An Academic support system for higher education

AN ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

AFERIZA BINTI ARIFIN

A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Science (Information Technology – Management)

Faculty of Computer Science and Information System Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

APRIL 2011

ii

I declare that this thesis entitled “An Academic Knowledge Support System for Higher Education” is the result of my own research except as cited in the references.

The thesis has not been accepted for any degree and is not concurrently in candidate of any other degree.

Signature

:

……………………………………

Name

:

AFERIZA BINTI ARIFIN

Date

:

30 April 2011

iii

This is dedicated to my late mother, Hajjah Salamah bt Hj. Md Dali, my loving husband Selamat b Ahmed, my three wonderful children Syahirah Izzati, Aida Nazurah and Amir Zafri.

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In preparing this study, there are number of people who were contributed towards my understanding and thoughts. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to those who have contributed in completing this thesis.

First and foremost, praise and highest gratitude goes to ALLAH S.W.T. for the blessing and blissfulness for allowing me to be able to pass all the obstacles during completing this thesis. Praised be to ALLAH S.W.T., the Lord of the Worlds.

I would like to thank my husband for his encouragements and advices from time to time. This thesis could not be done without his love and support. Also, this gratitude goes to my late mother who gave inspiration for me to complete this thesis.

And, not forgetting to thank my daughters and son for their supports.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Assoc. Prof.

Rusni Daruis for her advice, guidance, recommendations, and helps during completing this thesis. Thank you so much. Then, thank you also goes to Puan Rozana, Puan Nik Maria and staffs of UTM SPACE for their assistance, guidance, and cooperation.

Lastly, this special gratitude and thanks goes to all my colleagues for their assistance, cooperation, and supports. And to all my other colleagues during two years course in Information Technology - Management, thanks a lot for your views and tips. May Allah bless all of you. Thank you to all for helping me either directly or indirectly in the completion of this thesis.

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ABSTRAK

Perlaksanaan sistem kualiti oleh Agensi Kualiti Malaysia (MQA) di peringkat institusi pengajian tinggi memberi impak dari segi kualiti yang lebih baik dan tersusun. Perkembangan teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT) memberi peluang kepada institusi meningkatkan mutu perkhidmatan dan produktiviti.

Perlaksanaan system kualiti ini memerlukan pengurusan pengetahuan yang lebih efisien. Pengurusan pengetahuan adalah proses di mana pengetahuan termasuk pegalaman dan kemahiran yang jelas atau sebaliknya, berada dalam individuindividu di organisasi dapat dikenalpasti dan dikongsi. Tujuan kajian, yang pertama adalah untuk mempelajari dan menganalisa isu-isu semasa dan persekitaran dalam pengurusan program akademik sebuah fakulti. Kedua adalah untuk membangunkan suatu rangka kerja konseptual dari sistem sokongan pengetahuan bagi pengurusan program akademik yang akan digunakan oleh institusi pendidikan tinggi dan yang teraknir adalah untuk merancang dan mengembangkan prototaip sistem penilaian program akademik. Output utama dari projek ini adalah suatu rangka kerja konseptual bagi sistem sokongan pengetahuan akademik yang boleh digunakan di institusi pendidikan tinggi. Dengan itu, kajian ini mancadangkan satu sistem sokongan akademik diperlukan sebagai platform aplikasi untuk menyediakan pengetahuan bagi keperluan para pensyarah dan untuk membantu pihak pengurusan akademik dalam membuat keputusan. Projek skop adalah untuk mempelajari tugasan yang berkaitan dengan akademik dari segi operasi dan pengurusan dimana ianya hanya tertumpu kepada program diperingkat diploma.di UTM SPACE kampus antarabangsa UTM, Kuala Lumpur. Rangka kerja yang dicadangkan akan merangkumi peringkat operasi dan pengurusan dan pengguna sistem ialah para pensyarah, pihak pentadbiran dan operasi. Pembangunan sistem ini di harapkan dapat memberi manfaat dalam menyelesaikan masalah tenaga pengajar dan pihak pentadbir dalam penyediaan laporan kerja untuk setiap semester.

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ABSTRACT

Implementation of quality systems by the Malaysian Quality Agency (MQA) in the higher education institutions have an impact in terms of quality and better organized. The development of information and communication technology (ICT) provides

opportunities

for

institutions

to

improve

service

quality

and

productivity. This quality system implementation requires more efficient knowledge management. Knowledge management is the process whereby knowledge including experience and expertise whether explicit or tacit which basically resides in the individuals in the institution is organized, identified, and shared. The purpose of this study firstly is to study and analyze the current issues and environments in the academic program management of a faculty. Secondly is to develop a conceptual framework of a knowledge support system for academic program management to be used by the higher learning institutions and lastly, is to design and develop a prototype of the academic program assessment system by using UML technique and dot Net application tools. The main output of this project is a conceptual framework for an academic knowledge support system that could be used in higher learning institution. So, in this study it is suggested that an academic knowledge support system is needed as an application platform for delivering knowledge required by the academician and to support the decision making by the administration. The project scope is to study on the academic work flow in operation and management and this will only focus on the full time diploma programs offered by the UTM SPACE at UTM International Campus, Kuala Lumpur. Secondly, the framework proposed will cover both the operational and the management level and the users of the system will be the lecturers, management and oprerations. The development of this system is expected to provide benefits in solving the problem of instructors and administrators working in the preparation of reports for each semester.

vii

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER

1

2

TITLE

PAGE

DECLARATION

ii

DEDICATION

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

iv

ABSTRACT

v

ABSTRAK

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

xiii

LIST OF TABLES

xv

LIST OF ABBREVIATION

xvi

LIST OF APPENDICES

xvii

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction

1

1.2 Problem background

2

1.3 Problem Statement

3

1.4 Project Objectives

4

1.5 The Scope

5

1.6 Importance of Project

5

1.7 Summary

6

LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction

7

2.2 Literature Review Framework

8

2.3 The UTM

9

2.3.1 Assessment of Students

9

2.3.2 Outcome Base Education (OBE)

10

viii

2.3.3 Teaching and Learning Process in OBE

12

2.3.4 Academic Performance Audit Unit (APA)

14

at UTM. 2.4 The Knowledge

2.5

14

2.4.1 Knowledge Management

15

2.4.2 Knowledge as an Asset

15

2.4.2.1 Explicit Knowledge

15

2.4.2.2 Tacit Knowledge

16

2.4.2.3 The Nonaka Model

16

2.4.3 Knowledge in Organization

17

2.4.4 Knowledge Repository

18

2.4.5 Knowledge Repository and Decision Making

19

2.4.6 Knowledge Base Decision Support System

21

2.4.7 Decision Support System

22

System Development

24

2.5.1 System Development Methodology

24

2.5.2 Web Portal

25

2.5.3 Software - The DotNET

26

2.6 Case Study on Similar Concept and System

27

2.6.1 DotTeach: A Portal System for The

27

Academic enterprise

2.6.2

2.6.1.1 Context, Requirements and Design.

28

Quality Assurance in United Kingdom

31

Higher Education. A Case Study: The London Metropolitan University 2.6.3 Discussion on The Case Study

34

2.6.3.1 The DotTech Summary

34

2.6.3.2 The London Metropolitan

35

University 2.7

Conclusion

36

ix

3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction

37

3.2 Research Design

38

3.3 Research Ttechnique

39

3.3.1 Data Collection Technique

4

40

3.3.1.1 Using Available Information

40

3.3.1.2 Discussion

41

3.3.1.3 Interview

41

3.3.1.4 Document Analysis

41

3.4 The Stages of System Development

42

3.4.1 Concept Design and Research Question

43

3.4.2 Prototyping

45

3.4.3 Product Development and Technology Transfer

45

3.5 Project Schedule – Gantt chart

45

3.6 Summary

45

ANALYSIS 4.1 Introduction

47

4.2 The Organization Analysis

48

4.2.1 School Vision

49

4.2.2 School Mission

49

4.2.3 School Philosophy

49

4.2.4 School Motto

49

4.2.5 The Computer Science Department

50

4.3 The Current System

50

4.3.1 Course Coordinator Activities Workflow

50

4.3.2 Management Activities Workflow

53

4.3.3 Academic Administrative Activities Workflow

54

4.3.4 Knowledge Repository

55

4.3.5 Decision Support System

56

x

4.3.6 The Overall Current System Workflow

57

4.4 Weakness and Problem in Existing System

60

4.5 Analysis of the Propose System

60

4.5.1 Knowledge Repository for Course Coordinator

61

Module 4.5.2

Knowledge Repository Addition to

61

Management Module 4.5.3

Knowledge Repository Addition to

62

Administrative Module 4.5.4

Integrated Environment

63

4.5.5

Configuration and Administration Tools

63

4.6 Analysis Recommendation

63

4.6.1 Framework Approach

64

4.6.2 The Propose Conceptual Framework for an

65

Academic Knowledge Support System 4.6.2.1 Course Coordinator Module

66

4.6.2.2 Management Module

67

4.6.2.3 Academic Administrator Module

67

4.6.2.4 System Administrator Module

67

4.7 Knowledge Support System for Academic Program

68

Management 4.7.1 Propose Business Process Model for an

68

Academic Assessment System 4.8 System Methodology

70

4.8.1 Hardware Requirements

70

4.8.2 Software Requirements

70

4.8.2.1 The NET – Visual Studio 4.9 Summary

72 75

xi

5

PROTOTYPE DESIGN 5.1 Introduction

76

5.2 Use Case Model

76

5.2.1 Actor

77

5.2.2 Use Case Diagram

78

5.2.3 Use Case Description

80

5.3 Sequence Diagram

82

5.4 Class Diagram

84

5.5 Database Design

84

5.6 Prototype Design

85

5.6.1 Prototype System Modules Development

86

5.6.2 Level of Document Searching

88

5.6.3 Graphic User Design: Screen and Report

88

5.7 Summary 6

7

90

ORGANIZATION STRATEGY 6.1 Introduction

91

6.2 Roll Out Strategy

92

6.3 Change Management

97

6.4 Summary

100

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 7.1 Introduction

101

7.2 Comparison between Existing and Propose System

101

7.3 Achievement

102

7.4 Obstacles and Challenges

104

7.5 Hopes and Expectations

105

7.6 Future Enhancement

106

7.7 Summary

106

xii

REFERENCES Appendices A – C

107 109-141

xiii

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO

TITLE

PAGE

2.1

Literature Review Framework

8

2.2

The Program Educational Objectives (PEO)

11

2.3

Conceptual Framework of UTM’S OBE

12

Implementation 2.4

SECI model

16

2.5

Different types of KM and their relations

19

2.6

The DSS Decision making process (shim el at 2002)

23

2.7

Decision support system module and its purpose

24

2.8

A prototyping-based methodology

25

2.9

Teachers interface

30

2.10

Administrators view of the course outline

31

2.11

The quality management model (from managing

33

for quality - a holistic model by Jill Grinstead) 3.1

Research Operation Framework

38

3.2

Relationship between data collection, analysis

42

and prototyping building 4.1

Organization chart at college science and

48

technology, SPACEUTM 4.2

Course coordinator activity diagram: preparing

51

the course coordinator report 4.3

Course coordinator activity diagram: CRR task

52

4.4

Course Coordinator Activity Diagram: Analysis

52

Report 4.5

Management Activity Diagram: Analysis Report

53

xiv

4.6

Operation workflow in academic administration

54

Department 4.7

Implementation of the Decision Support System to

56

The Knowledge Support System 4.8

Current system workflow of the knowledge

57

support system 4.9

The relation in repository system

61

4.10

The management relation in repository system

62

4.11

The administrative relation in repository system

63

4.12

The structure of repository components with

65

system functional 4.13

Propose conceptual framework for an academic

66

knowledge support system 4.14

The academic assessment system process model

69

5.1

Actors of the academic program assessment system

77

5.2

Use Case Diagram for Course Coordinator and

79

Program Coordinator 5.3

Use case diagram for Head of Department and

79

Deputy Dean / Dean 5.4

Use Case Diagram for System Administrator

80

and Academic Administrator 5.5

The Academic Program Assessment

85

System Component 5.6

The Academic Program Assessment System features

87

6.1

System Implementation Steps

92

6.2

Change Management factors in The Academic

98

Program Assessment System

xv

LIST OF TABLE

TABLE NO .

TITLE

PAGE

2.1

Document in OBE

13

2.2

The knowledge matrix

20

3.1

Users and the questions

44

4.1

Documents and time of preparation

51

4.2

The cultural knowledge matrix to be capture and

55

organize in knowledge repository 4.3

The cultural knowledge matrix in

59

knowledge repository 4.4

Object Oriented Requirement Models

71

4.5

The Dot net

72

5.1

Actors Roles and Actions

78

5.2

Table of use case description

81

5.3

Sequence Diagram

83

6.1

Role and Responsibilities are needed to Operate

94

in the Academic Program Assessment System 6.2

The challenges in Change Management process

98

in The Academic Program Assessment System 7.1

The Comparison of existing and propose system

102

xvi

LIST OF ABBREVIATION

CRR

-

Course Review Report

PRR

-

Program Review report

AJAX

-

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML

SQL

-

Sequence Query Language

GUI

-

Graphic User Interface

HTML

-

Hypertext Markup Language

ASP

-

Active Server Page

CSS

-

Cascading Style Sheets

CST

-

College Science and Technology

APA

-

Academic Performance Audit

UML

-

Unified Modeling Language

UTM

-

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

MQA

-

Malaysia Quality Agency

OBE

-

Outcome Base Education

CQI

-

Continual Quality Improvement

PO

-

Program Outcome

CO

-

Course Outcome

PEO

-

Program Educational Objectives

PDCA

-

Plan, Do, Check, and Act

DSS

-

Decision Support System

UTM SPACE -

UTM’s School of Professional and Continuing Education

KPI

Key Performance Indicator

-

xvii

LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX NO

TITLE

PAGE

A

Gantt Chart

109

B

UML DIAGRAM

112

B (a)

Use Case Description

113

B (b)

Sequence Diagram

120

B (c)

Class Diagram

126

C

Screen Design

129

D

Report Design

138

1

CHAPTER 1

PROJECT OVERVIEW

1.1

Introduction

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (Technological University of Malaysia) is the public engineering and technological university in Malaysia and is known by the abbreviation UTM. The University specializes in technical studies, with separate faculties for Education, Pure Sciences, management and Human Resources Development. The university’s objectives are to fulfill Malaysia’s national aspiration as a public university by providing quality graduates for various needs and industries as well as performing various social obligations expected by its many stakeholders and also to promote and develop academic excellence at various levels.

All higher institutions in Malaysia, public or private have to apply for the qualification award from the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA). The Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) is the single quality assurance agency in the country which supports the national agenda to make Malaysia as the preferred centre to pursue higher education. Most of the programs offered by UTM have been given accreditation by the MQA and currently in the stage of maintenance to ensure continuous quality improvement. The MQA accreditation will also serve as evidence in official resume to the public and will support part of the institution’s goal towards achieving world class standard. In order to maintain the quality standard for the

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programs offered, UTM needs to comply with procedures provided by the MQA related to the teaching and learning activities. The compliance to the standard procedures will be done through the academic performance audit (APA) exercise by the MQA.

1.2

Problem Background

At present, the management of the academic programs in the faculties is mainly supported by the present student record system and the examination system developed by the center of information and communication technology (CICT).

Before MQA come into the picture, these systems seemed to be adequate to fulfill the academic management requirements in each faculty. In the current environment, with new requirements set by the MQA for all higher education institutions, the existing student record system and the examination system can no longer fulfill the needs of the academic community. New sets of reports and documentations required by the MQA need to be produced at the end of every semester, and this creates new tasks and responsibilities on the part the lecturer. Since there is no system to automate the process, the task is done manually and it demands a lot of commitments from the lecturer in terms of time and effort. The report preparation process involves a lot of calculations, and doing it manually will make the process error prone.

There is a need for a new system to support these new requirements. Some of the reports and documentations that need to be prepared by the lecturer are such as Program Outcome, Course Outcome, Attendance, Document Mapping, Marking and Mapping Analysis, Course Work Sample and Analysis, Student EPP and Lecturer Report, Course Content, Course Review Report (CRR) and Program Review Report (PRR)

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The new system is hoped to elevate some of the burden of lecturers in preparing the assessment documents, so that they can focus more on improving their teaching and learning. The proposed system will also benefit the program owner as well as the higher education provider.

Due to the many faculties at UTM for the both location, main campus and the international campus, this dissertation will only focus on the full time diploma programs offered by the UTM SPACE at International Campus, Kuala Lumpur. The full time diploma programs offered by UTM SPACE currently are such as Civil Engineering,

Electronic

Engineering,

Electrical

Engineering,

Mechanical

Engineering, Computer Science, Management Technology, Property Management, Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, Quantity Surveying and Land Surveying

The MQA will perform the audit exercise regularly to ensure compliance of the programs to the set standard so as to maintain the university quality performance and this is known as Academic Performance Audit (APA) exercise.

1.3

Problem Statement

Currently, there is no proper system to assist the academic staff in producing the documents and reports required by the faculty and the university management in order to comply with the MQA requirements. Compliance to the MQA standards requires new set of reports and documentations that can only be delivered by a system that incorporates some concepts of knowledge management and decision support.

4

The proposed academic knowledge support system will benefit the academic staff and faculty management in the following area:

1.

Standardized process for academic program management by creating the central knowledge repository that will serve the academic community requirements.

2.

The incorporation of the knowledge based and decision support components for management decision making process.

3.

Help lecturers’ time management in fulfilling their many KPIs expected by the university as the system will provide a one stop center for relevant knowledge for the different tasks that they need to do.

1.4

Project Objectives

The main project objectives are:

i.

To study and analyze the current issues and environments in the academic program management of a faculty to maintain the university quality performance.

ii.

To develop a conceptual framework of a knowledge support system for academic program management to be used by the higher learning institutions.

iii.

To design and develop a prototype of the academic program assessment system by using UML technique and dot Net application tools.

5

1.5

The Scope

i.

The study will focus on the full time diploma programs offered by the UTM SPACE at UTM International Campus, Kuala Lumpur.

ii.

The framework proposed will cover both the operational and the management level for the full time diploma programs offered by UTM SPACE at UTM International Campus, Kuala Lumpur.

iii.

The users of the system will be the lecturers, program coordinator, and head of department, dean, deputy dean (academic) and deputy registrar (academic).

1.6

Importance of Project

Maintaining the MQA standard is the most important agenda to make Malaysia as a preferred centre to pursue higher education. This also serves as the evidence of quality performance in education that is offered by UTM. The university needs to perform continuous quality improvement by reviewing the quality system according to the schedules.

The process of maintaining the quality performance is among the most important matter of this study. This study is carried out by analyzing the current process and studying the relevant literatures in order to develop the appropriate framework for an academic knowledge support system suitable for a higher learning institution. The development of the framework further into design and implementation will benefit the end users, specifically the lecturers, the program coordinators, the head of departments, and the deputy dean (academic), the academic

6

registrar as well as the dean in terms of reducing the time taken in preparing the necessary reports and documentations in order to comply with the MQA requirements.

1.7

Summary

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia has to maintain its academic quality performance by submitting the appropriate reports to the Auditor of the Malaysia Quality Agency (MQA). UTM has to prepare a lot of documentation that related to the academic quality performance and it must be prepare by the academicians. The purpose of this project is to study and analyze the issues and environments of the current academic management in a university faculty and also to propose a framework appropriate for the academic environment and a prototype program assessment system will be developed.

The academician’s have very limited time to be spared for the preparation of the assessment documents which needs to be done at the end of every semester. The development of an academic knowledge support system would prove to be very beneficial and timely as such system can greatly improve the academician’s time management to fulfill their many KPIs as required by the university.