Problem Statement

The problem at hand is to develop a web application that streamlines the academic management process for professors in a higher education institution. The current manual system for managing classes, courses, assignments, and student enrollment is time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, the institution seeks a modern solution that provides professors with a user-friendly platform to manage their classes efficiently and engage with students effectively.

Objective

The objective is to develop a robust, intuitive, and secure web application that empowers professors to manage their academic activities efficiently while facilitating students’ access to course materials and assignments. The solution should streamline the overall academic management process and contribute to an enhanced teaching and learning experience within the institution.

The web application should address the following key challenges:

  1. Class and Course Management
    Professors need a system to create and manage their classes with unique codes. Each class should have the ability to host multiple courses, and professors should be able to organize courses into topics relevant to the class.
  2. Content Upload and Sharing
    Professors need the capability to upload various types of educational content, such as text, presentation slides, videos, and audio files, and share them with students within the specific topics.
  3. Student Enrollment
    Professors should have the authority to add students to their classes. The enrollment process should be simple and straightforward for both professors and students.
  4. Assignment Creation and Evaluation
    Professors should be able to create assignments for specific topics and assign them to students. They also need a mechanism to evaluate and grade the assignments submitted by students.
  5. Year-End Practice
    The platform should provide a feature for professors to offer year-end practice materials and comprehensive tests to help students prepare for final exams.
  6. Grading System
    The web app should incorporate a grading system that automatically calculates assignment scores based on evaluations provided by the professor.
  7. Multiple Account Settings
    The professor’s account should have various customizable settings for profile management, security, notifications, and course visibility.

Features and Functionalities:

  1. Professor Account Dashboard
    Upon logging into their account, professors are presented with a dashboard where they can manage their classes, courses, and assignments. The dashboard displays an overview of ongoing and upcoming tasks.
  2. Create and Manage Classes
    Professors can create new classes from their account. Each class is assigned a unique code that students use to enroll. Professors have the option to enable or disable classes according to their schedule.
  3. Course and Topic Management:
    Within each class, professors can create courses and organize them into topics. They can upload various educational content like lecture notes, presentation slides, videos, and audio files to the topics.
  4. Student Enrollment
    Professors have the authority to add students to their classes. Students receive notifications about the class enrollment and gain access to the course materials and assignments.
  5. Assignment Creation and Evaluation
    Professors can create assignments for specific topics and assign them to the students. After students complete the assignments, professors can evaluate and grade them within the platform.
  6. Year-End Practice
    To help students prepare for final exams, the platform offers a year-end practice feature where professors can provide comprehensive practice tests and materials.
  7. Grading System
    The grading system automatically calculates the assignment scores based on the evaluations provided by the professor. Students can view their grades and feedback.
  8. Multiple Account Settings
    Professor accounts come with various settings, such as profile management, security settings, notification preferences, and course visibility settings.

Design Concept and Flow

The Design and interactive prototype was done using Adobe XD

Implementation

The web app was developed using a combination of modern web technologies, including HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and a back-end framework like Nodejs + React (headless) CMS. The system uses a relational database to store class, course, and assignment information securely.

Conclusion

The Learning Hub web app has successfully revolutionized the academic management process for professors and students alike. Professors can efficiently manage their classes, courses, and assignments while students benefit from easy access to learning materials and timely feedback. The platform’s user-friendly interface and robust features have made it a valuable tool for academic institutions aiming to enhance the teaching and learning experience.