Figure 1.2a System Scope Block Diagram
1. System Overview
The recent advancement in information technology has evolved to where it is easy to archive and retrieve various types of multimedia information such as text, images, audio, and video.
And though multimedia plays a prominent role in the curriculum of foreign
language courses, many language departments have yet to actually tap into the
newfound resources provided by the internet.
The International (French) Cross Cultural Teaching Model (ICTM) takes a step towards bridging this technology gap by simplifying the process by which multimedia can be incorporated into a course's curriculum via the internet. Furthermore, the ICTM can be viewed as a collaborative forum -- a site at which multiple instructors can gather and contribute their ideas and material to the instructional site, thereby enhancing the breadth of the material contained at that site.
The ICTM also takes into consideration the needs of the students who explore
the site by providing functionality that enables them to efficiently search
and translate pages of information. Inherent to any teaching model, is a
means by which students and instructors can effectively communicate with one
another and the ICTM provides a bulletin board by which this can be made
possible.
1.1 System Objectives
Presently, the French and Italian Department offers two courses that explore various aspects of French culture. The current system combines traditional teaching methods (handouts, slides, etc.) with web-based resources in an attempt to convey the social and political trends of 20th century France. The major limitations of this system are exhibited in the forms of availability, usability, and collaboration.
The ICTM offers drastic changes and improvements over the current system that is employed by instructors in the University of Southern California French and Italian Department. To begin, many of the language instructors do not have the time nor the technical knowledge necessary to develop and/or maintain a course web page. Thus, instructors currently employ student assistants to alleviate much of the technical burden associated with web page maintenance and creation. One of the objectives of the ICTM is to simplify this process so that instructors may play a more prominent role in the design of the course site. Consequently, the course site is a mold, an image of what the instructor would like to see and what the instructor would like the enrolled students to see as well.
And unlike the current system where a course site is modified by a single instructor, another objective of the ICTM is to incorporate a collaborative element into the system whereby multiple instructors -- some of whom may be overseas (in Paris for example) -- can collectively discuss and add material to the instructional site. Not only does this reduce the cost in terms of time spent by the student assistant and/or instructor searching for appropriate material for the site, but it greatly increases the concentration of content that is contained at the site.
But what good is concentrating all this related material into one site if the user has no means by which he/she can effectively sort through the information? Thus, in order to solve this dilemma, another objective of the ICTM is to provide various functions that will allow the user to search through the information contained at the site.
Additionally, there may be instances where a user may not understand the information contained within a page due to language barriers. The ICTM is aimed at helping students learn more effectively by providing a translation element by which students can conveniently translate pages that would have otherwise deterred them from reading or comprehending the information contained on the web page.
Lastly, newsgroups and email are the predominant means by which students and instructors can communicate with one another in the current system but the final objective of the ICTM is to consolidate both means of communication into the student site in the form of a bulletin board and a form emailer to the instructor. The logic is that convenience will encourage students to post and ask questions regarding course related topics and material, thereby creating an intellectually stimulating environment -- an environment that emulates an ideal teaching model.
1.2 System Scope and Context
The proposed system is divided into two sites: a student site and an
instructor site. Following authorization, a user will enter the student site
and have access to all of the functionality contained at that site. This
includes browsing, searching, and translating the web pages contained at the
site.
The search element of the system allows the user to search both texts and images in the database but with the following restriction: keyword descriptions must accompany all images on the ICTM web pages to allow the user to perform images searches.
When a user clicks on the link to translate a desired page, the user is simply following a link to a translated version of the page that has already been translated and stored on the server. Thus, due to performance concerns, the translation of a page is not done upon a user's request, but instead, when the instructor users saves and updates changes that he/she has made to a web page. Note that the translation feature is restricted to pages that are stored locally on the server. No translation will be provided for links to remote sites.
In addition, the user will have access to a bulletin board and a form emailer, which are built-in features of the student site. Note that a user at this stage can be a student or an instructor. Instructors have access to all functions at the student site and rightfully so, since questions and comments from students that are posted to the student bulletin board, may be directed towards an instructor.
The proposed system also allows valid instructor users to access the instructor site which is unavailable to all student users. There, an instructor has the ability to create web pages as well as the ability to modify existing ones. A dummy page will be displayed on the screen as a means for the instructor to preview the page that he/she is creating. Though the dummy page does not possess any functionality (in that the user cannot follow a link or open an audio/video file), it is here that the instructor actually performs the web authoring commands: text manipulation, add link/image, delete link/image.
Due to concurrency issues, only one instructor will be allowed to modify a single page at any given time. Furthermore, an instructor user will also have at his/her disposal, a bulletin board -- equivalent in functionality to the student bulletin board -- as well as the ability to fetch multimedia files from remote locations.
The system administrator has direct access to the system and performs various administrative functions, such as user account management. The administrator also has the sole privilege of deleting any files stored at the site. No user has the ability to delete a file and must put in a request to delete files to the system administrator. The system administrator should work in conjunction with UCS to maintain backups of the system data in the event of data loss or corruption.
A top level block diagram of the ICTM is shown in Figure 1.2a and a use case diagram is shown in Figure 1.2b.
Figure 1.2b System Use Case DiagramThe current system has begun to utilize the web as an instructional vehicle, but it is only in a fledgling state. Presently, the current system is comprised of a single web page, which is developed and maintained by a hired student assistant. Material is added to the site by the student assistant at the request of the instructor. Student users are able to access this site, but the amount of material contained at the site and the functionality provided to the student is minimal.
Search element:
The current system provides no means by which a user can search through the information contained at the site.
In order for an instructor to incorporate multimedia elements, such as French cultural photos or French newspaper clippings, into a course's curriculum, the material must must either spend time searching the web or searching through a library's collection of material.
Communications element:
The current system allows students and instructors to communicate with one another via
private channels (email) as well as public forums (newsgroups). But it falls short
in convenience and accessibility.
Collaborative element:
The current system lacks a collaborative component which would allow two or more instructors to input material from various locations. Though a remote instructor can fax, email, or mail material to another instructor
for incorporation into a course's curriculum, the current system provides no convenient means by
which he/she can simply add material without having to contact the instructor for permission, advice, etc.
In other words, instructors may find the existing method of collaboration to be more trouble than
it's worth.
Translation element:
In the current system, if a user encounters a file composed in a language that he/she is not able to
comprehend, the user may either manually sift through a translation dictionary and translate
the information or bypass the file entirely. No convenient translation mechanism is at the user's
disposal in the exisiting system.
4. Changes to Current System and Rationale
The following capabilities will be supported by the new ICTM system:
Maintain User Authentication : User name and password will be needed to prevent foreign users from accessing user sites
Web Page Creation : Allows the instructor user to create web pages.
Web Page Authoring : Allows the instructor user to perform various web editing commands (text manipulation, add link/image, delete link/image).
Web Page Selection : Allows the instructor user to flip through the existing web pages contained at the site and/or directly go to a desired web page by simply entering the page number of the file that the link refers to.
Fetching and Archiving : Allows a user to fetch and archive information from remote sites.
Bulletin Board Access: Allows a user to post messages to a public communications forum in the form of a Bulletin Board.
Translation : Allows a user to translate a local web page to French, English, or back to the original version of the web page.
Search : Allows a user to search for text or images stored at the site. Searches on images,
are based on the keyword descriptions that an instructor user attaches to the image.
4.1 Description and Prioritization of Changes
The following sections will prioritize and describe the capabilities of the ICTM.
Web page authoring
Priority: Essential
Description:
Collaborative Component
Priority : Desirable
Description: The ICTM will incorporate a collaborative component which would allow two or more instructors to input material either from LA or from Paris. In other words, the ICTM will allow multiple instructors at different locations to input their material to one instructional site.
Web page as interface
Priority : Essential
Description: For users, the interface will provide authentication (by user name and password) to prevent foreign users from accessing both the user and instructor sites. Also this application will allow the instructor user to automatically create links to documents, video, and audio. All users including students needs not to be an expert in html. For the users who have very little computer skills, the ICTM will provide the user with a user-friendly interface for making a web page.
On-line French/English translation
Priority : Essential
Description: The ICTM will provide the ability to translate French and English text on-line. A user at USC might not be fluent in French, but may want to read something posted by the USC in Paris site which is written completely in French. Having the ability to see an English translation would make it much easier for the English-speaking student to understand.
Archiving of course material
Priority : Desirable
Description: The ICTM will provide the instructor users to have an archive of their course material(Pictures, newspaper and magazine articles, video and audio clips). Also, the ICTM will provide some newspaper and magazine articles scanned.
Dummy page
Priority : Desirable
For the user who want to see a dummy page before submitting something which he or she has just inputted, the ICTM will provide the dummy page which is of what the user web page will look like, showing photos, links, etc.
Search Engine
Priority : Essential
The ICTM will provide a flexible and fast search engine. It will be able to search for whatever keywords the user enters. Also, It will provide the ability for searching both texts and photos.
Bulletin board
Priority : Desirable
The student users will be provided the ability to communicate with each other and with the instructors via on-line communication through bulletin board.
Graphic User Interface (GUI)
Priority : Desirable
The GUI at the instructor site must be intuitive and simple to use. Furthermore, complex functionality such as fetch, file I/O (directory structure, file archiving, etc.) should be kept hidden from the user. This will be naturally a simple and intuitive GUI for users.
Time stamping
Priority : Desirable
The time stamp at the top will be presented in every student page.
Instructor email
Priority : Desirable
A link to email the instructor will be provided. Student user can email an instructor through it easily.
Link updating
Priority : Optional
Obsolete links or URL changes will be automatically updated by the system.
Modification log
Priority : Optional
The time stamp at the top of every student page will follow a link to a page detailing the updates made for that particular page.
4.2 Assumptions and
Constraints
Hardware Requirement
The minimum computer needed to interact with the ICTM is a computer with at least 16 Megabytes of RAM and 8 Megabytes of free hard disk space.Also It should be compatible to Webrowser such Newtscpe or Explorer
Basic Knowledge
All users on the system must have minimum basic computer experience.
Capabilities Limitation
The some functions (including recall, print, and record operations) which WWW browser can provide will not be provide.
4.3 Rationale for New Capabilities
The current system is very primitive, inconvenient, and time consuming. With the ICTM, all users, including instructors and students will gain good achievement for all of classes in which they use the ICTM. The ICTM will provide users with the ability to search, fetch, forum, and translate. The most outstanding nature of the ICTM is to deal with educational and reliable text and image resources including photos, scanned newspapers, and journals. The main goal of the ICTM is to build a very valuable teaching model to be utilized conveniently by the people who intend to use the library resources with the educational purpose.
The current system does not contribute the library to achieve its goal because of the shortfalls of the current system. The the current system should be replaced to gain a highly effective and convenient automated system with desired capabilities.
The new system does not require people to come to the Library. Even it easily connects user page to links relative the Class. The system interacts with World Wide Web(WWW) Browser. So, the users in LA as well as Paris can access the system. There is no specific time constraint for accessing the system which serves the new coming users for 24 hours.
For all user, GUI(Graphic User Interface) will be provide. Also, the user can browse multilevel categories from the top level to the bottom level to search precise information including both texts and images. Also, the user can fetch whatever he or she wants to archive in system database. In this system, the student users will be provided the ability to communicate with each other and with the instructors via on-line communication. This service will be provided as the form of Bulletin Board.
The ICTM will provide the ability to translate French and English text on-line. A user at USC might not be fluent in French, but may want to read something posted by the USC in Paris site which is written completely in French. Having the ability to see an English translation would make it much easier for the English-speaking student to understand. Similarly, a professor in Paris might not be fluent in French, but might want to read an English document. Thus, translations would make it easy for users to understand any document on the site, whether it was originally written in French or English. Translating documents in both languages also makes it easier for doing searches using French and English keywords. Also because this application is provided through on-line, users need not to have a copy of the translators on their own computer to do the translation. This is no t feasible since it would be both inconvenient and expensive to require every user to have a copy of the translator.
The quick retrieval capability improves the performance of the current time consuming search operation. It eliminates slow manual workload and saves the time for both instructor user and student user. Because of this fast and convenient access to the system of the library and retrieval of them, people can have images needed for the education easily.
4.4 Changes Considered but Not Included
Live Communications
The customer initially wanted to have some form of live, real-time communications between
instructors but due to technology and time constraints, the
ICTM, instead, uses a bulletin board as an acceptable alternative vehicle for live communications.
Interdepartmental Support
Due to time constraints, the ICTM is focused initially on the French version of the cross cultural teaching model and will allow for enough modularity so that single byte languages such as Italian, Spanish, etc. can
be suppported in the future. Thus, the translation feature for our proposed system is currently limited to
bilingual translation (French and English).
5. Concept of Operation for the Proposed
Syste
5.1 Operational Overview
All users who use the ICTM for their class and UCS access and operate the system for their tasks from the outside of the system. Student users will not be provided some services. General OperationInstructor users access the system through Internet with Web Browser.
Figure5.1
Bulletin Board
A bulletin board will serve as pseudo-live communications forum by which students and instructors can communicate with one another. Students can read and post messages only on the student bulletin board and instructors can read and post on both bulletin boards. To post, users may only push post button. The username, the date, and the time will be posted along with each user's message to ensure integrity and proper identification. Each bulletin board will possess a sorting mechanism based on date. So, a user should be able to click on a date and retrieve all the messages that were posted on that particular date. In addition, both bulletin boards will possess a mechanism by which outdated messages will be automatically deleted after a period of two months.
Search
The student site will also support searching for text keywords in the web pages created by the instructors at the instructional site. The query will be provided in both French and English and the results, and user can search what he or she wants to find by typing some query and pushing enter.
Query searches on images will be done by same way because system will allow instructors to include keyword descriptions.
To email instructor
If user push email button, a link to email the instructor will appear. Student user can email an instructor through it easily.
Add Link
The instructor user can add links including various URL, various files, and web pages which he or she made.
Fetch
The instructor user can ftp media using our proposed system. Because of incorporating the ftp feature into our system, user can use fetch what he or she want to do. However all the user will need to know is the location or ftp address of the desired file, because directory structure and ftp commands are kept invisible.
Modification log
The time stamp at the top of every student page should follow a link to a page detailing the updates made for that particular page.
5.2 Operational Stakeholders
5.2.1 Roles and Responsibilities
Student user
The student user is a casual user. The student users access the system to search information, to post bulletin board, to translate, and to email the instructor user. However, student users cannot fetch information and create new web pages. Also, they have to obtain unique user account.They have responsibilities following:
Obtain training, comply with the system policies and constraints, and wait until order information received.
Instructor user
The instructor user can do whatever all of student user can. Also, instructor user can make new web pages and link these. In addition, the instructor user can fetch information which he or she wants to archive in database.
They have responsibilities following:
Obtain training, comply with the system policies
and constraints, and wait until order information
received.
Operators
They can do something such as loading data and collecting images which instructor user do. They have to accommodate data, service growth and change, control the user account, ship the mail order.
They have responsibilities following :
Obtaining system training, filling the description, protect the user privacy and image copyright, operate the system, back up the system files.
Service Maintainer
They have to perform corrective, adaptive and perfect maintenance on software. They have the responsibility of updating the system.
UCS
They can do something such as loading data and collecting images which instructor user do.
5.2.2 Operational Assumptions
All users know how to access the system through Internet with World Wide Web (WWW). The users have an ability to accept the operational training. The operator has an enough ability to be an operator by training. All the user will need to know is the location or ftp address of the desired file.
Initially, every potential user will be capable of logging into the system. Login function will serve as a common starting point for all potential users of this system - unauthorized users will be filtered out at this stage. Following validation, a user will then proceed to the student site which consists of a student page, the student bulletin board, and the student capabilities. A link to the instructor site will also be available, though only instructor users will be granted access. The system should keep track of a user's username so that another login prompt should be unnecessary. The operator checks the transaction and takes care of the registered user. If the system is updated or changed, the UCS informs the updated changed fact, and the explanation of the fact to the user and the operator.
5.2.3 Organizational Relationships
Figure 5.2.3
5.3 Operational Capabilities and Viewpoints
Figure 5.3-df
Figure 5.3-df
5.4 Operational Modes
Performance:
The translation of a web page should be done as soon as the page is updated. This means that when a web page is updated, it is sent to the translation provider. Thereupon, the translated versions of the web page are sent back to the ICTM server for storage and future retrieval. Because the translated versions of each web page are stored locally on the server, the translation overhead on the student user end is minimal since it simply involves following a link to the desired web page. Thus, the performance concern here is with the initial translation of newly created/updated web pages. The other performance concern is with the search mechanism. Because the search is restricted to just the web pages created by the instructors which are stored locally on the server, the query should be relatively fast and should return results to the user within 10 seconds.
Usability:
Another primary attribute of the ICTM must be its usabilty. Non-experienced instructors should be able to enter the instructional site and make use of all the available functionality in order to modify the student site. The user interface should be uncomplicated and intuitive enough for any user to understand; however, a link to a modest help page detailing instructions and frequently asked questions will be provided to accommodate the user. The bulletin board feature, furnished on both user and instructor sites, is simply a text message box with a button to submit and post the message to the proper bulletin board.
The remaining student capabilities must also be intuitive and user friendly. Translation merely requires the user to select a link to the French, English, or original version of the web page. Likewise, the search mechanism should easy to use, allowing the user to just input the desired keyword, which subsequently returns a comprehensive, yet coherent, list of query results.
Security:
By implementing an authorization mechanism, non-authorized users will not be able to gain access to either the student or instructor pages. Furthermore, valid student users will strictly have access to the student pages contained at the ICTM. Student users will not be granted access to private information contained at the instructor site and have the ability tamper with the student pages. Valid instructor users, however, will have super-user privileges, able to access both the student and instructor sites.
Reliability:
Backup copies of the student web pages should be maintained by the UCS in the event of data loss.
Maintainability:
System maintenance should only require one student assistant to set up user accounts and deal with any system problems or errors that might occur. If the system is not implemented with a mechanism by which obsolete links are updated, the system administrator should take care of this responsibility at regular monthly intervals.
5.6 Operational Policies and Constraints
General Requirements
The system is available on-line 24 hours a day.
Multiple users can access the system concurrently.
Each user has only one account.
Access to the student site is only allowed after verifying the a user's
login name and password. Only professors have access to the
instructor user page.
Delete Restriction
Web pages can only be deleted by the system administrator.
Quality Limitation
The system will be limited by the quality of the digitized photos or scanned newspapers.
5.7 Support Concept
The system maintainer will be reponsible for backing up as well as maintaining the system. UCS keeps records regarding the information of the registered users.
A user enters a login name and password. If the username and password are legal, then the user is allowed to access the student site. Another reason for having a login system is so that we know who uses the system and to have a way of identifying the people that post messages on the bulletin board. Authorized instructors can access the instructor site by selecting the correct link from the student site.
For Student user:
Bulletin board scenario
A student user wishes to post a message to the bulletin board. The student user enters a message into the text field and clicks on the "post" button to submit the message. The student's message, along with the username, the date, and the time of the message get posted to the bulletin board to hold users accountable for what they write.
Translation scenario
A student user wishes to view a particular translation of a student site web page. The student user clicks on the link for the desired language (French, English, Original), and retrieves the pre-translated page which is stored locally on the server. The translation options are then updated to reflect the student user's current status, meaning that if the user is browsing the French version of a page, the link to the French page is "off" while the links to the English and original versions are "on" or active.
Search scenario
A student user wishes to perform a search on a particular keyword. The student user enters the keyword(s) into the search text field and clicks on the search button to process the query. A list of query results are then returned to the user.
For Instructor user:
Bulletin board scenario
Identical to the student user bulletin board scenario, except that only instructors can post messages to it.
Translation and Search scenario is student the same
as user scenarios.
6.2 Variant Scenarios
Web Page Create scenario
An instructor user wishes to create a new web page at the ICTM. The instructor user clicks on the new page button which internally creates a new .html file and assigns a new page number to the page. The previous page is moved off the screen and the blank page is displayed to the user along with its assigned page number.
Fetch scenario
An instructor user wishes to ftp or fetch a file from a remote site. The instructor user then clicks on the fetch button which prompts the user to enter the name and the ftp address of the desired file. If the filename or address location are incorrect, then the system will inform the user appropriately. Otherwise, the file is stored on the server for future insertion into a student web page.
Adding links and images scenario
An instructor user wishes to add links or images to an existing web page at the ICTM. The instructor user repeatedly clicks on the left or right arrow buttons to cycle through the existing web pages to the desired page. The user can also select a page by typing in the page number and clicking the "go to page" button. Modifications are then made by the user to the web page displayed in the text editor box.
To add a link, the user either highlights some text and clicks on the link
button or just clicks on the link button which would require that the user
enter the name of the link. The user then needs to specify where the link
points to by entering either the URL of a remote site or the page number of
a local web page. If the user wants to add an image, the user clicks on the
image button which brings up a wizard/screen with a list of the available
images on the server. When the user is satisfied with the way the "dummy
page" looks, the instructor clicks on save, and the student site is updated
with the contents of the "dummy page."
6.3 Exception-Handling Scenarios
Consider the case where a user enters in a keyword which is not found in any
of the student site web pages. A "Not Found" error message is displayed on the screen. The user clicks on the "Back" button to return to the search page. Because the keywords the user typed previously reappear, the user notices that the keywords are typed wrong.
6.4 Support Scenarios
Translation
When a web page is created or modified, it is sent to the translator site
where a French and English version of the web page is created. Thus, each
web page on the student site has three versions: an English version, a French
version, and the Original version which could be composed of a mixture of
French and English. At the top of every web page on the student site, there
are links to the three versions: the English version, the French version,
and the Original version. To see a certain version, the user simply selects
the desired link and the appropriate version will be loaded.
Instructor email
A link to email the instructor will be provided for students to email their comments, suggestions, and questions to the instructor. When the user pushes the instructor email button, the email form will appear. The student then types their message, and the email is delivered.
7. Operational Impact
7.1 Operational Impacts
The impacts of the operations supported by the new system are expected to be great. It eliminates all the manual time spent for the operation of the current system. The new operations improve the efficiency of the current system, and provides an easier way of accessing and using course materials.
7.2 Organizational Impacts
In order to use the ICTM, UCS will be required to attend one week of Maintainer training. All users will be required to attend training and guidance sessions from UCS. Instructors will be required to have the most training. The student assistant for the class will be responsibile for taking care of administrative matters.
7.3 Impacts During Development
The impacts on the development of the system after prototyping is big. The prototype suggests new problems and difficulties of the implementation of the functions proposed and shows a certain direction of the planning, design, development, and implementation of the system. Some of the proposed functions before the prototype were dropped because of the difficulties and constraints of the system development. Some of the functions that were not considered to be developed will be reconsidered later since they are not essential, but they may be desirable to have.
8. Analysis Result
The ICTM will provide a good international instructional model. Using the ICTM is not difficult because the ICTM provides a very user-friendly GUI. With the ICTM, all the course archives in the ICTM will be available to all users of the ICTM anytime.
9. Notes
Our team’s project html version is in following
URL:
http://nunki.usc.edu:8082/~cs577/team16
10. Glossary
Authentication: The verification of the identity of a person or process. In our
proposed system,
authentication verifies that a user is a registered instructor and/or student.
Authoring web pages: The modification of a web page. In our ICTM system, the editing operations that an instructor can choose from are adding and deleting links and images. The authoring of a web page typically consists of creating an HTML file and editing it directly by hand. Our system will shield the instructor user from having to know HTML, will create HTML files, and allow the addition/deletion v of links and images by merely clicking on a few buttons and entering some simple commands.
Bulletin Board: In reference to a physical piece of board on which people can pin messages written on paper for general consumption - a "physical bboard"), a bulletin board is a computer and associated software which typically provides an electronic message database where people can log in and leave messages. Any registered user may submit or read any message in these public areas.
Dummy page: a Java applet that duals as a page preview source as well as the area in which an instructor user can perform various web authoring commands such as text manipulation, link/video addition, and link/video deletion.
FTP: Stands for file transfer protocol. This command is used to retrieve files from remote sites.
GIF: Graphics Interchange Format: A standard for compressed digitized images.
GUI: Graphical User Interface: The use of pictures rather than just words to represent the input and output of a program. A program with a GUI runs under some windowing system (e.g. The X Window System, Microsoft Windows, Acorn RISC OS, NEXTSTEP). The program displays certain icons, buttons, dialogue boxes etc. in its windows on the screen and the user controls it mainly by moving a pointer on the screen (typically controlled by a mouse) and selecting certain objects by pressing buttons on the mouse while the pointer is pointing at them.
HTML: Stands for Hypertext Markup Language. A Hypertext document format used on the World-Wide Web. Built on top of SGML. "Tags" are embedded in the text. A tag consists of a "<", a "directive" (case insensitive), zero or more parameters and a ">". Matched pairs of directives, like "" are used to delimit text which is to appear in a special place or style.
ICTM: The International Cross-Cultural Teaching Model
Instructional site or Student Site: A web site that is comprised of a student web page, a student bulletin board, a search feature, an instructor form emailer, and a link to the instructor site.
Instructor : A user who has the authorization to access the both the student and instructor site.
Instructor site: A web site that is comprised of an instructor bulletin board, a dummy page, a web page creation button, web page authoring tools, a web page selection feature, and a fetch button. This site can only be accessed by authorized instructor users.
Java: A simple, object-oriented, robust, secure, portable, architecture-neutral, general-purpose programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. Java supports programming for the internet in the form of platform-independent Java "applets"
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group: Standard image compression algorithm that is designed for compressing either full-color or grey-scale digital images of "natural", real-world scenes.
Perl: Practical Extraction and Report Language General purpose language, often used for scanning text and printing formatted reports. It provides extensive support for regular expression matching, dynamically scoped variables and functions, extensible run-time libraries, exception handling and packages, provide/require.
Student : A user who has the authorization to access the student site but not the instructor site.
Student assistant: A work-study student who has been hired by an instructor to oversee the development and maintenance of the current system. The student assistant will in all likelihood, play the role of the system administrator of the ICTM.
Student site or Instructional Site: A web site that is comprised of a student web page, a student bulletin board, a search feature, an instructor form emailer, and a link to the instructor site.
System administrator or system maintainer: Person responsible for ICTM account creation and maintenance as well as day-to-day maintenance of the site (backups, file deletion, etc.)
Translator: In the context of our project, a translator is a computerized software module that translates words or phrases from one linguistic language (English/French) to another.
User: An authorized student or instructor.
Web page authoring: Web page editing (text manipulation, link/image addition, link/image deletion, etc.)