the library interactive pathfinder for information … · ched accredited research journal,...

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The Library Interactive Pathfinder for Information Technology Program

ANDREW P. PONTE, [email protected]

LINDA L. MONDOÑEDO, DMLiceo de Cagayan University

Abstract - This study sought to develop an interactive pathfinder for the College of Information Technology of Liceo de Cagayan University to locate library resources for their students. The development of the courseware was primarily aimed at speeding online feedbacking and access to website. It used the water model in developing the courseware. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) was used to document the system flow, while the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) tag and Active Server Pages (ASP) was also used to code the machine instruction. The completed courseware enables the students to download easily the subject resources, promotes independent thinking among them, and allows the librarian/administrator to monitor the resources used by the students. Hence, this courseware is recommended for utilization to enhance instruction through online-facilitated research.

Keywords - Interactive, pathfinder, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Date Submitted: August 6, 2008Final Revision Accepted: December 14, 2008

Vol. 6 No. 1 December 2009 ISSN: 2094-1064CHED Accredited Research Journal, Category B

Liceo Journal of Higher Education ResearchScience and Technology Section

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Liceo Journal of Higher Education Research

INTRODUCTION

The advent of information technology and the internet has encouraged librarians and faculty to forge a partnership to create a common electronic learning environment. Several university faculty and librarians in the West, for example, have developed course-related and educational materials to answer the research needs of their students.

Tapping the worldwide on-line information, the Liceo de Cagayan University Library and the College of Information Technology cooperatively worked in designing an interactive pathfinder courseware to address problems on locating needed resources, obtaining online feedback, and accessing website readily.

A pathfinder is a guide to resources on a particular topic (http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/Id/ infolit /geninfo/pathfiners). It is a subject- oriented research guide designed to facilitate a self-directed use of the library resources. The courseware introduces the researchers to the resources available in Liceo de Cagayan University Library, particularly on Information Technology resources, using the Internet. The entries of pathfinder are author, title, location, call number, and copyright. The proposed system is hoped to serve as a prototype for interactive pathfinder for other colleges in Liceo de Cagayan University and other libraries as well.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The study sought to develop an interactive pathfinder for the users to locate easily and speedily library resources for their subjects.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study would benefit the following entities.

College of Information Technology. The courseware would greatly enhance its existing curricular service particularly in information processing.

Students. The courseware would facilitate among them awareness of the learning opportunities available online.

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Librarians. The courseware would reduce their time in assisting researchers locate resources available in the library.

Liceo Community. Awareness among the academic constituents of the library resources accessed through online would foster the culture of excellence.

Courseware Developers. The courseware would serve as a prototype subject to enhancement for a more effective system.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research developed a courseware, an Interactive Pathfinder (IP), for the College of Information Technology. The system platform is dependent on the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and the Visual Basic Scripts.

The IP covers the resources available for all subject offerings of the college. By logging in, the students can access the resources on the net. The system is designed to link the topic of the curriculum to the library resources.

FRAMEWORK

The Internet has transformed the way people communicate and share information and is now revolutionizing the way people learn. The Internet has made a flexible learning platform in the Division of Applied Technology’s Learning Centre. Its first complete online curriculum was launched in the fall of 1997 and had attracted more than 600 students to the different online programs. The programs now include Integrated Marketing Strategy, Business Systems Analysis, Project Management, Web Analytics, Online Tutor, and International Business (UBC Continuing Studies, http://www.tech.ubc.ca/online/index.html).

Today’s educators face a new challenge in meeting the demand for accessible online learning resources. For reasons of pedagogy, economics, access and efficiency, an exponentially increasing amount of teaching and learning is occurring over computer networks. Networks such as the Web, Intranets or dedicated broad band networks are being used to teach, to conduct research, to hold tutorials, to submit assignments, and to act as libraries. Learners of all levels are participating in educational programs delivered over computer networks. This move to online learning provides new

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possibilities for students with disabilities. They can benefit from the inherent flexibility of access to learning materials now available in electronic media (University of Toronto, http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc).

Advocates of accessible online learning have identified several key areas of benefits. Delivery of distance education provides a critical opportunity for accommodation of students with special needs because of the fact that learning materials can easily be adapted to varying learning styles, rates, and communication formats. Materials can be quickly prepared for use with adaptive computer technology, and once they are in an online format, they can be presented in redundant, reinforcing or alternative formats (e.g., speech, print or graphics). The wealth of resources on the Web can be used to augment existing curriculum through access to recently or currently published learning materials. Accessible Internet-based communication tools provide learners with the opportunity to interact more easily with peers and instructors.

While adaptive technology does allow the learner to control the mode of input and output and customize their interface, authoring tools are the logical places to lay the foundation for universal design. Rather than retrofitting or finding “work-arounds” to allow access by students with disabilities, educators and Web authors are encouraged to create materials using inherently accessible standards and formats. The ATRC (Adaptive Technology Resource Centre), University of Toronto, has undertaken several research projects to review tools currently on the market and identify utilities and techniques that facilitate development of accessible online learning materials, as described below.

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), a sub-committee of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), is the present leader in establishing accessibility guidelines for page authoring. The WAI is coordinating many organizations, which have produced Web accessibility reference documents in the past, in order to develop a comprehensive and unified set of accessibility recommendations (Web Accessibilty Initiative, http://www.w3c.org/wai).

Accessible Courseware. The exponentially increasing number of educational courses being offered over the Web has spurred a growing industry of software tools to assist in the creation of Web-based curriculum and in performing class management tasks. Recent courseware development tools assist educators in creating and distributing new, customized curriculum materials quickly

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and easily using the Web as a vehicle for delivery.Access to education has long been considered a basic human

right, and, as an ideal, has been recognized in the policies set by institutions of higher learning. The task is to ensure that the ideal becomes a reality as people move to the new environment of online learning. A grassroots approach, beginning with authoring tools, will mean that accessible design becomes the status quo, rather than an additional effort undertaken by designers who have awareness of the potential problems.

The Curriculum Online is envisioned to give teachers easy online access to a wide range of digital learning materials, which they can use to support their teaching across the curriculum. The program consists of ring fenced funds (eLearning Credits) and a web portal (www.curriculumonline.gov.uk) launched by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on 9th January 2003. Providing teachers with easy access to a wide range of digital learning materials, the portal contains information for Curriculum Online Content Providers and Retailers about how they can be involved. This includes technical metadata documents formerly located at this URL.

Information technology has led the higher education to new models of instructions, making libraries an integral part of the electronic teaching and learning process. The partnership between the librarians and the faculty has resulted to the development of course materials such as online research tutorials, online assessments, course web-pages, and online pathfinder (Selen and Snevely,2001).

Context Diagram

The figure below shows the context level data flow of the system.

Generate Reports

SystemUpdate

Update Referen

Browse Materials

INTERACTIVE PATHFINDER

StudentInstructor/Librarian

View References

Display References

System Administrator

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Figure 1. Context Level Data Flow DiagramFigure 1 is a macro view of the entire system with three

entities directly interacting with the system, namely students, instructor/librarian, and administrator. The students must register before utilizing the courseware. They must completely fill out the registration form for the system to keep track of the record during system validation. After the registration, the students can access the system by typing the ID number and password.

The librarian and instructor must also register in order to access the program for system validation. Given the access, the librarian and instructor can feed the subject references for information technology program.

Research Design

The development of the Interactive Pathfinder followed the following phases: (1) requirements analysis and definition, (2) system and software design, (3) implementation and unit testing, (4) integration and system testing, and (5) operation and maintenance. This approach is called the ‘waterfall’ model (Ian Sommerville 1997).

Phases of the Interactive Pathfinder Development: 1. Requirements analysis and definition. The IP services,

constraints and goals were established by consultation with system users.

2. System and software design. The software architecture of the IP design was established and transformed into executable

Figure 2. Waterfall Model

Requirements analysis

and definition

System and software design

Implementation and unit testing

Integration and system testing

Operation and Maintenance

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program.3. Implementation and unit testing. Program development of

the IP involved unit testing and verification.4. Integration and system testing. The IP program module was

integrated and tested to ensure that the software requirements have been met.

5. Operation and maintenance. The IP courseware was installed and put into practical use. This stage also involved correcting errors that were not discovered at the earlier stages.

Research Setting/localeThis system proposal centered on the Interactive Pathfinder for

Information Technology Program of Liceo de Cagayan University, RN Pelaez Boulevard, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.

Research InstrumentThe requirements of proposed system were analyzed using the

Unified Modeling Language (UML). The model of the data and data relationships was presented using the Entity Relationship Diagram (E-RD).

The system was developed in HTML format with Visual Basic Script for the language program. The Front Page was used for the front-end, the MS-SQL Server for the back-end, and the Internet Information Server (IIS) for the web site. The system used the Internet Browser, and the program was linked to Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC).

Data Gathering ProcedureFor the needed data, a thorough review of the library system

and determination of the resources for subject offerings of the College of Information Technology were conducted. Interview with domain experts and review of related studies and literature published in the Internet were also done.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Use Case Diagram. It describes the system from the user’s point of view. It also describes the various functionalities expected from the system to be developed and how the user is going to interact with those features (http://www.fresherswisdom.wisdomplug.

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com/interview-questions/6-uml/6-interview-questions-on-uml-use-case-diagrams-class-diagram-and-sequence-diagram.html).

Figure 3. Use Case Diagram for Instructor, Librarian, and Administrator

Figure 4. Use Case Diagram for Student

Create Users Account

Logi n

View Subject Resources

Upload Subject Resources

Instructor/Librarian AdminUpdate System Information

Logo ut

Sign-up Registration

View Subject Resources

Download Subject Resources

Student

Logi n

Logo ut

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Use Case Description. It is a simple synopsis or abstract of the use case diagram. It explains the goals, plot, and theme of the use case (http://books.google.com.ph).

Table 1 Use case for log-in

Use case name Log-inActor Admin/Librarian/Instructor/StudentDescription This use case is used by the actor to access the system.Normal Flow 1) The user invokes the use case by clicking the “Log-in” button.

2) The user enters log-in name and password.3) The system verifies and validates the log-in name and password.4.) Use case instance terminates.

Alternate Flow If log-in name or password is invalid, user has to re-enter a valid user name or password.

Precondition User must be registered.Post-condition User can access the system or just exit the website.Assumption User is on the website.

Table 2 Use case for view subject resourcesUse case name View Subject ResourcesActor Instructor/Librarian/Student/AdminDescription User can view subject resources.Normal Flow 1) The user invokes the use case by just entering the

site. 2) User types the subject description to view the resources. 3) User exits the site. 4) Use case instance terminates.

Alternate Flow The user can select other options or click the home button.Precondition User must be registered.Post-condition User successfully views the subject resources or just exits the

website.Assumption User is on the website.

Table 3 Use case for sign-up registration

Use case name Sign-up RegistrationActor StudentDescription User must signup in order to access the system.Normal Flow 1) The user invokes the use case by just entering the

site 2) User fills out the registration form.3) User exits the site. 4) Use case instance terminates.

Alternate Flow The user can select other options or click the home button.Precondition User must be a new student in the college.Post-condition User successfully registers or just exits the website.Assumption User is on the website.

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Table 4 Use case for create user’s account

Use case name Create User’s AccountActor AdminDescription Admin can register new account.Normal Flow 1) The user invokes the use case by just entering the

site. 2) User can add new account.3) User exits the site. 4) Use case instance terminates.

Alternate Flow The user can select other options or click the home button.Precondition User must be a university instructor/librarian.Post-condition User finishes the adding of the new account or just exits the


Table 5 Use case for upload subject resources

Use case name Upload Subject ResourcesActor Instructor/LibrarianDescription User can upload subject references/resources.Normal Flow 1) The user invokes the use case by just entering the

site. 2) User uploads the contents of the resources. 3) User exits the site. 4) Use case instance terminates.

Alternate Flow The user can select other options or click the home button.Precondition User must be registered.Post-condition User finishes uploading the resources or just exits the website.Assumption User is on the website.

Table 6 Use case for download subject resources

Use case name Download Subject ResourcesActor StudentsDescription User can download subject resources.Normal Flow 1) The user invokes the use case by just entering the

Site. 2) User downloads the contents of the resources. 3) User exits the site. 4) Use case instance terminates.

Alternate Flow The user can select other options or click the home button.Precondition User must be registered.Post-condition User finishes downloading the resources or just exits the


Table 7 Use case for update system information

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Use case name Update System InformationActor AdminDescription User can make update of the system contents.Normal Flow 1) The user invokes the use case by just entering the

site. 2) User types the update contents. 3) User exits the site. 4) Use case instance terminates.

Alternate Flow The user can select other options or click the home button.Precondition User must be registered.Post-condition User finishes typing the update or just exits the website.Assumption User is on the website.

Table 8 Use case for log-outUse case name Log-outActor Admin/Librarian/Instructor/StudentDescription This use case is used by a registered user to log out.Normal Flow 1) The customer invokes the use case by clicking the

“log-out” button. 2) Use case terminates.

Alternate Flow NonePrecondition User is logged in.Post-condition User is logged out.Assumption User is on the website.

Sequence Diagram. It shows the sequence of method and interactions between classes. It also shows the interaction of objects through message passing that reflects the sequence of events. Every use case has one sequence diagram (http://www.fresherswisdom.wisdomplug.com/interview-questions/6-uml/6-interview-questions-on-uml-use-case-diagrams-class-diagram-and-sequence-diagram.html).

Figure 5. Sequence Diagram for Log-in

User

User Interface Lo-gin Controller Database

1.) Display Log-in

2.) Enter User name & Password

3.) Check User name & Password

4.) InformationDisplay

Check Log-in

Instructor/LibrarianStudent/Admin

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Figure 6. Sequence Diagram for View Subject Resources

Figure 7. Sequence Diagram for Sign-up Registration

User Interface Database

User

1) Enter Subject Description

2) Search Resources

3) Display Resources


Student

1) Fill out registration form

2) Submit and save

3) Display confirmation

message

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Figure 8. Sequence Diagram for Create User’s Account

Figure 9. Sequence Diagram for Upload Subject Resources


Admin

1) Fill out registration form

2) Submit andsave

3) Display confirmation

message

User Interface DatabaseInstructor/Librarian

1) Enter Subject Resources 2) Save the newly

uploadedresources

3) Display confirmation information4) View

message

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Figure 10. Sequence Diagram for Download Subject Resources

Figure. 11 Sequence Diagram for Update System Information


Student

1) Enter Subject Description 2) Search and

display subject resources

3) Download subject resources4) Display

confirmationinformation

User Interface DatabaseAdmin

1) Enter System Updates 2) Save the newly

Update contents

3) Display confirmation information

4) Viewmessage

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Figure. 12 Sequence Diagram for Log-out

User Interface DatabaseInstructor/Librarian

Student/Admin

1) Log-out 2) Close all tables

3) Terminate System 4) Exit

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Activity Diagram. It describes the sequence of activities in a system (http://docs.kde.org/development/en_GB/kdesdk/umbrello/uml-elements.html).

Figure 13. Activity Diagram for Log-in

Figure 14. Activity Diagram for View Subject Resources

Enter Username Enter Password

Invalid Username

Invalid Password

Valid Valid

Click View Subject Resources

Display Resources

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Figure 15. Activity Diagram for Sign-up Registration

Figure 16. Activity Diagram for Create User’s Account

Click Sign-up Registration

Fill outRegistration Form

Not valid

Click Submit Button

Save Registration

Valid

Click Create User’s Account

Fill out UsersAccount Form

Not valid

Click Submit Button

Save User’s Account

Valid

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Figure 17. Activity Diagram for Upload Subject Resources

Figure 18. Activity Diagram for Download Subject Resources

Search Subject Description

Upload Resources

Click Submit Button

Save

Search Subject Description

Download Resources

Save

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Figure 19. Activity Diagram for Update System Information

Figure 20. Activity Diagram for Log-out

Click Update System Information

Type System Update

Save

Click log-out

End session

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26

CopyrightNo

FirstName

MiddleName

LastName

Idno

Department

Email

Position

PasswordUSER

TypeCode Description

RESOURCETYPE

Course

Email

Password

MiddleName

FirstName

LastName

Idno STUDENTCallNo

Location

ResourceLocation

Title

AuthorIdno

TypeCode

ResourceNo RESOURCES

SubCode Description

SUBJECT

SubCode ResourceNo

SUBJECTRESOURCES

LastName

FirstName MI

AuthorIdno

AUTHOR

TransNo ResourceNo

TRANSACTION DETAILS

Makes

TransNo

Idno

Date

TRANSACTION

Makes

HaveContains

Have

Have

Have

Publish

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Figure 22. Main Page

The Main Page is designed to accommodate users who know little or nothing about the computer. Users must open first a browser and type in the address field the web site.

Figure 23. Login Form

This window serves as the point of entry into the system. This consists of the following inputs:

ID No. This textbox requires that the users enter their ID No.

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that will be matched with the registration table for confirmation. Password. This textbox requires that the users enter their

password that will be matched with the registration table for confirmation.

Figure 24. Administrator Account Form

This window allows the system administrator to choose what processes to perform. It has the following contents:

Download. Clicking this button will open the download form.

Upload. Clicking this button will open the upload form.User Registration. Clicking this button will open the registration

form.

View Download Resources. Clicking this button will open the view download resources form.

View Upload Resources. Clicking this button will open the view upload resources form.

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Figure 25. User Registration

The User Registration Form lets the students register their ID No., name, position, course, email address, and password to access the system.

Figure 26. Download Resources

In this window the users can search the resources available for downloading.

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Figure 27. Upload Resources

In this window the users can search the resources available for uploading.

Figure 28. View Download Resources Form

In this window the administrator can view the user’s downloaded resources.

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Figure 29. View Upload Resources Form

In this window the administrator can view the user’s uploaded resources.

CONCLUSIONS

The completed courseware for the library interactive pathfinder enables the students to download easily the subject resources, promotes independent thinking among students, and allows the librarian/administrator to monitor the resources used by the students. Hence, the courseware is recommended for utilization to enhance instruction through online-facilitated research.

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Schuman Publishing, Inc., 2006.Cochrane, N. (1998) Farmers Fear a Virtual Future, The Australian

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KnowledgePool Offers Online Learning Style Evaluation System; First e-learning Provider to Offer Insights Evaluator to Online Students. Available: http://www.knowledgepool.com

Lankes, David R., et. al. Virtual Reference. Service from Competencies to Assessment. N.Y.: Neal-Schuman Publisher, Inc., 2008.

Lavagnino, J. (1996) Reading, Scholarship, and Hypertext Editions. In TEXT: Transactions of the Society for Textual Scholarship, volume 8, New York 1996.

Locatis, C. (1996) With Gary Letourneau and Richard Banvard

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Hypermedia and Instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development V.37 N.4 PP 65-77.

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11, pp. 36-38.Online Queries. (1999, June). Smart Computing, Vol. 10 Iss. 6, pp.

98-99.Sommerville, Ian. Software Engineering. England: Addison Wesley

Longman Limited, 1997.State University Computerizes Registration Process. (1999, October

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Available: http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/IG/ert/ The Pathfinder Project: http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/The Web Accessibility Initiative: http://www.w3c.org/wai infolit/

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DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms have been operationally defined to facilitate understanding of this study.

Graphical Users Interface (GUI). This term refers to a type of display format that enables the user to choose command, start programs,

and see lists of files and other options by pointing to pictorial representation (icons) and lists of menu items on the screen.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). It is a system that provides a marking up or tagging of a document so that it can be published on the World Wide Web (WWW).

Interactive. It means obtaining immediate responses to inquiries.Internet. It is a global network of networks used to exchange

information using the TCP/IP protocol. It allows for electronic

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mail and the accessing and retrieval of information from remote sources.

Internet Information Server (IIS). It is a high performance web server that is built and optimized to deliver interactive web server applications for eCommerce and other uses.

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). It is a system standard protocol for accessing relational databases based around SQL.

Pathfinder. It is a guide to the literature and resources in a particular subject area.

Resources. The term refer to Books, Journals, Av-material, Web sites, helpful search terms for the Internet or any other pertinent items.

System. It refers to any collection or combination of programs, procedures, data, and equipment utilized in processing information.

Unified Modeling Language (UML). It is refers to “object modeling” technique.

Visual Basic Script (VBScript). It is a cross-platform, cross-language scripting language for the Internet; Web application that runs on the Web browser.

World Wide Web (WWW). It is a system that provides a distributed client/server information retrieval system using multiple protocols on the Internet.

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