Virtual Educator for Behavioral Modification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional online resources for behavioral modification, such as websites with written materials and video training sessions, are inadequate in providing the encouragement and monitoring necessary for sustained behavioral change due to the complexity of human nature and the limited supply of professional behavioral educators and counselors.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented behavioral modification system that recreates the human experience through a virtual educator, personalizes interactions, creates a dynamic environment, provides support, and builds upon sound theory, using a behavioral intelligence content management system with features like a lesson manager, virtual educator manager, link manager, and impact manager to deliver interactive lessons and track progress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If traditional online resources (websites with written materials and video training sessions) are used to provide behavioral modification content, then the dissemination of basic information is improved, but the provision of encouragement and monitoring necessary for sustained behavioral change deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedissemination of basic informationVSAvoidprovision of encouragement and monitoring

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual educator that copies and simulates the essential functions of a human educator (providing encouragement, monitoring progress, and guiding behavior change) through computer-generated interactions. This allows the system to deliver personalized behavioral modification support at scale without requiring actual human educators for each interaction, thus resolving the contradiction between information dissemination and reliable encouragement/monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The virtual educator acts as an intermediary between the user and the behavioral modification program, providing the necessary encouragement and monitoring functions that traditional online resources lack. This intermediary layer enables automated personalized support while maintaining the information dissemination capabilities of traditional online resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If professional behavioral educators and counselors are used to provide one-on-one guidance, then the provision of encouragement and monitoring is improved, but the availability and scalability deteriorates due to short supply of professionals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprovision of encouragement and monitoringVSAvoidavailability and scalability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual educator replicates the core functions of professional behavioral educators (encouragement, monitoring, guidance) in a digital format that can be deployed universally across multiple users simultaneously. This copying approach maintains the quality of professional support while eliminating the scalability limitations of human-only delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The virtual educator system is designed to serve multiple users across diverse behavioral modification needs through a single platform, making the encouragement and monitoring functions universally accessible. This multi-functional system replaces the need for multiple individual professionals while maintaining personalized support quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If a virtual educator system is implemented to provide personalized behavioral modification, then the provision of encouragement and monitoring is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprovision of encouragement and monitoringVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual educator system is designed to autonomously provide encouragement, monitoring, and guidance without requiring complex human-in-the-loop processes. The system self-manages user interactions, progress tracking, and personalized content delivery, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high reliability of support functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates automated feedback mechanisms that monitor user progress and adjust encouragement and guidance accordingly. This feedback loop enables the virtual educator to maintain reliable personalized support through algorithmic decision-making rather than complex manual processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10467924B2Behavioral intelligence framework, content management system, and tool for constructing same

Publication Date: 2019.11.05 WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

AI summary

A computer-implemented tool having a collection of content management subsystems allows the content creator to construct a web-based behavioral modification site without the need for computer programming skills. The content delivery system constructed with this tool employs a lesson manager that delivers lesson content based on a tree structure; a virtual educator manager that presents different graphical images of an educator character, complete with different facial expressions and gestures designed to facilitate learning; a link manager that supplements lesson content with links to supplemental material and automatically suppresses dead links; and an impact manager that automatically administers a stage-of-change questionnaire a predefined time interval after the lesson was completed.