WO2002039408A1

WO2002039408A1 - Training system and method, and corresponding terminal

Info

Publication number: WO2002039408A1
Application number: PCT/FR2001/003511
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Fouchard
Original assignee: Eric Fouchard
Priority date: 2000-11-09
Filing date: 2001-11-09
Publication date: 2002-05-16
Also published as: AU2002223051A1; FR2816433A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a training system, comprising means (112) for broadcasting training programmes, designed to be received over at least a reception terminal (133), also using a training control server (114, 116, 119), delivering, for each trainee a specific programme, a training certificate comprising at least two items of information, an attendance information and an assimilation information, said attendance information being obtained in real time, via a reverse channel (161), when said programme is being broadcast, said trainee returning a coded information in response to at least a request carried by the programme, and said assimilation information corresponding to the result of at least a test (116) designed therefor and produced off-line, after said broadcast, over a terminal (17) of a communication network connected to said server.

Description

Training system and method, and corresponding terminal

The field of the invention is that of education and training, and more specifically distance learning.

Training is a big problem for most companies and organizations. In fact, the techniques, technologies, tools and other means made available to individuals are evolving more and more quickly, and training is necessary to follow these evolutions. For example, office software is renewed almost every year, and always offers new features. Likewise, the development of the Internet and all associated applications require regular explanations and upgrades.

More generally, this need for training is found in most trades, whether secretaries, IT managers, doctors, garage owners, lawyers, technicians in any field, etc. Training can also be sought in fields other than one's own trade, for example in addition, with a view to diversification, or to broaden one's knowledge, or simply as a hobby. The same need also exists of course for students of all levels, especially when it comes to very specific and / or rapidly evolving fields. Classically, training is carried out in the form of courses. A trainer explains, on the premises of a company or on his own premises, the basis of software (or more generally, the subject of the training) to a group of people to be trained, subsequently called students.

This technique has of course the advantage of the real presence of the trainer, who can if necessary adapt his course. This is not easy, however, unless it is an individual lesson. On the other hand, it has several drawbacks, and in particular that of a very high cost (even when part of the training is covered by a third party organization). This is particularly true for individual lessons, but also for group lessons. In the latter case, moreover, the possibilities of adaptation to a pupil in difficulty are not easy, or come at the expense of others.

This can further disorganize the company, especially if it is small (the presence of a group in formation supposing, of course, the non-accomplishment of the usual task of this group).

We therefore thought of broadcasting training courses, in the form of broadcast programs, recorded on cassettes or CD-ROMs, or accessible on dedicated sites, via the Internet. Clearly, these techniques are less expensive than on-site training, by a "flesh and blood" trainer. On the other hand, they are much less effective.

Systems via the Internet, due in particular to too low a speed, are not currently suitable for the transmission of courses (assuming real-time transmission of images and sound).

Television or recorded programs have the major drawback of the lack of control. When the head of an entity takes charge of the training of a student, it is essential that he has confirmation that the course has been correctly taken. To this end, traditional training organizations give the person in charge of the company a certificate of presence (which is also necessary to obtain possible support). This cannot of course be the case after watching a training program, unless there is a guard controlling access to the broadcast room.

Another disadvantage of this technique is that it is essentially passive, for the student, who simply attends a lesson. He can hardly verify that he has understood correctly, much less ask for further explanations. Likewise, his employer will not know if the course has been beneficial.

The problems discussed above mainly concern continuing education. Note, however, that similar problems arise in various other situations, such as teaching or training children or adults, in particular when they cannot move to a classroom or school (illness, disability, geographic location, etc.) and / or that training concerns a very specific aspect, for which there is no easily accessible school, ... These problems also arise, and crucially, in developing countries.

The invention particularly aims to overcome these various drawbacks of the state of the art.

More specifically, an objective of the invention is to provide a training method and a system of very reduced cost, compared to the approach using trainers, while ensuring the employer a good control of the effectiveness training for each student.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a method and such a training system, which allow each pupil to check, control and complete his knowledge, in a specific and interactive manner.

Another objective of the invention is to provide such a method and such a training system, offering great flexibility of implementation (in particular for the instants and places of training).

These objectives, as well as others which will appear more clearly below, are achieved using a training system, comprising means for broadcasting training programs, capable of being received on at least one reception terminal. .

According to the invention, this system also implements a training control server, delivering, for each pupil of a given program, a training certificate comprising at least two pieces of information, presence information and assimilation information. , said presence information being obtained in real time, via a return channel, during the broadcasting of said program, said student returning coded information in response to at least one request carried by said program, and said assimilation information corresponding to the result of at least one test provided for this purpose and carried out in deferred time, after said broadcast, on a terminal of a communication network connected to said server.

Thus, the invention provides an effective solution to the problems posed by known techniques, while retaining the advantages thereof without presenting the disadvantages. Training programs are disseminated, which makes it possible to reach a large number of students, and therefore to reduce costs. However, it is possible to obtain precise monitoring, both with regard to a pupil's attendance (attendance at the course, and attentive listening to the latter) as well as the understanding and assimilation of this course.

It is therefore no longer necessary to deal with a trainer present on site, to obtain such a result. The combination of the invention makes it possible, effectively, to obtain it, while offering greater freedom to the pupils (the courses being able to be multicast, and being received on site). Advantageously, said request carried by said program is sent at least once at a particular time of the program, other than the start and the end of said program.

This makes it possible to effectively control the presence, and to avoid the risk that a pupil does not eclipse, after having pointed ... According to a preferential embodiment, said particular instant is chosen in a pseudo-random manner, and varies with each broadcast of said program. Advantageously, this operation can be repeated at least twice, at separate times.

Preferably, said pupils have an identification device making it possible to generate said coded information and / or to obtain its transmission within a predetermined period of time after the corresponding request.

Note that the presence information can be data entered on a keyboard and / or extracted from an identification smart card (or any other suitable portable object). More generally, different identification or authentication systems can be used, such as the recognition of a fingerprint, on a suitable scanner associated with the decoder or the terminal. The presence information can also include timestamp data (provided by the decoder, or calculated from the received signal) and / or an answer to a question asked in the program (so as to combine the presence tracking and a first comprehension information, or at least of course attendance).

According to one embodiment of the invention, said broadcasting is carried out by satellite. Other broadcasting techniques, and in particular cable or terrestrial networks (DNBt for example) can of course also be used, in addition or as a replacement. Advantageously, each student and / or each group of students has a receiver equipped with authentication means, making it possible to control the right of access to the corresponding program. These authentication means can also be used for the confirmation of presence, as mentioned previously. Preferably, said right of access also confers the possibility of accessing said information.

The training manager must be able to verify that the courses are taken and assimilated. Likewise, the student needs to know the results he has obtained in the tests, and to know about any corrections, remarks or suggestions.

Indeed, said certificate advantageously includes, if necessary, recommendations produced from an analysis of the results of said test.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, the system can also include means for formulating a specific question relating to said program, and means for providing a corresponding answer.

The pupil can thus obtain the information which he still misses, if necessary, after the course and the tests.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said broadcast program comprises data, intended to be temporarily stored in said terminal, and making it possible to carry out at least some of said tests on said terminal. The tests can therefore, depending on the case, the needs and the means available, be carried out directly on the terminal (only the results being transmitted to the server), or in connection with the server.

The storage means (RAM, hard disk, etc.) can also be used for the temporary storage of presence information, for example to limit the number of communications, in the case where the return channel uses a telephone network.

The invention also relates to the terminals implemented in a system as described above. Advantageously, such a terminal groups together in a single entity said reception terminal, means for controlling access to said programs, means for entering said coded information, data storage means and said communication network terminal.

The invention also relates to the training method implemented by this system. Such a method comprises a step of broadcasting training programs, capable of being received on at least one reception terminal.

According to the invention, it also includes a training control step, delivering, for each pupil in a given program, a training certificate comprising at least two pieces of information, presence information and assimilation information, said information of presence being obtained in real time, via a return channel, during the broadcasting of said program, said student returning coded information in response to at least one request carried by said program, and said assimilation information corresponding to the result of at least one test provided for this purpose and carried out in deferred time, after said broadcast, on a terminal of a communication network connected to a control server.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention, given by way of simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and of the appended drawings, among which: Figure 1 is a general block diagram of the training system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a simplified flowchart of the training method of the invention, implemented by the system of Figure 1. The invention therefore relates to a new approach to training, allowing both the student and the sponsor training

(conventionally the employer) to verify the effectiveness of the training, and the attendance of the student.

FIG. 1 illustrates, very generally, the principle of a training system according to the invention.

For reasons of simplification, a single “training center” 11 has been shown, carrying out the various operations described below. It is however clear that these different operations can be carried out in separate sites, and in several sites for each operation (this will advantageously have several studios for preparing the broadcast training programs).

According to a relatively conventional approach, the programs are therefore prepared, by a program creation unit 111, which notably includes a filming studio and means for editing a program previously prepared by specialists in the technical field concerned and / or in pedagogy.

The programs are designed to be multicast, preferably in several languages. Directs can also be provided, for example to answer questions asked following a program.

Broadcasting means 112 broadcast these programs, via conventional television broadcasting satellites 12. Advantageously, a broadcast is provided on at least two channels, so as to have a sufficient variety of programs. Of course, other broadcasting channels, such as cable, can be used, in addition or as an alternative. As for the student, he has corresponding reception means at his workplace and / or his home, including a reception antenna 131 and a decoder 132, enabling him to attend the course broadcast.

The decoder 132 includes means for authenticating and / or decrypting the received signal, for example in the form of a smart card reader.

The corresponding smart card 14 has been given to the training manager 15, after the latter has made the necessary arrangements with the training center 11 to obtain access to a program. This is advantageously done in the form of a subscription 113, for example annual. The subscription can in particular define one or more types of programs (IT, office automation, medicine, etc.), one or more specific levels, a number of students, etc.

The decoder 132, after authentication and / or decryption, restores the program on a screen 133. Several screens, or a large screen, can be provided, if several students attend the course at the same time.

The pupil (s) have a keyboard or a remote control 16, which makes it possible to check their presence during the lesson. In response to a request inserted in the broadcast program, each pupil has a predetermined period of time to confirm by means 114 of presence control that he is attending the course. This information is transmitted by a return channel, either directly 161, or via intermediary 162 of the decoder. For example, it uses the telephone network.

The response information may include data repeated or determined from the request incorporated into the program (making it possible to verify that the student is "following"), the time and date, produced automatically, as well as the identification of the program, and student identity.

Advantageously, this latter identity information can be provided by a smart card 17, cooperating with a reader provided for this purpose in the remote control 16. In the case where several students simultaneously attend the broadcast, it is desirable that each of them has a remote control. However, this is not compulsory. However, in the latter case, it is necessary to provide a sufficient response time to allow the remote control 16 to circulate between all the students.

Thus, in a first phase, the students were allowed to attend the course, and we checked their presence. However, this is not enough. The student needs to verify that he has understood, to “do practical work”. The sponsor needs to know if the course has been assimilated, for example to give the student a new task, and more generally for obvious reasons of good management.

In a second phase, the pupil is therefore given access, in deferred time, to tests 116, which may in particular include general, theoretical or practical questions, exercises, examples, simulations, etc. tests were previously created 117, in line with the content of the programs broadcast.

The student is therefore connected, via a terminal 17, of the computer or multimedia type, via a communication network such as the network

Internet (it can also be a private network, such as the Internet, for example if the courses are dedicated to a large company (case of training in car maintenance for example).

The decoder can be a conventional decoder, allowing transmitters to receive television broadcasts. In this case, only certain channels are reserved for broadcasting courses. It can also be a decoder dedicated to the application (sold or loaned against security). Advantageously, in this case, the decoder 132 and the terminal 17, which includes the elements useful for the Internet connection, a hard disk and the necessary applications, are grouped together in the same unit. Dedicated training applications can be installed on this hard drive, for example to optimize communication with the test server 116, and / or to better control presence.

Applications, or test programs, can also be inserted into the broadcast programs, and be loaded onto the hard disk. In this case, the communication with the test server can be reduced (we transmit only the results). This can be done, at least in part, via the return path.

It should also be noted that at least part of the tests could be carried out in real time, during the broadcast, via the return channel 161 or 162 (in this case, an answer to a question can, simultaneously, be information of presence).

The results of the tests 116 are analyzed, in order to provide assimilation information 118 which may include: Simply binary information (sufficient / insufficient);

^• S One or more notes on a predetermined scale, concerning for example the theoretical, practical aspects or concerning certain particular aspects of the training (for example the treatment of tables, in the case of training in word processing); An overall rating; Information relating to speed and / or efficiency; X The list of points to be reviewed; ^• S Special advice; Proposals for additional courses; ... This information 118 and the presence information are grouped together by means 119 of training monitoring, which can deliver to the training manager 15 a certificate comprising at least some of the information listed above. The manager 15 can also check the attendance of the students, but also optimize the management of the training (by easily identifying the strengths and weaknesses), and the career of the students.

Likewise, a certificate (which may contain different information) can be given to the pupil, who assesses himself more easily.

Advantageously, the certificates take account of changes over time, for example to note progress or deterioration.

The method of the invention is therefore that illustrated, in general form, by the flowchart of FIG. 2. The manager 15 first of all takes the subscription steps 21, either online, via a telecommunications network, either through a sales representative. It then defines, in particular, the duration of the subscription and its characteristics (type of programs, number of students, levels, etc.). Without departing from the scope of the invention, provision can be made for the subscription to be replaced by, or coexists with, pay-per-view systems, according to the techniques already used in television.

In response to his subscription, the manager is entrusted with an access card 14, as well as, if necessary, a suitable decoder 132.

Each pupil then attends the broadcast course 22. This course being advantageously multicast, this is easy, and can be done in a manner adapted to the schedule of each.

The student therefore follows the course 221. At any time, randomly or pseudo-randomly, a request for confirmation of attendance 222 is inserted in the course (for example in the form of a written message). Within a predetermined period of time, the student returns a confirmation of presence 223, for example using the remote control.

This presence information is transmitted by the return path or, according to a variant, stored on the hard disk or another information medium, with time stamp data, in an encoded form. It can then be transmitted in deferred time, for example with test results. The presence confirmation request can be repeated several times (224) during the program.

In a second step 23, the student settles down in front of the terminal, to validate the understanding of the course broadcast. It therefore performs one or more tests 231 which, after analysis, make it possible to produce test results and propositions 232.

The training manager and the student can then use these results, as part of a training follow-up 24. The certificate can also be used as proof of training, for example in the context of subsidy systems granted to companies offering training to their employees.

Claims

1. Training system, comprising means (112) for broadcasting training programs, capable of being received on at least one reception terminal (133), characterized in that it also implements a control server for training (114, 116, 119), delivering, for each pupil in a given program, a training certificate comprising at least two pieces of information, presence information and assimilation information, said presence information being obtained in time real, via a return channel (161), during the broadcasting of said program, said student returning coded information in response to at least one request carried by said program, and said assimilation information corresponding to the result at least one test (116) provided for this purpose and carried out in deferred time, after said broadcast, on a terminal (17) of a communication network connected to said server.

2. Training system according to claim 1, characterized in that said request carried by said program is issued at least once at a particular time of the program, other than the start and end of said program.

3. Training system according to claim 2, characterized in that said particular instant is chosen in a pseudo-random manner, and varies with each broadcast of said program.

4. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said pupils have an identification device (16) making it possible to generate said coded information and / or to obtain its emission in a lapse of time predetermined time after the corresponding request.

5. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said broadcasting is carried out via at least one of the channels belonging to the group comprising: a satellite channel; - a cable network; a terrestrial broadcasting network.

6. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, each student and / or each group of students has a receiver equipped with authentication means (14, 17), making it possible to check the right of access to the corresponding program.

7. Training system according to claim 6, characterized in that said right of access also confers the possibility of accessing said information.

8. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it also comprises means for formulating a specific question relating to said program, and means for providing a corresponding answer.

9. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said certificate comprises, if necessary, recommendations produced from an analysis of the results of said test.

10. Training system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said broadcast program comprises data, intended to be temporarily stored in said terminal (17), and making it possible to carry out at least some of said tests on said terminal.

11. Terminal implemented in a system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it groups in a same entity said reception terminal (132), access control means (132) to said programs, means (16) for entering said coded information, data storage means (17) and said communication network terminal.

12. Training method, comprising a step of broadcasting training programs, capable of being received on at least one reception terminal, characterized in that it also includes a step of controlling the training, delivering, for each student a given program, a training certificate comprising at least two pieces of information, presence information (22) and assimilation information (23), said presence information being obtained in real time, via a return channel, during the broadcasting of said program, said student returning coded information in response to at least one request carried by said program, and said information assimilation corresponding to the result of at least one test provided for this purpose and carried out in deferred time, after said broadcast, on a terminal of a communication network connected to a control server.