Ames Community Schools (ACS) has been concerned with the performance of their students’ problem solving abilities on a nationally standardized exam. While ACS traditionally scores in the 90+% on traditional math skills, results from the problem-solving section were around 40+%. The purpose of this project is to provide web-based software that supplements classroom learning, particularly in the area of geography. By utilizing the software to extend classroom learning, the students of ACS will be better prepared for standardized tests, resulting in higher test scores. Abstract Operating Environment Resources and Schedule Project Team Information Team Members David Low, CprE David Schwenker, CprE Laura Longoria, EERobert Sailer, EE Faculty Advisors Dr. John Lamont Professor Ralph Patterson, III Project Client Ames Community Schools Summary Test results and discussions with ACS teachers have shown that additional resources are needed to boost the district’s performance in the problem solving sections of standardized tests. This project will provide the supplementary instruction and drills that ACS students need to meet and exceed the goals of the school and the community. Expected End Product ⋆ Application supplements U.S. geography curriculum ⋆ Students will be able to log in ⋆ Teachers will be able to access student statistics ⋆ Teachers can create additional problems ⋆ Solution can be viewed on any platform ⋆ Students can work on problem solving skills at home Intended Users and Uses Intended Users ⋆ Students in grades 3-6 ⋆ Instructors ⋆ School administrators Intended Uses ⋆ Supplement classroom instruction ⋆ Improve standardized test scores ⋆ Monitor student progress Assumptions and Limitations Assumptions ⋆ Computers have Internet Explorer or Netscape 5+ browsers ⋆ Computers are connected to the Internet ⋆ Supervision with computer experience exists ⋆ Students have previously been exposed to U.S. geography topics Limitations ⋆ Students may not have much prior experience using computers ⋆ Team members must learn PHP and MySQL ⋆ Internet bandwidth can limit performance ⋆ Computer/processor speed of the client machines can limit performance Proposed Approach and Considerations Proposed Approach ⋆ Components include: database design and population, HTML design, graphic design, and application code design ⋆ Components divided amongst team members Technologies Considered ⋆ ASP.NET ⋆ SQL Server 2000 ⋆ HTML Testing Considerations ⋆ Development testing ⋆ Installation testing ⋆ Functional testing ⋆ Program exists on LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) architecture ⋆ Application code written in PHP on Apache web server ⋆ Database backend written in MySQL ⋆ Program runs on Linux operating system Problem Statement General Problem Statement ⋆ To develop software for 3rd-6th grade students ⋆ To be user-friendly and interactive ⋆ To provide updated U.S. geographical information ⋆ To include practice and performance exams response server search query client data General Solution-Approach Statement ⋆ Server stores software and database ⋆ Database contains geography data ⋆ Database has exercises, exams, results ⋆ Students operate from own client PCs ⋆ Server talks to clients via the Internet ⋆ Server generates a customized web page based upon client input Project Requirements Design Objectives ⋆ Program must be accessible to students via the Internet ⋆ Results must be stored in database for teachers to retrieve and review ⋆ Program must be similar to Globey’s World (Ongo8b) but with US Geography Functional Requirements ⋆ Program includes login with a username/password scheme ⋆ Students choose a state using an easily navigable map of the United States ⋆ Program displays state information upon request Design Constraints ⋆ Multiple platform use (PC, Macintosh) ⋆ User-friendly for 3rd-6th grade students ⋆ Basic instructions for new users Measurable Milestones ⋆ PHP/MySQL education ⋆ Database population ⋆ Software coding ⋆ Testing