System for Knowledge Collaboration

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to information delivery systems. In particular, the present invention relates to information delivery systems for interactive learning.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A number of information delivery systems are known. For example, U.S. Patent No. 10,915,821 to Spackman et al. discloses a system for information delivery and management. Information is organized into a set of concepts, with relationships or dependencies between concepts represented as connectors. Related concepts may be grouped into sub-topics or related topics.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 9,583,016 to Katz et al. discloses a learning management platform that may be used to generate learning recommendations for users. A learning object is associated with an individual skill and content associated with that skill. A course may be comprised of many learning objects. The learning objects are organized in a hierarchy that is based on the skills associated with the learning objects.

[0004] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0206441 to Brown et al. discloses a computer- implemented system for generating user-specific course content. Each user has a profile that includes demographic and psychographic information to generate a profile vector for the user. Education content is stored and categorized into learning objects, with the learning objects having attributes as well.

[0005] However, the systems referred to above do not provide for a user to individually select the topics and areas that he or she wishes to study. Therefore, it is desirable for an information delivery system that allows for this selection. This and other objects will be better understood by reference to this application as a whole. Not all of the objects are necessarily met by all embodiments of the invention described below. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a system for organizing and delivering educational content is disclosed. Content is organized into concepts, which are considered the basic units of knowledge. Each concept may include one or more exercises for testing the user's knowledge of the concept. The concepts themselves may be grouped into "fields", which may be broad or narrow. In addition, there may be associations between two or more concepts, such that one concept may be a super-concept or sub-concept of another. This association may relate to a requirement that one concept be learned before the other concept (e.g. learning addition before multiplication, which translates into multiplication being a super-concept of addition, and addition being a sub-concept of multiplication). Fields may be associated in a similar manner.

[0007] Each user has an account, and each user is able to copy or “grab” concepts to his or her account and to also copy associations and associated objects of that concept. In addition, a user is able to follow another user, such that when the other user publishes a new concept or changes a pre-existing concept, the user will notified. The system will also provide reminders to users to review certain concepts, in order to promote better learning.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, a system for organizing and delivering educational content to users, the system comprising a server, a database, and one or more computing devices. The database is in communication with the server. The database comprises a plurality of profiles, each of the profiles associated with one of the users and comprising a plurality of records selected by the user for inclusion in the profile for the user. Each of the records comprises information identifying a concept associated with the record, information identifying a field associated with the concept, one or more educational items, and information regarding hierarchical relationships of the record to one or more of the plurality of records within the profile. The one or more educational items are related to the concept associated with the record. The hierarchical relationships define, at least in part, a hierarchy of concepts for the concept associated with the record and for the concepts associated with the one or more of the plurality of records. The computing devices are configured to allow each of the users to access, through the server, the educational items within the plurality of records included in the profile for the user. The server is configured to allow a first one of the users to select, from the profile of a second one of the users, one of the records therein and to create, in the profile of the first one of the users, a copy of the record selected. The server is further configured to update the copy such that the hierarchical relationships of the copy corresponds to the hierarchical relationships of the record selected by updating the information regarding the hierarchical relationships of the copy to refer to one or more of the records within the profile of the first one of the users.

[0009] In another embodiment, the server is further configured to generate a notification to the first one of the users if one or more of the educational items in the record selected is altered.

[0010] In yet another embodiment, the server is further configured to generate a notification to the first one of the users if one or more of the hierarchical relationships in the record selected is altered.

[0011] In still yet another embodiment, the server is further configured to generate a notification to the second one of the users if one or more of the educational items in the copy is altered.

[0012] In a further embodiment, the server is further configured to generate a notification to the second one of the users if one or more of the hierarchical relationships in the copy is altered.

[0013] In still a further embodiment, the server is further configured to create, in the profile of the first one of the users, copies of the records in the profile of the second one of users that are in the hierarchical relationships to the record selected.

[0014] In yet still a further embodiment, the server is further configured to create, in the profile of the first one of the users, copies of at least some of the records in the profile of the second one of the users that are in the hierarchical relationships to the record selected.

[0015] In another embodiment, the server is further configured to create, in the profile of the first one of the users, copies of the records in the profile of the second one of the users that correspond to the field in the record selected. [0016] In yet another embodiment, the server is further configured to create, in the profile of the first one of the users, copies of at least some of the records in the profile of the second one of the users that correspond to the field in the record selected.

[0017] In a further embodiment, each of the profiles further comprises account information for the user associated with the profile.

[0018] In still a further embodiment, the one or more educational items comprise one or more of the following: text files, formatted text files, graphic files, video files, and audio files.

[0019] In still yet another embodiment, the formatted text files comprise one or more written exercises.

[0020] The foregoing was intended as a summary only and of only some of the aspects of the invention. It was not intended to define the limits or requirements of the invention. Other aspects of the invention will be appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The embodiments of the invention will be described by reference to the drawings thereof, in which:

[0022] Fig. 1 depicts the system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0023] Fig. 2 depicts one possible organization of concepts in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0024] Fig. 3 depicts one possible hierarchy of concepts in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0025] Fig. 4 depicts some of the components of the system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

[0026] Fig. 5 depicts one embodiment of the operation of the system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The embodiments described below set out the information necessary to enable a person skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. A person skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the detailed description and will recognize applications of these concepts that are not specifically addressed herein. These concepts and applications fall within the scope of the detailed description and the accompanying embodiments.

[0028] The purpose of the terminology used in the detailed description is only for describing embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Words using the singular or plural form may also include the plural or singular form, respectively, where the context permits. When used in reference to a list of multiple items, the word “or” is intended to cover all of the following interpretations: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of items in the list.

[0029] As used in the detailed description, unless specifically stated otherwise, the terms “processing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “displaying”, “generating”, or the like refer to the actions and processes of a computer or a similar electronic computing device that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer’s memory or registers into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer’s memory, registers, or other such storage medium, transmission, or display devices.

[0030] As used in the detailed description, the terms “connected”, “coupled”, or the like may refer to any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements. The coupling or connection between the elements may be physical, logical, or a combination of the two.

[0031] References to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" mean that the particular feature, function, structure, or characteristic being described is included in at least one embodiment. Occurrences of such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are they necessarily referring to alternative embodiments that are mutually exclusive of one another. [0032] Unless otherwise noted, the words “comprise” and “comprising” are to be construed in an inclusive sense rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense (i.e. in the sense of “including but not limited to”). The term “based on” is also to be construed in an inclusive sense rather than an exclusive or exhaustive sense. Unless otherwise noted, the term “based on” is intended to mean “based at least in part on”.

[0033] The term “module” refers broadly to software components, hardware components, and/or firmware components. Modules may be functional components that can generate useful data or other output(s) based on specified input(s). A module may be self-contained. A computer program may include one or more modules. Therefore, a computer program may include multiple modules responsible for completing different tasks or a single module responsible for completing multiple tasks.

[0034] The sequences of steps performed in any of the processes described in the detailed description are intended to be exemplary. Unless contrary to physical possibility, the steps may be performed in various sequences and combinations. For example, steps may be added to, or removed from, the processes described. Similarly, steps may be replaced or reordered. Therefore, the descriptions of any processes are intended to be open-ended.

[0035] The present invention may be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, or a computer program embodied on a computer-readable storage medium. Furthermore, the present invention may also be implemented using a processor, such as through a process configured to execute instructions stored on and/or provided by memory coupled to the processor.

[0036] Referring to Fig. 1, a system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises a server 12 in communications with one or more computing devices 14. The devices 14 may include desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, mobile devices, or the like. The communications between the server 12 and the one or more devices 14 may be through a network 16. The network 16 may include the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or the like.

[0037] Preferably, each of the devices 14 comprises a user interface 18 configured to allow one or more users 20 to interact with the devices 14 and the server 12. The user interface 18 may include display screens, touchscreens, or the like. For example, in one embodiment, the server 12 is configured to host an application 22, which may be accessed by one or more of the devices 14 over the network 16. The application 22 may be, for example, a web application that is served by the server 12 to the devices 14 for access by the users 20 using the user interface 18. Alternatively, the application 22 may be software that is downloaded and installed on the device 14, with the application 22 allowing access to the server 12 by the user 20 using the user interface 18.

[0038] The system 10 further comprises a database 24. The database 24 may be part of the server 12, or it may be separate from the server 12 but in communications with the server 12. The database 24 preferably maintains a plurality of records 58 containing information and data on educational content. The educational content may be on a variety of topics and is preferably organized into a plurality of units, with each unit consisting of a concept 26. Each of the concepts 26 may be used to represent a basic unit of knowledge. Referring to Fig. 2, one or more of the concepts 26 may be organized into one or more fields 28, which may be used to represent broader subjects of knowledge. By way of example only, as shown in Fig. 2, one of the fields 28 may be used to represent “mathematics”, which may include a number of the concepts 26, such as one each for “addition”, “subtraction”, “multiplication”, “exponents”, “factorials”, etc.

[0039] Preferably, each of the records 58 is associated with at least one of the concepts 26, with each of the concepts 26 associated with one or more educational items 30. Furthermore, each of the records 58 may also be associated with at least one of the fields 28. The educational items 30 that are associated with each of the concepts 26 are preferably stored in the record 58 associated with the concept 26. For example, each of the records 58 may comprise information identifying the concept 26 associated with the record 58, which may be an identifier represented by a text string, such as “addition”, “subtraction”, or the like. Similarly, each of the records 58 may also comprise information identifying the field 28 associated with the record 58, which may also be an identifier represented by a text string, such as “mathematics”.

[0040] The educational items 30 comprise educational content and may include one or more data files, including, but not limited to, text files, formatted text files, graphic files, video files, audio files, or any combinations of the foregoing. For example, the educational items 30 for one of the concepts 26 may include a number of formatted text files containing one or more written exercises relating to the concept 26.

[0041] Referring to Fig. 3, in addition to being organized into the fields 28, one or more of the concepts 26 may also be classified as a super-concept 32, a sub-concept 34, or both. Each of the super-concept 32 is preferably associated with at least one of the sub-concepts 34. Similar, each of the sub-concepts 34 is preferably associated with at least one of the superconcepts 32. For each of the concepts 26, information regarding its association with one or more super-concepts 32 and/or one or more sub-concepts 34 is preferably stored within the record 58 for the concept 26. The classification of the concepts 26 into super-concepts 32 or sub-concepts 34 provide a mechanism for creating a hierarchical relationship between two or more of the concepts 26. In one embodiment, the sub-concept 34 may represent units of knowledge that should be learned or taught first before moving onto the super-concept 32.

[0042] For example, referring to the example shown in Fig. 3, the concept 26a representing “addition” may be considered as the sub-concept 34 for the concept 26b representing “multiplication”. In other words, the subject of “addition” should be learned or taught first before the subject of “multiplication”. For example, the educational items 30a associated with the concept 26a for “addition” contain information that should be learned or taught before the educational items 30b associated with the concept 26b for “multiplication” can be learned or taught. The concept 26b representing “multiplication” may be considered the super-concept 32 for the concept 26a representing “addition”.

[0043] Accordingly, the record 58a associated with the concept 26a representing “addition” would also comprise information regarding the relationship between the record 58a and the record 58b associated with the concept 26b representing “multiplication”. In particular, the record 58a would comprise information identifying the record 58b as being associated with the super-concept 32 for the concept 26a. Similarly, the record 58b would comprise information identifying the record 58a as being associated with the sub-concept 34 for the concept 26b.

[0044] Similarly, the concept 26e representing “subtraction” may be considered as the subconcept 34 for the concept 26b representing “multiplication”. [0045] Furthermore, the concept 26c representing “exponents” and the concept 26d representing “factorials” may be considered the super-concept 32 for the concept 26b representing “multiplication”. In this manner, each of the concepts 26 may act as both the super-concept 32 and the sub-concept 34 to other ones of the concepts 26 (depending on its hierarchical relationship with other ones of the concepts 26).

[0046] Still furthermore, each of the concepts 26 may have multiple ones of associated superconcepts 32 and/or sub-concepts 34. For example, referring back to Fig. 3, the concept 26b may have two super-concepts 32 (i.e. the concept 26c and the concept 26d) and two subconcepts 34 (i.e. the concept 26a and the concept 26e). Similarly, two (or more) concepts 26 may share the same super-concept 32 (e.g. the concept 26a and the concept 26e both share the same super-concept 32, namely the concept 26b. Two (or more) concepts 26 may both share the same sub-concept 34 (e.g. the concept 26c and the concept 26d both share the same subconcept 34, namely the concept 26b). In this manner, a number of the concepts 26 may be organized into a hierarchy of the concepts 26, comprising various relationships of the superconcepts 32 and the sub-concepts 34. The relationships between the super-concepts 32 and the sub-concepts 34 may also span across a number of the fields 28.

[0047] This hierarchical organization of the concepts 26 is preferably maintained by the database 24 by storing, in the records 58, associations relating to the concepts 26. For example, each of the records 58 may be associated with one of the concepts 26 and its associated educational items 30. For each of the records 58, the record 58 may store information regarding one or more of the following: (i) the association(s) between the concept 26 and one or more of the fields 28; (ii) the association(s) between the concept 26 and one or more of the educational items 30; (iii) the association(s) between the concept 26 and one or more super-concepts 32; and/or (iv) the association(s) between the concept 26 and one or more sub-concepts 34.

[0048] In this manner, referring to Fig. 3, a partial hierarchy 38 relating to each of the concepts 26 may be created. The partial hierarchy 38 comprises one or more of the concepts 26 organized in a hierarchical arrangement comprising super-concepts 32 and/or subconcepts 34 of the concept 26. The partial hierarchy 38 may extend to further levels (e.g. one or more super-concepts 32 of the super-concepts 32 of the concept 26, etc.). The size and extent of the partial hierarchy 38 related to the concept 26 may vary, depending on the concept 26. For example, Fig. 3 depicts an example of the partial hierarchy 38 for the concept 26b. Each of the concepts 26 may have a partial hierarchy 38. Information regarding the partial hierarchy 38 for each of the concepts 26 may be stored in the record 58 associated with the concept 26. Alternatively, each of the records 58 may only store information regarding the immediate ones of the super-concept(s) 32 and the sub-concept(s) 34 of the concept 26 associated with the record 58. Further levels of the partial hierarchy 38 for the concept 26 may be determined by the server 12 by examining the record(s) 58 associated with the super-concept(s) 32 and the sub-concept(s) 34.

[0049] Furthermore, a similar hierarchical structure may be used for the fields 28 as well, with each of the fields 28 having sub-fields and super-fields as well. Each of the concepts 26 may be associated with one or more fields 28. For each of the concepts 26, the association between the concept 26 and one or more of the fields 28 may be stored in the record 58 associated with the concept 26. In addition, the association(s) between a particular one of the fields 28 and their sub-fields and/or super-fields may also be stored in the database 24, such as in the records 58 associated with the concepts 26 associated with the particular one of the fields 28. Alternatively, information regarding the fields 28 and their respective sub-fields and/or super-fields may be stored separately in the database 24, apart from, or in addition to, within the records 58.

[0050] Referring to Fig. 4, each of the users 20 of the system 10 preferably has an account 36 associated therewith. The database 24 further comprises account information 60, which comprises a plurality of user profiles 40. Each of the accounts 36 is associated with one of the user profiles 40. The user profile 40 comprises information on the account 36 associated therewith, including information on the name and/or login credentials (e.g. usernames, passwords, etc.) of the user 20 associated with the account 36. The user profile 40 may also comprise one or more records 58 relating to one or more of the concepts 26 that the user 20 has selected or is otherwise associated with, as described below.

[0051] Each of the user profiles 40 preferably further comprises a public profile 62 that comprises information that is visible and accessible by other ones of the users 20. For example, the public profile 62 for the user 20 may be viewed by other ones of the users 20 interacting with the application 22 using the user interfaces 18 of the devices 14 of the other ones of the users 20. The public profile 62 for each of the users 20 may comprise the records 58 relating to the concepts 26 and/or fields 28 that the user 20 has associated with the account 36. The public profile 62 may also include the records 58 relating to the concepts 26 that are part of the partial hierarchies 38 associated with the concepts 26 that the user 20 has associated with the account 36. In this manner, the public profile 62 may include records 58 that comprise one or more partial hierarchies 38 that are related to the concepts 26 associated with the account 36 of the user 20. The records 58 in the public profile 62 may be represented on the user interfaces 18 using the identifiers (e.g. text strings) representing the concepts 26 and/or fields 28 associated with the records 58. Furthermore, the partial hierarchies 38 relating to the records 58 in the public profile 62 may also be depicted on the user interfaces 18 (e.g. using a tree diagram or some other visual representation).

[0052] Each of the users 20 is able to create new ones of the concepts 26 within the public profile 62 of the user 20. This may be done, for example, by the user 20 interacting with the application 22 through the user interface 18 to create a new one of the concepts 26. This information is communicated to the server 12 over the network 16, with the server 12 configured to generate a new one of the records 58 in the database 24 and to store information relating to the concept 26 in the record 58 in the public profile 62 of the user 20. The user 20 may then copy to the device 14 one or more educational items 30 (e.g. text files, formatted text files, graphic files, video files, audio files, etc.) related to the concept 26. The user 20 is then able to interact with the application 22 through the user interface 18 to upload the educational items 30 to the server 12 over the network 16. The server 12 is configured to associate the educational items 30 to the concept 26 and to store the educational items 30 in the record 58 associated with the concept 26.

[0053] The user 20 is also able to create and/or edit relationships between the concept 26 and other ones of the concepts 26 (e.g. by making the concept 26 a super-concept 32 or a subconcept 34 of another one of the concepts 26). The user 20 may do so by interacting with the application 22 using the user interface 18. The relationships that are created and/or edited by the user 20 are communicated to the server 12 over the network 16. The server 12 is configured to update the respective ones of the records 58 in the database 24 to reflect the changes made by the user 20.

[0054] The user 20 is also able to edit or otherwise alter the information relating to one of the concepts 26 that is already pre-existing. For example, the user 20, using the application 22 through the user interface 18, is able to upload additional ones of the educational items 30 from the device 14 to the server 12 over the network 16. The server 12 is configured to associate the additional ones of the educational items 30 to the concept 26 and to store the additional ones of the educational items 30 in the record 58 associated with the concept 26. In this manner, the additional ones of the educational items 30 are now associated with the concept 26. Alternatively and additionally, the user 20 is also able to remove one or more of the educational items 30 associated with the concept 26. For example, the user 20 is able to use the application 22 through the user interface 18 to communicate an appropriate message to the server 12 to remove the association(s) between the one or more of the educational items 30 and the concept 26. In one embodiment, the user 20 is able to use the application 22 through the user interface 18 to retrieve one of the educational items 30 from the database 24 (through the server 12). The user 20 is then able to edit the contents of the one of the educational items 30 (such as using the application 22) before the application 22 uploads the (edited) one of the educational items 30 to the server 12. The server 12 is then configured to store the (edited) one of the educational items 30 in the appropriate one of the records 58.

[0055] Other ones of the users 20 may view, using the user interfaces 18 on their own ones of the devices 14, the public profiles 62 of each of the users 20. For example, the application 22 may be configured to allow a particular one of the users 20 to view on the user interface 18 of the device 14 information from the public profile 62 of another one of the users 20. The particular one of the users 20 may be able to view, using the user interface 18, a graphical representation of the concepts 26 associated to the other one of the users 20. The graphical representation may include depiction of one or more of the partial hierarchies 38 related to the concepts 26 associated with the other one of the users 20.

[0056] For example, referring to Fig. 5, the user 20a is able to use the user interface 18a on the device 14a to access the application 22. The user 20a is able to view the public profile 62b for the user 20b through the user interface 18a. The public profile 62b may depict a visual representation of the concepts 26 and/or the partial hierarchies 38 related to the concepts 26 associated with the user 20b.

[0057] Furthermore, the user 20a may select, using the user interface 18a on the device 14a, one or more of the concepts 26 and/or one or more of the partial hierarchies 38 from the public profile 62b of the user 20b. For example, the user 20a may select one of the concepts 26 that is part of the public profile 62b of the user 20b and that the user 20a is interested in studying. Using the application 22, the user 20a is able to then “copy” or “grab” the concept 26 from the public profile 62b such that the concept 26 is copied to the public profile 62a of the user 20a. When the user 20a grabs one of the concepts 26 from the public profile 62b of the user 20b, the application 22 may cause the server 12 to create a copy 54 of the record 58 relating to the concept 26, with the copy 54 now part of the public profile 62a associated with the user 20a. The copy 54 comprises a duplicate of the record 58 associated with the concept 26, including the educational items 30 associated with the concept 26 and information regarding related ones of the concepts 26 (including information on the super-concepts 32 and the sub-concepts 34 for the concept 26 and information regarding the partial hierarchies 38 associated with the concept 26). In addition, the copy 54 may further comprise a source field 56 that stores information regarding identification of the record 58 and of the user 20b. The source field 56 may be used in the future by the server 12 to update the copy 54 if the record 58 is altered or updated.

[0058] In addition, when the application 22 causes the server 12 to create the copy 54 of the record 58 relating to the concept 26 selected by the user 20a, the application 22 may also cause the server 12 to retrieve from the public profile 62b one or more of the records 58 for associated objects (e.g. super-concepts 32, sub-concepts 34, fields 28, etc.) for the concept 26, including, for example, one or more of the partial hierarchies 38 relating to the concept 26. The server 12 may be configured to create associated copies 64 in the public profile 62a of the one or more of the records 58 for the associated objects.

[0059] Alternatively, in one embodiment, when the user 20a selects, using the user interface 18a on the device 14a, one of the concepts 26 from the public profile 62b of the user 20b, the application 22 may cause the server 12 to perform one or more of the four operations set out below.

[0060] (1) The server 12 is configured to create the copy 54 of the record 58 relating to the concept 26 selected by the user 20a. In addition, the server 12 is configured to create, in the public profile 62a, the associated copies 64 of all of the records 58 associated with the concept 26 (e.g. the records 58 for any of the super-concepts 32, the sub-concepts 34, etc.) present in the public profile 62b and associates the associated copies 64 with the copy 54 within the public profile 62a. In this manner, the partial hierarchy 38 present in the public profile 62b is, at least in part, reproduced within the public profile 62a.

[0061] (2) If the user 20a had previously grabbed one or more of the objects that is associated with the concept 26 now selected by the user 20a, the server 12 is configured to create the copy 54 of the record 58 associated with the concept 26 (as before). In addition, the server 12 is further configured to create appropriate associations between the copy 54 and the previously-grabbed object(s), instead of creating a new copy of the previously-grabbed object(s). This may be done, for example, by server 12 updating the records 58 already in the public profile 62a to reflect the appropriate associations with the copy 54. Similarly, the server 12 may update the copy 54 to reflect the appropriate associations with the records 58 already in the public profile 62a. In this manner, the partial hierarchy 38 present in the public profile 62b is, at least in part, again reproduced within the public profile 62a.

[0062] (3) If the concept 26 was previously grabbed by the user 20a (and thus the copy 54 has already been created in the public profile 62a), the server 12 does not create another copy of the record 58 associated with the concept 26. Instead, the server 12 is configured to update the associations for the copy 54 already in the public profile 62a (and perhaps other ones of the records 58 in the public profile 62a) to reflect the associations the user 20b may have changed (e.g. associates added or deleted) for the concept 26 in the public profile 62b.

[0063] (4) The server 12 is configured to update the associations for the copy 54 to reflect any objects previously copied by the user 20a to the public profile 62a.

[0064] Whether one or more of the operations are carried out may be determined by preferences set by the user 20a in the application 22 using the user interface 18a.

[0065] When the user 20a grabs one of the concepts 26 from the public profile 62b of the user 20b, the copy 54 of the concept 26 that is “grabbed” is now present in the public profile 62a of the user 20a (and available for “grabbing” by other ones of the users 20). Also, additional ones of the records 58 representing super-concepts 32, sub-concepts 34, etc. of the concept 26 may also be copied (as the associated copies 64) to the public profile 62a of the user 20a. [0066] The user 20a will now be able to access the concept 26 after it has been copied to the public profile 62a (i.e. through the copy 54). In addition, the user 20a may also be able to access the partial hierarchy 38 related to the concept 26 (through the copy 54 and the associated copies 64 now in the public profile 62a). For example, the user 20a will now be able to access the educational items 30 relating to the concept 26 by accessing the educational items 30 through the copy 54. For example, if the educational items 30 include content such as exercise files, video files, graphic files, or the like, the user 20a would be able to view the educational items 30 using the application 22 through the user interface 18a of the device 14a.

[0067] The server 12 is configured to keep track of and maintain a record of all changes or edits to each of the concepts 26. For example, in one embodiment, if one of the users 20 makes an edit or a change to one of the concepts 26, the server 12 is configured to alert all of the users 20 that have one of the copies 54 of the concept 26 in their respective public profiles 62 (i.e. all of the users 20 that copied or grabbed the concept 26). For example, the server 12 may be configured to alert all the users 20 affected by generating a message that is saved in the user profiles 40 of the users 20 affected. This will allow the users 20 affected to choose whether to have the edit or the change applied to the copy 54 of the concept 26 associated with users 20 affected.

[0068] Alternatively, the server 12 may be configured to automatically update the copies 54 of the concept 26 associated with all of the users 20 that had previously copied or grabbed the concept 26 to reflect the edit or change. Furthermore, the database 24 may comprise information regarding a version history of all changes or edits to each of the concepts 26 (including edits or changes to the educational items 30 associated thereto or the relationships thereof). For each of the concepts 26, the relevant version history for the concept 26 may be stored in the record 58 for the concept 26, such that when one of the users 20 grabs the concept 26 to be copied to his or her public profile 62, the version history may form part of the copy 54 as well.

[0069] Still alternatively, instead of automatically propagating the edit or change to all of the copies 54 of the concept 26 when the concept 26 is edited or changed by one of the users 20, the server 12 may be instead configured to send a “change request” to any of the users 20 that had previously grabbed the concept 26. For example, the server 12 may be configured to generate a “change request” message that is saved in the user profiles 40 of the users 20 affected. The “change request” message may prompt each of the users 20 affected to approve whether the copy 54 in the respective public profiles 62 should be updated to reflect the edit or change. The “change request” message may also indicate the differences caused by the edit or change, to allow the user 20 to review this before approving the edit or change.

[0070] In another embodiment, instead of allowing any of the users 20 to make edits or changes to the concepts 26, only certain ones of the users 20 may be allowed to make edits or changes to the concepts 26. The server 12 is configured to only allow the users 20 with certain permissions to make edits or changes to particular ones of the concepts 26. For example, the records 58 associated with one or more of the concepts 26 may comprise various permission settings to reflect the permissions for editing or changing the concept 26. In one embodiment, the record 58 may comprise a permission setting indicating that the concept 26 associated with the record 58 is “restricted”, thereby allowing only certain ones of the users 20 with the necessary permissions or authorizations to make edits or changes to the concept 26. The permissions or authorizations for each of the users 20 may be stored as part of the user profile 40 for the user 20.

[0071] Alternatively, the server 12 may be configured to allow the users 20 lacking the necessary permissions or authorizations to submit a request to the users 20 with the necessary permissions or authorizations. The request may include proposed edits or changes to the concept 26. The proposed edits or changes may include edits or changes to the educational items 30 associated with the concept 26 or they may include edits or changes to the hierarchical relationships for the concept 26. For example, the user 20 making the request may use the application 22 to generate the request to send to the server 12. Upon receiving the request from the user 20, the server 12 is configured to determine which of the users 20 have the necessary permissions or authorizations and the server 12 is further configured to send the request to those ones of the users 20. For example, the server 12 may be configured to generate a request message that is saved in the user profiles 40 of the users 20 with the necessary permissions or authorizations. Those ones of the users 20 are then able to either approve or reject the request, such as through the application 22. If the request is approved, then the proposed edits or changes to the concept 26 are carried out by the server 12. If the request is rejected, the server 12 may send a suitable notification to the user 20 that made the request. [0072] After the user 20a has copied or grabbed the concept 26 from the public profile 62b of the user 20b, and the copy 54 is now in the public profile 62a of the user 20a, other ones of the users 20 will be able to copy or grab the copy 54 from the public profile 62a, in the same manner as how the user 20a copied or grabbed the concept 26 from the public profile 62b.

[0073] The educational items 30 associated with the concepts 26 may include exercises that may be completed by the users 20. For example, the exercise may take the form of formatted text files. For the concepts 26 where the educational items 30 associated therewith include exercises, the record 58 associated with the concept 26 may also comprise a completion status field 42. The completion status field 42 may comprise information that indicate when particular ones of the exercises have been completed which ones of the users 20. This will allow the users 20 to see when particular ones of the users 20 have completed the exercises for the concept 26 (and may be considered to have “learned” the concept 26).

[0074] In another embodiment, the database 24 comprises one or more reminders 44. The reminders 44 may be related to one or more of the concepts 26 and are preferably stored in the records 58 associated with the one or more of the concepts 26. The reminders 44 may be activated at certain times or when certain triggering activities occur. The reminders 44 may result in the server 12 generating messages to one or more of the users 20 advising them to view or access certain ones of the concepts 26. The messages may be in text, in audio, in video, or a combination thereof. The messages generated as a result of the reminders 44 may be viewed or opened through the user interfaces 18 of the devices 14.

[0075] Although the above operations and features have been described with respect to the concepts 26, it is understood that similar operations and features may also be carried out with respect to the fields 28. For example, in one embodiment, the users 20 are able to create new ones of the fields 28 and specify the relationships among the fields 28 and the concepts 26 therein. The users 20 are also able to copy or grab one or more of the fields 28 into their respective public profiles 62 (e.g. by the server 12 creating the copies 54 of the records 58 associated with the fields 28).

[0076] In another embodiment, the server 12 is further configured to transmit notifications 46 to one or more of the users 20. For example, one or more of the users 20 may be associated with each other, forming a group 48. These associations may be stored in the database 24, such as in the user profiles 40 of the users 20 that are members of each of the groups 48. If one of the users 20 in one of the groups 48 copies or grabs one of the concepts 26 into his or her public profile 62, the server 12 is configured to transmit one of the notifications 46 to the other ones of the users 20 in the group 48. This may alert the other ones of the users 20 in the group 48 to also copy the concept 26 into their respective public profiles 62. In another embodiment, if one of the concepts 26 has been modified, the server 12 is configured to transit one of the notifications 46 to the other ones of the users 20 that are associated with the concept 26. The notifications 46 may take the form of a message generated by the server 12 that is saved in the user profiles 40 of the users affected. The message may be accessed by the application 22 and viewed or opened through the user interface 18.

[0077] In one embodiment, the database 24 comprises the account information 60 for the users 20 of the system 10. The account information 60 comprises the plurality of user profiles 40, with each of the user profiles 40 associated with one of the users 20. The user profile 40 comprises information regarding the user 20 associated with the user profile 40, such as username, passwords, other login credentials, identification information, contact information, etc.

[0078] The user profile 40 preferably further comprises the public profile 62 that contains one or more of the records 58. Each of the records 58 preferably comprises an identification of the concept 26 associated with the record 58, an identification of the field 28 associated with the concept 26 associated with the record 58, and one or more of the educational items 30 relating to the concept 26. Each of the records 58 preferably further comprises information regarding hierarchical relationships of the concept 26 (and thereby also the record 58) with other ones of the concepts 26 (and the records 58 associated therewith) also located within the same public profile 62 of the user 20.

[0079] For example, the public profile 62b of the user 20b may have the records 58a, 58b associated with the concepts 26a, 26b representing “addition” and “multiplication”, respectively. Information regarding the hierarchical relationships between the concept 26a and the concept 26b (i.e. the concept 26a being the sub-concept 34 for the concept 26b, and vice versa) would be stored in each of the respective ones of the records 58a, 58b. [0080] The user 20a is able to view the contents of the public profile 62b of the user 20b (such as using the user interface 18a) and can decide to select one or more of the records 58a, 58b to be copied to the public profile 62a of the user 20a. The user 20a may do so through the user interface 18a of the device 14a. When viewing the public profile 62b, the records 58a, 58b may be identified by the respective concepts 26a, 26b (i.e. “addition”, “multiplication”). This allows other ones of the users 20 (such as the user 20a) to easily see what educational content is available on the public profile 62b of the user 20b.

[0081] If the user 20a decides to copy the record 58a (corresponding to the concept 26a representing “addition”) to the public profile 62a, the server 12 is configured to create the copy 54 of the record 58a in the public profile 62a. The server 12 is further configured to attempt to update the copy 54 so that the hierarchical relationships of the copy 54 (in the public profile 62a) correspond as much as possible to the hierarchical relationships of the record 58a (in the public profile 62b).

[0082] For example, if the public profile 62a already contains the record 58 corresponding to the concept 26 representing “multiplication” (e.g. if the user 20a had previously copied it from the public profile 62b of the user 20b or from the public profile 62 of another one of the users 20), the server 12 is configured to update the copy 54 to reflect the record 58 as being the super-concept 32 of the copy 54. In addition, the server 12 is configured to update the record 58 to reflect the copy 54 as being the sub-concept 34 of the record 58. In this manner, the partial hierarchy 38 present in the public profile 62b is also reflected in the public profile 62a.

[0083] The user 20a can now access the educational items 30 in the copy 54 as the copy 54 is now located in the public profile 62a. For example, the user 20a can use the user interface 18a to access and view the educational items 30 (e.g. video files, graphic files, text files, etc.).

[0084] The copy 54 preferably comprises the source field 56 identifying the record 58 and/or the public profile 62 from which it was copied from (e.g. the record 58b). Similarly, the record 58 preferably further comprises a destination field 66 identifying the copy 54 made and/or the public profile 62 in which the copy 54 was made (e.g. the public profile 62a). The destination field 66 may comprise multiple identifiers if multiple ones of the users 20 had selected the record 58 for copying. [0085] This allows the server 12 to notify the users 20 when changes are made to the records 58 by the users 20. For example, if the user 20b changes one or more of the educational items 30 associated with the record 58b, the server 12 is configured to generate a notification to the user 20a alerting the user 20a to the change in the record 58a. The user 20a can then decide whether to allow the server 12 to update the copy 54 to incorporate the change. Similarly, if the user 20b changes one of the hierarchical relationships for the concept 26a associated with the record 58a, the server 12 is configured to generate a notification to the user 20a alerting the user 20a to the change to the hierarchical relationships. The user 20a can then decide whether to allow the server 12 to update the copy 54 to incorporate the change. The server 12 is able to generate notifications to multiple ones of the users 20 if multiple ones of the users 20 had selected the record 58a for copying. This is possible because the server 12 is able to identify the public profiles 62 (and consequently the users 20) that had selected the record 58a for copying.

[0086] Similarly, if the user 20a changes one or more of the educational items 30 associated with the copy 54, the server 12 is configured to generate a notification to the user 20b alerting the user 20b to the change in the copy 54. The user 20b can then decide whether to allow the server 12 to update the record 58a to incorporate the change. If the user 20a changes one of the hierarchical relationships for the concept 26 associated with the copy 54, the server 12 is configured to generate a notification to the user 20b alerting the user 20b to the change to the hierarchical relationships. The user 20b can then decide whether to allow the server 12 to update the record 58a to incorporate the change. This is possible because the server 12 is able to identify the public profile 62 (and consequently the user 20) from which the user 20a had copied from.

[0087] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the preferred embodiment has been described in some detail but that certain modifications may be practiced without departing from the principles of the invention.