Description Field of the invention

The present invention relates to systems for controlling and certifying the quality of a service offered. More specifically, the present invention relates to an educational-training service for students of any course of study. Even more in detail, the system described below integrates the monitoring of sessions carried out on site and of services provided at a distance, via the Internet.

Prior art

Nowadays, due to the increase and the widespread diffusion of the Internet, online courses or the use of video calls or videoconferences are increasingly used for educational purposes, for the provision of a lesson in real time.

In fact, it is not always possible for a student to be present in the classroom, especially if he is a student worker or people with reduced motor skills, for which it would be difficult to physically go to the educational institution.

For these and other reasons online, courses are becoming increasingly widespread, including telematic universities that even provide an entire degree program via the Internet.

Although online services are particularly useful and solve many problems, graduates or graduates who have followed this type of path are considered inferior in quality compared to those who followed the lessons in a traditional way, or going to the classroom. This is due to the fact that a service is not yet available on the market that integrates lessons in the classroom and at a distance that can certify the real participation of the student in the lessons and the quality of the teaching received.

Some international inventions have as their object an educational system via the Internet, as, for example, the Chinese utility model CN 206 23 6160. This describes an interactive education management system whether it takes place in the classroom or at home. The system includes a monitoring device that records the temperature and humidity of the classroom or room in which the student is conducting an exercise. A camera films the classroom or room and a scanner scans and stores the sheet or sheets delivered by the student at the end of the exercise. All this data is saved to a cloud platform accessible to both teachers, students or their families.

A first object of the present invention is to digitize the teaching process as much as possible, saving as much paper as possible and carrying out most of the operation directly via the Internet, above all to keep track of the events that occurred during the training process. A second object of the present invention is to allow an irrefutable certification of the quality of teaching by recording the total number of hours taught, the outcome of the exercises and the outcome of the final examination.

Description of the invention

According to the present invention, a certification system of the educational path of a student is implemented, which effectively solves the problems outlined above.

Said system provides for the prior training of a plurality of teachers, with a teaching qualification course, possibly also with specialization for teaching to students with recognized learning disabilities.

Therefore, in a dedicated server, personal profiles of teachers are recorded, divided by subjects of competence. Furthermore, each teacher is provided with a kit including at least one identification device, a reader of said identification device and a headset with microphone to be used in the case of lessons via the Internet.

The identification device, purely by way of example, may advantageously consist a common magnetic card uniquely associated with the teacher. This does not exclude more technologically advanced embodiments such as an eye scanner.

When a student, for the preparation of one or more exams, decides to take advantage of the system, object of the present invention, in order to certify the quality of his studies, he accesses the dedicated server via the Internet and records a personal profile in the memory. During the recording, the system will propose an online questionnaire to the student aimed at understanding the student’s strategic, organizational and learning skills. The questionnaire is also the main tool that allows the first design step of the educational path, as it allows the person in charge of teaching to know the availability of schedules and travel of the student. Once the questionnaire has been submitted, the student will receive the program customized for him by a teaching manager. This program will indicate at least the name of the teacher associated with each subject to be studied, the number of lesson hours provided for each course, an indication of how the lessons are held, which may be either in the classroom or via the Internet, and the date of the final examination to be held at the university or institution of reference.

Upon acceptance of the proposed project, the student pays the fee due and receives a kit similar to that previously described for teachers at the address indicated.

Said kit includes, in fact, an identification device uniquely associated to the student, a reader, to be connected to his personal electronic device (PC, tablet or smartphone) for carrying out the online lessons, adapted to recognize said identification device; a headset with a microphone to send and receive audio data of the lesson that is being conducted via the Internet.

In the second service provision step, the student and the teacher or the plurality of teachers implement the pre-established program.

In order to certify the actual presence of the student and the teacher in the agreed hours and places, two different procedures are advantageously provided:

- for in-house lessons, each classroom of the institution is advantageously provided with at least one column reader, adapted to scan the student identification device and at the same time, to send a“lesson beginning” signal to said dedicated server recording date and time, for the final count of the hours of lessons taught. In the case where the lesson contemplates teaching material, a dispenser of said teaching material may advantageously be associated with said column-reader, adapted to open only after the student identification device has been scanned. This feature also has the advantage of avoiding the waste of educational material and of making the student accountable by preventing the material from being damaged. At the end of the lesson, in fact, there is the presence of a container for the return of the teaching material that may be provided with a scanner of the identification device. In this way, advantageously, it will always be possible to trace the identity of the student who has returned the damaged material. Also in the case of lessons delivered at the venue, at the exit of each classroom there is an exit column on which the student indicates his liking for the lesson. This indication may be expressed only after having scanned the identification device, determining the sending of an“end of lesson” signal to the dedicated server.

Advantageously, in the case in which the student expresses a low liking, he will be contacted by a teaching manager to better understand the reasons for the dissatisfaction. If, during these lessons in the classroom, paper exercises are submitted to the student, the teacher will be responsible, at the end of the lesson, to scan them and store them to the memory of the dedicated server to track the educational course carried out;

- for distance lessons, via the Internet, both the student and the teacher must connect the reader, previously received, to their portable electronic device, be it a smartphone, a tablet or a PC. When scanning the identification device for the first time, the“start of lesson” signal is sent to the server. To send and receive the audio data, they will wear the headset with microphone previously received and, at the end of the lesson, both the teacher and the student will scan their identification device a second time, sending the“end of lesson” signal to the server. At the end of each lesson, the dedicated server is advantageously adapted to update the number of hours of lessons received on the personal profile of the student and the number of hours taught on the personal profile of the teacher.

Advantageously, said identification device, both of the student and of the teacher, can be provided with a common light and/or acoustic indicator which turns on reversibly to signal the approximation of an appointment on site or online for a lesson. Said signaling device can also be adapted to turn on reversibly to signal the need to connect to the server to view a notification.

Once the educational program has been implemented, the student goes to the selected university or school to take the exam or the plurality of exams for which he was prepared and at the end of the examination, within a predetermined time limit, he accesses the dedicated server and enters the data related to the result of the exam just completed. To certify the presence of the student in the exam location, advantageously, the identification device may be provided with a common geolocation sensor provided with an on/off command, to be activated by the student, during said third examination step, to prove his presence at the exam site.

Likewise, the teacher identification device may also be provided with a geolocation sensor which is adapted to be reversibly activated. In fact, it happens that the student requests the presence of his teacher during the exam. To certify his actual presence, therefore, the teacher turns on the geolocation device that signals the teacher’s position to the server.

Once the data relative to the outcome of the examination has been inserted, the dedicated server is advantageously adapted to collect the data related to the lessons followed by the student and to the number of hours taught by each teacher and, crossing them with the data related to outcome of the examination, to provide statistical data on the effectiveness of the educational path undertaken.

In the event of a negative outcome of the examination, the data is advantageously reported to the teaching manager who submits again to the student the online questionnaire previously proposed in the first design step and proceeds to a new design step of the educational path.

In order to better understand each student’s difficulties and the quality of service offered by each teacher, advantageously, in a version of the present invention, each student, together with the previously described kit, is given a device for expressing the understanding of the lesson. It consists of an object that the student holds in his hand during the course of a lesson and to which he makes assume a first position to indicate a poor understanding of the topic, a second position to indicate a medium understanding and a third position to report perfect mastery of the topic dealt with. The understanding signal is advantageously recorded in the memory of the dedicated server and is immediately made accessible both to the teacher and to the teaching managers for monitoring and improving the service offered.

The other advantages offered by the functions of the dedicated server are numerous and relate to:

- the possibility, for those responsible for teaching, to obtain data regarding the number and identity of registered students, the number and identity of inactive students, the number and identity of students with irregular payments and the identity of the teachers associated with each student;

- the possibility of managing more than one branch of the institute that provides the service;

- the creation of a freely accessible database of students, indicating for each of them the strengths found during the training course with the aim of entering the world of work.

The advantages offered by the present invention are clear in the light of the above description and will be even clearer from the accompanying figures and the related detailed description.

Description of the figures

The invention will hereinafter be described in at least one preferred embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying figures, in which:

- FIGURE 1 shows the technological features that are provided in the kit at the time of enrollment in the system. In particular, FIG. 1(a) shows the identification device 180 with the geolocation sensor 182, the reader 185 of said identification device 180, and the headset with microphone 190, which are provided to each student 100. FIG. 1(b) shows the identification device 280 with the geolocation sensor 282, the reader 285 of said identification device 280, and the headset with microphone 290, which are provided to each teacher 200. FIG. 1(c) shows the facilities needed by the institute 300, namely the column- readers 385, the dispensers of teaching material 320, the exit columns 340 and the return containers 350 of the teaching material. FIG. 1(d), finally, indicates one of the possible internal configurations of the institute 300 in which, in each teaching classroom 310, at the entrance, the column-reader 385 and the dispenser of teaching material 320 are placed, at the exit the return container 350 of the teaching material and, just outside the classroom 310, the exit column 340 through which the student expresses his liking for the lesson.

- FIGURE 2 illustrates the hierarchical scheme of the certification system of the educational path of the student. Depending on the institute 300, there is first a plurality of teaching managers 400, divided, for example, by sector of competence. Subjected to each manager 400 there are a plurality of teachers 200, at least one for each subject of study, to which multiple students 100 are assigned, also in a crossed manner with other teachers 200.

- FIGURE 3 shows a block diagram of the interaction of the various technological components which make possible the operation of the system, object of the present invention. First of all, in the memory 520 of the dedicated server 500 the personal profiles of the students 530 and the personal profiles of the teachers 540 are saved. Through the Internet connection 600, data from personal electronic devices 120-220 of teachers 200 and students 100 converge on said server 500 when they are involved in distance lessons. The data collected by the reader-columns 385 that are installed in the institute 300 and by the exit columns 340, when the lessons are carried out, also converge on the dedicated server 500.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention will now be described purely by way of non-limiting or binding example with the aid of the figures, which illustrate some embodiments relative to the present inventive concept.

With reference to FIG. 1, the essential equipment for the provision of the service and for a correct certification of the educational path of a student 100 is shown. In particular, for each student 100, at the time of acceptance of the proposed educational project, a kit is provided, including:

- an identification device 180 consisting, purely by way of example, of a magnetic card univocally associated with the student 100; - a reader 185 to be connected to the personal electronic device 120 of the student 100 during the course of online lessons;

- a headset with microphone 190 to be connected to the personal electronic device 120 of the student 100 during online lessons.

The same kit is provided to teachers 200 who join the institute 300 that provides the service. In particular, said teachers 200 are trained beforehand to carry out this profession and optionally, they can take specific courses for teaching to subjects affected by learning disorders.

Within the institute 300 which, as noted, may have more than one location, each classroom 310 of the lesson is provided at least with a column-reader 385 at the entrance and an exit column 340 just outside the classroom 310. In this way, upon arrival, the student 100 scans the identification device 180 and sends a“start of lesson” signal to the dedicated server 500. When exiting, the student scans his identification device 180 in the exit column 340 and sends the“end of lesson” signal to the server.

More specifically, at the exit column 340, the student 100 can express his opinion regarding the quality of the lesson just attended and, in the event of a negative judgment, he will be contacted by a teaching manager 400 to understand the problems encountered. It is important to clarify that the liking data of the lesson will not be shared with the teacher 200 and the identity of the student 100 will be hidden from the latter.

If the lesson contemplates the use of educational material of any type, from paper to trestles, canvases, rulers, calculators, etc..., the material is made available to the student 100 only after the identification device 180 has been scanned at the column-reader 385, through a dispenser 320 connected to it.

At the end of the lesson, again after the identification device 180 has been scanned, the student 100 is able to return the teaching material in a special return container 350.

If during the lesson the student 100 was offered a tutorial to be completed on paper, it will be up to the teacher 200, at the end of the lesson, to scan the paper document and store it in the personal profile 530 of the student 100 saved in the memory 520 of the dedicated 500 server for future analyzes.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with the kit just described, the student 100 is also given a device for expressing the understanding of the lesson. It consists of any object that the student 100 holds in his hand during the course of a lesson, both online and in the classroom 310, and to which the student 100 makes assume a first position to indicate a poor understanding of the topic, a second position to indicate a medium understanding and a third position to report perfect mastery of the topic dealt with. These indications are collected in real time from the server 500 and are immediately made accessible both to the teacher 200 and to the teaching managers 400 for the monitoring and improvement of the educational service offered.

The service is carried out according to the following steps:

(A) first design step, in which the student 100 who intends to make use of the system, object of the present invention, records his personal profile 530 on the memory 520 of the dedicated server 500, answering an online questionnaire aimed at identifying his skills, his educational objectives and time available. According to this information, a teaching manager 400 of the institute 300 who provides the service proposes to the student 100 the training project indicating:

- the teacher 200 associated with each selected study subject;

- the total hours of lesson for each selected study subject;

- the method of carrying out the lessons (in the classroom 310 or remotely via the Internet);

- the date of the final exam to be taken.

If the student 100 accepts the proposed project, he proceeds to pay the fee due and receives the kit described above;

(B) second step of provision of the service, in which the student 100 and the teacher 200 or the plurality of teachers 200 indicated in the educational project implement the lesson plan foreseen through sessions in the classroom 310, at the institute 300 and/or through lessons at a distance. Moreover, these lessons can be either private or group. During the provision of the service, the dedicated server 500 stores on the personal profile 530 of each student 100 the total number of lesson hours received and on the personal profile 540 of each teacher 200 the total number of lessons taught.

(C) third examination step, in which the student 100 goes to the university or to the selected educational institution to take the exam or the plurality of exams for which he was prepared. At the end of this examination, within a predetermined time limit, he accesses the dedicated server 500, through his personal electronic device 120 and enters the data relative to the result of the exam just completed. According to the present invention it is also possible to certify the actual presence of the student 100 in the examination site due to the possibility of providing the identification device 180 with a common geolocation sensor 182, reversibly activated, adapted to communicate the student’s geographical position 100. Similarly, the identification device 280 of the teacher 200, who prepared the student 100 for the examination he is about to support, can also be provided with a reversibly activatable geolocation device 282. This proves useful to certify the presence of the teacher 200 in case the student 100 requested it. If the student 100 forgets to enter the data related to the result of the examination, the identification device 180, if provided quipped with appropriate instrumentation, is adapted to turn on the light and/or audible warning device to remind him of the need for data entry. Said light and/or acoustic indicator can also be activated to indicate the approximation of the appointment for a lesson;

(D) once the exam is taken, the system proceeds to a fourth analysis step, in which the dedicated server 500 collects at least the data relative to the lessons followed by the student 100 and to the number of hours taught by each teacher 200 and, crossing them with the data relating to the result of the examination, provides statistical data on the effectiveness of the training path. In the event of a negative outcome of the examination, the data is reported to the teaching manager 400 who submits again to the student the online questionnaire previously proposed in the first design step (A) and proceeds to a new design step of the educational path.

Finally, it is clear that modifications, additions or variants may be made to the invention described thus far which are obvious to a man skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection that is provided by the appended claims.