The information system project for analyzing students’ performance

Melaniya Gaiduchok, Department of Information Systems and Networks, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine

Abstract: The article describes the process of work and implements an algorithm for creating a system for analyzing student readiness. After analyzing the competitors, the main functions of the system were identified. Using the UML modeling language, a project for the information system was developed. The requirements for the system were specified by the Rational Unified Process (RUP) methodology and the use case diagram. The solution approach, including the main functions and technologies, was defined and described.

Keywords: information system, students’ performance, use case diagram, requirements.

In modern conditions, when a pandemic and war grip the world, distance education is becoming an important part of the educational process, specifically for students. The increasing popularity of distance learning requires the development of effective and adaptive systems for assessing and analyzing student readiness. Creating a system for analyzing student performance is an integral part of modern education, especially in distance learning. Considering the instability in the world, a system that provides high-quality testing and knowledge analysis is becoming a key tool for assessing academic progress and supporting students. The purpose creation of an information system is to develop and implement software aimed at objective and adaptive testing of students. By analyzing existing testing systems and identifying specific requirements for remote students, the developed system should consider the unique challenges that arise during distance learning.

There are many different student assessment systems in schools and universities. However, are they all effective? Given the individuality of each personality, finding a system that meets the needs of each student becomes an extremely difficult task. In this context, there are now a variety of educational platforms for students and teachers that are used in online or mixed learning, which has become relevant during a pandemic or war. This greatly simplifies the learning process and contributes to its successful implementation.

One of the most used systems for the online learning process is LMS (Learning Management Systems). These are software applications that help teachers and educational institutions deliver and manage online and mixed-learning courses. LMS platforms provide a variety of features that can be used to create and present course materials, track student progress, and manage assessments.

Common LMS features include course creation tools (various types of multimedia content such as text, images, video, and audio), enrollment management (registering students for courses, managing their access to course materials, and tracking their progress), assessment tools (quizzes, exams, and other types of assessments), student progress reports, and communication tools. [1]

Examples of popular LMS platforms are Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, and Google Classroom:

Moodle is a good choice for organizations that need a highly customizable LMS with a large community of users. [2]
Canvas is a good choice for organizations that need a modern, user-friendly LMS with a wide range of features. [3]
Blackboard is a great choice for organizations that need a secure, scalable LMS with a wide range of features. [4]
Google Classroom is a good choice for schools (from elementary to high school) that need a simple, easy-to-use LMS that is integrated with Google Workspace. [5]

After analyzing the existing analog systems for testing students’ knowledge and identifying all the advantages and disadvantages, it is possible to identify the functions that the system should perform with main purposes:

Graphical interface – creating a user-friendly website interface.
Database with personal data – a database that will contain corporate logins and passwords, as well as personal data of students and teachers.

Note: since the created system will be connected to the database of students and teachers of the same university with corporate accounts, the system cannot register new users, but only allow existing ones.

For students and teachers:

Personal profile – a personal account where all user data will be stored. For students: which courses they are registered in, which tests they have access to, their grades, and mandatory tests to take. For a teacher: what courses they teach, what tests they have created, access to their test results.

For students:

Go to tests – the student goes to the tab with tests and can choose the test to take.
Check the test – recording the student’s answers and comparing them with the correct information, displaying the result.
Determine level – determine the student’s level according to the formed scale, displaying the result.
Create lists – after a group of students passes one test, create lists of students with certain levels.
Send lists – send the generated lists of students with certain levels to the university administration when a group of students passes one test.

For the teacher:

Create tests – the teacher creates tests for students in their discipline following the course material.
Define mandatory tests for passing – the teacher defines mandatory tests for students to pass, and sets the deadline and the grading scale.
Edit test content – the teacher can edit the tests he/she has already created.

For the student and the teacher:

Logout – reaction when you click on the “Logout” button, save the current results, close all open windows of the program, and go to the authorization tab.

Architectural and functional aspects of the information system

Description of a detailed scenario of a precedent according to the RUP standard:

The Rational Unified Process (RUP) is a software development framework created by Rational Software Corporation, a division of IBM, in 2003. It is not a rigid set of rules, but rather a collection of best practices and guidelines that can be adapted to the specific needs of a project. [6]

Stakeholders of the precedent and their requirements:

Teacher: wants an automated process for analyzing student knowledge, checking tests, and creating tests for all students;
Student: wants to test their knowledge and know the result immediately;
Institute management: wants to receive generated lists of students with their results without delay;
Technical support: must monitor the system and respond to user requests promptly.

The user of the system (the actor of this precedent):

A student who wants to assess their knowledge;
Teacher who creates tests and works with students.

Preconditions of the case:

The teacher must be registered and logged in to his/her account in the system and must be familiar with its functionality;
The student must be registered in the system.

The main successful scenario:

The teacher enters his/her username and password and successfully logs in;
Student enters his/her username and password and successfully logs in;
The teacher creates tests for students in their disciplines and adds students to groups;
The student gets acquainted with the system and either takes a test to test his/her knowledge at his/her request or takes a mandatory centralized test to analyze knowledge;
Upon completion of the test, the student receives points and a level of knowledge, which are recorded in his or her current progress, and moves on to the next test;
The directorate and teachers of the institute receive the lists of students with their specific levels of training.

Expansion of the main scenario or alternative streams:

Authorization error:

The system reports that the entered login or password does not exist;
The user either enters the correct username and password, changes the password, or resets the password, and then gains access.

Postconditions:

All updated data and current progress of the student have been successfully saved in the database and sent to the institute management.

Special system requirements:

Protection of the personal data of users must be ensured;
User-friendly interface;
Timely updates of tests should be ensured.

List of required technologies and additional devices:

The user must have a computer or laptop with a Windows operating system, a mouse and keyboard for selecting and entering data, or an Android or IOS phone;
The user’s device must have access to the Internet while using the software;
The software should be designed as a web-based system;
The user must have a corporate account at their university (in case of password loss, it will be possible to restore access to the account through this system).

Use case diagram

The use case diagram includes a list of actors with a description of their roles, a list of use cases (precedents), and a description of the use cases.

The following actors will be present when building an information system for determining the analysis of the student’s level of preparedness: Student, Teacher, and Directorate of the Institute. To determine the student’s level of preparation, they must take a test in their electronic cabinet. Questions and answers to the test are prepared by each teacher in their discipline according to the curriculum. Accordingly, the student logs in to their e-cabinet, selects the disciplines in which to take the test, and answers the questions. Then the system automatically determines the student’s level of training (test results), generates general lists sorted by level, and transmits them to the institute’s directorate for further use and analysis. The use case is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

The Student actor has the following association relationships:

Authorize user – the user (student) goes to the site to log in to his/her email account – enters his/her unique login and password. Since all students have their university accounts, the user does not have the option to register and create a new account.
Check login and password – the system checks the login and password in the university system, i.e. whether such a registered student exists.
Update/change password – at the user’s request, the system allows him or her to restore or change the password and sends a letter to the email.
Open student profile – if such a registered user is found during the verification, their student account is opened.
Select Courses for the Knowledge Test – the student chooses which subjects he or she will take on the knowledge test.
Take the Level Test – the student answers the questions that the teachers have compiled according to their curriculum following the disciplines chosen by the student and receives the result.
Determine the Level by the Scorecard – according to the test result, each student learns their level.
Generate General Lists of Students by Level – according to the levels, the system generates lists of students for further consideration by the institute’s directorate.

The “Teacher” actor has an association relationship:

Formulate Questions on the Educational Material – the teacher generates questions and answers for the test to check the knowledge of his/her curriculum.

Software Solution

In the field of student learning analytics systems, the approach often involves creating a web-based platform. This choice is driven by the benefits of accessibility, which allows users to interact with the system through a web browser, making it platform-independent and easy to deploy.

To develop this web-based system aimed at analyzing student learning, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript were chosen as the underlying technologies. HTML provides the structure, CSS contributes to styling and layout, and JavaScript gives the system dynamic functionality, providing an adaptive and interactive user experience.

The chosen development environment for this project is Visual Studio, a versatile and powerful integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. Visual Studio seamlessly supports web development and offers a set of tools that simplify the creation, testing, and deployment of web applications.

Main functions and technologies used:

HTML/CSS/JavaScript: HTML for content structuring, CSS for styling and layout, and JavaScript for dynamic and interactive features that are crucial for analyzing student learning.
Visual Studio: A comprehensive development environment that supports web development with powerful tools for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and provides advanced debugging capabilities for efficient problem identification and resolution.
Web-oriented architecture: Visual Studio makes it easy to create a modular, web-based system where users can access the platform through standard web browsers.
Cross-browser compatibility: The developed website provides cross-browser compatibility, allowing users to seamlessly access the analytical system regardless of their browser preferences.

Conclusions

The conducted research and development of the information system project for analyzing students’ performance revealed that this tool considers the unique challenges that arise during distance learning. The system is defined by its ability to optimize testing and adapt to the diverse needs of users, which is becoming an integral part of the educational process in today’s challenges. It is worth noting that the system is designed as a universal learning tool suitable for use in various educational environments, not only at the university.

Was analyzed current challenges in the field of education caused by the pandemic and war, which have led to the active use of distance education. It is noted that the need to develop a system for analyzing student readiness has become critical in the changed conditions of the educational process.

Thus, this study not only explores important aspects of adaptive testing and analysis of student readiness but also specifically develops and implements a solution that can respond to the needs of the educational process in the face of modern challenges.