ABSTRACT
The tremendous impact of electronic technology
(like computer and computer embedded devices, computer networking, artificial
intelligence, multimedia among others) on the human psychological capabilities
productivity, intellectuality and other human related activities are very
obvious. The quest and virtual implementation of computer in all the fields of
human endeavor increases with its inevitable impact, these impacts are on its
increase due to the need for high quality and timely response. Therefore, this
project titled, design and implementation of e-learning platforms for student,
is aimed at exploring and
incorporating some of these sophisticated technologies for the development of
electronic tutorial materials. This work examines and explains the step-by-step
procedure for accomplishing the development of the proposed software products,
the attainment of the goals and necessary requirement for their implementation.
It considers and discusses the impact of the proposed products on the targeted
end-users. This project is implemented using HTML, Microsoft asp.net and SQL
Server for the online learning platform tutorial application package, and an
e-book.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Title page
Approval
page
Dedication
Acknowledgement
List of
tables
List of
figures
Table of
contents
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the
study
1.2
Statement of the
problem
1.3
Objectives of the
study
1.4
Significance of
study
1.5
Scope of the study
1.6
Limitation and
delimitation
1.7
Definition of
terms
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Introductions
2.2 The
traditional teaching and learning procedure, and some of its weakness
2.3 What is
e-learning/the e-learning procedure?
2.4 challenges affecting the effective
implementation of e-learning
2.5 possible
remedies to the aforementioned challenges affecting the effective
Implementation
2.6 concept
of computer programming
2.7 C++
programming language
2.8 Benefit
of C++ programming language In E-Learning Design
CHAPTER THREE: SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Feasibility study
3.3 Methods of data collection
3.4 Data preparation
3.5 Program
structure
3.6 File
maintenance module
3.7 Main
menu specifications
3.7.1
Output specification
3.7.2 Input
specification
3.7.3
File/database specification
CHAPTER FOUR: SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
4.1
Introductions
4.2
Justification of the programming language
4.3 Program
flow chart
4.4 System
requirement
4.5
Implementation details
4.5.1
Coding
4.5.2
System testing
4.5.3
Program documentation
4.5.4
Changeover procedure/product implementation
4.5.5
Training and re-training of staff and students
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND
CONCLUSIONS
5.1
Summaries
5.2
Recommendations
5.2
Conclusions
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Response
to Certain Factors Affecting Effective Learning- E-learning versus Traditional Teaching
and Learning
Table 2: The
Sample Content of the Interview Proceedings
Table 3: System’s
Requirement for Software of the individual Proposed E-learning products
Table 4: System’s
Requirement for the Hardware of the Individual Proposed E-learning Products
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1:
Effective Learning Impact – Procedures and Factors Affecting It
Figure 2:
Desirable new teaching model
Figure 3:
Traditional role of the Teacher (N.Paine)
Figure 4:
Off-line Evaluation Form
Figure 5: Bar Chart of the three major study groups
showing their response Towards the adoption of e-learning
Figure 6:
Data Flow Diagram for the online data collection and preparation
Figure 7:
The Password User Interface within the Main Window
Figure 8:
The Source Code of the Password User Interface within Main Window
Figure 9: General
Collection of the Data for the Updating of the E-learning
Products
Figure 10: Program
Flow Chart for locating and a Tutorial Web Page and its subordinate web Pages
in the Web Base Tutorial
Figure 11: Program
Flow Chart for Loading and Accessing the CAL
Figure 12: Program Flow Chart for accessing the
Content of the E-book
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background of
the study
Learning
is one of the very vital human activities that require concentration blended
with interactivity, clear and distinct understanding of the facts been stated
or discussed, high communication skills and techniques, attractive learning
qualities such as colorful pictorial presentations of information among others.
Nevertheless, all not learning process is considered to be effective. Effective
could be assumed to had been achieved if about hundred percent (100%), of the
population lectured assimilate the knowledge and/or ideas across; this is quite
different when the population size is very high and there is existences of
certain un-conducive learning conditions such as noise, poor ventilation, and
extreme temperatures.
For
effective learning to take place, it is
dependent on many factors. In most cases, these factors arise from the
teachers, the students, the teaching and learning media or materials, and the
learning environment with its structures. For instance, if a teacher lacks
communication skills and techniques, the students, will find it difficult to
comprehend, if the necessary media or materials required for teaching and
learning is not provided or if the provision is inadequate, the understanding of
the subject topic or issue been discussed might be impaired. In addition, the
duration for teaching and learning, the rate of understanding and individual
learning style effect the assimilation of knowledge by the students; and may
have impact on the extent to which the teacher covers the teaching scheme.
These factors will, certainly, hamper the effective teaching and learning by
the teacher and by the students respectively.
Most
especially, the factors affecting effective learning is pronounced in learning
aspects where intensive or much practical approach is required for the
impacting of knowledge to the students. For example, in computer science much
practical knowledge is required especially in computer networking, computer
programming, and computer maintenance. The practical equipping of students are
been affected by certain factors such as the duration for practical teaching
and learning, inadequate computers, availability of computer laboratories, and
poor power supply among others. As a result it is generally observed that most
computer science students with little or no practical knowledge engages the
service of the road side “computer training institute” due to the fact that it
is not financially intensive and there is great need for the services, this
approach, by such student has high tendency of impacting wrong knowledge on
students especially on the terms and explanation of concept s found or used in
the computer science world. Therefore, there is the need to reduce this
different situation and ensure that the practical standard required of the
students is attained.
The
progress made in the computer world through the development of sophisticated
hardware, software, and other technologies could be employed for the remedy of
the situation. Exploring the powerful capabilities of multimedia and
implementing it on teaching and learning processes via the production of
learning material and products such as e-book, computer assisted learning
(CAI), computer aided instruction(CAT), computer based training(CBT), internet
based training among others would go a long way towards improving the
advancement of the practical and theoretical knowledge of the students. With
high quality content value of the e-learning products and the captivating
multimedia features embedded in them, a student can easily, assimilate such
knowledge (even in the absence of a teacher and the required physical
environment) through repetitive
Accessing
of the e-learning materials and following the animated instructions contained
therein. Finally, the case study computer science department, Federal college
of Agriculture Ishiagu is selected due to its proximity.
1.2 STATEMENT OF
THE PROBLEM
It
is very obvious that it is required of the computer science students to be
practically and theoretically sound so as to face the challenges to be
encountered in the labor market. Disappointingly, most of the computer science
students are not equipped as expected before lunching them into the labor
market.
Often
time, the students are found to be the highest set of customers patronizing
most of the side “computer training institute” and in turn, might not get the
value of services they requested. This situation had been ascribed to many
claims, in most occasions, had been made by both students and teachers on the
pattern of teaching and learning respectively .for instance, the students claim
the greater percentage of the teachers have poor teaching communication skills,
and likewise the teachers blame the inadequate teaching and learning facilities
and/ or infrastructure as the reason for ineffective learning.
Hence,
the problem centers on effective teaching and learning processes for the
impacting and the advancement of the students’ theoretical and practical
knowledge.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF
THE STUDY
owing to the difficulties experienced during
teaching and learning processes, this project is aimed at implementing
e-learning through the development of a web site expected to be published over
the internet, a CAL application package that will be installed in a computer,
and on e-book in portal document format (PDF); this is to provide different
remedy platforms for the shortcoming found in the traditional teaching and
learning procedures.
Focusing on the above, the objectives of the study
are to develop e-learning applications that are capable of:
I.
providing coherent
instruction for the selected subject topics
II.
Accommodating
individual learning style.
III.
Encouraging
learning and mastering of the individual topic contained therein.
IV.
Enhancing the
students practical knowledge and broaden their theoretical knowledge.
V.
Creating a more
interacting learning process.
VI.
Overcoming most
factors affecting effecting learning such as noise.
VII.
Promoting students
concentration during learning.
VIII. Accommodation learner’s unrestricted learning schedule.
IX.
Promoting quick
assimilation of information.
X.
Providing accurate
and high quality content value.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
This
project uses the combination of multimedia features, little artificial
intelligence features, and human –computer interaction principles for the
development of a web site for an online and implementation offline
implementation of e-learning. Both of the e-learning are designed for the
learning of computer science courses at its introductory level. These proposed
e-learning avenues are deviations from the traditional teaching and learning
procedure, and as a result have their main importance as follows:
i.
Effective learning
of the subject topic by the students- the traditional classroom methods have
high tendencies of responding to the many factors affecting effecting learning
(see table 1 in the appendix for more information). But with the adoption of
e-learning, these factors may exist with little or no impact on the learner.
Hence, this project is focused on developing e-learning application that will
be captivating through the provision of different learning platforms and
skillful use of multimedia which will lead to the enhancing of effective
learning and reduction of teachers teaching work load.
ii.
Cost of learning
materials-could be reduced significantly when compared to the cost of
traditional learning materials or the cost of conventional instructional
system. This is, however, accomplished in this project by providing free access
with limited content value to the user.
iii.
Reduction in the
duration of teaching and learning, and strengthening of teachers
effort-according to some research, the training time could be reduced up to
sixty percent (60%) as against the traditional classroom method using
e-learning products. (khoo, 1994). These, in turn, increase the rate of
knowledge assimilation and allow the teachers to direct more effort on other
areas where the students are deficient. This is basically achieved in this
project the use of certain technological features such as the multimedia
features.
Apart
from these main importance of the study, other reasons like protecting the
students from assimilating wrong information passed on by the quack, the
inadequate learning and teaching materials, difficulties to have access to
information on time, and the general factors affecting effective learning could
take care of.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE
STUDY
The proposed e-learning products are targeted for
the attainment of effective learning through the use of interactive
presentations. Further, the products are expected to be used by computer
science students. The product contents are
structured to accommodate novice in computer courses and their usage
are not limited to computer science students alone but to students of
other disciplines who wish to have basic fundamental knowledge.
In the development of the proposed products,
certain security consciousness likes piracy where moderately considered while
some security measures like password were implemented. Each of the proposed
e-learning products have different security requirement. On the side of the
e-learning application package, password usage was implemented for
discriminating the premium users from the free users. The internet application
is designed to have an open unrestricted accessibility; this is to boost
products awareness and marketing. The e-book is created in portal document
format (PDF) so as to ensure content authenticity. Nonetheless, the three
e-learning products do not implement any strong piracy security due to the fact
that day after day more sophisticated hardware and software are developed
which, in the contrary reason for their development and usage, used for
computer product piracy. Finally, the physiological and cognitive impact of the
proposed e-learning products on their users have their scope for achieving them
limited to the use of multimedia features and interface design. This is one of
the most important tasks required to be embedded in the products. In this
learning application package, this is accomplished through the use of help menu
and help animations, the internet application accomplishes the same task
through the use of hyperlinks, flash animations, and still images while the
e-book made use of hyperlinks and still images.
1.6 LIMITATION
AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Apart
from the usual risk and limitation present in every project due to time, scope,
quality and financing, a major limitation arises from the gathering of
information or data from the concerned individuals with fair and un-bias
judgment of the proposed e-learning products. Many of the individual,
especially the expected users, were unwilling to give feedback on the impact of
the proposed products on them while some other will prefer to give haphazard
information which tantamount dirty data. In addition, the tendency of receiving
unfair and bias information and materials (which ranges from reference
materials to development support devices) required for actualizing the proposed
e-learning products specifications posed a great impediment to the study. Nevertheless,
in the attempt to overcome these impediments, the research work of other
scholars and practitioners were used in conjunction with the result of my
project research evacuation and analysis. This approach is adopted to ensure
accurate and good developmental practices
Considering
the multi-tasking nature of the project, much time and financial resources are
required. Owing to this fact, specifications of the proposed e-learning
products were adjusted to suit the available financial budget allocated to it
and which is obtainable. However, efforts were made, towards retaining the
e-learning products quality, accomplishing of the projects objectives and
completion of the project within the specified period of time.
1.7
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Software – a set of logical related program modules
that are given to the computer for the accomplishment of a specific task or
asset of task.
Program module – this is made up of one or more
program procedure, routine, function, or events that handle a definite task or
set of task.
Program
procedure – a set of program codes that
response to a particular action such as click or could be called for execution
from another program procedure depending on its scope.
Program
routine – see program procedure.
Program function – this is of ascribe to program
procedure that is used for accomplishing a specific task, especially
mathematical operations, whenever call for execution.
World Wide Web: World Wide Web simply called www is
the most important tool of the Internet. It was created in the late 1980s in
Europe and was used limitedly in academic
File Transfer: Any kind of computer file can be sent via the Internet from
one Internet user to another. Table of accounts on spreadsheets, design by a
graphic artists, music sound files etc, can all be exchanged in this way.
Web Brower: This is a special kind of software that processes hypertext make-up
language (HTML) document. In other words, a web browser is a computer program
that interprets HTML command to collect, arranged and display the parts of a web
page.
Web Site: A website is a collection of many interconnected web pages organized
by a specific college, organization company etc, containing web pages (good and
commodities) on the Internet. Web site are stored on web servers. There are
many web site and thousands of HTML pages on each web site. A web site is a treasure
of information and entertainment.
Hyperlinks: Hyperlinks are highlighted words and
phrase you find on web documents that you can click on as to jump to some other
documents or Internet services.
Online: Connected
via a computer attached to or available via a central computer network.
Offline: Disconnected from computer network; describes
a computer terminal or peripheral device disconnected from a computer network.
Program- a set of logical related instruction codes that is
given to the computer which enables it to perform a specific task or events.
Application – this is synonymous to application software or
application package. Application software is a class of software that runs on
an operating system and its design to handle a specified task related to any
human career.
Operating
system – it is a set of logical
related programs which enables the computer to manage its resources. The
resources which it manages are hardware components.
System software – this is a class of software that
are made up of other suit of software designed to enable the computer handle
its resources and carry out some set of task. The system software comprises of
operating system, program translators, editors and utility programs.
Translator – this is synonymous to program
translator or language translator or programming language translator. This is
software whose function is to translate or transform program codes written in
one programming language level to another (from high level programming language
code to low level programming language codes). A translator could be an
assembler, an interpreter or a compiler.
Dirty information – this is also known as dirty
data. It is information that does not conform to the directives for its supply.
Example: supplying your date of birth as against date of employment using the
title finger instead of ring finger in a finger print which requires ring
finger.
High level programming language – this is a class
of programming language that is much closer to human language. It requires
program translator for its codes to make meaning and be executed by the
computer. Examples of high level programming language are BASIC, JAVA, HTML,
C++ and PASCAL.
BASIC – this is a high level programming language,
is very simple and less difficult to learn and use. It can come in the form of
command oriented programming language e.g. QBasic or could come in the form of object oriented
programming language e.g. visual basic.
HTML – this is one of the programming languages
which could be used for developing web documents.HTML stands for hypertext
markup language. Other languages that could be for web development are XML
(extended markup language) and XHTML (extended hypertext markup language).
Programming language – this is a set of operation
of grammatical rules (syntax or protocol) use for written and developing
instructional codes given to the computer for task performance.
Programming language application software – this is
application software designed to allow the user write and develop program
and/or application using a particular programming language. For instance, visual Basic programming language.
Interpreter – this is a kind language translator
that translates high level programming codes equivalent and at the same time
executes the program codes line after line, this is achieved if and only if the
line of code is error free.
Compiler – this is a kind of language translator
that translates high level programming language code into its low level
programming language codes equivalent and makes it executable only if this
entire program code is error free.
Low level programming language – this is a class of
programming language that requires language translators for it to be
understandable by the computer. This class of programming language has the
characteristics of machine independency, easer to debug and comparatively show
during program execution. Example, Basic, FORTAN, java, Pascal, C, C++ among
others.
Debug – this refers to detecting and correcting or
removing errors contained in a source program.
Source program – this is a set of program codes
that contains the instructions and response to events. It is usually used in
guiding the computer on the reaction to take place or the specific task to
carryout for a given action. The source program codes are usually executed by
the computer and are not to be seen by the user especially if the target
program is application software.
User interface – the environment that is seen by
the end-user of application software which allows the end-user to make use of
it.
Event – An action that is made by the computer
system though its input devices or software.
Object code – codes that are displayed as a result
of executing the sources program or the source codes. Object codes are
displayed on the user interface.
Media – these are those things, materials or tools
used for storing and delivering of information or data. Media can also imply
channels, links or materials that convey data or information.
Learning media – learning materials that convey
information to a student or from which a student can extract knowledge from.
Example, textbooks novels, among others.
Multimedia – as applied to this project, it is
media and content that uses a combination of different content forms.
Contents – information and experiences that may
provide value for end-user.
Content form – this refers to the way information
or content is been presented. The different features of the multimedia forms
its content forms. Example audio, video, text, among others.
Content value – this refers to the usefulness of
information contained in media.
End-user – also known as user. this is an
individual or an organization that make use of finished product or for whom a
product is designed and developed.
Hardware – this is a physical component of a
computer that could be touched or felt. Example visual display unit (VDU).
CAL – this stands for computer Assisted learning.
It is an application package that is designed to enable the user learn a
particular subject through the provision of tutorial that may or may not
companied by questions. CAL is popularly called tutorial software. CAL is very
close to CAI and could be used interchangeable, but in some cases, might not
mean exactly the same.
CAI – this is an abbreviation of computer aided
instruction. It is an application package that is designed to enable the user learn and/or get
acquainted with a specific subject or an aspect of life.CAI, in most cases, is
a simulation of real life event or true appearance of the subject for which for
the user is to be educated on. Most CAI comes in the form of examination
preparatory tutorials like TOEFL (test of English as a foreign language) and
safety training tutorials like military combat training. Computer game is not
always regarded as a CAI application rather entertainment application software.
Project – this is finite endeavor having started
and completion dates undertaken to create quantifiable product. It is made up
of series of job to be completed individually within the time duration
allocated such a project.
Project completion time – those resources or inputs
that are required for accomplishing a project. The major project resources are
human materials and financial resources.
Data collection – the act of gathering information
or data from different sources within the problem defined set. Data collected
are processed and the information used for validating the proposed product of
the project.
Problem defined set – the population set for which
an evaluation must be made to verify the impact of the proposed product. For
instance, the problem defined set for
this project are the students (especially, the computer science students).
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