Abstract: A method and apparatus for utilizing a course skeleton for adaptive learning is provided. Based on student profile information and course goal information, a query is generated to dynamically determine which learning items should be presented to the student. The query, which is based on a particular learning goal, may differ from student to student, and therefore different students may be presented with different learning items to achieve the same learning goal. In addition, as new learning items is added to the learning item repository, the learning items returned by the query for a particular learning goal may change, even if the query used for the goal does not.

Abstract: In a decoupled messaging system, a producer device sends produced messages to a message fabric. The message fabric either stores the received message in designated queues, from which consumer devices may retrieve the messages, or broadcasts the messages to consumer devices that subscribe to topics assigned to the messages. A message consumption orchestrator service gathers capabilities information for the message producer, the message fabric, and the message consumer, and configures resources allocated for the message consumer to more fully optimize message throughput. Further, the message consumption orchestrator identifies patterns in changes of the rate of produced messages, i.e., through analysis of historical data and/or received information. The message consumption orchestrator configures resources for the message consumer to account for predicted need based on the identified patterns.

Abstract: An improved system and method for updating software is described. The system, upon detecting one or more changes within the set of eligibility attribute values associated with the one or more particular components of previously-provided software, selects a replacement component. The component is selected based on one or more changed eligibility attribute values within the set of eligibility attribute values, and the metadata of the user device. Using the replacement component, the replacement software is constructed and sent to the user device.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for controlling a process on a computing node. In one implementation, a determination is made as to whether the participation status of a computing node has changed. The participation status may, for example, be active, in which case the computing node is participating in the processing of requests from a request handler, or it may be passive, in which case the computing node is not participating in the processing of requests from the request handler. In response to a determination that the participation status of the computing node has changed from a current status to a new status, one or more processes on the computing node may be caused to begin or halt processing, in accordance with the new status. For example, if the current status is passive and the new status is active, a process on the computing node may be caused to begin processing.

Abstract: Techniques are described for identifying unhealthy nodes in a multi-node system. One or more parameters of each node is monitored, then compared with the values for the same parameter running on other nodes in the multi-node system. Based on the comparison, a determination is made whether a node is healthy. If the multi-node system comprises one or more nodes with differing capabilities, an adjustment is performed to account for the differing capabilities of each respective node. Further provided are methods of taking remedial action upon a determination that a node is unhealthy. A tuner is used to modify values of health parameters until the node is performing similarly to its peers.

Abstract: A method for selecting a tag for a content item includes obtaining a first content item; obtaining data associated with a first user; based on the data associated with the first user, selecting a first tag for the first content item; and generating a second content item comprising (a) at least a portion of the first content item and (b) the first tag.

Abstract: Techniques are described for displaying help articles, for a web page, that are related to the context of the web page. A help article provider has access to a database of help articles, each of which are associated with target-context data that may include content identifiers for the help article and/or user profile attributes for users that the help article targets. The help article provider identifies content identifiers for a viewed web page based on one or more of: metadata and a URL for the web page. The help article provider searches the help article database using the identified content identifiers. The help article provider may filter the help articles based on an authenticated user's attributes. An ordered list of the identified help articles is displayed, with the most relevant or important help articles displayed at or near the top of the list.

Abstract: A multi-selection system allows selection of multiple displayed items in a GUI, and processes an underlying data set based on the selection. Users may utilize swipes or concurrent point interactions with the GUI to co-select items. The system identifies actions to perform for selected items based on selection criteria associated with the selected items, or mapping data that maps the selected items to actions. The system automatically identifies grouping criteria for data returned from performed actions and displays resulting groups for further user selection. The system provides suggestive visual highlights that identify commonly co-selected items in the interface. The system collects instrumentation items, for historical usage data, that record aspects of users' interactions with the system.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for assisting users to share specific locations within videos. Specifically, controls are provided to enable a viewer of a video to drop a “video pin” on a location within a video. In response to the user dropping a video pin at a particular location in the video, a “video pin record” that indicates the selected location is automatically generated by a video pin application. The video pins may be used to identify specific time points in the video and/or specific time segments of the video. Video pin records may be shared with other users to allow the other users to immediately jump to the locations, within the video, at which the corresponding video pins were dropped.

Abstract: In a decoupled messaging system, a producer device sends produced messages to a message fabric. The message fabric either stores the received message in designated queues, from which consumer devices may retrieve the messages, or broadcasts the messages to consumer devices that subscribe to topics assigned to the messages. A message consumption orchestrator service gathers capabilities information for the message producer, the message fabric, and the message consumer, and configures resources allocated for the message consumer to more fully optimize message throughput. Further, the message consumption orchestrator identifies patterns in changes of the rate of produced messages, i.e., through analysis of historical data and/or received information. The message consumption orchestrator configures resources for the message consumer to account for predicted need based on the identified patterns.

Abstract: A multi-selection system allows selection of multiple displayed items in a GUI, and processes an underlying data set based on the selection. Users may utilize swipes or concurrent point interactions with the GUI to co-select items. The system identifies actions to perform for selected items based on selection criteria associated with the selected items, or mapping data that maps the selected items to actions. The system automatically identifies grouping criteria for data returned from performed actions and displays resulting groups for further user selection. The system provides suggestive visual highlights that identify commonly co-selected items in the interface. The system collects instrumentation items, for historical usage data, that record aspects of users' interactions with the system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for facilitating interaction in a learning environment is provided. Based on the subject matter that a student is working on, another student is selected for interaction with the student.

Abstract: An automated resource resolver system receives a client request for a learning resource. The system selects a format for a target resource, to be delivered to the client device, based on user information and context information for the client device. Thus, the selected format will be accessible by the client device, utilizing the capabilities of the device, and will be the best-fit format for the user. After the system selects the format, the system determines whether the target resource stored at a resource repository is in the selected format. If not, then the system selects an instance of the target resource, not in the selected format, to convert to the selected format. The system converts the selected resource instance to produce an instance of the target resource that is in the selected format. The system makes the target learning resource, in the selected format, available to the client device.

Abstract: Techniques are described for controlling access to an online service by a one or more authentication mechanisms based on device, browser, or location, or a combination of the three. A method comprises receiving a request to access a service, receiving, in association with the request, a first access mechanism, receiving a first and second level of authentication associated with the user requesting the service, updating authenticated-mechanism data to indicate that the first access mechanism is an authenticated access mechanism for the particular user, receiving a second request to access the service, in response to receiving a second request, determining whether the second access mechanism is an authenticated access mechanism for the particular user, upon determining that the second access mechanism is not an authenticated mechanism, requesting a second level of authentication for the particular user, otherwise granting access.

Abstract: An improved system and method for updating software is described. The system, upon detecting one or more changes within the set of eligibility attribute values associated with the one or more particular components of previously-provided software, selects a replacement component. The component is selected based on one or more changed eligibility attribute values within the set of eligibility attribute values, and the metadata of the user device. Using the replacement component, the replacement software is constructed and sent to the user device.

Abstract: An improved mechanism is provided for presenting and navigating bookmarks in a set of electronic reading material (ERM). In one implementation, when a portion of an ERM is displayed, a graphical element, which represents the contents of the ERM, is also displayed. A current location indicator and one or more bookmark indicators are further displayed on or within proximity of the graphical element to show where, within the ERM, the currently displayed portion is located and where bookmarks are located. This provides a useful graphical overview to a user. In addition, the mechanism may facilitate navigation to a bookmark by enabling a user to select one of the bookmark indicators to navigate directly to that bookmark. The mechanism may also enable a user to navigate sequentially from bookmark to bookmark using a previous bookmark control and/or a next bookmark control. With these capabilities, bookmark presentation and navigation are improved.

Abstract: Techniques for detecting and addressing performance issues related to a mobile application are provided. Examples of performance issues include a backend service (to which the mobile application is configured to transmit requests) becoming unavailable or overloaded, a third-party service that the mobile application relies on for data pertaining to the backend service becoming unavailable, and security vulnerabilities or code irregularities in the code of the mobile application. A fallback service that is separate from the backend service detects the performance issues and sends fallback data to the mobile application. The fallback data may cause the mobile application to operate in an offline mode, where the mobile application requests locally stored data instead of transmitting data requests to the backend service. The fallback data may reference page views that the mobile application downloads and displays instead of other page views that are based on data from the backend service.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for a routing system that enables a tenant service provider to send events to users, using applications, on one or more devices. Events may include be any message or data intended to be sent to one or more users. Specifically, a tenant service provider may send events to users on various devices without the tenant service provider being aware of the device, or type of device, that the user is using. The tenant service provider need not have any knowledge of the specific users that may receive the events sent by the tenant service provider. Thus, a tenant service provider may disseminate events to users on various devices by sending a single message to a routing service. The routing service may then distribute the event to each of the devices and each of the applications each user has selected.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for composing and testing grammar rules that are configured to provide feedback on violations of target grammar guidelines in the text of documents. Tests may be performed to determine whether a new grammar rule produces false positives, is redundant or conflicts with other rules, or is expensive to apply to a document. A user may test the rule, in isolation or with other rules, on a batch of documents. A display of a summary of feedback that is generated in the batch of documents by the rules is provided. The user may also apply a rule to documents submitted for feedback as a hidden rule. Any violations of a hidden rule are recorded, but feedback on the violations is not provided in submitted documents. Furthermore, a user may indicate a level for a rule, which may control the set of documents to which the rule is applied.

Abstract: A method and computer-readable medium for generating an activity stream is provided. The activity stream includes a ranked set of objects that are presented to one or more users. The ranking of objects is updated to reflect events associated with objects.