Transcript IRP Presentation

K-12 Teaching Application
Support and Software
Ongo-08
Client
Ames Community Schools
Advisors
Dr. John W. Lamont
Professor Ralph Patterson
Tuesday November 08, 2005
Tiffany Schweer
Team Leader
Jennifer Carlson
Communications
Coordinator
David Wire
MTSS
Laurie Bidrawn
GW/USA
Samantha Olson
GW/USA
Nichole Dugan
SASF
Aaron Hurd
Dustin Fee
Nathan Gordon
Sara Murphy
Jennifer Carlson
Parikshit Advani
Michael Fong
Nathan Evans
Dominic Kuk
John Saterfiel
E. Ryan Adamson
Terminology
• API
• ASP
ASP.NET
 CVS
 FW
 GW
 MTSS
 MySQL
 PHP

• PSA
SASF
 SQL
 USA

Introductory Materials
History Lesson
 Problem Statement
 Operating Environment
 Intended Users & Uses
 Assumptions & Limitations
 End Product & Deliverables

History Lesson
MTSS started as a design project
 GW and USA began as separate
projects
 The three projects combined because of
their similar goals
 The Framework team was created to
help manage the three projects

Problem Statement (1/3)

General Purpose - design Internet-based teaching
software applications teaching mathematical problem
solving and geography

Provide children in elementary school grades 3-6 the
opportunity to exercise their computer skills while
learning about important lessons

Applications
– MTSS – Math
– GW & USA – Geography
– Framework – Web Tools
Problem Statement (2/3)

Proposed Approach
– Create Web-Based Software


Accessible from the students’ own computer
Accessible via the Internet
– Populate a Database




Example Problems
Homework Problems
Practice Quizzes
Performance Quizzes
Problem Statement (3/3)

Proposed Approach Continued
– MTSS
 Create an algorithm to teach the students the problem solving
process
 Provide quizzing and homework problems
– GW and USA
 Provide educational games
 Provide facts and comparisons for different geographical
locations
– Framework
 Support web tools which will aid the students and teachers with
scores, quizzes, and lessons
 Framework created with PHP, SQL, and HTML
Operating Environment
Teachers
Students
Administrators
Internet
PHP
Webpage
Server
PHP
Script
Engine
My SQL DB
Database
Intended Users
Elementary students grades 3-6
 Teachers
 Elementary school administrators
 Parents of students

Intended Uses
 Supplemental tool for students in the areas of:
– Math
– US Geography
– World Geography
 Quizzing tool
 Supplemental homework
 Track students’ progress
Assumptions
Internet Explorer Version 6.0 or Netscape Version 7.0
 Client connected to the Internet
 Supplement to classroom instruction
 Adequate supervision to help students with computer
and application problems
 Not intended to be written to accommodate
handicapped children
 Can be used at home and in the classroom
 Frame work will have high stability
 All team members will have access to the server

Limitations




New team members may not be familiar with PHP or
MySQL
The size of the database is limited by MySQL
Younger students may not have prior experience
using computers or know how to type
The total number of users from all participating
school districts will be no more than 40,000
End Product & Deliverables

Already Delivered
– Prototype of the K-12 Teaching Application




Math quizzes
Reference tool of world and US geographical information
Ability to record student scores
Future Deliverables
– Instruction manual
– Prototype of K-12 Teaching Application that
includes:


Ability to walk students through the process of solving a
math problem
Interactive games enforcing world and US geography
Accomplishments and Activities
 Previous
Accomplishments
 Present Accomplishments
 Future Required Activities
 Approaches Considered
 Project Activities
Previous Accomplishments
(1/4)

MTSS
Formed Fall 2001
Database and prototype designed using ASP
Created problems and a way to add problems to database
Created feature allowing profiles for login to be used
Converted ASP code to PHP
Database restructured to fit with Framework’s design
Ability to give students quizzes from problems in database
added with ability to record time
– Started work on Problem solving algorithm
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Previous Accomplishments
(2/4)

GW
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Formed Fall 2002
Functionality and database in place
Working version of help page
Working version of country comparison page
Database entries cleaned and formatted
Made transition from frames to tables
Implementation of authentication framework
Added dynamic region page to hierarchy
Modification of user management
Previous Accomplishments
(3/4)

USA
– Formed Fall 2002
– Created detailed blueprint of application
– Designed entries in database
– Populated database with state information
– Reference tool and authentication implemented
– Comparison page created to display information
about multiple states
– Designed and coded simple games
Previous Accomplishments
(4/4)

Framework
– Formed Fall 2003
– Obtained existing skeleton code and determined it unusable
– Developed libraries that allow for user authentication and
registration
– Redesigned database to accommodate all Ongo08 sub teams
– Created framework for quizzes to be taken by students
– Created framework to allow teachers to keep track of
students progress through a gradebook
Present Accomplishments
(1/4)

Ongo08
Created instruction manual
Combined all sub team documentation
Formed a list of application problems to be fixed
Fixed bugs found to prepare application for
presentation
– Expanded CVS to include all sub team code
– Implemented a uniform “look and feel” across
applications
– PHP training session
–
–
–
–
Present Accomplishments
(2/4)

MTSS
– PSA Implementation
 Refined PSA
 Defined Method for Implementation
 Planning for Implementation
– Programming New Features
 PSA Functionality
 Multiple Answers to Questions Capability
Present Accomplishments
(3/4)

GW/USA
– Electronic Database Research
 USA geographical information source
 Allow for automatic updates for applications in
the future
– Interactive Games
 Defined games for both applications
 Possible introduction of more topics like spelling
and historic landmark knowledge
Present Accomplishments
(4/4)

Framework
– Uniform Navigation Layout




All applications feel like a suite
Reduces learning curve
Uniform color and font scheme across applications
Redesign of navigational buttons
– Restructure timing functionality for quizzes

Separate timers for teachers and students
– Server Cleanup


Removed unused source code
Reorganized working and stable code
Future Required Activities
• Answer conversion functionality for text answers
• Garbage collection utility to remove unreferenced
•
•
•
•
•
data from tables
Alternate quiz timing functionality and analysis
Distribution for real-world client testing of current
feature set
Additional security to guarantee that users can not
modify quizzes/problems of other users
Optimize code so that it uses less resources
Large-scale testing to guarantee that framework will
work in multiple environments under multiple
conditions
Recommendation for Future Work
• Support for disabled users
• Implementation of a problem solving
algorithm for all applications
• Further consolidation of team to act
more as a single team
Approaches Considered (1/3)

MTSS approaches considered
– Four step problem solving algorithm




Find out
Choose strategy
Solve it
Look back
– Multiple generic questions that get students
thinking about the different ways to solve
problem.
Approaches Considered (2/3)

GW/USA
– Research Tool vs. Interactive Application
 Database of geography information can be
used as electronic source for reports
 Interactive games will add interest for intended
audience
 Strengthen learning of geography concepts
Approaches Considered





ASP.NET and SQL Server
Classic ASP and SQL Server
Javascript
Java and MySQL
PHP and MySQL
Approach Used

MTSS
– Problem Solving Algorithm (which one you chose)

GW/USA
– Interactive game implementation



Geography applications will have games added to them
in order to keep students’ interest
Look into further subjects that can be incorporated
Framework
– PHP and MySQL


PHP is growing quickly and will be around for a long time
PHP is similar to C/C++ so many of the team members
should be able to pick it up quickly
Project Definition Activities
MTSS Problem Solving Algorithm
 Researched how to teach children how
to learn

Research Activities

Problem Solving Algorithm
– Determined the best way to implement the
algorithm

Electronic Database
– Searching for source for US geography
information and update capabilities like GW
Design Activities
Similar look and feel
– Making all applications look the same
– Similar navigation
– Similar icons
Uniform Look and Feel

Insert screenshots of previous vs. new
homepages to the applications?
Implementation Activities
Making CVS available to all teams
 Each sub team using style sheets for
similar look and feel

Testing & Results
Went through and created a list
application problems to be fixed
 Working on checking off items in this
list

Other Activities
Cleaning up server
 More documentation on server use

Resources & Schedule
Personal Effort
 Financial Requirements
 Schedule

Personnel Effort (1/3)
Personnel Effort (2/3)
Personnel Effort (3/3)
Financial Requirements (1/4)
Team# /
Name
Item
W/O
Labor
Ongo08a
MTSS
Labor at $10.50 per hour
With Labor
Tiffany Schweer
$1,050.00
David Wire
$1,029.00
Sara Murphy
$882.00
John Saterfiel
$850.50
Michael Fong
$735.00
Aaron Hurd
$766.50
Subtotal
$0.00
$5,313.00
Financial Requirements (2/4)
Team# /
Name
Item
W/O
Labor
Ongo08b/c
GW & USA
Labor at $10.50 per hour
With Labor
Samantha Olson
$903.00
Laurie Bidrawn
$882.00
Maria Oivas
$0.00
Nate Evans
$756.00
Jennifer Carlson
$861.00
Dustin Fee
$798.00
Subtotal
$0.00
$4,200.00
Financial Requirements (3/4)
Team# /
Name
Item
W/O
Labor
Ongo08d
SASF
Labor at $10.50 per hour
With Labor
Nichole Burgett
$945.00
Nate Gordon
$882.00
Parikshit Advani
$745.50
Ryan Adamson
$787.50
Chun-Pang Kuk
$735.00
Subtotal
$0.00
$4,095.00
Total
$0.00
$13,608.00
Financial Requirements (4/4)
Item
W/O Labor
With Labor
Ongo08a Labor
$5,313.00
Ongo08b&c Labor
$4,200.00
Ongo08d Labor
$4,095.00
Miscellaneous Binding
Copying
Total
$5.00
$5.00
$10.00
$10.00
$15.00
$13,623.00
Schedule
Closing Materials
Project Evaluation
 Future Work
 Lessons Learned
 Risks & Risk Management
 Closing Summary
 Questions?

Project Evaluation (1/3)
Milestones
Current Status
Semester Goal
Project Definition
Met (100%)
Met (100%)
Software Training Course
Met (100%)
Met (100%)
Framework and Training
Course
Met (100%)
Met (100%)
Writing Manual
Not Met (75%)
Met (100%)
Reviewing Manual
Not Met (50%)
Met (100%)
Test Planning
Attempted (50%)
Met (100%)
Actual Testing
Attempted (25%)
Met (50%)
Testing Results Evaluation
Not Attempted
Not Attempted
Project Evaluation (2/3)
Milestones
Current Status
Semester Goal
End User Documentation
Met (100%)
Met (100%)
Maintenance Support
Documentation
Not Attempted
Not Attempted
Semester Plan
Met (100%)
Met (100%)
Weekly E-mail Reporting
Met (70%)
Met (100%)
Presentation to Senior Design
Class
Met (100%)
Met (100%)
Industrial Review Panel
Not Attempted
Met (100%)
Refine Problem Solving
Algorithm
Not Met (50%)
Met (100%)
PSA Functionality
Not Attempted
Not Attempted
Project Evaluation (3/3)
Milestones
Current Status
Semester Goal
Define Methods for
Implementation of PSA
Not Met (40%)
Met (100%)
Multiple Answers to Questions
Capability
Not Attempted
Not Attempted
Implementation of Games
Not Met (50%)
Attempted (60%)
Database Population
Not Met (25%)
Attempted (50%)
Review Existing Code
Not Attempted
Attempted (60%)
Clean Up Database
Not Met (50%)
Met (100%)
Review Files & Folders
Not Met (75%)
Met (100%)
Create Style Sheets & Icons
Not Met (50%)
Met (100%)
Future Work
• Answer conversion functionality for text answers
• Garbage collection utility to remove unreferenced
data from tables
• Alternate quiz timing functionality and analysis
• Distribution for real-world client testing of current
feature set
• Additional security to guarantee that users can not
modify quizzes/problems of other users
• Optimize code so that it uses less resources
• Large-scale testing to guarantee that framework will
work in multiple environments under multiple
conditions
Lessons Learned (1/2)

Technical
– PHP standards
– MySQL standards
– How to use CVS
– Problem solving methods and ways to
make children learn effectively
Lessons Learned (2/2)

Non-Technical
– Importance of good planning
– Importance of good documentation
– Importance of good communication
– How to write instructions to people who
are not familiar with a software tool
– Negotiate and compromise between
groups
Risk & Risk Management
Loss of team member
 Loss of data via the server crashing
 Loss of contact with client
 Testing methods fail

Closing Summary

The K-12 Teaching and Support
Software is and application that is
intended to supplement children’s
learning in the classroom. It is
intended to help the children in the
areas of mathematical problem solving
and world and US geography.
Questions?