Information Management: The Online Students Board - Assignment Example

Online Students Board Table of Contents Architecture and Environment 4 Hardware: 4 Software: 4 Performance Requirements 5 Language 5 Organizations 6 Web Programming Tool 9 Database Technology 10 Hosting 10 Implementation Issues and Challenges 11 Privacy 11 Information Security 11 Network Attacks 11 Extending current tools/systems for our problem 12 What makes our project unique? 12 Deliverables 13 System Deliverables 13 Training Deliverables 13 Project Management Deliverables 13 Features 14 Timeline 15 Conclusion 15 Bibliography 16 References 17 Project Details Distance learning and education has always been an attractive trend for the researchers and scholars in fact it is very long that approximately emerges lots of years ago, and in this time period there are major transformations in how learning happens as well as is communicated. Additionally, from the very basic kind of communication based interaction to complex postal services there are broad ranges of systems and tools accessible through the Internet. In this scenario, society has held a wide variety of types of communication emerged in the past few years (Moore, Dickson-Deane, & Galyen, 2011). On the other hand, through the emergence of web based learning tools and applications for interactions, the Internet has turned out to be a major tool for business and corporate management. This tool has also influenced greatly all areas of daily life. Now the internet is having a great influence on education also. The emergence of online libraries, articles, wikis, journals, student portals, etc., has offered a great deal of support and capability to educational sector. Now students are more and more reliant on web based educational services (Moore, Dickson-Deane, & Galyen, 2011; Nagaraja & Jiji, 2010; Carlen & Jobring, 2005). Without a doubt, we are now living in the world where every aspect of lie greatly depends on effective use of Information Technology (IT). There is no end intended for the learning mainly to the institutions and academicians. Now the common learning is supported through information and a communication technology (ICTs) which is a new technology based field. Each academician has to be responsive of this. In view of the fact that e-learning is not restricted to present new ‘digital literacy’ thus it can include a wide variety of formats as well as hybrid methods, especially, use of Internet, software, CD-ROM, online learning or some other interactive or electronic media. In this scenario, e-learning encompasses all the appearances and forms of electronic supported learning as well as teaching that are technical in character as well as objective to influence the structure of knowledge with reference to particular experience, performance as well as awareness of the learner. In addition, communication and information systems, whether linked both or not, offers us a great deal of capability for exact media to apply the learning procedures (Quan-Haase, 2005; Kazmer, 2005). The online student’s portal for our XYZ College will be an efficient platform that will be based on an open and free of cost access to knowledge. This portal will present a great deal of capability for the sake of enhancing and updating students’ data on the website and offering better support for our XYZ College. The new web based platform of XYZ will offer facility to upload not only the DOC format assignment but also support other documents/JPEG formats. This web based platform will encompass a Public/ Private method for the sake of controlling sensitive personal data and information that will be protected by means of public/private display controls. This new web based students portal will offer a great deal of easy communication through which students could write to faculty/administration and vice versa. The new web based platform will also offer administration message broadcasting board through XYZ College administrators will be able to broadcast plus send common message to the entire students and faculty members Architecture and Environment This part of the report outlines the detailed overview of the architecture for XYZ College. This web based platform will offer a great deal of capability for the web based system application and management of student’s online communication and mutual interaction. In the next sections, the major elements of this architecture will be outlined in detail: Hardware: For the development of online student’s board for the XYZ college, we need the following hardware equipment: Stand alone PC with 40 GB hard disk space and 256MB RAM. Internet Facility. External Hard Drive for backup. Pentium 4 Processor or higher. Software: Software needed for the online students board for the XYZ college is outlined below: ASP.NET SQL Server. Photoshop for processing Images. Word process for reporting. Windows operating system. CASE tools for system design. Performance Requirements One of the most important attributes of a good software application is that it offers the required performance as mentioned in the requirements specifications (Dix, Finlay, Abowd, & Beale, 2003; Pressman, 2001). This section elaborates how the online students’ board for the XYZ college website needs to work and respond to any user request. The following are the performance parameters for online students’ board for the XYZ college: Simple interface. Adoptability. Usability. Efficiency. Security. Ease of Accessibility. Less short term memory load. Language Online student’s board for the XYZ College will be developed under the standard US English language. This website will offer the standard US English language for communicating students and teachers. Organizations Online student’s board for the XYZ College will be based on the centralized database system that will store the recent documents and assingment for the students. The system will offer an online communication support and capability for interacting students and teachers. Diagrams XYZ SYSTEM DATA MANAGEMENT AT XYZ Student and teacher interaction at XYZ Web Programming Tool In case programming the online student’s board for the XYZ College, we have decided to use the ASP.NET. The selection of this web programming tool is based on its high class features and facilities. Here I have outlined some of main features and qualities of this web programming tool that is preferred for the development of online student’s board for the XYZ college (Sebesta, 2012). In addition, ASP.NET web pages are simple to write as well as uphold for the reason that the source code plus HTML are together. ASP.NET considerably diminishes the amount of web pages code necessary to construct huge applications. ASP.NET formulates development easier and simpler to uphold by means of a “server side”, “event driven” programming model. The source code of the ASP.Net runs on the server. The pages have a lot of strength as well as flexibility through this approach. ASP.NET offers much simple web based system deployment. ASP.NET authenticates information given through the user without entering a single line of code (Sebesta, 2012). Database Technology For the implementation of online students’ board for the XYZ college database technology we have decided to implement the MYSQL. The main advantages of section of this technology platform are: MYSQL is a free system that is having a huge market support and technical consultancy. It is easy to use and have wide market consultation and support (VEERMAN, 2006). Hosting For the website hosting platform for the online students’ board for the XYZ College; we will purchase domain name for the website. In this scenario we will purchase an online website storage space. The website hosting company will take fixed annual fee for handling of overall online operations regarding the hosting of the online students board for the XYZ college website. Implementation Issues and Challenges For the sake of development and application of the online students board for the XYZ college website we need to consider some of main legal and ethical issues regarding college, students and teachers that need to assessed and analyzed to protect the business from possible outsider or insider security of privacy attacks. Here are some of these issues: Privacy Today concerns regarding person’s privacy and security are extremely higher. In this scenario college student, staff and associated people data can be hacked and used in some wrong way. This all leads to some of main critical privacy issues. Here developers team needs to take some of enhanced steps for the protection and management of the some of main issues privacy related issues (Joshi, 2008; Rhodes-Ousley, Bragg, & Strassberg, 2003). Information Security Here online student’s board for the XYZ college security is one of major concern. In this regard development team needs to take care of some of main security issues for the better handling and management of fundamental security issues (Joshi, 2008; Rhodes-Ousley, Bragg, & Strassberg, 2003). Network Attacks Here in case of online student’s board for the XYZ College, we also need to protect against some following attacks: Virus Attacks Malware Attacks Phishing Attacks DOS (Denial of Services) Attacks Identity Theft Attacks In case of protection against such attacks college system developers need to develop some security policy and implement some effective counter attacks policy that can be in form of network firewall and security software. Extending current tools/systems for our problem For the management and handling of the online student’s board for the XYZ college we need to make use of the firewall based systems and also need to install more enhanced security based solutions. Here we also need to take care for some of issues regarding ease making some mechanism for more secure system password and login. What makes our project unique? The idea of making system for XYZ college students and teachers that is more and more effective for the sake of management and handling of possible communication and interaction among students. This platform is a unique place where whole people come and interact for the sake of college specific activities. So this idea is really unique for the sake of management and handling of the communication among college major stakeholders. Deliverables The development of the new online student’s board for the XYZ college project involves lots of different deliverable regarding the new platform establishment. Here I have categorized the main deliverable in to following categories. Here are the following main deliverables of online student’s board for the XYZ college project: System Deliverables New web based system for communication New system training platform document Training Deliverables Training Manual document Help Document Installation Manual Project Management Deliverables Cost plan document Time plan document Risk plan document Quality assurance plan document Project Management plan document Features Here below I have outlined the some of major features of the online student’s board for the XYZ College: Establishing web based sharing platform Offering data and information sharing Establish rapid response system Fast delivery of the messages Fast response to any meeting Quick handling of college events Onetime holding of events Online availability of events agendas, documents, timetable, and other information Offering quick access to all results, aims and members Offering quick login based accounts to college members Offering online platform for reviews and views Timeline Project time line management is one the main activity in the overall management of the project. In this scenario the time line management involves the handing of the overall project activities and scenarios. Here below I have outlined some of main activities regarding the online student’s board for the XYZ college: Project Activity Duration Start Date End Date Precedence Requirement 10 days 1-Jun-13 14-Jun-13 Design 5 days 15-Jun-13 21-Jun-13 2 Development 20 days 22-Jun-13 19-Jul-13 3 Quality Assurance 5 days 20-Jul-13 26-Jul-13 4 Training 5 days 27-Jul-13 2-Aug-13 5 Implementation 3 days 3-Aug-13 5-Aug-13 6 Post-Implementation Verify System 1 day 6-Aug-13 6-Aug-13 7 Conclusion In this report I have offered some of major areas and aspects regarding the online student’s board for the XYZ College. This report has offered a deep and detailed overview of the technology based aspects of the new online system application. In this scenario, I have highlighted major time, features, deliverables and challenges for the sake of development of the online student’s board for the XYZ College. Bibliography Braam, P. A. (2004). Design Patterns applied to Web Programming in PHP. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from http://yazzy.org/docs/Programming/PHP/Design_patterns_applied_to_web_programming_in_PHP.pdf Dix, A., Finlay, A. J., Abowd, G. D., & Beale, R. (2003). Human-Computer Interaction (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall. Joshi, J. (2008). Network Security: Know It All, 1st Edition. Morgan Kaufmann. Pressman, R. S. (2001). Software Engineering: A Practicioner's Approach, 5th Edition. London: McGraw Hill. Rhodes-Ousley, M., Bragg, R., & Strassberg, K. (2003). Network Security: The Complete Reference, 1st edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media. Sebesta, R. W. (2012). Programming the World Wide Web, 7th edition. Addison-Wesley. VEERMAN, E. (2006). SQL Server 2005: Preparing for a Smooth Upgrade. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/power/ps1q06-20060126-Microsoft.pdf Wallace, N. (2000). Design Patterns in Web Programming. Retrieved June 13, 2012, from http://www.e-gineer.com/v1/articles/design-patterns-in-web-programming.htm References Carlen, U., & Jobring, O. (2005). The rationale of online learning communities. International Journal of Web Based Communities, Volume 1 Issue 3, pp. 272-295. Halal, W. E. (2008). Online learning systems: highlights of the TechCast project. VINE, Volume 38 Issue 2, pp. 198-205. Kazmer, M. M. (2005). How technology affects students' departures from online learning communities. ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin - Special issue on online learning communities, Volume 25 Issue 1, pp. 25-30. Michael, K. (2012). Virtual classroom: reflections of online learning. Campus-Wide Information Systems, Volume 29 Issue 3, pp. 156-165. Moore, J. L., Dickson-Deane, C., & Galyen, K. (2011). e-Learning, online learning, and distance learning environments: Are they the same? Internet and Higher Education, Volume 14 Issue 2011, pp. 129-135. Nagaraja, P., & Jiji, G. (2010). ONLINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM (e- learning). International Journal of u- and e- Service, Science and Technology, Volume 3 Issue 4, pp. 37-48. Quan-Haase, A. (2005). Trends in online learning communities. ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin - Special issue on online learning communities, Volume 25 Issue 1, pp. 2-6. SANTRONIX. (2012). Student portal system for college/ educational institutions. Retrieved November 12, 2012, from http://santronix.com/webdesigning/college%20website%20development%20solution.asp Windsor, S. (2012). What Is a Student Portal? Retrieved November 10, 2012, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/facts_7331470_student-portal_.html Read More