University of Lincolnshire and Humberside maximises usability of existing databases with CONNX

Creating New Resources: The "Learning System " Maximises Usability of Existing Databases with CONNX. University of Lincolnshire and Humberside implements World Wide Web solution to connect RMS data files to SQL server. Web project depends on CONNX to give students and staff access to the university's management systems.

Overview

The goal of the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside is to enable its students to flourish academically, personally, and socially.

To satisfy this goal, the University has been working for several years to put a system in place that will exploit communications and information technology in order to help students and faculty gain access to such important information as student files and class schedules. They also wished to create new features, including electronic diaries, study guides, and much more.

The system is an ongoing development project for the university. Initially commissioned to both support and deliver one common three-year unit across all undergraduate levels (covering the skills and capabilities curriculum), it is being utilised in many more generic ways that include the delivery of specific subjects. The system is Web-based and assumes little about the user’s browser. Virtually all the “intelligence” of the system is server-based. It uses Microsoft (MS)Internet Information Server with Active Server Pages (ASP) and SQL Server for access to integral databases that contain data such as assessment results, electronic diaries, and student photographs. It uses the CONNX RMS Module for access to the corporate database held in RMS data files via ODBC, allowing seamless connectivity to all data.

CONNX has enabled departments and administrative staff to create reports they previously waited months for the university’s Information Services department to provide. An accomplishment that, before CONNX, what was only a dream has become a reality. As a result of the incorporation of CONNX into the system, students can now enjoy access to subject board notices, discussion groups, study guides, and an electronic diary allowing both automatic and manual entries.

Connecting the appropriate information for both students and staff and making it accessible via the Web was an important factor from the start. The university also benefits greatly as it freed academic departments from having to field student questions

Main Benefits

  • Access to appropriate information for both students and staff from the university’s Student Management System (SMS)and its Programmers Data System (PDS).The information is resident in RMS data files on the university ‘s main administrative DEC alpha system and accessed via the Internet.
  • Creation of an electronic diary for all users,with both automatic and manual entries.
  • Development of basic IT skills materials, study guides in AdobeAcrobat format,and interactive assessments.
  • Access to subject notice boards and discussion groups for staff and students.
  • On-line assessment creation, delivery, and tutor monitoring.
  • Off-campus access to services and information for both staff and students either at home or at work. The Learning System is now a corporate intranet Web site, making extensive use of ASP technology via MS Visual Interdev.

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