causes a computer to execute the respective processing procedures in the emotion analysis unit 14, the advice decision unit 15, and the advice provision unit 13 is stored in the memory 31 shown in Figure 3. Then, the processor 32 shown in Figure 3 executes the program stored in the memory 31.

[0034] Furthermore, Figure 6 shows an example in which each component of the educational support device is implemented by dedicated hardware, while Figure 3 shows an example in which the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware. However, this is merely one example, and some components of the educational support device may be implemented by dedicated hardware, while the remaining components may be implemented by software or firmware.

[0035] Next, the operation of the educational support device shown in Figure 5 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the educational support method, which is the processing procedure of the educational support device according to Embodiment 2. The emotion analysis unit 14 analyzes the user's emotions (step ST11 in Figure 7). The emotion analysis unit 14 outputs analysis data showing the result of the emotion analysis to the advice decision unit 15.

[0036] The emotion analysis process performed by the emotion analysis unit 14 will be described in detail below. The emotion analysis unit 14 can analyze the user's emotions using a first AI (Artificial Intelligence) that analyzes the user's emotions based on the user's facial expressions, or a second AI that analyzes the user's emotions based on the user's utterances. During training, the first AI is given image data showing the user's facial expressions and data showing the user's emotions as training data, and learns the emotions corresponding to the user's facial expressions. During inference, when image data showing the user's facial expressions is given, the first AI outputs information indicating the emotions corresponding to the user's facial expressions. During training, the second AI is given text data showing the user's utterances, or audio data showing the user's utterances and data showing the user's emotions as training data, and learns the emotions corresponding to the user's utterances. The second AI, when given text data or audio data representing the user's speech during inference, outputs information indicating emotions corresponding to the user's facial expressions. Such an AI may be installed inside or outside the educational support device.

[0037] The advice decision unit 15 acquires analysis data from the emotion analysis unit 14 that shows the results of the emotion analysis. Based on the emotion analysis results shown in the analysis data, the advice decision unit 15 decides on advice for the user (step ST12 in Figure 7). The advice decision unit 15 outputs the advice for the user to the advice provision unit 13.

[0038] The following describes in detail the advice decision process by the advice decision unit 15. If a database containing advice corresponding to the emotion analysis results is available, the advice decision unit 15 retrieves the advice corresponding to the emotion analysis results from the database. If a learning model that determines advice for the user based on the emotion analysis results is available, the advice decision unit 15 provides the learning model with analysis data indicating the emotion analysis results and retrieves advice for the user from the learning model. During training, such a learning model is given analysis data indicating the emotion analysis results and data indicating advice as training data, and learns advice corresponding to the emotion analysis results. During inference, when the learning model is given analysis data indicating the emotion analysis results, it outputs data indicating advice corresponding to the emotion analysis results. Such a learning model may be provided inside the educational support device or outside the educational support device.

[0039] The following are examples of advice corresponding to the emotional analysis results. For convenience, we assume that the learning is programming. [When the emotional analysis results indicate happiness] Situation: The user is happy because the new application has been completed and confirmed to be working smoothly. Example advice: "Great work! It looks like your efforts have paid off. Let's move on to the next step and aim for even greater success!"

[0040] [If the emotional analysis indicates anger] Situation: The user is frustrated because an unexpected bug has been confirmed. Example advice: "I understand your frustration. However, it's more effective to deal with the problem calmly than to get angry. Focus on solving the problem and think of a strategy to resolve it."

[0041] [If the emotional analysis indicates sadness] Situation: An error has been confirmed in an important project, and the user is feeling a sense of failure or sadness. Example advice: "It's natural to feel sad. However, failure is also an opportunity for growth. Let's use what we've learned and experienced to try again next time."

[0042] [When the analysis result of the emotion indicates that the user is enjoying] Situation: The user is working on a new project in cooperation with team members, and the user is writing code while enjoying it. Example advice: "You seem to be enjoying coding! Let's make the project successful by making the most of teamwork. Since enjoyable work leads to good results, let's cherish that energy!"

[0043] The advice providing unit 13 acquires advice for the user from the advice determination unit 15. The advice providing unit 13 provides the advice to the user by displaying the advice for the user on a display (not shown in the figure), for example (step ST13 in FIG. 7). Also, the advice providing unit 13 provides the advice to the user by transmitting data indicating the advice for the user to the user's mobile terminal, for example (step ST13 in FIG. 7).

[0044] In the above-described second embodiment, an education support device is configured to include an emotion analysis unit 14 that analyzes the emotion of the user, an advice determination unit 15 that determines advice for the user based on the emotion analyzed by the emotion analysis unit 14, and an advice providing unit 13 that provides the advice determined by the advice determination unit 15 to the user. Therefore, the education support device can provide the user with advice that is useful for the user to continue learning.

[0045] Embodiment 3. In Embodiment 3, an education support device including an understanding degree specifying unit 11 that specifies the understanding degree of learning of the user and an emotion analysis unit 14 that analyzes the emotion of the user will be described.

[0046] FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing an education support device according to Embodiment 3. In FIG. 8, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 and 5 indicate the same or corresponding parts, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. FIG. 9 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the hardware of the education support device according to Embodiment 3. In FIG. 9, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 2 and 6 indicate the same or corresponding parts, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. The education support device shown in FIG. 8 includes an understanding degree specifying unit 11, an emotion analysis unit 14, an advice determination unit 16, and an advice providing unit 13.

[0047] The advice determination unit 16 is realized by, for example, the advice determination circuit 26 shown in FIG. 9. The advice determination unit 16 acquires information indicating the degree of understanding of learning from the understanding degree identification unit 11, and acquires analysis data indicating the analysis result of the emotion from the emotion analysis unit 14. The advice determination unit 16 determines advice for the user based on the degree of understanding specified by the understanding degree identification unit 11 and the emotion analyzed by the emotion analysis unit 14. The advice determination unit 16 outputs the advice for the user to the advice providing unit 13.

[0048] In FIG. 8, it is assumed that each of the understanding degree identification unit 11, the emotion analysis unit 14, the advice determination unit 16, and the advice providing unit 13, which are components of the education support device, is realized by dedicated hardware as shown in FIG. 9. That is, it is assumed that the education support device is realized by the understanding degree identification circuit 21, the emotion analysis circuit 24, the advice determination circuit 26, and the advice providing circuit 23. Each of the understanding degree identification circuit 21, the emotion analysis circuit 24, the advice determination circuit 26, and the advice providing circuit 23 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0049] The components of the education support device are not limited to those realized by dedicated hardware, and the education support device may be realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. When the education support device is realized by software or firmware or the like, a program for causing a computer to execute each processing procedure in the understanding degree identification unit 11, the emotion analysis unit 14, the advice determination unit 16, and the advice providing unit 13 is stored in the memory 31 shown in FIG. 3. Then, the processor 32 shown in FIG. 3 executes the program stored in the memory 31.

[0050] Furthermore, Figure 9 shows an example where each component of the educational support device is implemented by dedicated hardware, while Figure 3 shows an example where the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware. However, this is merely one example, and some components of the educational support device may be implemented by dedicated hardware, while the remaining components may be implemented by software or firmware.

[0051] Next, the operation of the educational support device shown in Figure 8 will be described. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the educational support method, which is the processing procedure of the educational support device according to Embodiment 3. Except for the advice decision unit 16, it is the same as the educational support device shown in Figure 1 or Figure 5. Therefore, the operation of the advice decision unit 16 will be described here mainly.

[0052] The advice decision unit 16 obtains information indicating the level of learning comprehension from the comprehension level identification unit 11 and obtains analysis data indicating the result of the emotion analysis from the emotion analysis unit 14. Based on the level of learning comprehension and the result of the emotion analysis, the advice decision unit 16 decides on advice for the user (step ST21 in Figure 10). The advice decision unit 16 outputs the advice for the user to the advice provision unit 13.

[0053] The following describes in detail the advice decision process by the advice decision unit 16. If a database is available that stores advice corresponding to the level of learning comprehension and the results of the emotional analysis, the advice decision unit 16 retrieves advice corresponding to the level of learning comprehension and the results of the emotional analysis from the database. If a learning model is available that determines advice for the user based on the level of learning comprehension and the results of the emotional analysis, the advice decision unit 16 provides the learning model with information indicating the level of learning comprehension and analysis data indicating the results of the emotional analysis, and retrieves advice for the user from the learning model. During training, such a learning model is given information indicating the level of learning comprehension, analysis data indicating the results of the emotional analysis, and data indicating advice as learning data, and learns advice corresponding to the level of learning comprehension and the results of the emotional analysis. During inference, when the learning model is given information indicating the level of learning comprehension and analysis data indicating the results of the emotional analysis, it outputs data indicating advice corresponding to the level of learning comprehension and the results of the emotional analysis. Such a learning model may be provided inside the educational support device or outside the educational support device.

[0054] The advice provision unit 13 obtains advice for the user from the advice decision unit 16. The advice provision unit 13 provides the advice to the user by, for example, displaying it on a display (not shown) (step ST22 in Figure 10). The advice provision unit 13 also provides the advice to the user by, for example, transmitting data indicating the advice to the user to the user's mobile terminal (step ST22 in Figure 10).

[0055] In the above embodiment 3, the educational support device is configured to include a comprehension level identification unit 11 that identifies the user's level of understanding of the learning, an emotion analysis unit 14 that analyzes the user's emotions, an advice determination unit 16 that determines advice for the user based on the level of understanding identified by the comprehension level identification unit 11 and the emotions analyzed by the emotion analysis unit 14, and an advice provision unit 13 that provides the advice determined by the advice determination unit 16 to the user. Therefore, the educational support device can provide the user with advice that is useful for the user to continue learning.

[0056] Embodiment 4. Embodiment 4 describes an educational support device that includes an educational institution introduction unit 17 that introduces educational institutions suitable for the user's education based on the level of understanding identified by the level of understanding identification unit 11.

[0057] Figure 11 is a configuration diagram showing an educational support device according to Embodiment 4. In Figure 11, the same reference numerals as in Figures 1, 5, and 8 indicate the same or corresponding parts, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Figure 12 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the hardware of the educational support device according to Embodiment 4. In Figure 12, the same reference numerals as in Figures 2, 6, and 9 indicate the same or corresponding parts, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The educational support device shown in Figure 11 includes an understanding level identification unit 11, an advice decision unit 12, an advice provision unit 13, and an educational institution introduction unit 17.

[0058] The educational institution referral unit 17 is implemented, for example, by the educational institution referral circuit 27 shown in Figure 12. The educational institution referral unit 17 obtains information indicating the level of understanding from the understanding level identification unit 11. Based on the level of understanding identified by the understanding level identification unit 11, the educational institution referral unit 17 introduces educational institutions suitable for the user's education.

[0059] The educational support device shown in Figure 11 is an example in which the educational institution introduction unit 17 is applied to the educational support device shown in Figure 1. However, this is merely one example, and the educational institution introduction unit 17 may also be applied to the educational support device shown in Figure 8.

[0060] In Figure 11, it is assumed that the components of the educational support device—the comprehension level identification unit 11, the advice decision unit 12, the advice provision unit 13, and the educational institution introduction unit 17—are each implemented by dedicated hardware as shown in Figure 12. Specifically, the educational support device is assumed to be implemented by a comprehension level identification circuit 21, an advice decision circuit 22, an advice provision circuit 23, and an educational institution introduction circuit 27. Each of the comprehension level identification circuit 21, the advice decision circuit 22, the advice provision circuit 23, and the educational institution introduction circuit 27 can be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0061] The components of the educational support device are not limited to those implemented by dedicated hardware; the educational support device may also be implemented by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. When the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware, a program that causes the computer to execute the respective processing procedures in the comprehension level identification unit 11, the advice decision unit 12, the advice provision unit 13, and the educational institution introduction unit 17 is stored in the memory 31 shown in Figure 3. Then, the processor 32 shown in Figure 3 executes the program stored in the memory 31.

[0062] Furthermore, Figure 12 shows an example in which each component of the educational support device is implemented by dedicated hardware, and Figure 3 shows an example in which the educational support device is implemented by software or firmware, etc. However, this is only one example, and some components of the educational support device may be implemented by dedicated hardware, while the remaining components may be implemented by software or firmware, etc.

[0063] Next, the operation of the educational support device shown in Figure 11 will be explained. However, it is the same as the educational support device shown in Figure 1, except for the educational institution introduction unit 17. Therefore, only the operation of the educational institution introduction unit 17 will be explained here.

[0064] The educational institution introduction unit 17 obtains information indicating the user's level of understanding from the understanding level identification unit 11. Based on the level of understanding identified by the understanding level identification unit 11, the educational institution introduction unit 17 introduces educational institutions suitable for the user's education. Specifically, the educational institution introduction unit 17 introduces educational institutions suitable for the user's education by displaying information indicating such institutions on, for example, a display not shown. Alternatively, the educational institution introduction unit 17 introduces educational institutions suitable for the user's education by transmitting information indicating such institutions to, for example, the user's mobile device.

[0065] If a learning model is available that determines suitable educational institutions for the user based on their level of understanding, the educational institution introduction unit 17 provides the learning model with information indicating the level of understanding and obtains information from the learning model indicating suitable educational institutions for the user. During training, such a learning model is provided with information indicating the level of understanding and data indicating suitable educational institutions as training data, and learns educational institutions corresponding to the level of understanding. During inference, when the learning model is provided with information indicating the level of understanding, it outputs information indicating educational institutions corresponding to the level of understanding. Such a learning model may be provided inside the educational support device or outside the educational support device.

[0066] In the above embodiment 4, the educational support device is configured to include an educational institution introduction unit 17 that introduces educational institutions suitable for the user's education based on the level of understanding identified by the level of understanding identification unit 11. Therefore, the educational support device can provide the user with advice that is useful for the user to continue learning, and can also inform the user of educational institutions suitable for the user's education.

[0067] Embodiment 5. Embodiment 5 describes an educational support device in which the advice decision units 12, 15, and 16 adjust the advice given to the user based on the user's attributes. The configuration of the educational support device according to Embodiment 5 is the same as that of the educational support device according to Embodiment 1. For this reason, Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the educational support device according to Embodiment 5. However, this is merely an example, and the configuration of the educational support device according to Embodiment 5 may be the same as that of the educational support devices according to Embodiments 2 to 4. In this case, Figure 5, Figure 8, or Figure 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the educational support device according to Embodiment 5.

[0068] The advice decision units 12, 15, and 16 adjust the advice given to the user based on the user's attributes. User attributes include, for example, the user's appearance, type, age, or personality. Information indicating the user's attributes may be provided to the advice decision units 12, etc. by the user operating a man-machine interface (not shown), or by the user operating a communication interface (not shown).

[0069] The adjustment of advice by the advice decision unit 12, etc., is similar to that of Embodiment 1, etc., and is performed based on the user's attributes. For example, the advice decision unit 12, etc. adjusts the advice as follows. In the following adjustment examples, for the sake of explanation, the user's attributes are assumed to be the user's type. [Adjustment Example 1] If the user's type is a knowledgeable scholar, the advice decision unit 12, etc. adjusts the advice to the user so that the content of the advice is accurate and detailed, using specialized terminology, etc. [Adjustment Example 2] If the user's type is an energetic friend, the advice decision unit 12, etc. adjusts the advice to the user so that the content of the advice is simplified so that motivation can be maintained even with difficult concepts. [Adjustment Example 3] If the user's type is a quiet and calm leader, the advice decision unit 12, etc. adjusts the advice to the user so that the content of the advice is a quiet and gentle approach.

[0070] In the above embodiment 5, the educational support device is configured such that the advice determination unit 12 and the like adjust the advice given to the user based on the user's attributes. Therefore, the educational support device can provide the user with advice that is useful for the user to continue learning, and can also provide advice that is appropriate for the user.

[0071] Here, the advice decision unit 12 adjusts the advice given to the user based on the user's attributes. However, this is just one example, and the advice decision unit 12 may also adjust the advice given to the user based on the user's personality. Information indicating the user's personality may be provided to the advice decision unit 12, for example, by an AI that analyzes the user's personality, or it may be provided to the advice decision unit 12, etc. by the user operating a human-machine interface (not shown).

[0072] Furthermore, if the information indicating a user's personality is, for example, their tolerance for pressure, then the user's personality can be determined by observing the following items (1) to (3): (1) Observe whether the user can remain calm and focused under pressure or stressful situations. (2) Observe whether the user can find appropriate solutions when they need to solve a problem under pressure. (3) Observe whether the user can control their emotions and act calmly under pressure.

[0073] The advice decision unit 12, etc., will, if the intensity of the pressure is high, provide advice in a high-pressure situation, for example, advice indicating "winning is a given." If the intensity of the pressure is low, the advice decision unit 12, etc., will provide advice in a high-pressure situation, for example, advice indicating "nothing to lose." By adjusting the advice given to the user based on the user's personality, the advice decision unit 12, etc., can provide advice that is appropriate to the user's personality.

[0074] The advice provision unit 13 according to Embodiments 1 to 5 provides the user with advice determined by the advice determination unit 12, etc. The advice provision unit 13 may further provide the user with the results of the user's learning. Examples of learning results include the result of the most recent mock exam being better than the result of the previous mock exam, or the latest level of understanding determined by the level of understanding determination unit 11 being better than the previous level of understanding.

[0075] The advice determination unit 12, etc., according to Embodiments 1 to 5, determines advice for the user. In this case, the advice determination unit 12, etc., may make the advice for the user positive. For example, when the advice for the user is "Consistency every day is important," the following examples of positive advice are possible: [Example of positive advice 1] "Your efforts are wonderful! Learning new words and expressions takes time, but consistency every day is important. Be confident and move forward!" [Example of positive advice 2] "The results weren't what you hoped for. But your efforts weren't in vain. You're sure to learn something from this experience. Prepare better for the next opportunity!" [Example of positive advice 3] "That's a great result! That problem was really difficult, but your perseverance and efforts paid off. Keep going like this!"

[0076] Furthermore, this disclosure allows for free combination of each embodiment, modification of any component in each embodiment, or omission of any component in each embodiment.

[0077] This disclosure can provide users with helpful advice to help them continue their learning, and can be used in educational support devices and educational support methods.

[0078] 11 Understanding level identification unit, 12 Advice decision unit, 13 Advice provision unit, 14 Emotion analysis unit, 15 Advice decision unit, 16 Advice decision unit, 17 Educational institution introduction unit, 21 Understanding level identification circuit, 22 Advice decision circuit, 23 Advice provision circuit, 24 Emotion analysis circuit, 25 Advice decision circuit, 26 Advice decision circuit, 27 Educational institution introduction circuit, 31 Memory, 32 Processor.

Claims

1. An educational support device comprising: a comprehension level identification unit that identifies the user's level of understanding of learning; an advice determination unit that determines advice for the user based on the level of understanding identified by the comprehension level identification unit; and an advice provision unit that provides the advice determined by the advice determination unit to the user.

2. An educational support device comprising: an emotion analysis unit that analyzes the user's emotions; an advice determination unit that determines advice for the user based on the emotions analyzed by the emotion analysis unit; and an advice provision unit that provides the advice determined by the advice determination unit to the user.

3. An educational support device comprising: a comprehension identification unit that identifies the user's level of understanding of learning; an emotion analysis unit that analyzes the user's emotions; an advice determination unit that determines advice for the user based on the level of understanding identified by the comprehension identification unit and the emotions analyzed by the emotion analysis unit; and an advice provision unit that provides the advice determined by the advice determination unit to the user.

4. The educational support device according to claim 1 or 3, further comprising an educational institution introduction unit that introduces educational institutions suitable for the user's education based on the level of understanding identified by the level of understanding identification unit.

5. The educational support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the advice determination unit adjusts the advice to the user based on the user's attributes.

6. The educational support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the advice determination unit adjusts the advice to the user based on the user's personality.

7. The educational support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the advice provision unit provides the user with the advice determined by the advice determination unit, as well as the user's learning results.

8. An educational support method comprising: a comprehension level identification unit identifying the user's level of understanding of the learning; an advice determination unit determining advice for the user based on the level of understanding identified by the comprehension level identification unit; and an advice provision unit providing the advice determined by the advice determination unit to the user.

9. An educational support method comprising: an emotion analysis unit analyzing the user's emotions; an advice decision unit determining advice for the user based on the emotions analyzed by the emotion analysis unit; and an advice provision unit providing the advice determined by the advice decision unit to the user.

10. An educational support method comprising: a comprehension level identification unit identifying the user's level of comprehension of learning; an emotion analysis unit analyzing the user's emotions; an advice decision unit determining advice for the user based on the level of comprehension identified by the comprehension level identification unit and the emotions analyzed by the emotion analysis unit; and an advice provision unit providing the advice determined by the advice decision unit to the user.

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