GB2383888A

GB2383888A - Computer database based learning systems.

Info

Publication number: GB2383888A
Application number: GB0123863A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Pead
Original assignee: IPR HOLDINGS Ltd
Current assignee: IPR HOLDINGS Ltd
Priority date: 2001-10-04
Filing date: 2001-10-04
Publication date: 2003-07-09
Also published as: WO2003030127A2; GB0123863D0

Abstract

In a teaching/learning method, a pupil has a user operable means comprising a monitor screen, keyboard, processor and browser to access a database associated with a remote server over a TCP/IP network. The database stores, at any one time, one or more tasks to be performed by the pupil. The pupil performs a said task and communicates his performance of that task to the sewer via the user operable means and the network. The pupil's performance of the task is compared with a predetermined correct performance for that task and the performance is scored as "correct" or "not correct". If a particular performance is scored as "correct", a visual and/or oral reward is communicated to the pupil at his user operable means. Successive scores for a pupil are stored and analysed during one or more pupil sessions. On request that analysis is communicated to the pupil's user operable means, or to a user operable means associated with a parent or teacher for the pupil, in one or more selected formats including pupil format, providing an indication of the number of correct scores out of the total available, and parent/teacher format, providing an analysis of the pupil's performance of tasks historically and/or for different categories of tasks.

Description

LEARNING SYSTEMS

The invention relates to learning systems, and more specifically to a computer-based learning system.

5 Computer-based learning systems are well known. Conventionally they may be provided in the form of a dedicated stand-alone system, often provided as a learning toy; as a stand-alone system in which a conventional personal computer is programmed by means of a computer program product in the form of a magnetic or optical tape or disc bearing machine readable instructions for the personal computer 10 in the form of a teaching program, or in a networked arrangement such as a language laboratory. All three of these conventional systems suffer from one or more drawbacks.

In the case of the dedicated stand-alone systems such as the learning toy, the system is limited to the learning tasks built into the system. Similarly in the case of a 15 programmed personal computer, the system is again limited by the tasks included in the programme. They cannot be changed over time or varied to suit the level of achievement of the pupil. Moreover, in both of these systems the pupil effectively works alone without the benefit of review and encouragement by a parent or teacher with the result that the learning system is often abandoned without the programme 20 of learning built into the system or into the program product being carried to completion. In contrast, a network system such as a language laboratory in which a plurality of work stations are linked to a server by permanent links, either the server itself or a further work station linked to the server is accessible by a teacher to 25 control the overall working programme of the laboratory and to monitor the performance of tasks set by the learning programme by individual pupils. However, such a hard-wired network is quite unsuitable for pre- school children. Learning at home is not feasible.

Heretofore, only stand-alone systems, either in the form of the dedicated 30 learning toy or in the boron of a programmed personal computer have been available as computer-based learning systems for home use either in the teaching of pre school age children or in the teaching of school children, particularly those of the younger age groups or with reaming difficulties, as an adjunct to conventional school-based teaching. Particularly in the case of younger aged children of pre

school age or primary or early grade school level, the ability of children to learn varies very considerably from one child to another. Some children are ready to learn to read, write and carry out computations much earlier than others and will benefit from an organized programme of learning in their pre-school years. Similarly, some 5 children, either because they have been encouraged to learn in their pre- school years or because they are ready for more formal education when they first go to school find the early years of school life difficult because they are much more advanced than their peers. Then again, other children in their early years at school are less advanced, find it more difficult to learn, particularly in a school environment and 10 would benefit from additional teaching at home. Any system for these categories of children needs to be structured, needs to allow for parental and/or teacher overview, needs to be adaptable to the ability level of the child, and above all must be fun and rewarding for the child concerned.

Before the present invention was made, no computer-based system was 15 available which would satisfy these needs.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, we provide a computer-based learning system, comprising: a server; a database associated with the server and storing, at any one time, one or 20 more tasks; the server being accessible over a TCP/IP network from one or more remote sites at which user operable means, comprising a monitor screen, keyboard, processor and browser, are located, the user operable means being enabled, during a pupil session for a 25 specific pupil, to interrogate the database via the network to access a said task to be performed by that specific pupil, and to communicate that specific pupil's performance of the said task to the server via the network; comparison means associated with at least one of the server and the user 30 operable means, the comparison means being adapted to compare the specific pupil's performance of a said task with a predetermined correct performance for that task, and to score the performance as "correct" or "not correct",

and the comparison means being further adapted, in the event that a particular performance is scored as "correct", to communicate a visual and/or aural reward to the specific pupil at the specific pupil's user operable means, S and analysis means associated with the server, the analysis means being adapted to store successive scores generated by the comparison means for the or each pupil during one or more pupil sessions, and the analysis means being further adapted to communicate, on 10 request to a specific pupil's user operable means or to a user operable means associated with a parent or teacher for the specific pupil, a cumulative analysis of a specific pupil's scores in one or more selected formats including pupil format, providing an indication of the number of correct scores out of the total available, and 15 parentlteacher coronet, providing an analysis of the specific pupil's performance of tasks historically and/or for different categories of tasks. The TCP/IP network will usually be the Internet, but the system may be operated over Intranets or other limited networks using the TCP/IP protocol.

20 Preferably the comparison means is associated with the server and the visual and/or aural reward is communicated to the specific pupil's user operable means via the network.

However, it is not necessary that the system should operate in real time.

Thus, a pupil session for a specific pupil may be downloaded over the Internet in 25 batched format to the user operable means. The pupil session may then be completed off-line and the results from the off-line session returned to the server at the next session or by reconnecting with the server via the network, whereupon comparison means associated with the server then carries out the comparison and communicates the reward, if appropriate. Alternatively, the material downloaded to 30 the user operable means may include programmed instructions for the user operable means to catty out the comparison and provide the reward as the pupil performs the tasks off-line, so that the comparison means is then effectively associated with the user operable means. In this case, the results still need to be communicated to the server at the next session or by reconnecting to the server at the completion of the

session off-line, so that the analysis means may operate upon those results. This facility for off-line completion of tasks is particularly appropriate for users with portable or handheld devices.

The comparison means may be further arranged to detect questions that have 5 not been answered by the pupil, and give the pupil a further opportunity to answer any such questions and/or score those questions as "unanswered".

Preferably, a pupil's scores will be displayed at that pupil's user operable means on a timetable with the same periodicity as the pupil sessions (preferably daily). 10 Preferably, each pupil, parent and teacher will be supplied with a log-on, password protected, identity so that the pupil may have access only to their own tasks and their own analysis while a parent or teacher may have access to the tasks and analysis for any pupil associated with them. For any particular pupil, a programme of daily tasks may be set to commence from the initial log-in, those 15 tasks being selected according to the level of previous achievement of that pupil.

Tasks may be organized under different categories, for example literacy, numeracy, science, spelling, times tables and mental arithmetic.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, we provide a method of teaching/learning, the method comprising the steps of: 20 a pupil having a user operable means comprising a monitor screen, keyboard, processor and browser accessing a database associated with a remote server over a TCP/IP network, the database storing, at any one time, one or more tasks to be performed by the pupil, the pupil performing a said task and communicating his performance of that 25 task to the server via the user operable means and the network; automatically comparing the pupil's performance of the said task with a predetermined correct performance for that task and scoring the performance as "correct" or "not correct" and in the event that a particular performance is scored as "correct", communicating a visual andlor oral reward to the pupil 30 at the pupil's user operable means; and automatically storing and analyzing successive scores generated for the pupil during one or more pupil sessions, and, on request, automatically communicating that analysis to the pupil's user operable means, or to a user operable means associated with a parent or teacher for the pupil, in one or

more selected formats including pupil format, providing an indication of the number of correct scores out of the total available, and parent/teacher format, providing an analysis of the pupil's performance of tasks historically and/or for different categories of tasks.

5 Preferably the server will comprise a programmable computer and a programme loaded on to that computer, the programme including a database programme, a comparison programme and an analysis programme, the database programme being adapted to store, at any one time, one or more tasks on the server, the comparison programme being adapted to compare a pupil's performance of a 10 said task with a predetermined correct performance for that same task and to score the performance as "correct" or "not correct", and, in the event that a particular performance is scored as "correct", being adapted to communicate a visual and/or oral reward, and the analysis programme being adapted to store successive scores generated using the comparison programme for the or each pupil during one or more 15 pupil sessions and being adapted to cause the server to communicate, on request to a specific pupil's user operable means or to a user operable means associated with a parent or teacher for the specific pupil, a cumulative analysis of a specific pupil's scores in one or more selective formats including pupil format, providing an indication of the number of correct scores out of the total available, and 20 parent/teacher format, providing an analysis of the specific pupil's performance of tasks historically and/or for different categories of tasks.

The analysis may be provided by means of graphs and tables. Where the same system is employed for a number of pupils, the analysis can include a comparison of all the pupils in a class, comparison of one class or school or school 25 district with another, and can further include comparison in terms of one or more of age, gender, ethnic origin, and subject of task. Thus the analysis can be used to ask questions such as "Do boys of a certain age perform better than girls in Literacy?".

The invention provides in a further alternative aspect thereof, a magnetically or optically readable medium on which the aforesaid program is recorded.

30 The invention is hereinafter more particularly described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of learning system in accordance with the present invention in a schematic overall view;

Figs. 2 to 17 show examples of pupil's screen views during a session using the system of Fig. 1; Fig. 18 shows a flow diagram for a session using the system; and Fig. 19 shows a number of Tables that appear on screens during a Report 5 produced by the analyzer.

Referring first to Fig. 1 which shows an overall schematic view of a learning system in accordance with the present invention, the user operable means, suitably in the form of a home personal computer 1, associated with a particular pupil is shown linked via a TCP/IP network 2, suitably the Internet, to server 3 associated 10 with the provider of a prograrnme learning. Personal computer 1 comprises a processor 4, a monitor 5, a keyboard 6, and a browser 7 for linking the computer to the network 2. Linked to server 3 are a database 8, a comparator 9 and an analyser 10. Database 8 stores, at any one time, one or more tasks. These tasks are effectively organized in the form of multiple tables 11 (one only being shown) IS divided into different categories of learning task (such as: literacy, numerary, science, spelling, times tables and mental arithmetic) each arranged in different levels of ability. Tables 11 are also accessible to the comparator 9. Associated with each task 12 in table 11 is a correct answer or performance 13 for that task, as will be explained in more detail below by reference to specific examples.

20 During an individual pupil session, a specified pupil, having made the link using their browser 7 to server 3 via the network, preferably the internet, 2 and having logged on to the system, preferably using a password-protected log-in, is enabled to interrogate the database to access one or more tasks to be performed by the pupil concerned. Using their keyboard and the on-screen depiction of the task, 25 as shown in examples described below, the pupil can then communicate their answer or performance of the task to the server 3 via network 2. On receipt of an answer or a performance, comparator 9 will compare the pupil's answer or performance of that task with the corresponding predetermined correct performance for that task on table 11 and score the pupil's performance as either "correct" or "not correct". The 30 comparator may also be adapted to record the task as "unanswered" if no response from the pupil is received within a predetermined period, though the pupil may be given a further opportunity to answer a question initially not answered, for example by a pop-up window.

Where a curriculum requires tasks to be performed in a specific time (for example in preparation for the United Kingdom National Curriculum Stage 2 Tests in Mental Maths, which requires an answer within S. 10 or 15 seconds at Ages 7 to 11) performance of the task is done in real time, whether on-line or off-line, and the 5 pupil's performance is timed out if no answer is offered within 5, 10 or 15 seconds as the case may be, and that question scored as "unanswered".

The scores are recorded in analyzer 10. As will be explained in more detail below, analyzer 10 is adapted to communicate, on request, to the pupil or to a parent or teacher for the pupil, a cumulative analysis of the pupil's scores. This analysis 10 can be provided in one or more selected formats including a simple pupil format, providing an indication of the number of correct scores out of the total available, and a parent/teacher format which provides an analysis of the specific pupil's performance of the tasks historically and/or for different categories of tasks such as the categories mentioned above, namely: literacy, numerary, science, spelling, times 15 tables and mental arithmetic. Analyzer 10 may also provide for the teacher or parent a complete historical record, either displayed on screen or being downloadable as a print-out, of the pupil's performance.

Turning now to Figs. 2 to 17, these illustrate, by means of individual screens as they would appear on the pupil's monitor, an individual pupil session for a pupil 20 named Soz in this example. These screens are the Copyright of IPR Holdings Ltd. the Assignee of the present Inventor. IPR Holdings Ltd have no objection to the reproduction of these screens in any official publication arising from this or any related Patent Application or fair use hissing from that, but reserve their rights in respect of any other unauthorized reproduction or copying of those screens by third 25 parties for commercial or other purposes.

As a result of logging in to the system, Soz is presented with the welcome screen of Fig. 2. Clicking on the Go button 14 or alternatively on the Activities tab 15 will present a number of activities or tasks for the pupil session. These are arranged, as shown by the three buttons 16 to the left of Fig. 3 in a number of 30 different categories, here "spellings", mental maths" and "literacy". The pupil can choose to perform the different categories of activities in their own order by clicking on the buttons 16. Overwise, the system will present the tasks in the order shown, namely spellings, mental maths, literacy. Each activity is introduced by an introduction page. Fig. 3 shown the introduction page for the spellings activity. In

addition to presenting the instructions in print, as shown at 17, the instructions will also be given orally in this example of computer-based learning system in accordance with the present invention, which is specifically adapted for pre-school or early school pupils who will not be able to read some or all of the words shown in S the instructions. However, printing the instructions acts as a further encouragement to the pupil to learn words.

Following the instructions on the screen of Fig. 3 and clicking the Go button 14 will progress to the next succeeding screen shown in Fig. 4. Whereas the activities introduction screen of Fig. 3 will be presented in each session in which

10 spelling takes place, Figs. 4 to 6 show specific screens associated with a particular session. Firstly, as shown in Fig. 4, the system recaps on the pupil's performance in the preceding session. Where the answers given in the preceding session to the questions 18 were either wrong, or, as in this case, non-existent, this is indicated by 15 a cross 19. Had the answer been correct and coincided with the system's answer 20, this would have been shown by a Tick. As explained below, a correct answer in the course of a particular pupil session results in an on-screen and oral reward at the time. This feature of the system is important in allowing a child to review its own work, as well as empowering parents (if the system is used at home) and teachers (if 20 used at school) with an overview of the particular child's performance. As explained below, results are collated by the system for more elaborate reports. Provision may be made for the pupil to print off their own "Certificate".

Aider recapitulating on the previous session, pressing the Go button 14 will take the pupil to the next screen shown in Fig. S. which tests previous learning.

25 Clicking the sound button 21 generates a question: "Can you spell the word... ?", the particular word being spoken and shown in a contrasting colour, and then disappearing from the screen. Differentiated vowel sounds or phonemes may be shown in a contrasted fashion: for example in bold or in a different colour such as red rather than black. The child is required to type the word into the box 22 using 30 their keyboard 6. Clicking on the Go button 14 will then go to further spelling tasks.

Fig. 6 shows how spellings may be learned for future testing. Two rather similar words are pronounced by pressing the respective sound buttons 21 at A or at B. the child being required to spell the spoken word into the respective box 22 using their

keyboard 6 as before. Pressing the Go button 14 repeats the task, but now without the words appearing on the screen.

Correct answers are rewarded, for example by a brief animated sequence.

The system also includes feedback to the pupil by clicking the Go button once more.

5 This feedback includes sight of the question again, and the correct answer or where the answer is incorrect, the correct answer is provided alongside the pupil's incorrect answer for comparison to be made. With an incorrect answer, the child may be encouraged to try again or move to the next task.

Figs. 7 to 11 show examples oftasks in a mental maths pupil session. Timed 10 Mental Maths questions will usually only apply to older age pupils, for example Ages 7 to 11. Provision may be made for a teacher, parent or pupil to adjust the speed of the timer. As for the spelling session, the session commences with an instruction page shown in Fig. 7, the instructions being printed at 17 and given orally, as before. Clicking on the Go button 14 takes the pupil into the session.

15 Fig. 8 shows the screen for a pupil to insert the missing number at 23 in a sequence of numbers. As with the spelling questions, the task is presented orally to the pupil by pressing the sound button 21 and the pupil progresses to the next task by pressing the Go button 14.

Fig. 9 requires the pupil to count and insert the result of their count in box 20 24. As before, the task is presented both in words and orally by clicking on the sound button 21. In this case, clicking on the Go button 14 presents a follow-up question, as shown in Fig. 10, in this case with the box 24 shown completed.

Fig. 11 shows a feedback or recapitulation session in which the child's answers are compared with the correct answers in the system and a tick or a cross 25 indicating that the answer is correct or incorrect or absent. Similar rewards or encouragements are given as in the Spelling session.

Figs. 12 to 17 give an example of a literacy pupil session, commencing, as with the spelling and mental maths sessions, with an introductory instruction page shown in Fig. 12. Similar sessions, each of around ten tasks would be set each day 30 for literacy, science and numeracy. Clicking on the button 14 takes the pupil to a further screen shown in Fig. 13 with further instructions including a "Tip from the Top"@ suggestion 25 reached by clicking on a button 26, which helps the child understand the topic by giving additional guidance. In this case, clicking on button 26 will produce the screen shown in Fig. 14 seeing out that guidance. As in all

other cases, not only is this guidance given in print but also orally. Clicking on button 27 returns the pupil from the guidance screen to the previous screen where the pupil needs to click on button 14 to proceed with the session, although the guidance may be repeated by again clicking on button 27. A typical screen of the 5 session is shown at Fig. 15 the pupil being asked to type in the word made from the three letters P. I and G. Typing in the word "PIG" correctly in box 28 causes the word PIG to be sounded as well as the picture of a pig shown at 29 to be animated and the pupil to be told that they have got the answer right. Similarly in the screen of Fig. 16, typing the word "MOP" correctly as shown at 28 starts a brief animated 10 sequence showing the mop working. When all the tasks or activities are complete, the sign-off screen shown in Fig. 17 appears. Different Year Groups or pupils with different Assessment Levels may be given different numbers of tasks or activities to perform in a single session.

Turning now to Fig. 18, there is shown a schematic flow diagram for the 15 system. Following the system through, a child (pupil) logs on to the service at 30, interrogates the system at 31, whereupon the system provides one or more questions 32 enabling the pupil to answer the question (perform the task) 33. The pupil's user operable means (personal computer) communicates their response (performance) to the server where the comparative means will compare the pupil's performance with 20 the correct performance and the analysis means will store the pupil's answers and scores 35. The pupil is provided with feedback on their answer 36. If the answer was correct the child is presented with a visual andlor oral reward. As indicated at 37 the pupil is provided with sight of the question again, together with the correct answer. Where the answer given was incorrect, the correct answer is shown 25 alongside the child's incorrect answer for comparison. The scores are stored by the analyzer 38 and, as indicated at 39 a report or cumulative performance analysis for the pupil is provided on request to parent, teacher or child. The report may be tailored to the particular audience and, as indicated at 40, may be printed off the screen or monitor 5 associated with the user operable means (personal computer) of 30 the teacher, parent or child concerned. The system enables data held in the analyzer to be stored for an individual child so as to show their progress over a number of years. The analysis may be provided in historical terms and/or for different categories of tasks, as for example, numeracy, as indicated at 41.

The Report Program may begin by showing a screen with a Table as shown in the Table 1 of Fig. 19. Clicking on a subject (here "Numeracy") provides an on-

screen report as in Table 2. Clicking on a particular date gives the full set of questions and answers as in Table 3 of Pig.19. These results can be printed or 5 shown as a bar graph (Table 4) or as a pie chart (not shown).

In a preferred version of the system, the analyzer will take due note of a pupil's performance on particular categories of task and can move the pupil between different levels and between subjects according to the ability they show in performing the tasks. An important feature of the system is the generation of reward 10 and praise tied to the individual performance of the individual pupils. Thus, for example, at the end of a session, if a child scores, say, 10 out of 10, the system may respond with a brief animated sequence 42 (Fig. 20) together with a visual and oral indication "Brilliant!". When the child scores between 7 and 9 this is toned down to "Well done!". For 3 to 6 the child will get a less enthusiastic animation and the 15 message "Good try!"; while for a score for below 3 out of 10 the child will be told "Never mind- try again tomorrow!".

It is believed that given the description above, a software engineer of

ordinary skills in the use and application of HAIL and similar programming languages will readily be able to produce examples of computer-based learning 20 systems in accordance with the present invention. Further guidance can be found, for example, in "Teach Yourself Web Development with ASP in 24 Hours", published by SAMS, ISBN 0672317907. The animation sequences used for rewards which are a particular educational importance in encouraging learning and making the learning experience an enjoyable one can, for example, readily be provided by 25 use of the commercially available "Flash by MacroMedia" program.

The reader will have noticed the "Professor" device appearing on various screens through the sessions. We have found that some such device (it need not be a friendly "Professor") serving as a guide or friend to the pupil is a valuable link carrying the pupil through one session and, even more so, through successive 30 sessions. To fi'rther aid pupils' interest in the learning programme as a whole, the sessions may include tasks or activities that have no specific educational purpose, but are included to encourage pupil interest. Examples would be poll questions, for example "Which of the following football teams do you support?" with a drop-down menu, or surveys, for example "What is your favourite lesson?".

Provision may be made for different language versions, for example by a drop-down menu at initial log-in. The alternative languages may include a signed version for the deaf, with signing replacing or supplementing sound throughout the programme. As a further aid to include and accommodate disabled pupils within the 5 system, provision may be made for s vitch-gear accessibility.

Because pupils' abilities will vary, the system preferably provides for targets to be achieved by a pupil to be set by the teacher, parent or by the pupil themselves, and to be varied as the pupil progresses. Thus, for an able pupil, a score of 3 to 6 out of 10 may be distinctly disappointing rather than justification for a message of 10 "Good try!", so that if such an able pupil scored only 3 to 6, they might get the message "Never mind -try again tomorrow!", "Good try!" being reserved for a score of 7 or 8, with only a score of 9 out of 10 being rewarded with "Well done! ".

The system may also include an initial assessment of a specific pupil's ability before setting future target levels for that pupil. Thus, daily scores over the first two 15 weeks may be averaged and compared with the mean for that age group before setting future targets. The system preferably also includes an over-ride for a teacher or parent to move a specific pupil up or down the ability scale both in terms of targets set and in terms of the nature or level of difficulty of tasks set for that pupil.

The Age Group or Ability Level of a specific pupil may also be used to 20 select a "Style" for the screens presented to that pupil. For example, older pupils may have screens with smaller text and smaller buttons.

Claims

1. A computer-based learning system, comprising: a server; a database associated with the server and storing, at any one time, one or 5 more tasks; the server being accessible over a TCP/IP network from one or more remote sites at which user operable means, comprising a monitor screen, keyboard, processor and browser, are located, the user operable means being enabled, during a pupil session for a 10 specific pupil, to interrogate the database via the network to access a said task to be performed by that specific pupil, and to communicate that specific pupil's performance of the said task to the server via the network; comparison means associated with at least one of the server and the user 15 operable means, the comparison means being adapted to compare the specific pupil's performance of a said task with a predetermined correct performance for that task, and to score the performance as "correct" or "not correct", 20 and the comparison means being further adapted, in the event that a particular performance is scored as "correct", to communicate a visual andlor aural reward to the specific pupil at the specific pupil's user operable means; and analysis means associated with the server, 25 the analysis means being adapted to store successive scores generated by the comparison means for the or each pupil during one or more pupil sessions, and the analysis means being further adapted to communicate, on request to a specific pupil's user operable means or to a user operable 30 means associated with a parent or teacher for the specific pupil, a cumulative analysis of a specific pupil's scores in one or more selected formats including pupil format, providing an indication of the number of correct scores out of the total available, and parent/teacher format, providing an analysis of the specific pupil's

performance of tasks historically and/or for different categories of tasks.

2. A computer based learning system according to Claim 1, wherein the TCP/IP 5 network is the Internet.

3. A computer based learning system according to Claim 1, wherein the TCP/IP network is an Intranet or a limited or restricted network using the TCP/IP protocol.

4. A computer based learning system according to any preceding claim, wherein the comparison means is associated with the server and the visual and/or aural reward is communicated to the specific pupil's user operable means via the network.

S. A computer based learning system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system operates in real time.

6. A computer based learning system according to any of Claims 1 to 4, 20 wherein the server is adapted to provide, for a specific pupil, a pupil session downloadlable over the Internet in batched format to the specific pupil's user operable means for the pupil to complete off-line; and wherein the comparison means is associated with the server and is adapted, upon results from the off-line session being returned to the server at the next session or 25 upon reconnection of the pupil's user operable means with the server via the network, to carry out the comparison and communicate the reward, if appropriate.

7. A computer based learning system according to any of Claims 1 to 4, 30 wherein the server is adapted to provide, for a specific pupil, a pupil session downloadable over the Internet in batched format to the specific pupil's user operable means for the pupil to complete off-line; the pupil session including programmed instructions for the user operable means to carry out the comparison and provide the reward as the pupil performs the tasks off- line,

whereby the comparison means is effectively associated with the user operable means, results from the off-line session being communicated to the analysis means at the next session or upon reconnection of the pupil's user operable means with the server via the network.

s

8. A computer based learning system according to any preceding claim, wherein the comparison means is adapted to detect questions that have not been answered by a specific pupil, to give that pupil a further opportunity to answer any such questions and/or to score those questions as "unanswered".

9. A computer based learning system according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the server comprises a programmable computer and a program loaded on to that computer, the program including a database program, a comparison program and an analysis program, 15 the database program being adapted to store, at any one time, one or more tasks on the server, the comparison program being adapted to compare a pupil's performance of a said task with a predetermined correct performance for that same task and to score the performance as "correct" or "not 20 correct", the comparison program being further adapted, in the event that a particular performance is scored as "correct", to communicate a visual and/or oral reward, and the analysis program being adapted to store successive scores 25 generated using the comparison program for the or each pupil during one or more pupil sessions and being adapted to cause the server to communicate, on request to a specific pupil's user operable means or to a user operable means associated with a parent or teacher for the specific pupil, a cumulative analysis of a specific pupil's scores in 30 one or more selective formats including pupil format, providing an indication of the number of correct scores out of the total available, and parent/teacher format, providing an analysis of the specific pupil's performance of tasks historically and/or for different categories of tasks.

10. A server as defined in Claim 9.

11. A magnetically or optically readable medium on which a program as defined 5 in Claim 9 is recorded.

12. A method of teaching/learning, the method comprising the steps of: a pupil having a user operable means comprising a monitor screen, keyboard, processor and browser accessing a database associated with a remote server 10 over a TCP/IP network, the database storing, at any one time, one or more tasks to be performed by the pupil; the pupil performing a said task and communicating his performance of that task to the server via the user operable means and the network; automatically comparing the pupil's performance of the said task with a 15 predetermined correct performance for that task and scoring the performance as "correct" or "not correct" and in the event that a particular performance is scored as "correct", communicating a visual andlor oral reward to the pupil at the pupil's user operable means; and automatically storing and analyzing successive scores generated for the 20 pupil during one or more pupil sessions, and, on request, automatically communicating that analysis to the pupil's user operable means, or to a user operable means associated with a parent or teacher for the pupil, in one or more selected formats including pupil format, providing an indication of the number of correct scores out of the total available, and parent/teacher format, 25 providing an analysis of the pupil's performance of tasks historically and/or for different categories of tasks.

13. A method according to Claim 12, wherein each pupil, parent or teacher has a log-on, password protected, identity, each pupil's identity allowing that pupil 30 access only to their own tasks and their own analysis, and each parent's or teacher's identity allowing that parent or teacher access only to the tasks and analysis for any pupil associated with them.

14. A method according to Claim 13, wherein each pupil is set a programme of daily tasks commencing from their initial log-in, those tasks being selected according to the level of previous achievement of that pupil.

5

15. A method according to any of Claims 12 to 14, wherein tasks are organized under different categories, for example literacy, numeracy, science, spelling, times tables and mental arithmetic.

16. A method according to Claim 15, wherein tasks in a one or more specific 10 categories are required to be performed in a specific time, the pupil's performance being timed out if no answer is given within a predetermined period, that question then being scored as "unanswered".

17. A method according to any of Claims 12 to 16, wherein the visual reward 15 comprises an animated sequence.

18. A method of teaching/learning substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20

19. A computer-based learning system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.