E-Learning Portal

A Dissertation Report Submitted to Rajiv Gandhi Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalay, Bhopal Towards Partial Fulfillment for the Award of Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science)

2013-2014

Supervised by: Mr. Deepak Kulhare

Submitted by: Shefali Sahu 0819CS101027 Kalpana Gupta 0819CS101018

Department of Computer Science Central India institute of Technology, Indore Rajiv Gandhi Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalay, Bhopal Nov, 2013

Dissertation Approval Sheet

The dissertation entitled e-learning portal submitted by Shefali Sahu and Kalpana Gupta is approved as partial fulfillment for the award of the Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science) from Central India Institute of Technology, Indore and degree by Rajiv Gandhi Prodgyogiki Vishwavidyalay, Bhopal.

Internal Examiner

External Examiner

Date:

Date:

Principal Central India Institute of Technology, Indore Rajiv Gandhi Prodgyogiki Vishwavidyalay, Bhopal.

Undertaking

This is to certify that project entitled e-learning portal has been developed by Shefali Sahu and Kalpana Gupta in the supervision of Mr. Deepak Kulhare. The whole responsibility of the work done in this project is ours. The sole intention of this work is only for practical learning and research. However we put proper citation remarks in our work. If the same work found then we are liable for explanation to this.

Shefali Sahu

Kalpana Gupta

Recommendation

The dissertation entitled e-learning portal Submitted by Shefali Sahu and Kalpana Gupta is a satisfactory account of the bona fide work done under our supervision is recommended towards partial fulfillment for the award of the Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science) degree by Rajiv Gandhi Prodgyogiki Vishwavidyalay, Bhopal.

Date:

Name of Guide: Mr. Deepak Kulhare

Endorsed By: Deepak Kulhare Head Department of Computer Science Central India Institute of Technology, Indore R. G. P. V., Bhopal.

Acknowledgements

There are two ways of spreading the light, to be a candle, or the mirror, which reflects it. In relation to the light of knowledge o, this work carried out by us is just a mirror. There are some candles on the other side of the mirror. We would like to avail this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to all those who helped us in making this project. Even a most vivid collection of words, yield to express our heart fully thank towards one and all to have successfully assisted us in our expenditure of carrying out this project. We wish to express our deep sense of gratitude to H.O.D Prof. Deepak Kulhare and our project guide Mr. Deepak Kulhare the whole faculty members of the department of Computer Science for encouraging and giving moral support, not only regarding this project but also throughout our studies at this institute and also to all of my fellow classmates, friends and well wishers for their support and cooperation towards me.

Shefali Sahu

Kalpana Gupta

Abstract
1. Aim of Project
Education through the internet, network and a computer is E-learning. This helps in network enabled transfer of skills and knowledge. E-learning refers to use of electronic applications and processes to learn. This is a web based application which can be hosted in the website of any training institute. The students will be able to register online, read the course material and write online exam. Certificates also will be issued online. The objectives of this project are To provide distance learning To make it convenient for people who have other commitments Cost reduction Reduced paper work Computer evaluated tests

2. Description of Project The system makes it possible for the students to access all learning materials from home and interact with the teachers and clarify their doubts on different subjects. They can also assess themselves through online tests.

The system provides a vast digital library for providing learning materials for the users. The students can access notes on any subject. Notes are available for the students of all branches and semesters. Students can download all notes, if they want to.

Users can upload videos of lectures into the site. These videos can be viewed by all registered users of the system. Moreover, powerpoint presentations on all topics can be uploaded in to the system.

The system provides online tests on all subjects through which the students can get a regular assessment of themselves. The students can chat with the teachers if they are online and clarify their doubts. If the teachers are offline, the students can mail them.

Table of Contents
Dissertation Approval sheet ...I Recommendation II Acknowledgements ...III Abstract .IV Table of Contents ..V 1. Introduction 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Problem Definition and Proposed Solution 1.3 System Synthesis 1.4 Report Organization 2. Literature Survey 2.1 Technologies.. Tools.

2.2

3. Process Model Adopted 3.1 Analysis 3.1.1 Requirement Analysis 3.1.2 Object Oriented Analysis 3.1.3 Architectural Specification 3.2 Design 3.2.1 Use Case Diagram 3.2.2 Use Case Specification 3.2.3 Activity Diagram 3.2.4 Sequence Diagram 3.2.5 Subsystem Class Design ( Generic) 3.2.6 Subsystem Class Design ( Implementation Specific ) 3.2.7 Data Model 4. Concluding Remarks Appendix A: Screen and Report Formats (Add any other relevant material ) References and Bibliography

1. Introduction-

1.1 Rationale E-Learning has now been adopted and used by various companies to inform & educate both their employees and customers. E-learning services have evolved since computers were first used in education. There is a trend to move towards blended learning services, where computer-based activities are integrated with practical or classroom-based situations.

1.2 Problem defination and proposed solutions -

Shows educators and trainers how to adapt teaching methods and materials to make use of the Internet. Including a framework showing how to apply Internet technology progressively as skills and confidence grow, the project demonstrates the route from adapting materials to developing a virtual course. Nowadays, when people are not having time to visit an institute. Therefore, the software is designed to provide the education through Internet. The project E LEARNING helps the common world in any field they are to get the knowledge what they want even sitting at there places. This helps them to spare time in their busy schedule and save their time during transportation.

The proposed system includes the following:

1.Digital Library A Digital Library that provides all the learning materials for the students.It should include notes and questions for each topic.

2.Videos Videos of lectures can be uploaded into the system.This can be viewed by all registered users.

3.Power point presentations Ppts of lectures can be uploaded into the system.This can be viewed by all registered users.

4.Chatting The students can chat with the teachers and clarify their doubts.

5.Forum The students can discuss their doubts with the teachers.

6.Online tests There are online tests on all subjects for the students to assess themselves regularly

1.3 System Synthesis

The proposed E-Learning system has the following features Only registered students and teachers can access the system. Students can view and download all learning materials (notes, ppts, pdf, books). Students can take online tests to test their knowledge on different topics. Results of these tests are saved and can be retrieved when required. Teachers can upload all learning materials. Teachers can view the test records of any student. All users can make use of discussion forum to exchange their ideas on various topics.

2.Literature Survey-

E-LearningE-learning includes all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching, including Edtech. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process.[1] This often involves both out-of-classroom and in-classroom educational experiences via technology, even as advances continue in regard to devices and curriculum. Abbreviations like CBT (Computer-Based Training), IBT (Internet-Based Training) or WBT (Web-Based Training) have been used as synonyms to e-learning. E-learning is the computer and network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge. Elearning applications and processes include Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual educationopportunities and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM. It can be self-paced or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image, animation, streaming video and audio. It is commonly thought that new technologies can make a big difference in education. In young ages especially, children can use the huge interactivity of new media, and develop their skills, knowledge, perception of the world, under their parents' monitoring, of course. Many proponents of e-learning believe that everyone must be equipped with basic knowledge in technology, as well as use it as a medium to reach a particular goal.

HistoryIn the early 1960s, Stanford University psychology professors Patrick Suppes and Richard C. Atkinson experimented with using computers to teach math and reading to young children inelementary schools in East Palo Alto, California. Stanford's Education Program for Gifted Youth is descended from those early experiments. In 1963, Bernard Luskin installed the first computer in a community college for instruction, working with Stanford and others, developed computer assisted instruction. Luskin completed his landmark UCLA dissertation working with the Rand Corporation in analyzing obstatcles to computer assisted instruction in 1970. Early e-learning systems, based on Computer-Based Learning/Training often attempted to replicate autocratic teaching styles whereby the role of the e-learning system was

assumed to be for transferring knowledge, as opposed to systems developed later based on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), which encouraged the shared development of knowledge. As early as 1993, William D. Graziadei described an online computer-delivered lecture, tutorial and assessment project using electronic mail. By 1994, the first online high school had been founded. In 1997 Graziadei, W.D., et al.,[11][12] published an article entitled "Building Asynchronous and Synchronous Teaching-Learning Environments: Exploring a Course/Classroom Management System Solution". They described a process at the State University of New York (SUNY) of evaluating products and developing an overall strategy for technologybased course development and management in teaching-learning. The product(s) had to be easy to use and maintain, portable, replicable, scalable, and immediately affordable, and they had to have a high probability of success with long-term cost-effectiveness. Today many technologies can be, and are, used in e-learning, from blogs to collaborative software, ePortfolios, and virtual classrooms. Most eLearning situations use combinations of these techniques.

Appraoches to e-learning servicesE-learning services have evolved since computers were first used in education. There is a trend to move towards blended learning services, where computer-based activities are integrated with practical or classroom-based situations. Bates and Poole (2003) and the OECD (2005) suggest that different types or forms of elearning can be considered as a continuum, from no e-learning, i.e. no use of computers and/or the Internet for teaching and learning, through classroom aids, such as making classroom lecture Powerpoint slides available to students through a course web site or learning management system, to laptop programs, where students are required to bring laptops to class and use them as part of a face-to-face class, to hybrid learning, where classroom time is reduced but not eliminated, with more time devoted to online learning, through to fully online learning, which is a form of distance education. This classification is somewhat similar to that of the Sloan Commission reports on the status of elearning, which refer to web enhanced, web supplemented and web dependent to reflect increasing intensity of technology use. In the Bates and Poole continuum, 'blended learning' can cover classroom aids, laptops and hybrid learning, while 'distributed learning' can incorporate either hybrid or fully online learning. It can be seen then that e-learning includes a wide range of applications and it is often by no means clear, even in peer reviewed research publications, which form of e-

learning is being discussed. However, Bates and Poole argue that when instructors say they are using e-learning, this most often refers to the use of technology as classroom aids, although over time, there has been a gradual increase in fully online learning (see Market above). Two popular tools for E-learning are Blackboard Inc. and Moodle: Blackboard Inc. has over 20 million users daily. Offering six different platforms: Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate, Blackboard Mobile, Blackboard Connect, Blackboard Transact, and Blackboard Analytics; Blackboard's tools allow educators to decide whether their program will be blended or fully online, asynchronous or synchronous. Blackboard can be used for K-12 education, Higher Education, Business, and Government collaboration.[32] Moodle is an Open Source Course Management System. It is free to download and provides blended learning opportunities as well as platforms for distance learning courses. The Moodle website has many tutorials for creating a program or becoming a Moodle student.

2.1 Technologies-

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
Web Server Web Client Tools Front End Language Back End Internet Standard Operating System : Apache Tomcat : Mozilla Firefox : Dream Weaver, Net Beans : J2EE : Java : MS Access : HTTP : Windows 2000 Server

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
Processor Operating system Memory Hard Disk Drive : : : : : Pentium IV Windows 2000 512 MB 40 GB DVD-ROM

JAVAJava is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (which has since merged into Oracle Corporation) and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++, but it has fewerlow-level facilities than either of them. Java applications are typically compiled to bytecode (class file) that can run on any Java virtual machine (JVM) regardless of computer architecture. Java is a generalpurpose, concurrent, class-based, object-oriented language that is specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is intended to let application developers "write once, run anywhere" (WORA), meaning that code that runs on one platform does not need to be recompiled to run on another. Java is as of 2012 one of the most popular programming languages in use, particularly for client-server web applications, with a reported 10 million users.[10][11] The original and reference implementation Java compilers, virtual machines, and class libraries were developed by Sun from 1991 and first released in 1995. As of May 2007, in compliance with the specifications of the Java Community Process, Sun relicensed most of its Java technologies under theGNU General Public License. Others have also developed alternative implementations of these Sun technologies, such as the GNU Compiler for Javaand GNU Classpath.

3. Process Model Adopted -

3.1 Analysis Object Oriented analysis can be defined as investigation and to be more specific it is the investigation of objects. Design means collaboration of identified objects.

3.1.2 Object Oriented Analysis-

Object Oriented analysis can be defined as investigation and to be more specific it is the investigation of objects. Design means collaboration of identified objects. So it is important to understand the OO analysis and design concepts. Now the most important purpose of OO analysis is to identify objects of a system to be designed. This analysis is also done for an existing system. Now an efficient analysis is only possible when we are able to start thinking in a way where objects can be identified. After identifying the objects their relationships are identified and finally the design is produced. So the purpose of OO analysis and design can described as:

Identifying the objects of a system. Identify their relationships. Make a design which can be converted to executables using OO languages.

There are three basic steps where the OO concepts are applied and implemented. The steps can be defined as OO Analysis --> OO Design --> OO implementation using OO languages Now the above three points can be described in details:

During object oriented analysis the most important purpose is to identify objects and describing them in a proper way. If these objects are identified efficiently then the next job of design is easy. The objects should be identified with responsibilities. Responsibilities are the functions performed by the object. Each and every object has some type of responsibilities to be performed. When these responsibilities are collaborated the purpose of the system is fulfilled. The second phase is object oriented design. During this phase emphasis is given upon the requirements and their fulfilment. In this stage the objects are

collaborated according to their intended association. After the association is complete the design is also complete. The third phase is object oriented implementation. In this phase the design is implemented using object oriented languages like Java, C++ etc.

3.2 Design-

3.2.1 UseCase Diagram- Use case represents a set of actions performed by a system for a specific goal. the purposes of use case diagrams can be as follows:

Used to gather requirements of a system. Used to get an outside view of a system. Identify external and internal factors influencing the system. Show the interacting among the requirements are actors.

The primary actors of the system are administrator, teacher and student.

(a) Use case: Administrator

(b) Use case: Student

(c) Use case: Teacher

3.2.3 Activity Diagram- Activity diagrams are mainly used as a flow chart consists of activities performed by the system. But activity diagram are not exactly a flow chart as they have some additional capabilities. These additional capabilities include branching, parallel flow, swimlane etc.

System activity diagram

2. Class Diagram

3. Sequence Diagram
(a)Student

(b) Teacher

(c) Administrator

Data Flow Model: DFD is very useful in understanding a system and can be effectively used during analysis. A DFD shows the flow of data through a system. It views a system as a function that transforms the inputs into desired outputs. Any complex systems will not perform this transformation in a single step, and a data will typically undergo a series of transformations before it becomes the output. The DFD aims to capture the transformations that take place within a system to the input data so that eventually the output data is produced. The agent that performs the transformation of data from one state to another is called a process (or a bubble). So a DFD shows the movement of data through the different transformations or the processes in the system. Named circles show the process and named arrows entering or leaving the bubbles represent data flows. A rectangle represents a source or sink and is a net originator or consumer of data. A source or sink is typically outside the main system of study.

General Rules Named circles represent processes in the system. Named arrows represent data Flows. A Rectangle represents a source or sink and is the net originator or consumer of data. A source or sink is typically outside the system of study. All external files are shown as labeled straight lines. The need for multiple data values is represented by a * between the data flows. This symbol represents the AND relationships. OR relationships is represented by a +.

It should be pointed that DFD is not a flowchart. A DFD represents the flow of data, while a flowchart shows the flow of control. A DFD does not represent procedural information. So while drawing a DFD, one must not get involved in procedural details, and procedural thinking must be consciously avoided. The steps to construct a DFD start by

identifying the major inputs and outputs. Then starting from the inputs, work towards the outputs, identifying the major transforms in the way. An alternative is to work down from the outputs towards the inputs. Many systems are too large for a single DFD to describe the data processing clearly. It is necessary that some decomposition and abstraction mechanism be used for such systems. DFDs can be hierarchically organized, which helps in progressively partitioning and analyzing large systems. Such DFDs together are called a leveled DFD set.

DFD WITH DETAILED EXPLANATION

Context level DFD

This shows the context level diagram of the system. The users of the system are administrator, teachers and students.

Administrator

This shows the different functions of administrator. User functions: a) Learner and tutor enrollment: add user, delete user. b) curriculum and content management: add topic, delete topic, delete file. c) User privileges management: change pwd.

Teacher

This shows the different functions of teacher. User functions: a) Content creation: upload file b) question bank creation: add question c) view learners progress: view student record. d) Communicates with learners: chat, posting forum.

Student

This shows the different functions of student. User functions: a) View learning materials: view file. b) View personal progress: view test record c) Take online tests: Take test. d) Interactive discussions: chat, forum.

Conclusion:Any system, which has been in use for a number of years, gradually, decays and become less effective because of the change in environment to which one has to adapt. For a time it is possible to overcome problems by amendments and minor modification to acknowledge the need of fundamental changes. Computerization was proposed as a solution to the problem of being outdated with the fast present technologies. In this project, our aim was to provide online registration.

Reference:

Types of UML Diagrams www.smartdraw.com

S., Roger Pressman, Software Engineering Concepts A Practitioners

Approach, Tata Mc Graw Hill Publishing Company, New Delhi, 1994. Rambaugh, Blaha and Eddy , Object oriented Modeling and Design, Prentice Hall Publications. Moodle software

moodle.org