System+Development+Cycle

=**Understanding the Problem**=

The purpose of the task is to design and implement an innovative and engaging website for students in K-2 in relation to English and Mathematics. The content and activities is from the Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 Syllabus'. Hence the website is for children aged between 5-8 years.
 * Purpose**

The website is based on recognition that students' formative learning needs will often involve information technology. It acknowledges the increasing availability of computers in schools and in the home. It recognises the opportunities that students will have to acquire, interpret and create information by using computers and other technologies. Information technology enables students to locate, access, view and analyse a range of source material. In addition, it provides opportunities for students to design and create information products, and to determine the usefulness, accuracy, reliability and validity of information.


 * Preliminary Investigation**

The best solution to determine existing problems with current representation of educational websites is to search the web. 1. Access Google. 2. Type in the search engine: Educational websites K-2 3. View the top 3 websites.

Here are the solutions and their evaluations.

1. http://sjsites.com/primary/ The homepage instructs the user to navigate through the site by clicking on the boy. There was music playing in the background, although it did become annoying at one point.



This is the homepage of the link. There is no detailed information on what the site is about or what is expected.



This page instructs the user to click on the fish to select a topic. The user will become annoyed by how many links there are to navigate through before getting to an activity. The page that appears after clicking on the fish has a error. This is not a reliable link.



Therefore I tested another link by navigating back to the homepage and clicking on ABC's. On this page there were many different links to activities. The one that stood out was activity no. 4 Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.



On this page there was a video only and did not allow users to apply their knowledge. This was not an effective video through the use of language. This would not be appropriate for K-2 students. Although this website did not specify what age group it was catered for.



2. http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech163.shtml

This homepage is more structured and there is detailed information on what the website involves and what is expected. When you scroll down there are a number of links that navigate to activities.



The hyperlink Number Time Play a Game navigates to a selection of games relating to numbers.



When you click on either activity, it navigates to another page and you must download a plugin in order to activate the activity. This is an unnecessary process, the game/ activity should be accessible without downloading. This wastes time and distracts the users from the learning experience.



3. http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/lilones.htm

The homepage has a range of activities in alphabetical order. There are not any graphics are videos to attract the users into the site.



When you click on ABC's this is the page the link navigates to.

It is not relevant to the link. Users would expect to navigate directly to the activity.

Each website that was investigated does not follow the the requirements of the task. The requirements involve implementing good navigational options and having a sufficient breadth and depth of information. Website 1 does have navigational options however it navigates to error pages. Similarly it does not have sufficient breadth and depth of information through the example of the video with no opportunity to apply student knowledge through learning experiences. Website 2 has sufficient breadth and depth of information, however after navigating through three links, the user is required to download a plugin. All resources should be accessible in a quick time frame to ensure users will stay on the website and complete the learning experience. Website 3 is quite plain in the sense that it does not incorporate the sectors of multimedia. Therefore it is not engaging to the users. There is a number to activities, however the user is required to navigate through a number of pages. Again, this can distract the users and turn them away from the website. The Multimedia system needs to consider an engaging homepage, this involves colour, information for parents and teachers, video, audio and consistent navigational options to keep the user engaged in the activities rather than finding them.
 * Summary of Preliminary Investigation**.

=Planning=

A feasibility study identifies possible solutions and the feasibility costs and benefits of each. This will be identified through six constraints.
 * Feasibility Study**



The feasibility study helps to define the boundaries of the new project and keep the objectives of the project focused.

This involves the costs towards introducing a new system rather than upgrading a new system. The costs will be dedicated to the access to certain technologies, software or programs that will assist in the development of the multimedia system. Available financial resources within the group is a Macintosh. The Macintosh implements the iWeb application. Therefore the costs are derived from the purchase of a Macintosh. This may not be accessible to all participants and the costs towards a Macintosh are expensive.
 * Economic Issues**

In reference to the iWeb application, the multimedia system is technically possible. There are a number of templates to work from, it is just a matter of selecting the appropriate template for the context of the task. Text, Graphics, Videos, Audio and Hyperlinks can be easily implemented. After you publish the site it can be edited in case of errors, future modifications or user evaluations. This is a result of the testing, evaluating and maintaining phase.
 * Technical Issues**

This Gantt Chart outlines the schedule for each phase. The time allowed is eight weeks, from the chart a sufficient amount of time is allocated for each phase. This will ensure that tight completion schedules are avoided and therefore problems due to delay will be avoided. A detailed Gantt Chart will be under the Project Plan.
 * Schedules**

To access iWeb you must have access to a Macintosh. Therefore to manage and operate this project will be limited to the participant that owns the Macintosh. The files automatically save on the program unless you publish the site. Once you publish the site it will save in a located folder, however it can only then be edited on the same Macintosh. This is still an achievable and effective outcome to produce a solution.
 * Operational Issues**

The iWeb application is appropriate to create an educational resource.Below is a screen shot of the domain of the application. It allows you to add YouTube videos; you click the icon and drag it onto the page, then you copy and paste the url of the video. It allows you to add movies created from iMovie, another Macintosh application. It also allows you to type in text, add images, insert hyperlinks to websites, files etc. It is as simple as dragging the image onto the page. Its ease of use produces an ease of use website.
 * Organisational Issues**



The project and its outcomes do not conflict with any federal or state legislation. Information, images and videos will be referenced and acknowledged under the references page.
 * Legal and Environmental Considerations**


 * Feasibility Study Report**

This report will outline potential solutions of the multimedia system. The application iWeb will be used on the Macintosh, therefore there has to be consideration on what is available technologically to recommend solutions.

From the feasibility study iWeb can embed videos, images, hyperlinks and text. Each potential solution will be based around each sector to create a multimedia system.

__Possible Solution No. 1__ Each page will embed a video from YouTube that may assist with the learning activities on each page. However each video may not apply to each learning activity and having a number of videos to watch will be boring to the user. Perhaps embed a personalised video that can speak to the audience. In terms of learning activities implement interactive games to attract the learner. Although a good idea, iWeb does not offer the production of games. Perhaps incorporate activity sheets that can be printed out and used for future reference.

__Possible Solution No. 2__ Based on the reflection on solution no. 1, solution no. 2 will encompass the following. A YouTube video and a personalised video will be embedded on the home page. This will engage the users into the website and speak to them giving them a sense of belonging. Each page will be dedicated to each grade and each subject with the activities on the page as well as printable documents in the form of pdf files. The answers will also be accessible on the teacher and parent page and will inform them on what the student will achieve after the activities i.e. syllabus outcomes. (This is the final solution).

Therefore Solution No. 2 will replace existing systems. This has also been influenced from the preliminary investigation.


 * Project Plan**

Below is the time frame of the Designing phase and the subprojects (webpages) and their respective timeframes.

The participants are: (Write what each person is required to do)

Rachel Saare  - Implementing Stage of the System Development Cycle - K-2 English and Mathematics Activities - K-2 English and Mathematics Worksheets - K-2 English and Mathematics Answer Pages  Danielle Russo  - Understanding the Problem Stage of the System Development Cycle - Planning Stage of the System Development Cycle - Complete iWeb Multimedia Project production including all pages not done by Rachel Saare  Rebecca Lau - Designing Solutions Stage of the System Development Cycle - Testing, Evaluating and Maintaining Stage of the System Development Cycle - Communications Component

The information technology that will be used in the system involves: - iWeb -YouTube - Xtranormal

The data and information that will be used in the system involves: - What Early Stage 1, Stage 1 English and Mathematics encompasses. - An entertainment video of the characters from sesame street to draw the students into the website. - An introduction video that encourages the students to complete the tasks, this will be created on Xtranormal. - Activities based on the Early Stage 1, Stage 1 Syllabus' in English and Mathematics. Pdf files will be implemented to print out and keep as future references. - A Teacher and Parent Page to inform them what outcomes are being assessed and what the students will accomplish after each activity. The answers will also be accessible in pdf file form.

=Designing Solutions=

__Website layout Diagram__

__Welcome Screen layout Diagram__

IT tools are an important component when developing a project. Each tool has been chosen for a specific purpose. Hardware that has been utilized to develop this website is a Macintosh computer. The Macintosh computer is what we had access to, to develop this particular website. The web-authoring tool that is being used to create this project is only available on a Macintosh computer. The iWeb software is designed especially for a Mac OSX operating system. We decided to use this specific web-authoring tool as it is a clear and simple piece of software to design websites. The particular software tool that we used during the development of this website is Microsoft Word 2007. Microsoft Word was used to create the many downloadable PDF files which are located on various pages of the website for the users. Microsoft Word can be accessed on any computer which has an operating systems and the Microsoft Office Suite installed, most computers are equipped with this software making it easy and convenient to access. Memory issues with this particular website are not an issue as there is no memory needed to use this particular website. All the user needs is a Internet Browser and a connection to the internet, which will let them access the online website.
 * Justifications of IT Tools**

Ethical implications is how the possible outcomes of a situation will affect everyone's best interests. In this case there are a coupe of issues that need to be addressed. Firstly the website only caters for English speaking children, although we know that some children's parents are not of english speaking backgrounds and are more then likely not able to read or write in English. This would suggest that this site would be useless to the parents at home if they do not understand what is required of the website. Secondly, not all households have the internet or a computer which means they will not be able to access the website for their children at home. There needs to be a way that the parents without access to the internet at home are able to access the worksheets that are online. This way there will be no disadvantage to those children who do not have the internet or a computer at home. It is important that the ethical implications are identified and discussed as there needs to be a solution to solve these problems.
 * Ethical Implications**

=﻿Implementing= At this stage of the System Development Cycle, the hardware and software is installed and tested. Participant training is an integral part of this stage to ensure that that any users of the system understand the benefits of it, and how to use it. Another important component of the implementation stage is the conversion method used - they all have different advantages and disadvantages for different purposes.

There are 4 kinds of conversion methods. Those are: This method involves completely discarding the old system and immediately changing to the new system. Data that was present on the old system is transferred over and all staff must cease use of the old system. It is most commonly used when the new system being implemented is rather standard. It is a popular option for some companies because of the low costs of transition however it can also be a poor choice as it doesn't allow for the new system to be tested and for participants to gain much training in the updated operations. Another issue with direct conversion is that if it fails, the old system isn't in place for back up. This method involves both systems working side by side until the new system is deemed satisfactory. Parallel conversion allows users to compare the two systems and really understand the benefits and the differences of the new system.It is seen as one of the safest methods to choose, but also the most costly, as you have two systems running at once. It can result in data duplication and additional workload for staff as both systems need to be used until 1 is chosen. Confusion can also be a result as users may not understand which system they should be concentrating on. This method involves parts of the system being introduced in increments until the complete system is finally integrated. Aspects of the old system still run throughout this period, and as new sections of the new system are introduced, these new parts take over the operations they are responsible for until the old system is obsolete.It is successful because each section that is implemented can be tested seperately, and any bugs can be eliminated quickly. Also, if the new system fails, only one sub section is affected. However, it can become confusing for staff as some will be using the new system while others are still on parts of the old system. This method involves a trial of the new system in a certain area of the organisation. If no issues are found in this area, the new system can be rolled out across the entire organisation and the old system abolished.It is usually carried out by a section of the organisation who would like something new and understand and appreciate the benefits and operations of the new system. It is popular beause if the new system fails, it only affects one area of the organisation, and the old system is always there for backup. However, it can cause stress on the area that is trialling the system, especially if there are a lot of bugs with the system.
 * Conversion Methods**
 * __Direct:__
 * __Parallel__
 * __Phased__
 * __Pilot__

For the purpose of this specific system, it is difficult to determine which conversion method would be used without using different scenarios. For example, if this system was being implemented into a primary school environment where a similar system already exists, pilot conversion could be used. This new system could be implemented in one class (possibly the more academically adept class who may handle change a little easier) and any bugs could be fished out early before the entire school must use it. Phased conversion could also be used in this instance; where maybe just the kindergarten section of the system is implemented to test it out, and then year 1 and so on. Once again, the old system would be avaliable for the students to use if something was to occur with the new system. Finally, within this scenario, Parallel conversion could also be used. Both the new and old systems would be running at the same time until all classes are satisfied with the new system. On the other hand, if it was being implemented in a home environment, where there has been no system in place something like Direct conversion would have to be used, however, there is no old system to remove and to replace with this one. It is just a completely new system in place with nothing to compare it to or to fall back on if it fails.

Testing is one of the most integral components of the implementation of a new system. You can't give a guarantee that a system will work without first undergoing an intense testing process to ensure all bugs aren't sorted out. It is important to note that testing should occur for both the hardware, software and information processes. For this system, there are a few components that needed to be tested:
 * System Testing**

Hardware testing is usually done through general operational use. For this system, testing of the functionality of the website on both Macintosh computers and Windows PC's was completed by using computers in the group members posession. We had access to both hardware types so this was perfect to test out how well the website loaded, whether all the links worked, and whether the downloadable PDF's were able to be accessed. All of these areas were a success at the time. These areas of hardware testing were also tested using the survey that is able to be viewed in the next dotpoint.
 * __Hardware__

This involved testing of the website in areas of ease of navigation, legibility and functionality. Testing of this kind can be done by a select group of people in society by using a survey. You ask the group to use the website as it is intended and fill out a questionnaire. The responses would then usually shape any changes that need to be made to the product. The survey that was used for this system can be viewed by clicking this button: This survey was given to five people to allow for a variety of results. After going through the surveys, it was seen that the website loaded perfectly fine on both Macintoshes OS and Windows (no other OS's were tested as of yet). When it came to aesthetic appeal, the website received scores of 8-10 on all five surveys. Ease of navigability was another high point with all surveys reaching the consensus of 8-10, and legibility received the exact same results. For both questions 6 and 7, all surveys responsed "a) No" which meant that all links and downloadable files worked perfectly. The results of these surveys showed us that our website was a success during this testing phase and that implementation could continue.
 * __Website__

=Testing, Evaluating and Maintaining= When testing, evaluating and maintaining this particular website there are many different ways to make sure each part of this step is continued throughout the life of the website. Testing of the website ensures that it meets the needs required by the system and the user. Testing should be done internally and externally, meaning that internally the website is tested by the people who created the system. They are able to see if the website is working properly for example all the navigation and file uploads/downloads are working correctly. This internal testing is used to pick up any general technical problems with the system. Although evaluation should be taking place in every phase of analysis and deign, users often cannot predict what issues will arise until the new system has been implemented. When the system is tested by users they will also evaluate how the systems does or does not meet the requirements of the user. The users will often have a short questionnaire or survey to complete, answering specific questions according to the system. The feedback from the surveys and questionnaires are used to make changes to the system. This will be catering to the users needs therefore meeting the specified requirements.

On going testing should be completed each month or two updating the components that are out of date. This step is also included in maintaining the system. These three steps should be conducted on the system all the time, as they are an on going process. This is to ensure that the system is kept up to date. For example a new web browser version has been released and this particular website is not compatible with this particular browser the system maintainence team will have to solve this particular problem so the system is accessible to everyone. The purpose of a system operation manual is to able the user to solve problems or questions they may have about the particular system. In this case the manual for this system is quite clear and simple as it will involve the basic navigation of the website including what each page looks like. Also in the system manual there will need to be information of the functions of each page this includes the many different links to other pages of the website.

=Communications Component= =  = This particular project involved us to create the website on a web authoring piece of software which in this case is iWeb. This piece of software requires you as the host of this website to once you have finished the project you are to save and publish to the Internet in order for you users to access the website. To host this particular system we needed a Macintosh computer, as it was the hardware that has the particular software we used. Other basic hardware we needed was of course a monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. The software that is required by the participants is iweb. iWeb is a web publishing program. It differs from other publishing programs in that the layouts that can be generated are graphically based, very flexible and based on simple drag and drop. iWeb then generates the code (HTML) itself automatically when you are ready to publish your pages. Under normal use you do not have or need to have access to this code that iWeb generates.

The user needs any up to date hardware components this will include a computer whether it is a laptop or a desktop computer. With this they will need a monitor, mouse and speakers in order for them to access and use the website to it’s best. The software that is needed by the users is an Internet browser, whether it is Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Google Chrome or Safari. A web browser or Internet browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and passing information resources on the World Wide Web. Users will also need to be connected to the Internet, as this is the only way in which to access the system.