Computer-Based Information System and Virtual Learning - Assignment Example

CPS School Report Name Institution Date Executive Summary CPS school is a private education school which is multi-campus.its mission is to offer affordable education of high quality not only to population found in Solent region but also to 30% of students from global student market. Previously, the school has basked in the glory of enviable reputation courtesy of its quality education and devoted student support caused by the dedication of its administrative and teaching staff. The competitive advantage of the school has been earned through the maintenance of high performance and pass grades. This high pass rates have been achieved due to the school’s tradition of frequent monitoring of the student academic progress as well as rapid response to issues that cause students to drop in their performance. The parents who wish to provide excellent education for their sons nad daughters have noticed this distinction of CPS school. Problem Statement However, CPS school has invested only in student performance. This can be illustrated by the pathetic state of its information technology. In teaching, there is no use of such state-of-art technology as whiteboard systems. The white board system constitutes an interactive resource, which makes it possible for a tutor or teacher tp communicate teaching materials to students in a more effective manner. In addition, the school has no website. Therefore, it advertises itself manually through the use of magazine, local newspaper, word-of-mouth and open days. Because of this, it faced a tough competition with new schools which were accommodating in purpose built campuses, which were centrally located and which benefitted from up-to-date teaching and administrative technology. These new schools have promotional websites that are professionally designed. In service delivery, the CPS administration does not have the support of computer-based information system. The school does most of its work manually. For the available computers, they are at least eight years old. The computers are also very few, making communications between different schools to be dependent on post mails. There are a lot of information contained in contained in the few computers, meaning a lot of congestion of different data from different school departments, hence confusion and inefficiency is witnessed in the school. The computer system in the school is complex and disorganized, resulting in poor management of resources. There is also limited access to computers by teachers and students. The secretary computer is the only one that the teachers use. Lastly, there is mounting workloads in the side of administrative staff, with teachers delaying in completing their work. There is also manual storage of all documents processed by word. With all these, there is need for a computer-based information system that will enable the school to tackle these problems. Objectives 1. To expand the school’s computer resources for the school programs and activities to proceed effectively. 2. To provide better data storage devices for the sake of information security. 3. To offer virtual learning teaching tools needed for visual communications by online learners. Methodology Proposed Computer-Based Information System Networking Computers Because of massive growth that the school has experienced recently, it should come to the notice of administration that there is need for expansion of the school’s computer resources for the school programs and activities to proceed effectively. Therefore, due to the school’s recent state of increased number of students, which has occurred due to excellent performance, there is need for application of quick measures. One of the measures is the installation of a networking system. This networking system will merge all the departments in the institution and make their operations to be faster and reliable; creating a working environment that will suit and make the staff work peacefully and at ease. The networking system will also avoid the creation of inconveniences that affect the school’s operation (Hallberg, 2009). Networking in institutions has proved to be a vital aspect in that it makes work easier for the school administrators. Consequently, the administrators will be able to manage the operations and resources effectively. This will also link all the employees, implying that the coordination will come from a central base. This will translate to effective feedback and improvement of communication within the company thus, simplifying the delivery and processing of data. Networking will also assist members of different departments to forward work reports faster to the chief administrator. This will enable the administrator to implement strategies and make business decision that will lead to improved performance in the company (Hallberg, 2009). However, in order to achieve this, specific measures must be applied to equip the employees with machines that will enable them perform and link all their activities to a central location. In this case, a major solution that can bring the right change in the organization is that of installing a computer-networking system. This step will see it that the workers become more standardized and more professional when it comes to presenting their work (Zacker, 2001). Computer networking as a solution will also provide a platform, which will create an effective way of for the staff to share information, among each other, which is an essential success factor in any given institution. This will further simplify the process of exchanging information that exists in databases, files and software bearing the records pertaining the institution’s details. When the network is strong and stabilized, it can pave a way for people to work from remote areas. This is a saviour in a situation especially where an employee has to access to the job venue using the poor infrastructure; and as a result ends up wasting more time on the way. Therefore, when the workers are linked to a particular system of networking through computers, they benefit a lot from these computer services, which often improve their communication skills (Zacker, 2001). In addition, the entire staff and their students would able to get in touch with each other by sharing information comfortably using emails without having to move from one place to another. This movement wastes time. The institution can also prosper when the updates on recent activities that are going on are communicated properly through the network. With the networking system also, errors are minimized. This is evident especially when the instituion makes good use of databases that captures information from all the sectors of the organization. Apart from this, the move will avoid extravagance, since every employee can seen while his or her activities can also be tracked in the system (Zacker, 2001). When the network is centralized, further, the school administrator can also maximize the profits of the firm by hiring less IT specialists as the organization activities can be administered by a network effectively. Therefore, working within the network system has proved to be effective especially when one needs to access to manuals and directories. Besides, it is easier to be served, thereby maintaining consistency in your company (Rogers, 2003). Information Storage devises The information used in CPS school is very vital. From the above summary of the school, information is complex and disorganized. Being so, the same information can easily be lost. However, to avoid this, it is proposed that the school should acquire information storage devices. The My Documents folder in the computer serves well as a file storage unit for most of the computer users. It is however, important to note that the applicability of this storage device is limited. This means that My Documents folder can safely store files but under specific circumstances. One of the circumstances is that the files should not be too many. If the files become too many, accessing them may become a problem. The next circumstance is that these stored files will be only accessible through the particular computer used or within the computers available through the local area network. This therefore, brings in a disadvantage in terms of accessibility. When for instance, someone wants to access the file that is saved in a particular computer and the person is away from the computer, chances are high that without sending the document through the internet, the person may not get access to the file (Benoit, Milyo, & Hansen, 2006). Considering the situation of a big organization, using my documents as a storage device will make the operations cumbersome. In other words, My Documents will be inconvenient when it comes to sharing of information between different computers. Fortunately, some portable storage devices have been designed to stem this problem. These storage devices include the floppy disks, hard disks, optical discs, flash disks, solid-state devices, and tape devices. These devices have the capacity of storing information. Their application is however influenced by the kind of information to be stored. This is because some of them may be removable, while some of them are just internal devices. Besides, each of these devices has some advantages and disadvantages. It is therefore, upon the organization to decide on which data needs to be portable, which data is in form of music, which data needs to be installed in each computer, to be in a position of getting the appropriate storage device from the above list (Jonassen, et al. 2012). After selection on a number of storage devices to be used, the next thing that the organization can consider is Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID). This system is also called Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. With this disk subsystem, the organization can be in the position combining many physical disks into one logical storage unit, hence reducing the burden of walking around with several disks (Benoit, Milyo, & Hansen, 2006). During the selection of the DVDs/ CDs, the following optical drive facts must be considered by the organization: interface, drive function, speed, format, loading type and cache. Each of these optical drive facts plays a significant role in ensuring proper performance of the disks, and therefore, the information regarding each of the facts must be adhered to accordingly (Jonassen, et al. 2012). Regarding the storage devices, the organization must also consider some library facts. Libraries have been designed in Windows 7 as a new feature grouping folders and files, which are stored both on the network locations and locally, into a single folder. On opening the folder, the folders and the files linked with the library are seen as if they were placed in a single folder (Rogers, 2003). The organization also needs to consider the file system, which work together with the operating system in ensuring data accessibility, integrity, and availability. The file extension facts are also important identifying the file, the contents of the file, and the program for creating and modifying the file. When large amount of unrelated data for instance audio, video, or computer data are to be stored, it is wise for the organization to consider using digital Video Disc or Blu-ray discs. Understanding of the CD formats is also crucial for functionality through the compatibility of the CD to particular formats. Finally, the organization must consider disk optimization in order to boost the computer performance (Lester & King, 2009). Virtual Learning Reiser & Dempsey (2012) have pointed out that in the visual communications programs, those students who manifested a positive attitude towards online learning performed better while those who favored traditional teaching also fared well in their respective disciplines. There are different virtual learning teaching tools needed for visual communications by online learners. Two most important teaching tools are recommended. These are Blackboard and Second Life (SL) (Lester & King, 2009). Blackboard has asynchronous features including discussion board assignments, grade checking, course material links, classroom discussion recordings, examinations, paper depository as well as a synchronous feature called the “virtual classroom” (Lester & King, 2009). The other type of online instruction tool that employs both the visual display and communicative features is the software program called Second Life (SL), which combines visual cues inherent in the real, analogue world in form of movement, color, depth and form with an interactive communicative experience. The benefits identified by the authors included development of student community and increased student interactions while the challenges included frequency of off-topic discussions, general lack of communication initiation and too much communication that might end up becoming irrelevant for the visual communications class. Blending online learning together with targeted classroom sessions in the traditional school environment is the solution that George-Palilonis & Filak (2009) identify as paramount in tackling challenges associated with both learning environments and improving learning outcomes for the visual communication learners. According to George-Palilonis & Filak (2009), the blend should only center on the strengths of the different learning environments and should not factor in the weaknesses when coming up with this hybrid instructional setting. Incorporating traditional lectures and multimedia tools in a blended fashion in the visual communications courses present a viable opportunity for realizing the strengths manifested by these two instructional settings and can help to counter the weaknesses exhibited by using only one type of instructional setting to the visual communications classroom (George-Palilonis & Filak, 2009). Discussion According to research, the positive impacts of technology on learning the content area as well as learning are enormous. They had to study the potential of the hypermedia and multimedia technologies. They incorporated one study by using the multimedia technology to promote the sixth-grade students detail writing and gathering skills. The method used involved developing and testing in the sixth-grade classrooms for some two years, and it had to show that students have had to make some statistically upgrading in their recognition and the use of such elements as the main ideas, cause and effects of relationships supporting information among others. From the study also, their writing was somehow cohesive than the control-group students, in which case they had been taught by use of similar materials and also progressions, but only with no technology. This implies technology improves the content area learning in most of the students, including other individuals using the technology (Tapscott, 2009). Studies have had to show that technology boosts the reading comprehension of the one using technology. There have been some results quite consistent with such studies, and this is from the meta-analysis. The researchers had to review some twenty-research studies that had some relationship with the use of digital tools and learn environments on the middle-school students. Areas involved include the strategy use, meta-cognition, reading engagement, reading comprehensions, reading motivations among others. The digital tools had to involve the hypermedia, web ages, video and audio clips and images. The study did show that the reading comprehension and vocabulary improvement was the greatest. In essence, this showed that a wide variety of digital tools does enhances the reading comprehension and the development of vocabulary, and this is by providing students with access to the pronunciation of words, meaning, appropriate details, and the comprehension gallows to guide the person’s reading. Therefore, one can easily conclude that technology can encourage all aspects of literacy progress (Lester & King, 2009). Budget Hardware/Software Expansion of computer resources Cost quantity Total 24 inch LCD Monitor $120 50 $6000 Windows 7, 64-bit, fully updated with firewall enabled Operating System $100 50 $5000 Intel Core is (2.66 GHz, Quad Core) Processor/CPU $ 300 50 $15000 AMD Radeon 6750 /Nvidia 550 Ti Graphics/GPU $ 150 50 $7500 8 GB RAM RAM $100 50 $5000 1 TB, or 256 GB drive (SSD) with external hard drive Hard Drive $115 50 $5750 Ethernet adapter Networking Hardware $50 50 $2500 Microsoft Office Suite (Current) and Anti-virus Software Package (current) Software $ 200 50 $10000 Student Training Video Software Virtual Learning Software $300 20 $6000 Flash Drive Storage device $10 200 $2000 Dvd Burner Storage device $10 200 $2000 Total $66750 Conclusion In conclusion, technology makes some crucial and positive influence on learning. It improves the student attitudes towards learning and also on the self-concept. The students also will be remarkably effective when they use their technology, and this is quite due to the designs of software, the roles of teachers, and the level of the right to use technology. The other thing is the fact of increase in the self-esteem and achievement by use of technology. At the end, the students will have excellent cooperation and sharing. Therefore, introducing technology in schools will go along in making learning be student-centered and it will encourage the supportive learning, including stimulating the enhanced student and teacher communication. References: Benoit, P. J., Milyo, J., & Hansen, G. (2006). The effects of traditional vs. web-assisted instruction on student learning and satisfaction. Columbia,MO: University of Missouri Graduate School. George-Palilonis, J., & Filak, V. (2009). Blended Learning in the Visual Communications Classroom: Student Reflections on a Multimedia Course. Electronic Journal of e-Learning , 7 (3), 247-256. Hallberg, B. (2009).Networking, A Beginner's Guide, Fifth Edition. New York, NY:McGraw-Hill Prof Med/Tech. http://www.ejel.org/issue/download.html?idArticle=103 Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R. M., & Crismond, D. (2012). Meaningful learning with technology (4 ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Pearson. Kirtman, L. (2009). Online Versus In-Class Courses: An Examination of Differences in Learning Outcomes. Issues in Teacher Education , 18 (2), 103-116. Lester, P. M., & King, C. M. (2009). Analog vs. Digital Instruction and Learning: Teaching Within First and Second Life Environments. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , 14, 457-483. http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/sl_face.pdf Reiser, R., & Dempsey, J. (2012). Trends and Issues in instructional design and technology (3 ed.). New York, NY: Pearson. Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5 ed.). New York, NY: Free Press. Tapscott, D. (2009). Growing up digital: How the net generation is changing your world. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Zacker, C. (2001).Networking: the complete reference. New York, NY: Osborne/McGraw- Hill. Read More