Dynamic role-based instructional symbiont for software application instructional support

Abstract

An instructional support symbiont can be executed on a client device, which concurrently executes at least one application. The instructional support symbiont provides computer-based learning content within a presentation overlay for the application. During an application session, user interaction with an application window for the application can be detected. User compliance with discrete stages of a tutorial responsive to the user interactions can be determined. Content provided in the presentation overlay per specific stages of the tutorial can be updated. Presentation characteristics of the presentation overlay can be adjusted to ensure the presentation overlay is proximate to positions on the common desktop environment as determined from the user interactions.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 executing an instructional support symbiont on a client device, which concurrently executes at least one application, the instructional support symbiont providing computer-based learning content within a presentation overlay for the application,   during an application session:
 detecting user interactions with an application window for the application, wherein the presentation overlay is presented within a common desktop environment as the application window; 
 determining user compliance with discrete stages of a tutorial responsive to the user interactions; 
 updating content provided in the presentation overlay per specific stages of the tutorial, wherein the content provided in the presentation overlay is adjusted for a proficiency level of a user, as dynamically determined from user interactions with the applications; and 
 adjusting, using a processor, presentation characteristics of the presentation overlay to ensure the presentation overlay is proximate to positions on the common desktop environment as determined from the user interactions, wherein the adjustments of the presentation characteristics ensure the presentation overlay remains unobtrusive to the user, wherein unobtrusiveness of the presentation overlay ensure that user inputs directed at the application are not interfered with by an existence of the presentation overlay. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the instructional support symbiont further provides role-specific information based on a functional role of the user. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 responsive to detecting the user interactions with the application window for the application, determining a current state of the application, wherein the updated content provided in the presentation overlay is state-specific substantive instructions for the application as part of the tutorial, where the state-specific substantive instructions correspond to different states of the application.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the tutorial comprises audio and video segments that are selectively played during the application session within the presentation overlay, the method further comprising:
 dynamically adjusting a playback rate of the audio and video segments during the application session to match a pace of the user interactions.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the instructional support symbiont interacts with an instructional server remotely located from the client device, wherein the instructional server dynamically provides the instructional support symbiont with substantive content that is presented within the presentation overlay as the substantive content is needed. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the tutorial is concurrently executing upon a plurality of different client devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of different client devices is a computing device of a human proctor that facilitates the tutorial, wherein feedback of performance of each of other ones of the plurality of different client devices in regard to the tutorial is provided in real time to the computing device of the human proctor. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the presentation characteristics of the presentation overlay that are adjusted comprise a transparency level, a stack position, a contrast, a font type and a font size. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the presentation characteristics of the presentation overlay that are adjusted comprise a position of the presentation overlay on the common desktop environment, a size of the presentation overlay, and a shape of the presentation overlay. 
     
     
         29 . A system, comprising:
 a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising:   executing an instructional support symbiont on a client device, which concurrently executes at least one application, the instructional support symbiont providing computer-based learning content within a presentation overlay for the application,   during an application session:
 detecting user interactions with an application window for the application, wherein the presentation overlay is presented within a common desktop environment as the application window; 
 determining user compliance with discrete stages of a tutorial responsive to the user interactions; 
 updating content provided in the presentation overlay per specific stages of the tutorial, wherein the content provided in the presentation overlay is adjusted for a proficiency level of a user, as dynamically determined from user interactions with the applications; and 
 adjusting presentation characteristics of the presentation overlay to ensure the presentation overlay is proximate to positions on the common desktop environment as determined from the user interactions, wherein the adjustments of the presentation characteristics ensure the presentation overlay remains unobtrusive to the user, wherein unobtrusiveness of the presentation overlay ensure that user inputs directed at the application are not interfered with by an existence of the presentation overlay. 
   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the instructional support symbiont further provides role-specific information based on a functional role of the user. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , the executable operations further comprising:
 responsive to detecting the user interactions with the application window for the application, determining a current state of the application, wherein the updated content provided in the presentation overlay is state-specific substantive instructions for the application as part of the tutorial, where the state-specific substantive instructions correspond to different states of the application.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the tutorial comprises audio and video segments that are selectively played during the application session within the presentation overlay, the executable operations further comprising:
 dynamically adjusting a playback rate of the audio and video segments during the application session to match a pace of the user interactions.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the instructional support symbiont interacts with an instructional server remotely located from the client device, wherein the instructional server dynamically provides the instructional support symbiont with substantive content that is presented within the presentation overlay as the substantive content is needed. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the tutorial is concurrently executing upon a plurality of different client devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of different client devices is a computing device of a human proctor that facilitates the tutorial, wherein feedback of performance of each of other ones of the plurality of different client devices in regard to the tutorial is provided in real time to the computing device of the human proctor. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the presentation characteristics of the presentation overlay that are adjusted comprise a transparency level, a stack position, a contrast, a font type and a font size. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the presentation characteristics of the presentation overlay that are adjusted comprise a position of the presentation overlay on the common desktop environment, a size of the presentation overlay, and a shape of the presentation overlay. 
     
     
         37 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory, propagating signal per se, the program code executable by a data processing system to initiate operations including:
 executing an instructional support symbiont on a client device, which concurrently executes at least one application, the instructional support symbiont providing computer-based learning content within a presentation overlay for the application,   during an application session:
 detecting user interactions with an application window for the application, wherein the presentation overlay is presented within a common desktop environment as the application window; 
 determining user compliance with discrete stages of a tutorial responsive to the user interactions; 
 updating content provided in the presentation overlay per specific stages of the tutorial, wherein the content provided in the presentation overlay is adjusted for a proficiency level of a user, as dynamically determined from user interactions with the applications; and 
 adjusting presentation characteristics of the presentation overlay to ensure the presentation overlay is proximate to positions on the common desktop environment as determined from the user interactions, wherein the adjustments of the presentation characteristics ensure the presentation overlay remains unobtrusive to the user, wherein unobtrusiveness of the presentation overlay ensure that user inputs directed at the application are not interfered with by an existence of the presentation overlay. 
   
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 37 , wherein the instructional support symbiont further provides role-specific information based on a functional role of the user. 
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 37 , the operations further comprising:
 responsive to detecting the user interactions with the application window for the application, determining a current state of the application, wherein the updated content provided in the presentation overlay is state-specific substantive instructions for the application as part of the tutorial, where the state-specific substantive instructions correspond to different states of the application.   
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 37 , wherein the tutorial comprises audio and video segments that are selectively played during the application session within the presentation overlay, the operations further comprising:
 dynamically adjusting a playback rate of the audio and video segments during the application session to match a pace of the user interactions.