STUFF Viewpoint The Online Student Online Feedback SystemSystem Requirements Specification

Contents
STUFF Viewpoint The Online Student Online Feedback SystemSystem..........................1 Requirements Speci ication.....................................................................................................1 !ontents...................................................................................................................................1 1 "ntroduction...........................................................................................................................# 1.1 $im.................................................................................................................................# 1.# %ey personnel.................................................................................................................# 1.& Future proo in'...............................................................................................................# 1.( Rationale or de)elopment.............................................................................................# 1.* "nteractions and dependencies........................................................................................# 1.+ Timetable........................................................................................................................# # ,ata requirements..................................................................................................................& #.1 -.ternally sourced data..................................................................................................& #.# "nternally sourced data...................................................................................................& #.& /eneral...........................................................................................................................( & 0oti yin' students.................................................................................................................( ( !ollectin' eedback...............................................................................................................( a1 what course are you on2...................................................................................................( b1 what le)el 3year1 o your course are you in2....................................................................* c1 what unit3s1 do you want to pro)ide eedback on............................................................* d1 4ikert scale type questions 3 rom the database1 where the answers are 5stron'ly a'ree56 5a'ree56 5neutral56 5disa'ree56 5stron'ly disa'ree56 5no answer5...........................................* e1 questions 3 rom the database1 with ree te.t responses....................................................* * Reportin' eedback................................................................................................................* *.1 View reports on eedback...............................................................................................* + Supplementary unctionality.................................................................................................+ 7 ,ocument control..................................................................................................................+ 7.1 8aintenance procedure..................................................................................................+ 7.# 9istory............................................................................................................................+

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!ntroduction
" #im To de)elop a system which noti ies students that they can 'i)e eedback on their courses and units )ia a web site and pro)ides them with indi)idualised access to that website. $llow students to 'i)e eedback on the courses and units that they are enrolled on rom a web site. The system must adhere 3in spirit i not in letter1 with the Uni)ersity<s policy on student eedback 3http=>>www.port.ac.uk>accesstoin ormation>policies>qualityassurance>student eedback>1. "$ %ey personnel Responsible owner ?eter 9icks 3$,@ Faculty o Technolo'y1 ,esi'n authority Aim Bri''s ,e)elopment team Aohn 0ewland $le. !ounsell "& Future proofin' $lthou'h the Faculty o Technolo'y has commissioned the system6 it is possible that the Uni)ersity will wish the system to be a)ailable more broadly in the uture. $ possible.6 uture6 alternati)e use or STUFFViewpoint is as a means o deli)erin' research questionnaires to research subCects. "( Rationale for de)elopment $ pre)ious implementation o this system e.ists 3see http=>>www.pums.cam.port.ac.uk>sta > eedback>inde..htm1. "t is implemented in ?erl with an Oracle database. The e.istin' system does not allow the questions presented to a student to be tailored to the student<s course or unit3s1. The new system is to be de)eloped usin' A#-- technolo'ies and $pache Struts or compatibility with other applications bein' de)eloped in the Uni)ersity. "* !nteractions and dependencies The e.istin' eedback system has a policy statement at http=>>www.pums.cam.port.ac.uk> eedback>FBpolicy.htm. "t is desirable to maintain that policy6 where possible. ,ata about students6 sta 6 courses and units is likely to be obtained rom other systems includin' 9-8"S and TU,. "+ Timetable Optional initial release 381 mandatory requirements1 Aanuary #;;* "ntermediate release 38# mandatory requirements1 Second release 38& mandatory requirements1 $pril #;;* ,ecember #;;*

, 3desirable1 requirements will be assi'ned to a particular release as appropriate.

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Requirement

Type Status

$ ,ata requirements
$" -.ternally sourced data 1. The system must be capable o holdin' in ormation on= a1 students b1 courses c1 units d1 sta e1 departments #. The system must maintain relationships between the abo)eD speci ically= a1 what course a student is on b1 what units make up a course at a speci ic le)el 3year1 c1 which members o sta are responsible or a particular course d1 which members o sta are responsible or a particular unit e1 which department owns a course 1 which department owns a unit &. The abo)e data is likely to be imported rom other systems6 such as 9-8"S and TU,. (. There must be a unique identi ier or each student that cannot be related to the student<s identity other than throu'h the eedback system. This is known as the anonymiser code. $"$ !nternally sourced data 1. !reate a list or lists o questionnaire questions. This needs to hold a1 the core and semiEcore questions de ined at http=>>www.port.ac.uk>accesstoin ormation>policies>qualityassurance >student eedback> iletodownload6#1+*76en.pd 3 or courses1 b1 and http=>>www.port.ac.uk>accesstoin ormation>policies>qualityassurance >student eedback> iletodownload6#1+*+6en.pd 3 or units16 c1 plus any questions stipulated by Faculty o Technolo'y or common application to the Faculty<s students. #. !reate a structure that relates speci ic questions to speci ic courses and units. $dditional questions may be related to speci ic courses and units. &. "n a uture )ersion6 it is likely that aculties6 departments6 course leaders6 unit coEordinators and the like will want to add questions relatin' to their area o responsibility. Such questions should not be presented to students outside the area o responsibility. )1.*& : ,ecember #;;* 81 81># 81 81 81 8# 8# 8& 8& 81 81 81 8# 8&

81

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&

Requirement $"& /eneral 1. $ll the abo)e in ormation may )ary rom one academic year to the ne.t. The data or each year needs to be retained to allow or )iewin' o questions and responses rom pre)ious years. #. The abo)e data should only be modi iable by a system administrator.

Type Status

81

81

& 0otifyin' students

1. The system must be capable o noti yin' students that they may pro)ide eedback. "t should also pro)ide students with the instructions necessary to access the system. #. -ither= a1 The system should be compatible with the pre)ious )ersion o the eedback system. This sent emails to students containin' common instructions plus a unique UR4. The UR4 was unique because it contained the student<s anonymiser code as a parameter. b1 Students should be noti ied )ia the student portal6 and access to STUFFV"-F?O"0T should by a means that identi ies the student. &. Only a system administrator should be able to noti y students. (. The system administrator should be able to restrict noti ication to= a1 students on particular courses b1 students rom a particular department c1 students takin' a particular unit d1 students who ha)e not yet completed their eedback *. -.perience with the pre)ious )ersion shows that a web application that is asked to send hundreds o emails will probably timeout be ore they are all sent. STUFFV"-F?O"0T must either limit the number o messa'es that can be sent in one 'o6 or pro)ide some orm o queuin' mechanism. +. The system administrator should be able to periodically reEnoti y students who ha)e not completed their eedback. 7. The system administrator should be able to )iew list o students that ha)e responded or not responded. 81 , , 81 , 81 81

81

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( Collectin' feedback
1. STUFFV"-F?O"0T should recei)e student eedback )ia one or more web orms. #. $ll submissions should identi y the student 3normally by their anonymiser code1 &. The system should support the ollowin' types o question= a1 what course are you on2 )1.*& : ,ecember #;;* 81
(

81 81

Requirement b1 what le)el 3year1 o your course are you in2 c1 what unit3s1 do you want to pro)ide eedback on d1 4ikert scale type questions 3 rom the database1 where the answers are 5stron'ly a'ree56 5a'ree56 5neutral56 5disa'ree56 5stron'ly disa'ree56 5no answer5. e1 questions 3 rom the database1 with ree te.t responses (. The de ault response or 4ikert type questions should be 5no answer5. *. Students should be able to pro)ide eedback on any number o units 3includin' Gero1.

Type Status 81 81 81

81 81 81

+. Students should be presented with a list o units that are a)ailable to them 81 on their stated course at their stated le)el. 7. Students should also be able to select units that are not normally associated with their course 3e.'. le)el H units6 electi)es6 or where 9-8"S>TU, data is inconsistent with reality1 :. Once each 'roup>section o questions is complete it should be passed to permanent store 3database1. I. Students should be able to 'o back and re)ise their answers to a 'roup o questions i they wish to. 1;. That act that the student has )isited the web site should be stored e)en i they do not answer any questions. 81

81 8#

* Reportin' feedback
*" View reports on feedback 1. Feedback reports should only be accessible to authorised users. a1 Only members o sta responsible or a course can see course eedback b1 Only members o sta responsible or a unit can see unit eedback c1 9eads o ,epartment can see summarised reports on all courses and units owned by their department. d1 System administrators should be able to produce any report #. The ormat o course reports should show= a1 The name o the course and its leader3s1 b1 For each student who commented on the course= i1 The scores 'i)en or each 4ikert scale question ii1 The comments 'i)en or each ree te.t question c1 $ statistical summary showin' the distribution o scores or each 4ikert scale question )1.*& : ,ecember #;;* 8# 8# 8# 8# 8& 8& 8& 8#

Requirement d1 Satis action scores or the course6 de ined as i1 The arithmetic mean answer 3e.cludin' questions not answered1 based on a score o * or stron'ly a'ree down to 1 or stron'ly disa'ree ii1 The proportion 3e.cludin' questions not answered1 o 5satis actory5 answers 3i.e. & or abo)e1 e.pressed as a percenta'e o the number o questions answered &. The ormat o units reports should show= a1 The name o the unit and its coEordinator3s1 b1 For each student who commented on the unit= i1 The scores 'i)en or each 4ikert scale question ii1 The comments 'i)en or each ree te.t question c1 $ statistical summary showin' the distribution o scores or each 4ikert scale question d1 Satis action scores or the unit6 de ined as i1 The arithmetic mean answer 3e.cludin' questions not answered1 based on a score o * or stron'ly a'ree down to 1 or stron'ly disa'ree ii1 The proportion 3e.cludin' questions not answered1 o 5satis actory5 answers 3i.e. & or abo)e1 e.pressed as a percenta'e o the number o questions answered (. "t should be possible to 'enerate a report that compares the scores or a speci ic course3s1 or unit3s1 o)er a span o years.

Type Status 8#

8#

8# 8# 8# 8#

8#

8#

+ Supplementary functionality
1. "n pre)ious years6 the Faculty o Technolo'y has awarded priGes as an incenti)e to students to complete their eedback. The system should be able to 'enerate a list o priGewinners. ,

1 ,ocument control
1" 2aintenance procedure ?roposed chan'es to this document 8UST be made with chan'e trackin' switched on. Once accepted by the ,esi'n $uthority6 the chan'es will be accepted and a new )ersion o the document issued. 1"$ 3istory Version )1.* ,ate &;th 8arch #;;* !han'er Aim Bri''s !han'e !han'ed name o system rom SOF$ to Viewpoint

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)1.( )1.& )1.#

#;th Aanuary #;;* #1st ,ecember #;;( 17th ,ecember #;;(

Aim Bri''s Aim Bri''s Aohn 0ewland

!han'ed name o system rom STUFF to SOF$ 8aintenance procedure added in section 7.1 !han'e to requirement (.-rror= Re erence source not ound. ?arts o questionnaires to be stored be ore questionnaire is complete. $ddition o section (.-rror= Re erence source not ound. Student )isits to eedback site should be recorded. 4ay out as workin' document. !orrections to irst dra t. Re inement o requirements. First dra t

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:th 0o)ember #;;(

Aim Bri''s

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*th 0o)ember #;;(

Aohn 0ewland

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