JP2008102431A - Learning management device and learning management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a learning management device enabling a learner to smoothly access a teacher. <P>SOLUTION: The learning management device 100 is connected, via a network, with a learner terminal 120 that a learner uses for learning and a teacher terminal 130 that a teacher uses for teaching the learner, and includes: a presence information storage section 106 storing presence information comprising teacher access state information indicating the state of access from the learner terminal 120 to the teacher terminal 130 and access destination information for accessing the teacher terminal; and a presence information notifying section 108 notifying the learner terminal of the presence information selected from the presence information storage section 106 according to prescribed conditions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a learning management device and a learning management system.

  With the spread of personal computers and the Internet, the use of learning management systems for providing learning materials and the like to learners via a network and managing the learning status is expanding. As such a learning management system, for example, there are systems as described in Patent Documents 1 to 5.

  Patent Document 1 describes a class support system that is used in the form of a tool that supports classes conducted in a classroom and is used simultaneously by teachers and students at the same place. Patent Document 2 describes an education service system in which a teacher and a student can participate in a class by simultaneously using the system from a place away from each other via a communication line.

  On the other hand, Patent Documents 3 and 4 describe a learning system in which a student can learn using an educational material provided by the system at an arbitrary place and time. In particular, in the learning system described in Patent Document 4, the student transmits answers and questions to the teacher described in the teaching materials to the teacher via a mail server, and the teacher sends the answer to the teacher, the score result, and the like to the mail server. Can be sent to students via Furthermore, Patent Document 5 discloses a question answering processing apparatus that can automatically and equally distribute a question sent from a student to each teacher.

  In general, a learning management system of the type disclosed in Patent Document 4 is referred to as an e-learning system. The e-learning system is a system that provides an educational service to a learner via a network from a server located away from the learner. A learner who has accessed the e-learning system can usually receive educational services such as teaching material distribution, learning progress management, and evaluation of learning outcomes after authentication.

  The e-learning system has an advantage in that the learner can access the system from a favorite time and place and can learn independently. In addition, even on the side of a lecturer (also referred to as a mentor) that supports the learning of students, it is possible to manage learning progress and answer questions without being restricted by the learning situation of the learner There is.

  As described above, in the case of learning using the e-learning system, the learner and the lecturer can usually use the system at different times from a place away from each other. For this reason, various means are often provided on the system to enable the learner to ask questions to the lecturer. For example, learners and instructors can exchange questions by e-mail, or provide a service called chat, and learners and instructors can use text data in real time via a network. There are things that allow you to have a conversation.

JP 2002-72850 A JP 2003-6348 A JP 2001-296788 A JP 2001-290411 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-2116014

  In the conventional question method using e-mail, the learner can send a question to the instructor at an arbitrary timing, but the answer cannot always be received immediately. Thus, complaints may arise that it is not known when an answer can be received or whether the question has actually been accepted. On the other hand, the chat service has the advantage of providing answers in real time, but since the learner and the instructor must be connected to the network at the same time, the question can only be asked while the instructor is accessing the system. There is a problem that it is not possible.

  In particular, assuming that e-learning is being used in the company, the instructor is an employee of the company and concurrently serves other duties apart from the duties of the instructor. Even if it exists, it may not be possible to engage in the duties of the instructor due to other business reasons. In such a case, the conventional method using e-mail or chat has a problem that the answer to the learner's question is delayed, or the question itself cannot be performed, which may hinder learning.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to improve learning efficiency by allowing smooth access from a learner to a lecturer. A new and improved learning management device and learning management system are provided.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, a network is formed between a learner terminal used by a learner for learning and a lecturer terminal used by a lecturer for instruction of the learner. Presence information storage for storing presence information including an instructor access state information representing an access state from a learner terminal to an instructor terminal and access destination information for accessing the instructor terminal And a presence information notifying unit for notifying the learner terminal of presence information selected based on a predetermined condition from the presence information storage unit, a learning management device is provided.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the learning efficiency of the learner by collectively managing information on the current state of each lecturer and providing such information to the learner as needed.

  The presence information notification unit may select presence information according to the lecturer access status information. This allows the learner to access an instructor that is reliably accessible and eliminates the need to wait for answers to questions. In addition, since the learner's questions are distributed according to the situation of each lecturer, the load on the answering work between the lecturers can be distributed, and the effect of improving the efficiency of the answering work can be obtained.

  The presence information notifying unit may select presence information based on learning history information of a learner corresponding to the learner terminal. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the presence information of a lecturer suitable for each learner, such as a lecturer who is in charge of a course that the learner is attending or a lecturer who has answered questions asked by the learner in the past. In this way, by providing only information suitable for each learner, it is possible to reduce the burden on the learner to select a lecturer.

  In addition, a presence information update unit that updates presence information stored in the presence information storage unit using presence information transmitted from the lecturer terminal may be further provided. Thereby, each lecturer can register his latest access state.

  The presence information updating unit may request presence information from the instructor terminal and update the presence information storage unit based on the presence information transmitted in response to the request. As a result, even if the instructor forgets the notification of changing the presence information, the change can be prompted or the presence information can be automatically acquired.

  The presence information update unit may request presence information from the lecturer terminal at predetermined time intervals. As a result, the presence information is periodically updated, and the information in the presence information storage unit can always be kept up-to-date.

  In addition, the presence information update unit may request presence information from the instructor terminal in response to an acquisition request for presence information from the learner terminal. Thus, the latest presence information can be provided to the learner at a timing desired by the learner.

  The presence information notification unit may notify the learner terminal of the updated presence information when the presence information update unit updates the presence information in the presence information storage unit. As a result, the notification process can be executed at the minimum necessary timing, and the effect of improving the efficiency of the notification process can be obtained.

  Further, the presence information notification unit may notify the learner terminal of the presence information stored in the presence information storage unit at a predetermined time interval. This makes it possible to always notify the learner of the latest presence information, improving convenience for the learner.

  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, according to another viewpoint of this invention, the learner terminal which a learner uses for learning, the lecturer terminal which a lecturer uses for the said learner's instruction, Presence information management device that acquires and stores presence information including instructor access state information indicating an access state from the learner terminal to the instructor terminal and access destination information for accessing the instructor from the instructor terminal, and the learner terminal; A presence information notifying device connected to the instructor terminal via a network, acquiring presence information from the presence information managing device, and notifying the learner terminal of the presence information selected based on a predetermined condition; A learning management system is provided.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the learning efficiency of the learner by collectively managing information on the current state of each lecturer and providing such information to the learner as needed.

  Further, the presence information notification device may select presence information according to instructor access state information included in the acquired presence information. This allows the learner to access an instructor that is reliably accessible and eliminates the need to wait for answers to questions. In addition, since the learner's questions are distributed according to the situation of each lecturer, the load on the answering work between the lecturers can be distributed, and the effect of improving the efficiency of the answering work can be obtained.

  Further, the presence information notification device may select presence information based on learning history information of a learner corresponding to the learner terminal. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the presence information of a lecturer suitable for each learner, such as a lecturer who is in charge of a course that the learner is attending or a lecturer who has answered questions asked by the learner in the past. In this way, by providing only information suitable for each learner, it is possible to reduce the burden on the learner to select a lecturer.

  The presence information management apparatus may update the stored presence information using the presence information transmitted from the lecturer terminal. Thereby, each lecturer can register his latest access state.

  Further, the presence information management device may request presence information from the lecturer terminal and update the stored presence information based on the presence information transmitted in response to the request. As a result, even if the instructor forgets the notification of changing the presence information, the change can be prompted or the presence information can be automatically acquired.

  Further, the presence information management apparatus may request the presence information from the lecturer terminal at predetermined time intervals. As a result, the presence information is periodically updated, and the information in the presence information storage unit can always be kept up-to-date.

  In addition, the presence information management device may request presence information from the instructor terminal in response to the presence information acquisition request from the learning management device. Thus, the latest presence information can be provided to the learner at a timing desired by the learner.

  Further, when the presence information is updated, the presence information management device notifies the presence information notification device of the updated presence information, and the presence information notification device notifies the learner terminal of the notified presence information. Also good. As a result, the notification process can be executed at the minimum necessary timing, and the effect of improving the efficiency of the notification process can be obtained.

  The presence information management device may acquire presence information from the presence information management device at a predetermined time interval and notify the learner terminal of the presence information. This makes it possible to always notify the learner of the latest presence information, improving convenience for the learner.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the learner can smoothly access the lecturer, and the learning efficiency is improved.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

(First embodiment)
First, a learning management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the learning management system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The learning management system 10 according to the present embodiment is a system for providing e-learning services such as teaching material distribution to a learner via a network. As shown in FIG. 1, the learning management system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a learning management device 100 for providing an e-learning service, and a learner terminal 120 used by each learner who uses the e-learning service. And a lecturer terminal 130 used by a lecturer who teaches a learner through an e-learning service. Here, for simplification of description, the learning management device 100, the learner terminal 120, and the lecturer terminal 130 are each described as one, but may be two or more.

  Further, the learning management device 100, the learner terminal 120, and the lecturer terminal 130 are connected to each other via the network 140. The network 140 may be, for example, the Internet, or a LAN (Local Area Network) installed in a company or school.

  Hereinafter, each component of the learning management system 10 will be described.

(Learning management device 100)
First, the learning management apparatus 100 will be described. The learning management device 100 is a device for providing an e-learning service to the learner terminal 120 via the network 140.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the learning management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a learning material storage unit 101, a learning material distribution unit 102, a learning management unit 103, a learner information storage unit 104, and a lecturer information storage unit 105. , Presence information storage unit 106, presence information update unit 107, presence information notification unit 108, screen information generation unit 109, and access authentication unit 110. In addition, the learning management apparatus 100 includes a network interface 111 for enabling data transmission / reception with respect to the network 140. Hereinafter, each part of the learning management apparatus 100 will be described.

(Educational material storage unit 101)
The learning material storage unit 101 is a storage unit for storing learning material data (hereinafter referred to as learning material data) used for learning by the learner. The learning material storage unit 101 stores one or more learning material data, and each stored learning material data is assigned an identifier such as a course ID, a course name, or a learning material number of a course in which the learning material is provided. And are distinguished from each other by such an identifier. In addition, each teaching material data may be divided into component units such as chapters, sections, and pages constituting the teaching material so that any position in the teaching material can be referred to. An identifier for referring to may be given. Thereby, the learner can input the chapter number and page number of the learning material to be referred to from the learner terminal 120, and can start learning from an arbitrary position of the learning material.

(Educational Material Distribution Department 102)
The learning material distribution unit 102 is a functional unit for reading predetermined learning material data from the learning material storage unit 101 and distributing it to the learner terminal 120. When the learning material distribution unit 102 receives a learning material distribution request from the learner terminal 120, the learning material distribution unit 102 searches the learning material storage unit 101 for material data corresponding to a course ID, a course name, or a learning material number specified in the learner terminal 120. And read. Alternatively, the learning material data referred to at the previous learning may be acquired from the learning history data of each learner stored in the learner information storage unit 104, and the same learning material data may be read out. After the reading process, the learning material distribution unit 102 outputs the learning material data to the screen information generation unit 109.

(Learning management unit 103)
The learning management unit 103 is a functional unit for referring to and updating learning history information of each learner stored in the learner information storage unit 104 based on the learning progress of the learner. Here, the learning history information is information such as the learning materials that the learner has learned in the past, the learning materials currently being studied and their progress, whether or not the exercises set in the learning materials have been submitted, and the results of the submitted assignments. Say. For example, the learning management unit 103 reads the learning history information of the learner from the learner information storage unit 104, and executes processing such as updating the learning history information according to the learning status of the learner. Further, when a learning history information display request is received from the learner terminal 120, the learning history information of the corresponding learner is read from the learner information storage unit 104 and output to the screen information generation unit 109.

(Learner information storage unit 104)
The learner information storage unit 104 is a storage unit for storing information about the learner (hereinafter referred to as learner information). The learner information includes a learner ID for uniquely identifying a learner, personal information of the learner, learning history information, question history information about a question made by the learner, and the like. The learner's personal information includes, for example, the learner's name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. As described above, the learning history information is history information regarding the learner's current and past learning contents. For example, the learning history information includes the course ID of the learning material being learned, the learning start date corresponding to the course ID, the learning progress status, and the like. Including. The question history information includes, for example, information such as a question content of a question that a student has asked in the past, a question date and time, an answer content to the question, an answer date and time, an instructor ID indicating an instructor who is an answerer.

(Lecturer information storage unit 105)
The instructor information storage unit 105 is a storage unit for storing information related to the instructor (hereinafter referred to as instructor information). The instructor information includes information such as an instructor ID for uniquely identifying the instructor, personal information of the instructor, and a course ID of the teaching material handled by the instructor. The instructor's personal information includes, for example, information such as the instructor's name, e-mail address, and telephone number.

(Presence information storage unit 106)
The presence information storage unit 106 is a storage unit for storing presence information of each lecturer. Here, the presence information is information including at least instructor access state information indicating whether or not the learner is currently accessible to each instructor and access destination information for the learner to access the instructor. is there. By providing such presence information to the learner, the learner can search a currently accessible lecturer and send a question or the like. As a result, it can be surely obtained without waiting for an answer to a question, and learning efficiency is improved.

  Details of the presence information stored in the presence information storage unit 106 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of presence information stored in the presence information storage unit 106. As shown in FIG. 2, the presence information includes, for example, an instructor ID 150 for uniquely identifying the instructor, an instructor name 151, an instructor access state 152, an acquisition time 153 when the access state 152 is acquired, and a learner to the instructor. It includes access destination information 154 to 156 indicating the access destination.

  The instructor ID 150 corresponds to the instructor ID stored in the instructor information storage unit 105 of the learning management apparatus 100. With the instructor ID 150, presence information and instructor information can be associated.

  The access state 152 is information indicating whether or not the lecturer can accept access from the learner. The access status 152 may simply be information indicating whether access is possible or not, or may indicate a more detailed status of the instructor. For example, information indicating the location of the instructor such as being present, absent, traveling, business trip, etc., whether there is connection to the network, whether it is possible to communicate by e-mail, etc., or waiting for questions, working, meeting It may be indicated by the working status of a middle lecturer. Further, not only the current information but also schedule information ahead of the present time of the lecturer may be included, such as inaccessibility for one week from the present time.

  The access destination information 154 to 156 is information indicating an access destination when the learner accesses the lecturer, and includes an e-mail address 154, a telephone number 155, and the like. In addition to the e-mail address and telephone number, the access destination information may be, for example, the IP address of the instructor terminal 130, the user name of the instant message, the presence URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), or the like, or the FAX number, It may be an address or the like. Alternatively, a plurality of those described above may be included.

(Presence information update unit 107)
The presence information update unit 107 is a functional unit for updating the presence information data stored in the presence information storage unit 106 in accordance with the presence information transmitted from the lecturer terminal 130. The presence information may be transmitted from the lecturer terminal 130 at a timing when the presence information of the lecturer changes. Upon receiving the presence information, the presence information update unit 107 searches the presence information storage unit 106 for the presence information of the corresponding lecturer and rewrites it with new data. Of the presence information, only one of the instructor access status information and the access destination information may be updated, or both may be updated simultaneously.

  Alternatively, the presence information update unit 107 may request presence information from the lecturer terminal 130 in advance at predetermined time intervals, and update the presence information storage unit 106 using the acquired presence information. As a result, the presence information in the presence information storage unit 106 can be updated periodically, so that even if the instructor forgets to change the presence information, a change can be prompted, or automatic Presence information can be acquired.

  Furthermore, the presence information update unit 107 requests presence information from the instructor terminal 130 in response to the presence information acquisition request from the learner terminal 120, and updates the presence information storage unit 106 using the acquired presence information. It may be. Then, the presence information notification unit 108 notifies the learner terminal 120 of the updated presence information, so that the latest presence information can be provided to the learner at a timing desired by the learner.

(Presence information notification unit 108)
The presence information notification unit 108 is a functional unit for notifying the learner terminal 120 of the presence information stored in the presence information storage unit 106. The presence information notification unit 108 reads the presence information in the presence information storage unit 106 at a predetermined timing. The read presence information is input to the screen information generation unit 109, and screen information to be displayed on the display unit or the like of the learner terminal 120 is generated.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an example of a display screen of presence information notified to the learner terminal 120 by the presence information storage unit 106. The presence information display screen 160 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes, for example, a name 162 of each lecturer, a flag 161 indicating whether or not the lecturer can be accessed, and detailed presence information 163. In the flag 161, for example, “◯” indicates that access is possible, “Δ” indicates that access is not possible but is being taken in, and “x” indicates that access is not possible. With such an intuitive display, the learner can easily check the lecturer who is currently accessible.

  Further, in the example of FIG. 3, more detailed presence information 163 is displayed so that the state of the lecturer can be accurately understood. In this example, the access information of the presence information storage unit 106 is displayed in the presence information 163, but other information may be displayed. For example, information such as the date and time of access status acquisition may be displayed, or how long the presence information has not been updated may be displayed by a symbol, character color, or the like.

  In addition, the presence information display screen 160 may include information on the access destination of the lecturer. Alternatively, as in the example of FIG. 3, the access destination information is not displayed on the screen, the link to the access destination is embedded in the accessible lecturer name 162, flag 161, etc., and the lecturer name etc. is selected with a mouse or the like. By doing so, the instructor may be configured to be accessible. For example, when the access destination is an e-mail address, the e-mail software may be activated by selecting the instructor name, and the e-mail address of the instructor may be automatically input to the destination. Alternatively, when an instructor can be accessed by an instant message, an instant message application may be activated and a message transmission screen may be displayed by selecting the instructor name.

  The presence information notification unit 108 may select presence information according to a predetermined condition and notify the learner terminal 120 of only the selected information. For example, only the presence information of an accessible lecturer may be notified by referring to the lecturer access status information included in the presence information. Alternatively, the presence information may be selected based on the lecturer information of the lecturer corresponding to the presence information with reference to the lecturer information storage unit 105. For example, presence information may be selected according to the past answer status of the lecturer, the level of the lecturer, and the like. This allows the learner to access an instructor that is reliably accessible and eliminates the need to wait for answers to questions. In addition, since the learner's questions are distributed according to the situation of each lecturer, the load on the answering work between the lecturers can be distributed, and the effect of improving the efficiency of the answering work can be obtained.

  Alternatively, the presence information notification unit 108 refers to the learner information storage unit 104 and selects presence information based on the learner information of the learner associated with the learner terminal 120 that notifies the presence information. May be. For example, an instructor who is in charge of the course that the learner is taking may be selected, or an instructor who has answered a question that the learner has asked in the past may be selected. Thereby, the presence information of the lecturer suitable for each learner can be provided, and the burden on the learner selecting the lecturer can be reduced.

  Further, the presence information notification unit 108 may notify the presence information in accordance with the presence information notification request from the learner terminal 120. Alternatively, the presence information stored in the presence information storage unit 106 may be acquired at predetermined time intervals and periodically notified to the learner terminal 120. This makes it possible to always notify the learner of the latest presence information, improving convenience for the learner. Alternatively, the presence information may be notified to the learner terminal 120 when the presence information update unit 107 updates the presence information in the presence information storage unit 106. As a result, the notification process can be executed at the minimum necessary timing, and the effect of improving the efficiency of the notification process can be obtained. In addition, the learner can always be notified of the latest presence information.

(Screen information generation unit 109)
The screen information generation unit 109 is connected to the teaching material distribution unit 102, the learning management unit 103, and the presence information notification unit 108, and generates screen information for displaying data sent from each functional unit on the learner terminal 120. It is a functional part. The screen information generation unit 109 is also connected to the learner information storage unit 104 and the lecturer information storage unit 105, and generates screen information with reference to information stored in each storage unit. The generated screen information is transmitted to the learner terminal 120 or the lecturer terminal 130 via the network 140 and is displayed by a display unit provided in each terminal.

(Access authentication unit 110)
The access authentication unit 110 is a functional unit for performing access authentication to the learning management apparatus 100 from the learner terminal 120 or the lecturer terminal 130. When a learner or a lecturer starts using the learning management system 10, first, authentication information such as an ID or a password is input from the learner terminal 120 or the lecturer terminal 130, and the learning management apparatus 100 is connected via the network 140. Send.

  The access authentication unit 110 performs authentication processing, for example, by comparing authentication information such as a transmitted ID and password with previously registered authentication information. Alternatively, the access authentication unit 110 may be connected to an authentication server (not shown) and perform authentication processing by using an authentication protocol such as RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service).

  When the authentication is successful, the access authentication unit 110 notifies the learner terminal 120 or the lecturer terminal 130 that access is permitted. When the authentication fails, the access authentication unit 110 notifies the learner terminal 120 or the lecturer terminal 130 to that effect, and prompts the user to re-enter authentication information, or ends all the processes. Authentication processing in the access authentication unit 110 or the authentication server can be performed using various existing authentication processing technologies.

  The configuration of the learning management apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Note that the teaching material distribution unit 102, the learning management unit 103, the presence information update unit 107, the presence information notification unit 108, and the access authentication unit 110 install the program modules that can execute the above-described functions in an information processing apparatus such as a computer. It may be configured by software, or may be configured by hardware such as a processor capable of executing each function described above. The teaching material storage unit 101, the learner information storage unit 104, the lecturer information storage unit 105, and the presence information storage unit 106 may be configured by various storage media such as a semiconductor memory, an optical disk, and a magnetic disk, for example.

(Learner terminal 120 / lecturer terminal 130)
Next, the learner terminal 120 and the lecturer terminal 130 will be described. The learner terminal 120 and the lecturer terminal 130 are terminals used by the learner and the lecturer to use the e-learning service. The learner terminal 120 and the lecturer terminal 130 are information processing devices such as personal computers and portable information terminals, and include a network interface capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the network 140.

  In addition, the learner terminal 120 and the lecturer terminal 130 include, for example, a display unit such as a display that displays teaching materials and the like transmitted from the learning management device 100, and a keyboard and a mouse that input information to be transmitted to the learning management device 100. An input unit, a control unit for processing information input from the input unit and information transmitted from the learning management device 100, a storage device including various storage media such as a semiconductor memory, an optical disk, and a magnetic disk (all illustrated) Etc.).

  The learning management system 10 according to the present embodiment has been described above. With this configuration, the learning management apparatus 100 can collectively manage information about the current state of each instructor, and by providing such information to the learner at any time, the learner can reliably access the instructor. Can be accessed and learning efficiency can be improved.

  Next, an example of the presence information notification process executed by the learning management system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described based on FIG. Here, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of presence information notification processing when the learning management apparatus 100 notifies the learner terminal 120 of presence information in the learning management system 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, first, in step S <b> 300, the presence information notification unit 108 reads a list of presence information stored in the presence information storage unit 106.

  Next, in step S <b> 302, the presence information notification unit 108 selects, from among the read presence information, information whose lecturer access status information is “accessible”. Here, the presence information is selected using the lecturer access state information, but may be selected using the learning history information of the learner or the like.

  Next, in step S304, the screen information generation unit 109 generates screen information for displaying the selected presence information on the learner terminal 120.

  Next, screen information is transmitted to the learner terminal 120 in step S306. In step S308, the learner terminal 120 receives the screen information and displays it on a display unit such as a display.

  From the presence information displayed in this way, the learner can know which lecturer can be accessed. Furthermore, by referring to the access destination information of the displayed presence information, it is possible to send a question to the lecturer by e-mail or instant message. In addition, you can send questions to the instructor by embedding a link to the instructor's access destination in the screen information for displaying the presence information and selecting the access destination with a mouse etc. from the screen. It may be configured.

  The presence information notification process by the learning management system 10 according to the present embodiment has been described above.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a learning management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the learning management system 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the learning management system 20 according to the present embodiment includes a learning management device 200, a presence information management device 220, a learner terminal 230, and a lecturer terminal 240. Each component is connected to the network 250.

  The learning management system 20 according to the present embodiment includes a presence information management device 220 in addition to the configuration of the learning management system according to the first embodiment described above. The presence information management device 220 is a device in which the presence information management function in the learning management device 100 according to the first embodiment described above is made independent as another device configuration. Hereinafter, the learning management device 200 and the presence information management device 220 according to the present embodiment will be described. Note that the learner terminal 230 and the instructor terminal 240 have substantially the same configurations as the learner terminal 120 and the instructor terminal 130 according to the first embodiment, respectively, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

(Learning management device 200)
First, the learning management apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment will be described. According to the present embodiment, the learning management apparatus 200 is an apparatus for providing an e-learning service to the learner terminal 230 via the network 250. As shown in FIG. 5, the learning management apparatus 200 includes a learning material storage unit 201, a learning material distribution unit 202, a learning management unit 203, a learner information storage unit 204, a lecturer information storage unit 205, and a presence information management unit. 206, a screen information generation unit 207, and an access authentication unit 208. In addition, the learning management apparatus 200 includes a network interface 209 for enabling data transmission / reception with respect to the network 250.

  It should be noted that, with the exception of the presence information management unit 206 among the units constituting the learning management device 200 according to the present embodiment, the components and the components corresponding to the units of the learning management device 100 according to the first embodiment described above are substantially the same. Detailed description will be omitted because they have the same configuration. Hereinafter, the presence information management unit 206 of the learning management apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment will be described.

(Presence information management unit 206)
The presence information management unit 206 is a functional unit for obtaining the presence information of the lecturer from the presence information management device 220 and providing it to the learner terminal 230. In the presence information management unit 206, presence information acquired from the presence information management device 220 is input to the screen information generation unit 207, and screen information to be displayed on the display unit of the learner terminal 230 is generated.

  Further, the presence information management unit 206 may select presence information according to a predetermined condition, and notify the learner terminal 230 of only the selected information. For example, only the presence information of an accessible lecturer may be notified by referring to the lecturer access status information included in the presence information. Alternatively, the presence information may be selected based on the lecturer information of the lecturer corresponding to the presence information with reference to the lecturer information storage unit 205. For example, presence information may be selected according to the past answer status of the lecturer, the level of the lecturer, and the like. Thereby, since a learner's question comes to be distributed according to each lecturer's situation, the load concerning the answer work between each lecturer can be distributed, and the effect of the efficiency of the answer work can be obtained.

  Alternatively, the presence information management unit 206 refers to the learner information storage unit 204 and selects presence information based on the learner information of the learner associated with the learner terminal 230 that notifies the presence information. May be. For example, an instructor who is in charge of the course that the learner is taking may be selected, or an instructor who has answered a question that the learner has asked in the past may be selected. Thereby, the presence information of the lecturer suitable for each learner can be provided, and the burden on the learner selecting the lecturer can be reduced.

  Further, the presence information management unit 206 may request presence information from the presence information management device 220 in accordance with the presence information notification request from the learner terminal 230. Alternatively, a request for presence information may be acquired from the presence information management device 220 periodically at predetermined time intervals. This makes it possible to always notify the learner of the latest presence information, improving convenience for the learner. Alternatively, the presence information may be notified to the learner terminal 230 at the timing when the presence information is notified by the presence information management device 220.

(Presence information management device 220)
Next, the presence information management apparatus 220 according to the present embodiment will be described. The presence information management device 220 according to the present embodiment is a device for managing the presence information of the lecturer and providing it to the learning management device 200. The presence information management device 220 may be, for example, a SIP server that operates in a network environment based on a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

  As shown in FIG. 5, the presence information management apparatus 220 according to the present embodiment includes a presence information storage unit 221, a presence information update unit 222, and a presence information notification unit 223. Further, the presence information management apparatus 220 includes a network interface (not shown) for enabling data transmission / reception with respect to the network 250.

  Since the presence information storage unit 221 has substantially the same configuration as the presence information storage unit 106 of the learning management apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment described above, detailed description thereof is omitted. Hereinafter, the presence information update unit 222 and the presence information notification unit 223 of the presence information management apparatus 220 according to the present embodiment will be described.

(Presence information update unit 222)
The presence information update unit 222 is a functional unit for receiving presence information transmitted from the lecturer terminal 240 and updating the presence information in the presence information storage unit 221. The presence information may be transmitted from the lecturer terminal 240 at a timing when the presence information of the lecturer changes. Upon receiving the presence information, the presence information update unit 222 searches the presence information storage unit 221 for the presence information of the corresponding lecturer and rewrites it with new data. Of the presence information, only one of the instructor access status information and the access destination information may be updated, or both may be updated simultaneously.

  Alternatively, the presence information update unit 222 may request presence information from the lecturer terminal 240 in advance at predetermined time intervals, and update the presence information storage unit 221 using the acquired presence information. As a result, the presence information in the presence information storage unit 221 can be updated periodically, so that even if the instructor forgets to change the presence information, a change can be prompted, or automatic Presence information can be acquired.

  Further, the presence information update unit 222 requests presence information from the instructor terminal 240 in response to the presence information acquisition request from the learning management apparatus 200, and updates the presence information storage unit 221 using the acquired presence information. It may be. The presence information notification unit 223 notifies the learning management apparatus 200 of the updated presence information, so that the latest presence information can be provided to the learner at a timing desired by the learner.

  Further, when the presence information is updated, the presence information update unit 222 may notify the presence information notification unit 223 of the update so that the learning management device 200 is notified of the updated presence information. Thereby, it is possible to always notify the learning management apparatus 200 of the latest presence information.

(Presence information notification unit 223)
The presence information notification unit 223 is a functional unit for notifying the learning management apparatus 200 of the presence information stored in the presence information storage unit 221. The presence information notification unit 223 reads the presence information in the presence information storage unit 221 at a predetermined timing and notifies the learning management device 200 of the presence information.

  For example, the presence information notification unit 223 may notify the presence information according to the presence information notification request from the learning management device 200. Alternatively, the presence information stored in the presence information storage unit 221 may be acquired at a predetermined time interval and periodically notified to the learning management apparatus 200. This makes it possible to always notify the learner of the latest presence information, improving convenience for the learner.

  Alternatively, the presence information update unit 222 may notify the learning management apparatus 200 of the presence information at the timing when the presence information in the presence information storage unit 221 is updated. As a result, the notification process can be executed at the minimum necessary timing, and the effect of improving the efficiency of the notification process can be obtained. In addition, the learner can always be notified of the latest presence information.

  The learning management system 20 according to the present embodiment has been described above.

  Next, based on FIG.6 and FIG.7, an example of the process performed by the learning management system 20 concerning this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of presence information acquisition processing when the learning management apparatus 200 acquires presence information from the presence information management apparatus 220 in the learning management system 20 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of presence information provision processing when the learning management device 200 provides presence information to the learner terminal 230 in the learning management system 20 according to the present embodiment.

  First, presence information acquisition processing when the learning management device 200 acquires presence information from the presence information management device 220 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, first, in step S <b> 400, the learning management apparatus 200 reads a list of lecturer IDs stored in the lecturer information storage unit 205.

  In step S <b> 402, the learning management apparatus 200 transmits a presence information acquisition request to the presence information management apparatus 220.

  Next, in step S404, the presence information management apparatus 220 performs access authentication processing of the learning management apparatus 200.

  If the authentication process is successful (step S406), the learning management apparatus 200 receives presence information from the presence information management apparatus 220 in step S408. If authentication fails, the process ends.

  In step S410, the list of lecturer IDs is referred to, and when the presence information of all the lecturers is acquired, the process ends. If not acquired, the process of step S408 is repeated.

  First, presence information acquisition processing when the learning management apparatus 200 acquires presence information from the presence information management apparatus 220 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, first, in step S <b> 500, the learning management device 200 accepts access from the learner terminal 230. At this time, the learner terminal 230 transmits a learner ID, a password, and the like of the learner to be accessed.

  Next, in step S502, the learning management apparatus 200 performs an authentication process using the received learner ID, password, and the like.

  If the authentication is successful in step S504, the learner terminal 230 is notified of this. If authentication fails, the process ends.

  In steps S506 to S510, processing for presence information notification is performed. First, the learning management apparatus 200 acquires learning history information corresponding to the learner from the learner information storage unit 204 in step S506.

  Next, in step S508, the learning management apparatus 200 selects presence information based on the acquired learning history information. This presence information is the presence information acquired from the presence information management apparatus 220 in steps S400 to S410 described above. Here, the example in which presence information is selected based on the learning history information of the learner has been described, but the selection may be made using instructor information or presence information.

  In step S510, screen information to be transmitted to the learner terminal 230 is generated from the selected presence information.

  Next, in step S512, the generated screen information is transmitted to the learner terminal 230.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the learning management system concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the presence information stored in the presence information storage part concerning the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the display screen of presence information concerning the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the presence information acquisition process of the learning management system concerning the embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the learning management system concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the presence information acquisition process of the learning management system concerning the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the presence information notification process of the learning management system concerning the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10, 20 Learning management system 100, 200 Learning management device 101, 201 Learning material storage unit 102, 202 Learning material distribution unit 103, 203 Learning management unit 104, 204 Learner information storage unit 105, 205 Instructor information storage unit 106, 221 Presence information Storage unit 107, 222 Presence information update unit 108, 223 Presence information notification unit 109, 207 Screen information generation unit 110, 208 Access authentication unit 111, 209 Network interface 120, 230 Learner terminal 130, 240 Instructor terminal 140, 250 Network 206 Presence information management unit 220 Presence information management device

Claims (18)

A learning management device connected via a network between a learner terminal used by a learner for learning and a lecturer terminal used by an instructor for instruction of the learner,
A presence information storage unit for storing presence information including instructor access state information representing an access state from the learner terminal to the instructor terminal, and access destination information for accessing the instructor terminal;
A presence information notification unit that notifies the learner terminal of the presence information selected based on a predetermined condition from the presence information storage unit;
A learning management device comprising: The presence information notification unit
The learning management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the presence information is selected according to the lecturer access state information.   The learning management device according to claim 1, wherein the presence information notification unit selects the presence information based on learning history information of the learner corresponding to the learner terminal. .   The presence information update part which updates the presence information stored in the presence information storage part using the presence information transmitted from the lecturer terminal is further provided. The learning management device described in 1. The presence information update unit
The learning management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the presence information is requested from the lecturer terminal, and the presence information storage unit is updated based on the presence information transmitted in response to the request.   The learning management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the presence information update unit requests the presence information from the lecturer terminal at a predetermined time interval. The presence information update unit
The learning management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the presence information is requested from the instructor terminal in response to the presence information acquisition request from the learner terminal. The presence information notification unit
The presence information in the presence information storage unit is updated by the presence information update unit, and the updated presence information is notified to the learner terminal. Learning management device. The presence information notification unit
The learning management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the learning terminal is notified of the presence information stored in the presence information storage unit at a predetermined time interval. Learner terminals that learners use for learning;
An instructor terminal used by the instructor for instruction of the learner,
Presence information management device for acquiring and storing presence information including instructor access state information representing an access state from the learner terminal to the instructor terminal and access destination information for accessing the instructor from the instructor terminal;
Connected via a network between the learner terminal and the instructor terminal, obtain the presence information from the presence information management device, and send the presence information selected based on a predetermined condition to the learner terminal A presence information notification device for notification;
A learning management system comprising:   The learning management system according to claim 10, wherein the presence information notification device selects the presence information according to the lecturer access state information included in the acquired presence information.   The learning management system according to claim 10, wherein the presence information notification device selects the presence information based on learning history information of the learner corresponding to the learner terminal. . The presence information management device includes:
The learning management system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the stored presence information is updated using the presence information transmitted from the lecturer terminal. The presence information management device includes:
14. The learning management system according to claim 13, wherein the presence information is requested from the lecturer terminal, and the stored presence information is updated based on the presence information transmitted in response to the request. The presence information management device includes:
The learning management system according to claim 14, wherein the presence information is requested from the lecturer terminal at predetermined time intervals. The presence information management device includes:
The learning management system according to claim 14, wherein the presence information is requested from the instructor terminal in response to a request for acquiring the presence information from the learning management device. When the presence information is updated, the presence information management device notifies the presence information notification device of the updated presence information,
The learning management system according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the presence information notification device notifies the learner terminal of the notified presence information.   The learning according to claim 10, wherein the presence information management device acquires the presence information from the presence information management device at a predetermined time interval and notifies the learner terminal of the presence information. Management system.

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