Re[2]: Gradebook development

[David Kirtley <sabecon@sabecon.hiline.net>]

> On Sat, Nov 14, 1998 at 07:12:44PM -0500, EAMorical@aol.com wrote:

> User Interface: text based version for teachers/students/countries stuck
>                 with older equipment, Gnome/GUI version for those who are not.
>         (both versions continuously updated simultaneously)>         
> Bruno        
> 
If we work on the data model first, it could be a simple matter of porting it 
to any and all interface models.  A text based interface is the lowest common 
denominator.  If the data model is present, it could be accessed with whichever 
model GUI tool desired, from tc/tk, python, perl, GNOME/GTK, kde/QT, JAVA, or 
take your pick of many others.  Getting everything tied to one development 
system has been the death of many projects. What we are really looking at is a 
relational database. We need to focus on including a mechanism for:

Grades
Assignments
Eligibilities
Attendance
Materials
Planning
Communication
Data Analysis

 The imput of the data could take many forms, including but not limited to a 
teacher entering grades, computer based testing, scantron/OCR type scoring, 
emailbased or whatever else might come along as needed.  These input techniques 
could be modularized to enable expansion as other methods become available.  It 
would allow for things like voice recognition for handicapped students, Braille 
readers and printers, 

The assignmeats and plannig could take many forms such as CAI (like from 
exisitng computer lab type software or any that might be developed.

Attendamce could be anything from manual entry to bar code readers to whatever 
type of identification could come along in the future like finger print, voice, 
hey, even retinal like in the movies :)

Communication could be with grade reporting, transfering student records by fax 
or network.

If we just try to focus in on the applications first, having to reconstruct 
different data models to fit would be a increase of effort.