System Architecture (1)

Learning Management System

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Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u 2.01 The applications architecture diagram PAGEREF _Toc483629211 h 32.02 “TO BE” process PAGEREF _Toc483629212 h 62.03 Screen designs PAGEREF _Toc483629213 h 102.04 Acceptance criteria PAGEREF _Toc483629214 h 112.05 Condition of the employee PAGEREF _Toc483629215 h 132.06 Waterfall method PAGEREF _Toc483629216 h 132.07 Agile over Waterfall PAGEREF _Toc483629217 h 14

Task 2.01: An Application Architecture diagram

By definition application architecture is a considered to be a high-level structure built for an application system. For the organization, it is the system that offers the structured solution that can help them meet both technical and operational requirements. Application architecture also helps optimize common attributes within a system such as security, performance, and manageability.

Text message

Call center

Website

email

Electronic channel management system

CRM database

Electronic channel management system

Learning management system

Course selection

it

Service management suite

Market management suite

Key accounting suite

Enrollment management suite

Electronic channel management system

(Xero )(moodle)

Since Toowoomba is looking for a system to handle their enrollment program as well as their learning activities, a Moodle system will serve them best. By definition, a Moodle system can be described as learning management system, a virtual learning environment or a course management system. The system is designed to provide both the teachers and students with the necessary tools to learn and teach. Even though there are other systems applied to aid in learning such as ePortfolios, a Moodle system is not designed to change the functionalities of these systems but rather to improve them. The objective behind Moodle is to make it the most reliable form of LMS while striving to integrate it with the already implemented systems (Mohammed & Kameswari,2013). The system is designed as web application written in PHP and can be openly sourced from the internet. For Toowoomba’s system, the installation of Moodle will require a Moodle code executing located in PHP-capable web server; a database managed MySQL, Microsoft SQL server and a file store for uploaded and generated files.

What makes Moodle such an important system for Toowoomba’s application architecture is the fact that like most open source systems, Moodle is also structured as an application core that is surrounded by numerous plugins. These plugins are built with specific functionalities as well. The design that Moodle systems are created with allows for flexibility which means that they can be customized without having to change the core libraries of the architecture. For Toowoomba, such a system would allow for the addition of functionalities in case the institution decide to reestablish the learning methods. The plugins that this Moodle is built with allowing for specific functionalities but installation, permissions, upgrade, and configuration is allowed in all plugins. The fact that upgrade and installation are not specified to any plugin mean that a new version of the Moodle system can be installed and teach as well as learning would resume immediately. Some of the main plugins that a system for Toowoomba would have are; activities and resources, blocks, language packs and course formats, authentication plugins and enrolment plugins just to mention a few.

A Xero system is an important aspect of Toowoomba’s system meant to handle the business aspect of the institution. A Xero platform is defined as software that is meant to connect small business and their advisors and built around a global accounting engine. It is a platform that most startup businesses apply mostly because of the reliability in matters accounting and because it helps business keep truck of any financial transactions. For Toowoomba’s the platform is such an important part since it can be integrated into the main management system which means that there is no need to have two separate systems that is one handling the learning aspects and the other one financial aspects.

Task 2.02: A “TO BE” process

Toowoomba requires a system that can handle both the enrolment of students and the learning aspects of the institution. Since the system should be a restricted one students will have to use authentication to access the various functions in the system. The fact that the institution requires a simple form of authentication, a student ID and password will be the best form of authorization into the system. When enrolling a student will provide relevant details which will be stored in the system, and upon completion of the process, he or she will be issued with an ID and password. So whenever a student is accessing the system he or she has to use the verification details which will be matched to the stored data and it they are accurate then one can proceed to other functions in the system (Vijayalakishmi,2015).

Registration&login))

Attend catering presentation

Enroll in catering class

school

Enrollment process; from the diagram above the first stage that every student joining Toowoomba will have to undergo is filling out an enrollment form. These forms can either be hard copies that will be issued to every student or can be online and will be submitted upon completion. These forms should be filled with relevant personal details, academic qualifications, and administrative details as well as addresses. After all the details have been filled correctly, the system will prompt the student to proceed to the next step, but if not filled correctly then the system will prompt one to the help platform (Patrick,2006).

Registration and Login; after enrollment is completed, the next step should be registration which is the step that allows a student to create their own ID and password to help access other functionalities within the system. The module is designed in such a way that it offers two options, for a new student registration should be the first option after that was successfully registering a user ID and password are issued. For an already enrolled student login should the option that is if one is looking to access new course resources say at the beginning of a new school year.

Notifications: this is the module within the system where all relevant information about the courses and school will be bulkposted for the students. In Toowoomba’s case, the module could be used to notify students of a presentation on catering and hospitality courses. The module is only accessible to a student whose has been registered and can login into the system. These notifications are designed to inform of web advertisement can be viewed every time a student’s accesses the system.

Class enrollment: through the above platform, a student can navigate through the available classes within the institution and enroll into one without having to visit the faculties. The system will offer the students flexibility to handle class selection using their devices as long one has access to the system.

Payment platform: a student will also have the ability to make payment through the system by simply filling in banking details on any receipts received from tuition payment. The platform also offers convenience when compiling financial records for every student since each student details are in their portal.

Organizational change

In every organization change management is something managers should be familiar with. It is a term used to describe the act of transitioning people, projects, and groups within the organization into a new state. When applied to projects such the one described above for creating a Toowoomba’s management system, change management is considered to be the process through which transitioning of a project’s scope occur to meet changing needs and objectives. There different techniques of change management or rather the approaches commonly followed in most organizations. These techniques are;

Lewin’s change management model this is the most commonly applied model in the most organization since it allows the manager to understand both the organization and the structured change. Having been first introduced by Kurt Lewin in the 1950s, it has still applicable to date. It is made up of three stages which are; unfreeze, change and freeze.

MCKisey7-S model- which quite persistent and has remained applicable despite the changing business needs and requirements. Having been created by some consultants working for MCKinsey& company the model is made up of a framework of seven stages. These stages are; strategy, structure, systems, shared values, style, staff and skills. One of the main advantage associated with this model is that it integrates both the emotional and practical aspect of change helping employees deal with their new reality with ease.

Kotter’s change management theory- the technique was devised John Kotter who happens to be a scholar in change management and so most organization choose this model based on that fact. It is made up of eight stages that focus on the key principles that are related to how people respond to change. These stages are; increase in urgency, building the team, getting the vision correct, communicate, get things moving, focusing on short term goals, not giving up and incorporating change. The main advantage is that it is easy to follow and incorporate into any organization structure (Todnem,2005).

Techniques that can help overcome change resistance

Change resistance is a common occurrence in workplaces whenever people or groups are required to transition from one system to a new one. However, if not handled correctly, this resistance can result in failed implementation of a new system ((Todnem,2005). Techniques used to overcome change resistance are;

Addressing personal concerns- as a manager dealing with change resistance, one should ensure that they listen to each and every concern and deal with them accordingly.

Linking the change to the issues that people in the organization care about is the other technique. Can be achieved by linking change to issues such as health, environment, wages, and working hours.

Carter for people’s expectation- when implementing change people’s expectations should be put into account as a way of anticipating resistance.

Task 2.03: Screen Designs

When designing screens for any system, the goal is to make them as friendlier as possible for the users. For Toowoomba’s system, the system needs to be simple enough so that both the teachers and students can navigate through the system even if they have basic computer knowledge. The screens should also be designed in such a way users can only access the information they are authorized to that is students can only view the information they need and not make changes to records such as performance or class attendance. In any system the screen types that a user can access and the one that an administrator can access are different. A user can only make limited changes to the system while an administrator’s screen can allow for alteration of functionalities of a system as well as monitoring of user activities. The screen below provides a student with a platform to fill in the necessary details for receiving acceptance in a class within the institution that a teacher can use as correspondence when verifying a student’s identity.

Screen 1

The screen below, on the other hand, is of how course distribution will be handled in Toowoomba which will allow the student to preview the courses before enrollment into a class. The screen is easier to navigate through, and even students with limited computer skills can manage with minimal assistance. The screen provides every detail that a student should learn before enrolling in any course.

Screen 2Task 2.04: Acceptance Criteria

In the case of a system that Toowoomba requires, acceptance criteria are the conditions which a particular solution must satisfy to be applied by the user, or a consuming system for the system-level functionality. For learning management systems, acceptance criteria are based on business rules. Some of the rules that could be used include, student’s payment status, performance, and the special scenario such as exemptions. These rules exist to restrict enrollment to classes unless a student meets the entire requirement as per the criteria selected during system design. For example; when student payment statuses are used in determine enrollment, only students who have completed the tuition fee are allowed to register for any course in the institution.

However,a special scenario could arise if a student has trouble making tuition payment and he communicates with the administration and they choose to allow a student to continue with enrollment until they can raise the tuition fee. Changes can also be made in after the enrollment period has been completed. However, for most institutions, these changes can only be made during a specified period and cannot be effected when that period has passed.

Task 2.05: Write a PD for another BA to be recruited to the project

Since the project was meant to come up with a system applied in most institutions that offer the same course that Toowoomba would be offering the format used was based on a prior project from different online sources. Recruitment of employee was also based on prior project where one had to meet certain requirements to take part in the development of the system. The main requirement that each employee had to meet was the academic qualification where one had to have a degree from a recognized university. The other requirement was that one had to have some experience as a system developer for at least two years.

Task 2.06: Waterfall method

In system development, the waterfall method is one of the most preferred approaches of development. It is a software development process made up of phases that are separate. The first step in the development process is the identification of the project requirements that are meant to guide every team involved in the project. After the development has been completed the method requires the user to test the prototype and raise any concerns that they might have regarding the system (Petersen&Baca,2009).The main phases that a basic waterfall method is made up of are;

Requirement analysis: This involves the process of documenting and capturing all the requirement for the development of the project.

System design: Based on the specification from the initial stage, software design is established. The stage is very important since it helps the developers to determine the software and hardware specification, thus defining the overall system architecture.

Implementation Phase: The implementation stage is carried out based on the system design. To ensure effective implementation stage, the system is designed into the small program. Each program is then developed and tested for functionality.

Verification phase: The small program drawn in the previous stage are integrated into the system based on the outcome of the test. The overall system is then tested to ensure that its functionality meets the specified intension. After ensuring that the system functions as intended, a complete software is deployed by the client specified environment.

Maintenance stage: The developers should ensure that the software is maintained periodically to enhance functionality.

Task 2.07: Key Differences Between Agile and Waterfall SDLC, Pros and Cons of Each Approach

Agile System Development Life Cycle Pros Cons Water Fall System Development Life Cycle Pros Cons

1. The system facilitates customer satisfaction by offering useful software faster and continuously.

2. Most software models emphasize on process and tools. However, Agile SDLC mostly emphasize on people and interactions by ensuring that customer, testers and developed continuously interact with each other.

3. Unlike other SDLCs that deliver working software in months, Agile delivers working software continuously in weeks.

4. Agile facilitates face to face interaction thereby facilitating communication.

5. It promotes daily cooperation system developers and business people.

6. Agile facilitates attention to good design and technical excellence.

7. Agile promotes the system adaptation to changing business environments and circumstances.

8. It welcomes late changes in system requirements. 1. Agile SDLC fails to emphasize on necessary documentation and design.

2. Projects utilizing Agile SDLC may be easily got off –track in cases where the customer representatives are not very sure on their final outcomes requirements.

3. Due to the technicality involved in SDLC development, only highly experienced programmers are capable of making crucial decisions. This disadvantages newbie programmers since they must be combined with experienced individuals.

4. It is usually hard to predict the efforts required in developing the system (Exam Certification. (n.d). 1. Waterfall model is usually easy to comprehend and apply.

2. The waterfall model is usually rigid therefore making it very easy to manage. Notably, all phases have a review process and specific deliverables.

3. The phases in this model do not overlap since all phases are processed and fully completed one at a time.

4. Waterfall model functions effectively for small projects since the project requirements are well comprehended. 1. After a certain application in the waterfall model has reached the testing stage, it is usually very hard to make changes of various aspects that were not well analyzed in the concept stage.

2. Unlike the agile model that produces working software often, the waterfall model does not produce working software until in the final stages of the lifecycle.

3. There are high levels of uncertainties and risks involved with the waterfall model.

4. Waterfall model does not work well for object oriented and complex projects

5. It is usually a poor and ineffective model for ongoing projects

6. Waterfall model is usually not a preferable model for projects that require constant changes (Melinmani. (2014).

Reasons for Choosing Agile Software Development Lifecycle Model

There are several reasons as to why the project chose Agile model instead of Waterfall model. Firstly, the management would like to make some changes to the Toowoomba International Catering College system. Agile model will enable them to make necessary changes easily and in a convenient manner. In addition, the model enables new changes to be carried out at minimal costs due the frequency of new increments produced.

Secondly, Toowoomba International Catering College management should wish to implement a new feature to the system. Agile model would be an effective model since in order to implement the feature, only work load of a few days, or even a few hours would be lost. Thirdly, unlike the waterfall model that require a lot of planning time, Agile model only requires very little planning in order to get started with the system. The model assumes that the end users requirements are continuously dynamic and therefore allow management to add or remove new features depending on the feedback. This will ensure that the system gives the Toowoomba International Catering College customers their preferred services thereby facilitating customer satisfaction.

Finally, agile system gives developers and stakeholders’ freedom of several options and time than softwares developed in a rigid sequential manner. The availability of several options gives the management to leave important and crucial decisions until better information is available. This implies that the project may still continue without fear of hitting a sudden standstill.

References

Bimal, A. K. (2011). Thin Client Web-Based Campus Information Systems for Fiji National University. International Journal of Software Engineering & Application, 2(1): 13-27.

Exam Certification. (n.d). What is Agile model – advantages, disadvantages and when to use it? Retrieved from http://istqbexamcertification.com/what-is-agile-model-advantages-disadvantages-and-when-to-use-it/

Melinmani. (2014). Waterfall Model pros and cons. Retrieved from https://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/17441/Waterfall-Model-pros-and-cons.html

Mohammed, A. A. & Kameswari, J. (2013). Web-Server Based Student Attendance System Using RFID Technology. International Journal of Engineering Trend and Technology, 4(5): 1559-1564.

Patrick, H. H. (2006). Online Student Enrollment System. Swinburne: Swinburne University of Technology.

Petersen, K., Wohlin, C., & Baca, D. (2009, June).The waterfall model in large-scale development.In International Conference on Product-Focused Software Process Improvement (pp. 386-400).Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Todnem By, R. (2005).Organisational change management: A critical review. Journal of change management, 5(4), 369-380.

Vijayalakishmi, P. B. (2015). An Android Application for Student Information System. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Engineering & Technology, 4(9): 3615-3620.