Main

Subject
Selection
“Deleting the paperwork”
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Contents
Identification and exploration of the need................................................. Page 3
Areas of investigation............................................................................... Page 5
Criteria to evaluate success..................................................................... Page 7
Research.................................................................................................. Page 9
Other subject selection processes................................................................. Page 9
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Identification and exploration of the need
For the last ten years information systems have been rapidly replacing manual processes
within modern society and the information exchange within it. These systems, however, have
been overrepresented and directed towards businesses thus educational institutions are
being left behind to deal with the manual labour and administration that in other cases have
been taken care of by information technology systems.
Dull administration tasks are encountered as a result of the lack of technology provided for
schools. Examples of these tasks include, marking rolls, subject selection for future years and
organising homework for students (including the distribution of tasks which are to be
completed on the computer rather than on paper). These tasks and the processes involved
are stealing teacher’s time which could be better spent within schools today. Such tasks are
reported to take teachers up to 6 hours a week depending on their position or role. Teachers
and Coordinators alike are complaining they’d rather do their job and teach kids than
complete mundane tasks which are encountered as a result of lack of technology available to
school institutions.
Specifically, teachers and Coordinators today have the struggle of creating and managing the
subject selection process which allows students to choose their elective subject choices for
upcoming years 11 and 12. These struggles encountered by schools relate to the flow,
management and return of information about the subjects which can be chosen and how each
of these choices is returned to Coordinators.
Aspects relating to these problems include, firstly, how the information about the different
possible subject choices is displayed and presented to the students of year 10, secondly, how
the subject choices are selected by students and returned to the Coordinator then finally how
simple it is for the Coordinator to organise the information presented to assist decision making
about when different courses will run and the various different lines each subject is
categorized under.
Majority of schools (including my school) today are forced to deal with the large amounts of
paperwork, time consuming manual organization, costs and environmental issues included in
such a process in a manual manner which is unnecessary and could be further streamlined in
an information system such as a website as I discussed earlier.
Websites are an example of a highly used information exchange tool which is readily
accessible in modern developed society, (the technological age) especially Australia.
Websites are also one of the most widely accepted resources by teenagers who have known
and used them their entire lives. This fact is supported by statistics which show that in 2012,
88.8% of the Australian population were using the internet and 87% of those are kids and
teens between the ages of 12-17.
Websites would be a particularly good solution to the problem also because of their
customizability (the website is what you want it to be), ability to be dynamic (information
changes depending on what the user wants/needs), intuitive (able to complete the intended
purpose with no prior experience) and informative (information can be presented in different
medias such as text, video and images) possibilities. These aspects are exactly what my
solution requires and I believe through evidence websites are the best possible solution I
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could provide to teachers, students and parents as they directly meet the needs of each and
every user.
For my design brief I intend to improve upon the positives in the current setup that different
schools are using. Therefore I have chosen to design a website which will integrate all the
required processes included in the task of subject selection.
The website will present information about each subject to students in a clear and concise
manner that is easy for them to interpret and access. Once the student/s has gathered
information about each and every subject available to them, each student will have the
adequate knowledge to choose subjects which he/she feels is appropriate for them. Once
chosen, this information will be sent in an organised manner to the Coordinator in charge
where he/she can manipulate the information to suit the format or needs required for him/her.
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Areas of investigation
 Current subject selection process at St Paul’s
o Here I will investigate the current process of subject selection at St Paul’s
which makes my need relevant and look at how my design can be improved
upon in these specific areas.
o To investigate the current process I will survey teachers and Coordinators
and document their opinions of both positive and negative factors included in
the current process.
o My design could be limited by the physical and cyber barriers as physical
things can’t be sent over the internet. For example: you can’t write a
signature over the internet which could be required for my system.
 Other subject selection processes
o Subject selection processes other than what my own school uses could have
different positives and negatives that need to be improved upon or
incorporated in my design. To ensure I understand all possible relevant
problems I will look into other types of solutions. Two examples of these are
online (websites, Iphone Apps) and offline (Paper based).
o Here I will look on the web to find other technologies used for subject
selection and document any positive factors or ideas that could be
incorporated in my design to further improve it. If possible I will also look at
other offline based solutions through the web to find the positives and
negative factors of those in addition to the online solutions.
o My project could be limited by cost and resources. Other schools could have
paid extensive amounts of money for high powered hosts (keep the website
online and determines to an extent the capabilities of your website) which I
will not be able to afford for my solution.
 Survey students/parents/teachers/Coordinators of Y10-Y11
o The needs of all people involved in my system must be investigated because
my design will be shaped around them as they are the reason for the need.
The most influential user of my system in terms of the need are the teachers
and coordinators as they have the largest problem, coordinating and creating
the solution each year which encompasses alot of administration work, this
acts as time taken off their teaching schedule.
o I will survey all definite and possible users of my system and document the
feedback as possibilities and in some cases requirements to be incorporated
into my design.
o Any user requirements can be simply incorporated into my website solution
but could however be limited by the physical and cyber barrier.
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 Websites – look/aesthetics/layout
o These major aspects (look, aesthetics and layout) of my website will
determine whether my solution can resolve the whole problem to its greatest
potential. This will be decided on how intuitive and interesting it is and its
ability to keep students and teachers attention. Success is determined by
colour schemes, design skills (managing the websites ergonomics or where
different elements of the website are placed and designing the user interface)
and how different information is displayed (video, text or picture).
o Other solutions can be looked at for potential ideas on ergonomics and how
they have designed their user interfaces.
 Finding a web server provider
o To get a website online, a provider or host must be bought. The computer
they assign to your website will determine the speed and reliability of your
website.
o It might be a viable option to buy more than one server so if one goes down
than there is another as a backup.
o The speed of websites has many effects on how your website will run and
how many people can use your website at any one time.
o As the speed of the website will be determined by how strong the server I
buy is and the reliability on how many servers I buy, an obvious limitation is
the cost of each of these.
 Evaluation/testing process throughout (set up students/parents/teachers to
keep testing + providing feedback)
o To continually determine requirements, possibilities and test my solution I will
setup students, parents, teachers and Coordinators concept prototypes
which is a solution developed purely to determine needs of users as they will
provide the best feedback with a working prototype.
o I will do this to create a solution which best suits the needs of users.
o With this feedback similar to surveys I will document possibilities and in some
cases requirements to be incorporated into my design.
 Mac v PC Layout v Mobile (how the website works and looks on different
browsers)
o Different browsers which are used on different devices and operating
softwares will need to be checked throughout the whole design process to
make sure the solution works under all possible conditions due to the fact
modern society can access the internet in different ways (Safari, Internet
Explorer and Firefox etc).
o I will do this to ensure my solution works under all conditions and is accepting
of all browsers.
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 Website creation
o Different methods and programming languages used to create websites. I will
need to work out which are most appropriate to my solution and what are the
differences between them. Do the possibilities of the method or programming
language match the requirements of my solution?
o I will do this to be certain that all requirements can be met and I will not be
restricted by what I am using to create the solution.
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Criteria to evaluate success
Criteria Quality
importance
Function
1. My website resolves the problem and allows students to choose subjects
online
Through this question I am referring to the functionality of my website and whether its
main purpose is generally accomplished.
2. My website successfully improved upon the negatives of other solutions
Improving upon problems of other designs will help my design grow as a more developed
solution than other possibilities.
3. A sufficient ability was given to Coordinators and teachers to organise
information about subject choices
As coordinators are the precise reason for the need, their input and ability to operate the
system is most important aspect in the development of my system.
Aesthetics
1. My website is aesthetically pleasing and maintains the attention of
students/teachers and coordinators who use it
This question is required to increase the success rate of my website (how many students
use my website to choose their subjects) and evaluate whether my website is an engaging
and enjoyable experience for users.
Needs
1. My website incorporates the ideas that I collected from
teachers/students and parents
User’s play an important role in my systems development as they are the reason for the
need. User’s ideas will be specifically important and new areas to be investigated could be
discovered which will improve upon a broad range of problems within my system that only
users will be familiar with, such as the user interface.
2. The current users of my website happy with the final system
It’s important to have a final evaluation of my system from a user’s perspective because
as all the elements of the design are being brought together, small possibilities for change
could be seen that went unnoticed before.
3. My website can be used by all mediums?
Because websites are accessible through different devices, it is important that my final
design can be accessed on all mediums so I don’t limit the use of my project under
different circumstances.
4. My website can be accessed by the small amount of people who don't
have computers at home or is that handled in another way
It is possible that some students won’t have access to computers or devices which have
internet or web possibilities. Without this possibility, students will need another way of
choosing their subject choices.
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5. I setup feedback test run and used the information gathered
This gives me the ability to make any final adjustments from a user’s perspective with a
working prototype of my system where users are better able to express their opinions and
needs for the system.
Impact on society and the environment
1. My design doesn't has an effect on the environment
If my design has an effect on the environment it could be deemed unsustainable and
therefore a lesser product.
Ergonomics
1. My website is ergonomic and easy to follow with helpful tips and advice
if problems are encountered
It’s important to check the ergonomics of my website because it determines how easy it is
for my users to navigate and complete the processes within my website which can also be
related to the success of my design.
2. My website has a similar layout on each page and is easy for a user to
generate a familiarity with my design
Keeping a similar layout for each page will give the user a familiarity while navigating my
website thus an understanding on how my website is expected to work and where certain
elements should be placed (even before the user has seen the page).
Finance
1. My website is inexpensive enough to be desired by schools for the
resolution to the need (is the cost of my solution worth buying compared to
the manual administration effort which was previously required)
Reliability
1. My website has the ability to hold as many users as it needs to and
remain online working at full capacity
The stability of my solution is important because without it there is the possibility my
system could go offline which will give users the misconception that my website doesn’t
work.
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Websites – look/aesthetics/layout
The subject selection website will be used by different age groups of people (students,
parents, teachers and coordinators) which each have different needs and desires in regard to
how information is displayed and how they will navigate the website (functionality, ergonomics
and aesthetical requirements). Students will be between 14-16 years old and
teachers/coordinators will be anywhere from 20 to 65 years old.
For my website to be a success I will need to research the different needs and requirements
of users between the age of 14-16 and 20-65 years old.
Teenagers (14-16)
Through looking at a variety of resources recited and evaluated below it seems that generally
teenagers prefer to be presented information like kids with a graphical, interactive and
uncluttered approach disregarding large chunks of information. However they don’t want to be
treated like kids with regard to the looks of the website (aesthetics) as this could potentially
slow down the teenager’s ability to use the website and could make them feel like they are too
old to be using the website. Teenagers enjoy and are more tolerant of websites where what
they are looking for or what they need to do can be found or completed simply.
The website 'nngroup.com' conducted a series of usability studies to determine how web
designers can better cater for teenagers. They systematically tested twenty-three websites
asking teenagers to perform a variety of different tasks and think out loud. Through this
testing nngroup discovered a few misconceptions about teenagers. A common stereotype is
that teenagers are all super-geniuses who can use anything a site throws at them. Nngroup
measured a success rate of 55% for teenage users whilst adults had a success rate of 66%.
Teens reduced performance was found to be caused by three factors: insufficient reading
skills, less sophisticated research strategies, and a dramatically lower patience level. This
was proven by the success of teenagers in websites sharing a similar clean design with
information laid out in an uncluttered manner using graphics to minimize the clutter and the
failure of teenagers using websites with large chunks of cluttered information. It was stated by
teenage users in the studies that "overly glitzy sites" were difficult to use and too slow to work
out.
A stereotype confirmed by the studies was the fact that teenagers have a short attention span
and have the need to be stimulated. It was found this is also the reason why teens leave sites
that are difficult to figure out.
This was proven by teen’s preference for and success while using websites within the study
which are easy to scan over or illustrate concepts visually rather than websites which are
dense with text.
Another interesting fact which was found within the study is that teenagers don't like tiny font
sizes. It was found that even though teen’s eye sight is good enough to read the small text it
does not cater for their desire to quickly scan through the page.
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Teenagers (14-16)
Through the studies it was found that interactive features listed below had the most success
with the teenage audience as they would rather interact with features then simply read
information.
• Online quizzes
• Forms for providing feedback or asking questions
• Online voting
• Games
• Features for sharing pictures or stories
• Message boards
• Forums for offering and receiving advice
• Features for creating a website or otherwise adding content
Animation
and
sound
effects
Mine
sweeping
for links
Advert
ising
Scr
ollin
g
Re
adi
ng
Kids
Teen
s
Adult
s
“When using websites, teenagers have a lower success rate than adults and they’re also
easily bored. To work for teens, websites must be simple – but not childish – and supply
plenty of interactive features.”
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-of-websites-for-teenagers/
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Teenagers (14-16)
A study conducted by Amy who works at Bullzeye Design (bullzeyedesign.com) found similar
results to nngroup.com in regards to how teenagers work best online. The study found two
important requirements in websites directed towards teenagers to ensure the greatest
success of the website.
Firstly, present any large amounts of information in readable chunks. The reasoning for this
was: Many teenagers dislike reading, or simply don't want to read large amounts of text
online. Suggestions to fix this are: try to break up the large amounts of information with
interesting photos, or something interactive such as a poll or survey.
Secondly, create easy to understand, uncluttered navigation structures and titles. The
reasoning for this was: Teens have a dramatically lower patience level than adults. The
possible solution provided was: ensure your website is easy to navigate through, and provide
relevant links, breadcrumb structures, and search facilities that can guide them to what they
need.
http://bullzeyedesign.com/tag/designing-websites-for-teenagers/
Another study named "What websites do to turn on teens" conducted by Nielsen Norman
principle at the Nielsen Norman Group which is a group of people who conduct Evidence-
Based User Experience Research, Training and Consulting found what works well with
teenagers within websites.
Firstly, interactivity, Nielson said. "They want to be doing something as opposed to just sitting
and reading, which tends to be more boring and something they do enough of at school". It
was found that interactive elements which worked the best include message boards, polls,
quizzes, and the ability to ask questions of experts, and tools that let teens construct their own
web pages.
Another aspect which was found to increase usability for teenagers by the study was the use
of photographs and images that relieve text of the burden of communicating ideas, but remain
from overloading the page until it becomes hard to use.
It was found that teens are less willing than adults to stick around websites with useful content
but poor presentation.
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2005/02/66514
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-

'4chan' - breakdown of website
4chan (www.4chan.org)
4chan is an image based bulletin board directed towards
teenagers where anyone can post comments and share
images. 4chan uses similar approaches researched above
which cater for the needs of teenagers. These include, splitting
up information and providing a clear and uncluttered design
with the use of large titles, different colours and boxes so
different areas of the website can be simply and quickly
identified.
4chan is quick to alert the user of the social nature of the
website and provide relevant areas that could be of interest
such as "popular threads". These threads can be viewed and
the user is given the ability to upload images relevant to the
thread, comment and view other images posted by others.
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-
Red used in the
header which then
leads your eye to the
websites summarised
purpose
First thing to see is
the header which
introduces the user
to the website
Large titles used to
allow the user to
quickly identify
different aspects of
the website
Small blocks of
information to keep
the attention of the
teenage target
audience
Use of different
colours and boxes to
separate topics and
information which
allows the user to
quickly navigate the
site
Recently uploaded
images which can be
viewed and commented
on. This helps introduce
the user to the social
nature of the website
Relevant titles
with information
specific to that
topic allows users
to quickly find
something of
interest to them

'Sneaker pimps' - breakdown of website
Sneaker Pimps (www.sneakerpimps.net)
Sneaker Pimps is website marketing shoes which
incorporate the latest sneaker inspired artwork,
fashion and photography. Sneaker Pimps is heavily
directed towards teenage fashion and the website is
designed in a very teenage friendly manner.
Information is split up and is usually accompanied by
a picture and the ability to comment on news is given
for added interactivity. Large headings are used and
small text does not exist on this website.
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-
Picture to
accompany a
chunk of text to
keep interest of
user
Large headings
to assist the
user in quickly
navigating the
page
Graphical
advertisement of
related show
Links to social
media to increase
interactivity
Large
heading with
graphical
background
Large links and
large spaces
between them

Adults (20-65)
Through my research on how websites are directed towards teenagers I found that the same
approaches can be used to create a simple website applicable for adults as the requirements
are very similar and adults are happy to work with the simplistic functionality teenagers
require. The adults using my website will most likely be the parents accompanied by their
teenage son or daughter when choosing electives and coordinators performing administrative
tasks in the background of the website. Such administrative tasks include, adding or editing
subject information, collecting details of students in regard to their subject choices and other
similar processes. These processes and the required functionality will be worked out in an
interview with coordinators of my school and then documented in research and implemented
in the final solution.
'News' - breakdown of website
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-
Large
chunks of
information
No graphics only
pictures are used
to represent the
story
Small font
Not much
colour
Use of white
space to
spread out
information

General Functionality and Usability requirements for all ages
For my website to be successful I will need to design a user interface that meets the
functionality and usability requirements of all users. Without an interface that meets these
requirements users will be unsatisfied with the final solution and the website will not meet its
full potential resulting in less success.
Areas that should be considered within my design include:
1. Use of white space
2. Proper use of colour and graphics
3. Grouping of information
4. Legibility of text
5. Effective prompts
6. Provision of feedback
7. Consistency of design
Use of white space
White space is as the phrase states space on the user interface where there is no pictures,
data, information or colour. White space can be used to either direct the user eyes to
something (if something is surrounded by white space, the users eyes will be drawn to it) or to
simply spread data and information apart which enhances the user's ability to interpret and
understand the user interface quickly and with ease. White space should be placed between
each element and paragraph of my user interface so users are able to differentiate between
them.
Proper use of colour and graphics
Care must be taken when using different colours and graphics (such as icons) as some
graphics used for aesthetic purposes can serve to confuse the user rather than create an
intuitive environment for the user. Icons which users are familiar with will deliver a clear
message in a shorter space of time as opposed to the equivalent text. However icons which
do not display a clear message to the user will confuse and slow down the user. Icons which
are common or obvious should be used otherwise these icons should be replaced with text to
display the same message.
Grouping of information
Information or data entry points which are related should be grouped together as this is
common practice in user interfaces and users have grown accustomed to expect this. This
allows users to take in the overall purpose of each screen and focus on the required elements
more efficiently. To incorporate this into my website I will group each entry point using frames
or borders and put related information together in paragraphs. Different information on the
same page will be separated with white space to highlight the fact to the user that information
separated is indeed different and not of the same nature.
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Legibility of text
Legibility of text refers to the user's ability to make out each word or character on the user
interface. This is usually affected by the font, size and colour used and how it is justified on
the screen. These fonts can be used to serve different purposes for example a title would
include a larger font size. Another useful readability tool is using fonts with serifs which are
the small ticks at the bottom of each character. Research has shown that using serifs makes it
easier for users to make out the shape of each character and read chunks of information as
human eyes find it easier to follow along fonts with serifs.
(Example of serif: d)
In order to include highly legible text within my design I will use serifs to make it easiest for my
users to read information, only change the font where required, for example titles, subtitles
and important information or alerts and justify text appropriately to where it sits on my
webpage.
Effective prompts
A prompt is a reminder as to what is required which usually occurs in software applications or
websites when an error has occurred or something requires specific attention. A prompt is not
a place to teach users about the details of the program. Prompts are used to simply alert the
user of something and in some cases get feedback from them in regards to what they would
like to do as a result of the problem or the reason for the prompt. In my website I will use
prompts as a way to alert the user rather than direct the user because I feel prompts generate
too much attention and a website can be designed intuitively enough to disregard them in
most cases.
Provision of feedback
Provision of feedback is the confirmation of data entry at all data entry points. Confirmation of
data entry is important because when the user has performed an action it is important that the
user is not confused as to whether their action has been processed or not. The user should
be given an instantaneous and in some cases continuous response as to what is happening
and how much longer they will need to wait. In the case of my website I plan to confirm data
entry or changes to the interface instantly with a text or a colour and visual change (visual
with colour means colour blind people will also be aware of what is happening during
processing).
Consistency of design
Consistency is the most important aspect of a user interface as users will be able to follow
your website throughout and quickly familiarise themself with it. Consistency of design allows
users to transfer skills from other areas of my website to new areas or WebPages. To achieve
consistency I will need to use a similar design throughout each webpage and place
information of similar importance in areas which are specific to each webpage. Different
interface elements such as command buttons, check boxes and radio buttons should be used
appropriately and similarly on each page and all information will need to be aligned similarly
on each page.
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Research
Other subject selection processes
Online solutions
Subject selection online - http://subjectselectiononline.com.au/
Subject selection online seems to be an unfinished resolution to
the need as it has a few large negatives which will need to be
worked on in my solution, these are discussed below.
Example of an already created subject selection page using the above website -
http://www.tss.qld.edu.au/Parents_And_Students/senior/Files/AcademicProgram/Subject
%20Selection/2013/How_to_%20enter_Year_10_Subject_Selections.pdf
Positives Negatives
1 Pages made with subject selection online are highly
customizable by teachers.
Although the functionality is very
intuitive, the Aesthetics in terms of
layout, colour scheme and lack of
images gives the user a boring
experience
2 Subject selection online works on all browsers, for
example: Internet explorer, mobile browsers and
Safari
Teachers cannot add videos or
images to subject pages, only text
based information which adds to
the boring experience as I
mentioned above.
3 Allows students to choose their subjects in a simple,
self explanatory manner
It costs money. Websites can earn
money from simple advertisements
which won't be in the way of users
(teachers, coordinators and
students)
4 The functionality which refers the UI (user interface)
is very intuitive
You have to contact
subjectselectiononline just to test
their product which is slow and
time consuming for a test which
could be automatic
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-

Research
Positives
‘Pages made with subject selection online are highly customizable by teachers’
Teachers have the ability to change any information presented to students on their website
designed by ‘online subject selection’, including subject information, compulsory subjects, and
different lines, however pictures and videos cannot be added and the layout, colour and
design cannot be changed by teachers.
‘Subject selection online works on all browsers, for example: Internet explorer, mobile
browsers and Safari on Mac’
Different browsers can treat the same websites differently if the code within the website isn’t
designed to work with each browser specifically and subject selection online works and looks
the same on all common browsers. For example I could load up a website on Internet explorer
(the default Windows browser) and it could work perfectly and look as the developer intended,
however I could load up the same website on a different browser for example Safari (the
default Mac browser) and it could look like a totally different website with elements stretched
and misplaced and functionality missing.
‘Allows students to choose their subjects in a simple, self explanatory manner’
Subject selection online is very intuitive for students as the website is very simplistic with the
process of choosing subjects broken up into four steps which allows information to be split up
and makes the individual step that needs to be completed obvious and directly in front of
them, this makes it really clear to the user what needs to be done.
Step 1: Choose the compulsory subject (in this case science)
Step 2: Choose all subjects
Step 3: Check if student is interest in work experience
Step 4: Check details and print a copy
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‘The Ergonomics which refers the UI (user interface) is very intuitive’
Subject selection online has a very intuitive user interface due to the use of white space,
appropriate use of icons, use of colour, legibility of text and consistency of design.
Between each element there is white space which allows the user to quickly scan
through the page without confusion.
2. Appropriate use of icons
Icons such as the I (Information), X (Close) and up and down arrows (Move subject
up or down in priority) used within the online subject selection website are very
intuitive and obvious which allows their nature to be understood instantly by the user
and makes using the website a simple process.
3. Use of colour
In online subject selection font colour is not often changed, however, the background
colour behind the font is changed which directs the user’s eyes to that general area
rather than the text. This allows online subject selection to bring focus to areas of the
page that need attention and has been used appropriately in their design. For
example when an error has occurred this is displayed at the bottom of the page.
Online subject selection tends to change the size of font relative to how important the
text is, more important information which requires the most attention is given the
largest sized font and less important information is given a smaller sized font. Serif
based fonts have been used throughout the design which increases readability and
all information on the website is left aligned which is good because users will become
accustomed to this and expect it on each page.
Consistency is the most prevalent feature on online subject selection, specifically with
the use of colours in their design and where attention is focussed and kept. The
unimportant but helpful information is kept at the top of the page where a dark blue
background is used (this is also where users click to proceed to the next step). The
important information and elements that require attention from the user is placed in a
light blue background near the middle of the screen below the dark blue background
with unimportant information at the top. Finally information and elements that requires
data entry is kept in lighter shade of blue.
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Research
Negatives
‘Although the website is very intuitive, the Aesthetics in terms of layout, colour scheme
and lack of images gives the user a boring experience’
As I gathered from previous studies, teenagers have a short attention span, a website with
such a lack of colour, graphics and media (videos and images) could be the reason for the
loss of teenage user’s attention and rush through the process which would result in the
student choosing subjects that they won't enjoy and thus won't succeed in. The colour
scheme of online subject selection is very limited with only different shades of blue being
used. The website also has a lack of images with icons being used which results in increased
functionality not aesthetics.
'Teachers cannot add videos or images to subject pages, only text based information
which adds to the boring experience as I mentioned above'
When using online subject selection teachers are not given the ability to add videos and
images to their subject pages. Videos and images help to create a positive and interesting
experience for the user also videos and images in many cases can get the point over to the
user better than plain text based information. It has been proven and is shown in my studies
that teenagers hesitate to read large amounts of information. The picture below shows the
space that teachers are given to put subject information, I don't feel this amount of space is
adequate and teachers should not be confined to this box for two reasons, firstly because the
font is too small and insignificant and if there is more information then can fit in this box then
the user will have to scroll down to read the rest which is a readability issue.
'It costs money. Websites can earn money from simple advertisements which won't be
in the way of users (teachers, coordinators and students)'
Domains for websites can be bought very inexpensively and advertisements could pay the
expense. The advertisements would not be placed on the website provided to the schools as
that would make the product look unprofessional. The advertisements would instead be
placed on the main website which allows you to setup your subject selection page, the home
page.
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'You have to contact subject selection online just to test their product which is slow
and time consuming for a test which could be automatic'
Subject selection online will not let you test their product without contacting them. What this
means is users who are looking for a solution to such a problem will be required to spend time
contacting subject selection online and the hassle of entering contact details just to see if the
product is worth paying for. This is unnecessary and will result in reduced success as subject
selection online could simply link the teacher to an example solution which has already been
produced and let the teacher run through.
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Website creation
Different programming languages available
The basic web language (HTML)
HTML is a programming language which stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is what
all web browsers read and interpret to display everything seen on web pages. HTML is static
which means once the data is interpreted and displayed it cannot change. This results in
reduced functionality and interactivity, however, 'supporting' languages such as Client side
programming languages and Server side programming languages can be used to give added
functionality and interactivity to websites by allowing this HTML to be edited at any time and
information to be pulled from a database.
The 'supporting' languages
There are two types of programming languages, Server side programming languages and
Client side programming languages. A Server side programming language is a program that
physically runs on the web host's computer and most websites include some type of Server
side programming language. A Client side programming language physically runs on the
users own computer.
Client side programming
Client side programming languages can be used to make quick changes for functionality
purpose. Client side programming languages for example are able to change elements of the
page or show certain text without the whole page reloading (an error could be given to the
user before the user clicks submit on a page with incorrect details) which would make the
users experience much quicker and less frustrating as the user would be able to fix the details
and submit the form with the knowledge that the result will be successful rather than waiting
for the page to reload and then give be given an error.
The current client side programming languages and their usage is:
1. JavaScript - 92.4%
2. Flash - 20.8%
3. Silverlight - 0.2%
4. Java - 0.2%
Server side programming
Server side programming languages are required to integrate your website with a database.
They can perform a multitude of other processes and give your website certain functionality
however they are necessary if your website needs a database attached. Server side
programming languages act as the middle man between your website the database and the
user.
The current server side programming languages and their usage is:
1. PHP - 78.8%
2. ASP.NET - 20.1%
3. Java - 4.1%
4. ColdFusion - 1.1%
5. Perl - 0.8%
6. Ruby - 0.5%
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Choosing a programming language
For functionality, interactivity and usability reasons Client side programming language(s) will
need to be included on my website to create a dynamic experience where the user is not left
waiting for a response from the server. My solution also requires a database to store users
login details, subject choices and other necessary information, for this reason Server side
programming language(s) will also be required to accompany the database my website
needs.
Choosing a Server side programming language
1. PHP
PHP is the most widely used client side programming language and is debatably the
easiest language to learn, most web server providers enable PHP on their servers to
be used as it is commonly required, PHP has the largest forum and support
surrounding it, PHP is very simply embedded within HTML code and is compiled
without need for user interaction, PHP has regular updates and it's free.
2. ASP.NET
ASP.NET requires multiple programs to write and compile the code into usable files,
ASP.NET is difficult to understand as a beginner compared to other languages such
as PHP and ColdFusion, ASP.NET is free but costs for 'advanced' versions of the
free programs, ASP.NET has less support online if problems are encountered.
3. Java
Java is used by only a limited number of people to interface with databases and these
are mainly professionals, Java is difficult to create websites with and is usually used
for just parts of websites, web servers must accept Java and have the ability to run
Java classes for it to be even considered and when creating websites with Java only
a limited amount of support can be found online.
4. ColdFusion
As only 1.1% of web designers use ColdFusion the lack of support would restrict my
ability to choose a viable and cheap web provider which supports it. There is also a
high chance existing modules or program code couldn't be found online for free use
which would leave me stuck if I encountered a problem while designing my solution.
5. Perl
Same problems as ColdFusion
6. Ruby
7. Python
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Choosing a Client side programming language
1. JavaScript
JavaScript integrates well with PHP as it can be used with HTML within a PHP file,
the functionality of JavaScript can also be merged with PHP to create dynamic pages
(for example information could be updated instantly which has been grabbed from a
database), JavaScript is simple to learn and very easy to implement within code,
JavaScript works well with other languages and JavaScript has alot of existing
modules and help online if an unexpected problem is encountered.
2. Flash
Flash is useful for creating graphical and aesthetic websites however Flash is often
invisible to search engines due to the way they process information, Flash cannot be
integrated with PHP and Flash must be enabled on users machines and web browser
or the website won't load.
3. Silverlight
4. Java
Choice of programming languages and how I am going to develop the solution
As HTML is required to design websites I will obviously be using that for the design of my
website which includes everything that is displayed by the browser and can be seen by the
user. For supporting languages I will be using one client side programming language and one
server side programming language. The client side programming language I will be using for
added functionality and ease of use is JavaScript and the Server side programming language
I will be using to interface with the database and provide added functionality is PHP.
Reason for choices of programming languages
JavaScript – Client side programming language
I chose to use JavaScript to provide added functionality and ease of use for the user simply
because of how well it integrates with PHP and HTML and how easily different functionality
can be implemented in code and HTML. It is also helpful that JavaScript is the most widely
used Client side programming language as support will be more readily available and
modules of code could be used in my solution that is copyright free.
PHP – Server side programming language
I chose to use PHP to interface with my server’s database and provide the user with the
required dynamic experience for a successful solution because majority of web servers
available have PHP enabled, PHP works well with JavaScript as they can be implemented
well together and even work together to provide dynamic functionality and no special
programs are required to compile the code unlike other widely used Server side programming
languages.
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Finding a web server provider
Strength of web server required
The maximum amount of users possible
My subject selection website will need to account for one whole year group of students
specifically the year group 10 in my school which are choosing subjects for year 11. In my
school when I was in year 10 I had close to 80 other students choosing subjects for year 11
and my school was close to full at that point with around 50 / 600 vacant positions for future
students which means for future years it's safe to say the maximum amount of students in
year 10 which my website should be able to account for is close to 100 to 120.
It should be expected that the first, possibly second and third day of opening my subject
selection website for use by students and parents will be the busiest however I should
account for any possibilities for example the busiest day could be in the week after release.
Regardless of reason this should be accounted for because the worst case scenario is the
website failing or running unsatisfactory and the users losing trust in the solution.
How much strength does my web server need to handle the maximum users possible
Working out the precise strength a web server will need to handle a specific amount of users
is impossible for a multi-purpose website such as a subject selection website, however, as I
have had experience with hosting websites on shared domains which are multi-purpose and
dynamic I can be confident with a specific domain I have used before which is cheap and has
handled more than 300 users online at a time and was performing more labouring tasks than
my subject selection website will ever have.
The chosen hosting company
The hosting company I have in mind is called Hosting24 and they rent web servers to over
25,000 continuing customers with an uptime of more than 99% on all servers. The cost for an
individual domain is $4.84 a month and for my school the subject selection website will only
need to be online for 1 month, maximum 2.
As the domain is so cheap and has proven to be reliable I do not see it as necessary to look
at other hosting companies and as I said above it's impossible to work out whether the web
server they'll provide you with is strong enough to hold the amount of users my website
requires.
More than one server?
Hosting24 has a proven uptime of 99% on all their servers and the 1% downtime is usually for
maintenance reasons. If their web servers are down the user will be met by a friendly report
on the website which asks them to visit at another time throughout the whole month or two
which the website is online to handle subject selection. As parents and students are given a
whole month or two to choose their subjects and a friendly report will ask for their return soon
I see it as unnecessary to buy another server for a possibly 1-2 day downtime within the
subject selection period.
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Mac v PC Layout v Mobile
Different browsers available to users
Websites can be accessed by different browsers available and common on different devices
and each browser interprets some HTML elements (the language used to make websites)
differently. The interpretation of HTML results in the display of the website. This means
different browsers in some cases display websites differently depending on how the website is
designed to deal with these differences. I have decided to gradually document and design my
website while checking for differences between browsers and accounting for them. Common
web browsers used by users on Windows, Mac and Linux devices will be checked and
include:
Windows
1. Internet Explorer
2. Deepnet Explorer
3. Avant
4. Maxthon
Mac
1. Camino
2. Shiira
3. Omniweb
4. iCab
5. Stainless
6. Fluid
Linux
1. Konqueror
2. Galeon
3. Epiphany
4. Swiftfox
5. Swiftweasel
Available to all
1. Firefox
2. Safari
3. Chrome
4. Opera
5. SeaMonkey
6. Flock
Once each browser is checked while designing each part of my website I will document and
resolve any differences seen between browsers.
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Consideration of relevant design factors
Appropriateness of design solution
The appropriateness of my design solution is the single most important aspect of my product
as the subject selection page that can be generated with my website must be applicable for
each specific school that intends to use it. An example of this is the requirements of two
different schools where one school might require the ability to stop the subject selection
process at any time and another school might require the ability to ask student’s and parent’s
questions as they choose their subjects. Each requirement of the different schools needs to
be understood and handled before the solution is released as each individual subject
selection page is generated automatically and user needs are not managed individually,
rather they are specified on the website as they setup their subject selection page. For this
reason I will have to look at the widest possible variety of user needs before attempting to
create my product. After I have looked at these needs and put them together I will need to
evaluate the website with reference to different schools in terms of how well it suits their
specific needs.
The appropriateness of my design solution is also important as different groups of users will
have different needs and functionality requirements. Students and parents will require a
simple, guided subject selection process, teachers need to be able to enter subject
information and grab student’s subject choices and lastly, coordinators must be able to
manage their subject selection site which includes changing the school crest, colours, design,
any subjects information and viewing student details.
Each user must also be provided with an interface which is most suitable for them. As
examined in my research, students are particularly suited to an online environment which is
interactive and doesn’t leave the wondering what they need to do next, this includes large
fonts, interactive features and pictures. Conversely, adults are better able to read information
and don’t require the website to be interactive. For this reason each page on my website will
be directed at the appropriate user. For example, when students and parents login they will be
provided with a step-by-step and interactive process of choosing subjects. However, when
coordinators and teachers login they will be led directly to the management part of their
solution.
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Needs
Each subject selection page will be generated automatically with my solution so I will not have
contact with the school as they are creating their page. This means their individual needs
must be accounted for within this automatic process and provided as an option for them while
they are generating their subject selection page. For this to occur I must consider different
schools and their needs then include the ability to add the features they require within their
subject selection page in the automatic process of creating their page. From interviewing my
school's coordinator of teaching and learning I worked out that there is only a limited range of
features schools require on their subject selection page. These features include, the ability to
grab student details (including subject choices) at any point in time during the subject
selection process, the ability to layout their subjects in any order, the ability to create teacher
and administrator accounts, the ability for subject coordinators to enter their subjects details
and the ability to ask simple questions such as "Do you wish to go to university after your
schooling here?". This range of features may seem limited and will be extended upon in my
solution however it is all that is required and this is further backed up by the other subject
selection solution incorporating these same needs.
The needs of the student and parent is to be able to understand the process of choosing their
subjects, view subject information of each subject and choose subjects. Students and parents
must also be alerted when they are eligible for an ATAR or not as some students and parents
might not be familiar with the requirements the board of studies puts forth.
Function
The function of my subject selection website is to allow students and parents to choose from
the range of subjects and answer questions set by the appropriate school (if required).
Schools require the ability to setup their subject selection page with their appropriate subjects
and the subjects chosen must incorporate how many ATAR units it includes whether it is a
science or religion subject and if it is a board developed course. This is important as it will be
used to sum up the total ATAR units a student has chosen and tell them whether they are
eligible for an ATAR or not. Students and parents must also be given the option to read
subject information if they do not understand what certain subjects entail.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is specifically important for my product as it allows it to stand out from other
solutions and is used by many users as a means to distinguish products from each other.
User’s perception of aesthetics directly relates to their perceived quality of products therefore,
as there is another online solution to the problem, the aesthetics of my website will have to
improve upon the aesthetics of this other solution so when users visit both websites for the
first time, my website will take precedence over the other possible solution. To ensure this is
the case I can use the other solution to compare to the design of my own solution.
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Finance
There are two perspectives which must be accounted for when considering financial
problems. Firstly I must consider schools and how much it costs them to buy the solution.
Secondly I must consider how much it is going to cost me to setup the website and get it
online.
The other subject selection website (http://subjectselectiononline.com.au/) charges $2000
for the initial setup and $1500 a year after that to keep the website online. If schools however
choose to organise the subject selection process themself than it will not only take them days
of manual work to organise their subject selection but also the costs of buying DVDs and
loading subject information onto it to distribute to students or booklets of paper for each
student which is not only costly but environmentally unfriendly. Depending on how schools
choose to do their subject selection the costs will vary. The reason the other subject selection
website is so expensive is because they setup each schools subject selection page manually
rather than automatically. This means developers must design each solution individually
which is expensive and increases the cost of the solution for schools. With my solution the
process of making a subject selection page is automatic and the page created is available
instantly. This is not only more convenient for schools but it also reduces costs for me and
allows me to create a cheaper solution for schools. Due to this I have chosen to charge $500
per subject selection page and $200 a year to keep it online.
In terms of the expense for myself, the initial setup cost which includes designing the website
and buying the servers will be inexpensive as I am designing the website myself and the cost
of webservers is primarily based off how strong the hardware within the server needs to be.
Initially my website will only be required to hold a maximum of 2000 users and this requires a
webserver which can be purchased for around $50. After that I will buy more servers or
upgrade my webserver so it can handle more users thus more schools.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics in terms of websites is related to the efficiency of it or how easy it is to use. This
is important for the two groups of users that will be using my website. These two groups
include firstly, students and parents, and the secondly, teachers and coordinators. If my
website is difficult for teachers and coordinators to use it is likely schools will not choose to
use it. If it is difficult for students and parents to use they may choose subjects which are not
appropriate for them, fail to complete the process of choosing subjects online or complain
about the solution to their school. Generally a website which is easier to use has an increased
appeal among users and will be more successful. To create an easy to use website I decided
to make the process of choosing subjects guided by steps. Each step must be completed by
the user before the next step commences. This helps break down the process and allows the
user to focus on one thing at a time. Each step will be displayed in order on the left side of the
screen in list form. For teachers, their role within the website is to enter their subjects
information so I have decided to list their subjects for them as soon as they login to the
website which they can click on to edit it's information. Nearby will be a button which allows
teachers to view their subjects page or print student details. For coordinators they are
displayed a similar interface to teachers except they are also presented with the option to
change how the subject selection page looks or works.
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Occupational, Health and safety
Occupational, health and safety is not particularly relevant for a website which will be used for
a short period of time as problems related to OHS arise after long periods of computer use.
However OHS has still been considered within my product by incorporating larger fonts and
fonts with serifs (for readability). Larger fonts will mean users will not have to squint to read
which could potentially cause eye strain and serifs will also help increase readability as
proven in my research.
Quality
Quality in terms of a website relates to how quickly it responds and loads web pages and its
uptime. To ensure my website is of highest quality I have looked into the strength of hardware
components required to process multiple users requests to my website and will use such
hardware to host my website so each users request is processed within a suitable time. The
uptime of my website has also been taken into account as I am going to buy a backup server
in case the main server used to host my website goes down. Therefore my website should be
able to meet the high quality I am aiming for.
**** For DT am I supposed to write that or how my solution is a quality product in terms of
software (as described in SDD book)
Short term and long term environmental consequences
Obsolescence
Life cycle analysis
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Evidence of creativity
How the website is going to be designed
To incorporate all user needs which have been worked out and discussed through my
research I am going to design my website to work as follows:
There will be an initial website which schools must visit to setup their subject selection page.
Here the user will be presented with information on and reasons as to why they should use
my solution. If the school does choose to create their own subject selection page they will not
visit this part of the website again rather they will visit their individual subject selection page
that has been generated. When the schools individual subject selection page has been
created a coordinator account will be sent to the schools coordinator which is used for the first
login to that schools subject selection page. Here the coordinator will be required to enter the
details of the school, student and teacher accounts and what they require for their subject
selection page.
Below is an example of the homepage which will be visited by schools before they setup their
subject selection page. This page is useful as it allows the school to work out how my solution
can solve their needs. The homepage will include a video accompanied by text to display the
solution to the coordinator. This will be used to show the coordinator how the solution
accounts for students/parents/teachers and coordinators to give them the best possible
solution to the problem.
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The homepage is also going to have various links on it which are not displayed in the picture.
These links include, try now, purchase, contact us and FAQ.
Try now will provide the school with an example solution where they are able to run through
the processes that students/teachers and coordinators would complete on the website. This
allows coordinators to generate trust in my solution as they will know before they have to pay
for it that it is going to account for their precise needs.
Purchase will allow the coordinator to buy their subject selection page which can be setup and
used instantly. On the purchase page coordinators will create their admin account and supply
basic information to get the initial website created. To edit and design their subject selection
page further the coordinator must login to their subject selection page through their
administrator account.
Contact us will be a section where coordinators can ask questions from me regarding
anything to do with my website or any problems they are having.
FAQ will supply the coordinator with a bunch of frequently asked questions and their answers
to prevent me from being asked the same question multiple times and to make it quicker for
coordinators to find answers to commonly asked questions.
Initial login after solution has been purchased
Once the schools subject selection page has been created, the coordinator will be required to
login to their subject selection page to set it up and enter required details before it goes online
for students/parents and teachers to use.
These required details include:
• Student/Coordinator/Teacher details and accounts
• Subjects the school takes
• Page design (school crest, background and text colours)
• Subject layout
To ensure that one person does not have to enter all these details the coordinator is able to
make more accounts specific to the schools subject selection website with coordinator
privileges. This means more than one person is able to log on and edit the subject selection
pages information.
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Below is an example of the initial login that will be made after the school has paid for their
subject selection website. Here the coordinator will use their username and password to login
and begin entering the required details for the schools subject selection page.
Once logged in, coordinators will be presented with an interface which allows them to enter
the information required for their schools subject selection page. This information includes,
initial information and questions to be read and answered by students and parents, subjects,
accounts and website layout. An example of this is shown below:
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Information required for schools subject selection page
The only information that is required for schools to enter is, what subjects they want within
their subject selection process, the layout of their subjects, the colour scheme, school logo
and student accounts. Once this information has been entered the schools subject selection
website is operational however this only serves the minimum requirements possible.
Initial information can also be entered by coordinators which is used to explain the
requirements the school has of the student/parent while choosing subjects and introduce
them to the subject selection process. Initial information is the first thing students and parents
will see after they login.
Questions to be answered can also be submitted by coordinators which are questions
requiring a response from students and parents to questions such as "Do you plan on going
to university". This provides useful information to schools as they relate directly to the
requirements of subject selection. For example if a student plans to go to university they
require an ATAR which makes it important they choose subjects that allow them to get an
ATAR.
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Student, teacher and coordinator accounts can be added through uploading an excel,
notepad or word file with their details to make the process of creating user accounts quicker
for the coordinator rather than forcing the coordinator to manually enter in each student. Also
once each account has been created the coordinators can view a printable version of the
accounts to make it easy for the coordinator to distribute the accounts to each user.
Once this initial information has been entered coordinators are still able to edit any of the
information entered and add more accounts however their subject selection page is now
accessible by students and parents and other teachers and coordinators once their respective
accounts have been distributed to them. Now the subject selection page has been setup
coordinators and teachers are also given the ability to view an example of their subject
selection page from the perspective of a student account to see what their page looks like and
decide whether further changes need to be made.
The coordinators page would look similar to the picture below once the initial information has
been entered:
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When any user visits the schools subject selection page they are prompted to choose from
two options, parent/student login and administrator login which will be used by teachers and
coordinators. An example of this screen is shown below.
If administrator login is chosen then the coordinator or teacher will be required to enter their
username and password which will log them into the administrator section of their schools
subject selection website.
If a teacher logs in then the following interface will be displayed:
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If a coordinator logs in then the following interface will be shown:
Teachers role on the website
The teachers role on the schools subject selection website is to enter subject information for
the subjects they teach which will be seen by students and parents when viewing that specific
subject. For example, a Business teacher would be required and able to enter the subject
information for Business on the schools website. Teachers are also able to view student
subject choices which can be used in consultation with students and parents to confirm the
choices they have made are appropriate for them. For example, my school has what is called
a 'parent teacher night' where the teachers verify the subjects the student has chosen are
appropriate for them and what they want to do in the future. My website would assist the
teacher in this situation as he/she is able to grab the students subject choices which would be
used in this consultation.
Coordinators role on the website
Coordinators on the schools subject selection website are able to edit any details of the
subject selection process. This includes, creating accounts, changing subjects and their
layout, entering information to be read by students and parents, changing the colour scheme
of the website and entering subject information. Coordinators are technically the people in
charge of the subject selection website therefore they are able to change anything within it.
Assigning more than one coordinator account would be most useful when creating student
and teacher accounts as this is the most time consuming process in setting up the subject
selection page and allowing more than one coordinator account means the task of it can be
shared among multiple people which takes the work load off one person and shortens the
time it takes to create all the accounts.
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If parent/student login is chosen then the student will be required to enter his/her username
and password provided by the school to an interface which looks similar to the design below:
The steps on the right may be different depending on whether the school has entered initial
information and questions to be answered. For example, step 2 might be initial information,
step 3 might be questions to be answered, step 4 might be choose subjects and step 5 will be
confirm choices.
Initial information would be a separate step which would present the user with all the
information on subject selection required to be read before continuing. Below this information
would be a button that the user must click to continue to the next step.
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Questions to be answered would be the next step after initial information. The user would be
presented with each question the school requires answers to for their subject selection. Here
the user is required to answer each question before continuing on to the next step.
Choose subjects would be the next step after the user has answered all the compulsory
questions and the layout of these subjects would be in either lines or no lines format
depending on what the school has chosen.
Nolines would look similar to the picture below:
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Lines would look similar to the picture below:
The student is able to click onto each subject to view it's information then they are required to
choose at least 5 subjects for their HSC.
Once this is complete the student and parent must confirm their choices to complete their
subject selection.
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Evidence of creativity
Automatic process
The other online subject selection website is manual and requires the developers to create
each individual subject selection website for each school. My solution creates the subject
selection website automatically which means the solution is ready as soon as it has been paid
for . This allows me to sell the solution cheaper because it does not require manual labour of
myself or other web designers each time a school requires a subject selection website.
Simple student data management
Teachers and coordinators are able to grab student data which includes all their subject
choices from the subject selection website whenever they require. Whereas in cases where
schools do not do their subject selection online they must collect all student choices off each
individual student .
CDs and paperwork not required
Depending on how the specific school chooses to do their subject selection they are required
to buy CDs or create booklets of paper which explains subject selection to students and
provides them with subject information. However if the school uses my online solution they
will not have to spend the time creating such booklets of paper and CDs as the process is
streamlined for them which will save them both money and time.
How schools will test the solution (try now)
When I was considering how schools would test my solution I wanted to make it as accessible
as possible before the school had to pay for the solution so schools knew it would solve their
exact needs before paying for the solution. Initially I thought a video of an example subject
selection page would achieve this however as I progressed further into the design I realised
that it was more appropriate to allow schools to setup their subject selection website and
restrict them from making student accounts until they buy the solution. This allows schools to
be certain that the solution will work and solve their needs before they pay for the solution and
also accounts for the security of my website because schools are still required to pay for the
solution before they can use it.
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Database layout issue
After I worked out each requirement of my website I decided it was appropriate to begin
working on the database which would link the data of my website together and allow data to
interface with my website appropriately. Working out the database layout proved very difficult
as it had to account for the different options teachers have in terms of the layout of subjects
and required subjects. For example, if teachers choose their subjects to be laid out in lines
then the database must read from a certain table and if teachers choose their subjects to be
laid out without lines then the database will read from a different table. To resolve these
issues I wrote down every requirement of the database on a piece of paper and drew out the
database layout on paper. I would then check if the layout I had drawn would resolve each
requirement of the website. I repeated this until I created a database layout that would resolve
each requirement.
The drawings I created are shown and discussed below:
The desired layout of subjects - Lines or no lines
Schools have two possible options in regard to how they want their subjects to be laid out.
These two options are lines or no lines. Lines means there will be lines of subjects which can
be chosen and only one subject from each line can be chosen. Each line represents when the
different subjects will be running. For example, if geography and PDHPE are on the same line
then these two classes will be on at the same time therefore a student can only choose one of
these two subjects. No lines means there will be a list of required subjects and a list of subject
choices. Students will be required to choose one subject from each required group of subjects
plus another few subjects of their own choice to make up there 10 ATAR units required for an
ATAR or 10 units and at least 6 ATAR units if they are not going for an ATAR.
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Once I worked out how different schools present their subjects to students for subject
selection I asked my schools coordinator for the requirements students must meet to receive
an ATAR and the layout of our schools subjects for subject selection so i could better
understand how subjects need to be laid out in the database so this same process can be
replicated on my website. My schools coordinator gave me the two following sheets which I
used as an example for the lines subject layout which needs to be implemented on my subject
selection website.
The sheet below is what students at my school use to complete subject selection. As can be
seen there is a range of questions and a layout of subjects in the form of lines. As discussed
students can only choose one subject from each line and as my school is Catholic at least 1
unit of Religious studies must be chosen.
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The next sheet which is shown below is the eligibility requirements for the higher school
certificate. These are the requirements that every student must follow to receive their HSC.
This means my website must ensure each student:
• Studies a minimum of 12 units in the Preliminary course and a minimum of 10 units in
the HSC course.
• Studies at least 6 units from Board Developed Courses including at least 2 units of a
Board Developed Course in English and a minimum of 1 unit of Religious Education
Courses (because my school is Catholic).
• Studies at least three courses of 2 units value or greater.
• Studies at least four subjects.
• Not study more than 6 units of courses in Science to contribute to Higher School
Certificate eligibility.
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Once I worked out the eligibility requirements for the higher school certificate and ATAR I
created questions which would be asked of the school when setting up their subject selection
page.
The sheet I created is shown below and these questions that I created will be asked on my
subject selection website when each school is setting up their subject selection page.
I did this so I was able to grasp what questions needed to be asked of students on each
schools subject selection page so the student is able to receive an ATAR and the subjects will
be laid out how the school requires.
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Using the questions I created I was able to design database tables which would store this
information. The database tables I designed were initially laid out on an a4 piece of paper and
are shown below:
Below is a picture of the tables with the fields listed that I am going to use for the lines layout
of subjects:
The picture below is the database layout for no lines that I am going to implement for my
database:
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Application of conclusions
From my research on how different age groups of people find it easiest to use websites I
discovered that teenagers have the need to be stimulated while using websites therefore they
work best with interactive features, a clean design and layout, and uncluttered information.
Also, teenagers don’t like small font sizes as it does not cater for their desire to quickly scan
through web pages and teenagers are more able to and prefer to interpret information which
is presented visually rather than dense with text.
Conversely, adults don’t require stimulation and interactive features to maintain their focus as
they are able to keep concentration when reading large amounts of information. However,
adults are still happy to work with the simplistic functionality teenagers require.
From my research on general functionality and usability requirements I found different areas
of design that should be considered within my user interface, these areas are:
White space can be used to split information up or direct the user’s eyes to something
on the interface.
2. Proper use of colour and graphics
Colours can be used within an interface to direct the user’s attention to a particular
area of the screen or divide the page into sections. Graphics can be used instead of
text to save space on the interface and save the user’s time.
3. Grouping of information
Grouped information allows the user to quickly understand the purpose of the
particular interface in the shortest possible time.
Legible text makes it easy for users to make out each word or character on the
screen. Therefore, it makes the process of understanding the website as simple as
possible.
5. Effective prompts
Prompts allow the developer to get the attention of the user and are most commonly
used as a reminder as to what is required.
6. Provision of feedback
Feedback provision is useful for users as it tells them instantaneously whether their
action has been processed or not. It keeps them up to date on what is happening
behind the scenes and how much longer they will need to wait.
A consistent design allows the user to quickly familiarise themselves with it which
means the user to follow the website throughout.
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