Content creation in an online learning environment

Abstract

A collaborative learning service allows for a participant to create and share content for discussion with other participants in an online learning environment. Tagged content along with descriptive content regarding the tagged content is received from a participant. The content may be associated with a particular topic and/or forum. The content is published into a forum for discussion amongst participants. Following the publishing of the content to the online learning environment, participants, such as educators and students, may discuss, interact, and collaborate with one another regarding the content. The content may be stored in a library of topics for subsequent retrieval by any participant namely an educator.

1 . A method for creating a topic in an online learning environment, the method comprising:
 executing an application that allows access to an online learning environment, the application executed at a computing device associated with a user;   retrieving a content item from a plurality of content items stored in a library, each content item of the plurality of content items associated with a respective topic, wherein the content item is retrieved in response to user input;   receiving descriptive information, the descriptive information inputted by the user at an interface of the computing device associated with the user, wherein the descriptive information is associated with the retrieved content item;   creating a topic for discussion including the retrieved content item and descriptive information, wherein the topic for discussion is a self-contained learning unit extensible to a plurality of participants accessing the online learning environment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content item is retrieved based on a search of the library, and wherein the user input includes search criteria. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of content items is sorted in the library based on the associated topics. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the each content item of the plurality of content items is embedded with one or more searchable tags.