Syllabus Management System

The Problem There is need for a management system for syllabi that: Provides a simple and effective user interface Allows professors to limit access to parts of a syllabus Aides academic departments in managing courses

Problems with Existing Solution The syllabus management system on OAK has several problems Isn't easy to use Doesn't have sophisticated access control Can't help departments manage their courses

Our Solution: The Syllabus Management System Solves the shortcomings of OAK for syllabus management Is straight-forward and well-documented, so new features can be programmed in the future

What is a Syllabus? A collection of data about a course that provides in-depth information about its content, structure and policies Specific data fields were determined by a survey of syllabi from VUSE and other universities

Access Control Different classes of users. Each can access different amounts of course material.

Big Picture Design for a Web Application 3 Layers: Web Interface Layer Operational Layer Database Layer

Web Display Layer A web page generated using input from the operational layer The layer at which users interact with the Syllabus Management System User interface must be simple and usable

User Interface Main Features: Login Syllabi by Academic Major Syllabus Search Here's a prototype:

Operational Layer Carries out certain tasks based on input from the web layer Tells the Web Interface Layer to display a new web page Access the database layer to input or retrieve data

Database Layer Database holds all information on system users and syllabuses Accessed via the operational layer

Database Tables Users Syllabuses Calendar Events

PHP Implementation Pros:  Easy to develop  Easy to deploy Cons:  Not very extensible  Not very scalable  Hard to change once implemented

.Net Implementation Pros:  Very fast  Highly scalable  Highly extensible Cons:  Must run on Windows Server  Expensive $$$

Java Implementation Pros:  Relatively easy to write  Scalable  Extensible  Free Cons:  Longer development time

Implementation MySQL for database (open source)‏ J2EE for operational layer (open source)‏ Old PC running Linux for development server (free to us, market price $20-$100)‏

What We are Doing Now Implementing the web interface Setting up the development server Familiarizing with version control software

Our Schedule /Syllabus-Mgmt/finalproj.mpp /Syllabus-Mgmt/finalproj.mpp