Through the satisfaction survey of the course registration system at Western Oregon University, the interviews of the registrar and the chief information officer, and the experience of t
Introduction
Most higher education institutions in Oregon, including Western Oregon University, utilize the Banner online registration system, allowing students to enroll in courses conveniently via the Internet Developed by Ellucian, Banner streamlines the online course registration process across the Oregon University System, ensuring a uniform and efficient experience for all students.
A course registration contains three main components:
1) The selection of courses the student needs to take to meet the degree requirements for the upcoming terms
2) Guidelines to find and register for classes in the system
3) The ability to register during the registration period 1
The Banner system is limited to assisting students with registration during the designated period and does not support course selection or scheduling, nor does it provide information on degree requirements for graduation An effective course registration system should offer comprehensive information to help students efficiently choose and schedule their courses To address this need, this project aims to develop an online Add-on Course Registration System for Western Oregon University, enabling students to complete the entire registration process quickly and efficiently through a user-friendly digital platform.
General Online Course Registration System
Amilia’s presentation products feature an activity module that enables users to efficiently set up registration periods, classes, activities, and events, making it ideal for small organizations with 1 to 1000 members The platform offers comprehensive features such as activity registration, attendance tracking, badge management, calendar scheduling, contact management, and online as well as onsite registration options, covering most customer needs Its payment processing, refund automation, and self-check-in functionalities streamline administrative tasks and enhance user experience While similar online registration systems exist for small groups, most focus on simple online courses involving an instructor and a single location These systems allow students to quickly browse, select, add courses to their cart, and complete the checkout process seamlessly.
Dr Laghari emphasized that student course registration is vital for academic planning, enabling the administration to create accurate class lists and facilitate various academic activities The College of Engineering's devised system supports students in selecting appropriate courses and seamlessly integrates with the online University Registration System to enhance the registration process Additionally, the SASSY advising system developed by Armstrong Atlantic State University recommends courses by considering factors such as course frequency, balancing course loads, reducing time to graduation, student preferences, and exploring different course load scenarios for the student's entire academic journey.
Professor Felson from William Paterson University evaluates his school registration system:
Students and their advisers often struggle with navigating complex systems to identify course requirements and availability, leading to frustration The situation has become so challenging that students and faculty are increasingly taking matters into their own hands According to The New York Times, students at institutions such as Rutgers University, Brown University, Baruch College, UC Berkeley, Furman University, Carnegie Mellon University, Florida State University, and the University of Pennsylvania have developed innovative apps that repackage course registration formats, aiming to streamline the process and improve accessibility.
Banner System
The typical architecture of a University operating system needs three components:
Western Oregon University utilizes the Banner 8 system to streamline course registration, leveraging its integration with Ellucian's Banner, colleagues, and PowerCampus to enhance efficiency The Banner system, developed by Ellucian, is a comprehensive student information system built on Oracle databases and operated on Red Hat Linux, ensuring reliable performance for managing financial aid, human resources, and registration processes This collaboration between Banner, colleagues, and PowerCampus enables seamless coordination across various administrative functions, supporting the university's operational needs.
Western Oregon University, as a member of the Oregon University System, is preparing to upgrade to Banner XE, the latest version featuring an extensibility framework, attendance tracking, and enhanced registration and advisor self-service capabilities This upgrade is essential as Ellucian plans to release Banner 9 in the future, requiring institutions within the system to update to Banner XE to stay current To facilitate this transition, Oregon State University will update its servers, and staff will undergo training to effectively operate the new system, ensuring seamless educational management and improved user experience.
General Banner Procedure
Course Registration
Figure 2.2 The Course Registration Page of Banner
Figure 2.2 illustrates the course registration interface of the Banner system, where students must enter the CRN for each course in the designated fields To complete their registration, students simply click the submit button, confirming their selected classes It is essential for students to identify their required courses and obtain the corresponding CRNs beforehand, prior to the registration deadline, to ensure a smooth registration process.
Look-up Classes to Add
Figure 2.3 Term Selection of Banner
When registering for a computer science course, students must first select the specific quarter they wish to enroll in They can browse available classes by choosing a term, but only one term can be selected per search session If students select a past quarter, they will be able to view course records but will not have the option to register for those classes.
2) Choose one or multiple subjects
Figure 2.4 Course Subject Selection of Banner
In this step (see figure 2.4), the student selects one or multiple subjects to get all the courses for their major/s and general education classes
Figure 2.5 Course Catalog of Computer Science Subject of Banner
The search result page only displays all course numbers and course names of the selected subject/s, but no other course information
Figure 2.6 Individual Course Selection of Banner
Students can select a single course to view detailed information, including available times, days, instructor, location, dates, and remaining seats To register, students use the course's CRN and can then proceed to search for additional classes.
Figure 2.7 Advanced Course Search of Banner
The system offers two search options: section search and advanced search While section search provides a broad overview, advanced search allows students to narrow down results by specifying class times and days, making it easier to find desired courses quickly Additionally, the results generated by section search and advanced search differ, ensuring more precise and tailored options for students.
Figure 2.8 Advanced Course Search Result of Banner
The screenshot in Figure 2.8 displays the advanced course search results, allowing students to view comprehensive course information in a consolidated format instead of just course numbers and names However, since the search results are extensive, students may need considerable time to identify schedule conflicts and select suitable courses efficiently.
The Banner system integrates essential functions such as course registration, finance, and human resources, making it a critical component of university operations Replacing the Banner system could jeopardize other interconnected systems beyond registration, highlighting the importance of maintaining system stability To address issues in the course registration process without disrupting the entire infrastructure, colleges can develop an Add-on Course Registration System This solution allows institutions to input data into a relational database, effectively replacing the course registration module within Banner while preserving system integrity.
Tedious Registration Flow
A streamlined course registration system is essential for students and advisors, enabling quick and easy detection of scheduling conflicts Currently, users must navigate multiple platforms, which complicates the registration process An improved system design allows students to select suitable courses and automatically avoid conflicts, eliminating the need to switch between different screens and making registration more efficient and user-friendly.
Insufficient Registration Information
A comprehensive registration system is essential for students to effectively monitor their progress toward their degree Currently, Western Oregon University utilizes two separate systems: Banner for course registration and DegreeWorks for tracking degree requirements The limited integration between these platforms hampers students' ability to easily track their academic progress and graduation readiness To enhance student experience, a functional system should seamlessly combine course registration, degree requirement tracking, and progress monitoring, ensuring students can efficiently manage their academic journey.
A Lack of Feedback
Current course registration systems mainly display limited information such as available seats, while more valuable data like instructor ratings, faculty evaluations, waitlist numbers, and average grades remain hidden from students By integrating these insights into the registration platform, students can make more informed decisions when choosing courses Implementing features like discussion boards similar to Amazon's review system can allow students to share feedback on courses and professors, enhancing transparency and user experience A well-designed registration system that includes comprehensive course and instructor information can significantly improve student decision-making and overall satisfaction.
Disadvantages of the Banner System
Western Oregon University students are dissatisfied with the current course registration system, Banner, due to its cumbersome and tedious registration process The system's course information is stored as discrete data attributes, resulting in uniform search results for all students within the same major, which limits personalized viewing Banner retrieves course details directly from the source database through select queries, making it difficult for students to filter or identify only available courses tailored to their individual needs Consequently, students must manually sift through data, as Banner does not proactively organize or clarify course availability, leading to a frustrating registration experience.
Having too many course options increases the likelihood of omissions and scheduling conflicts for students For example, even with just two classes offering two or three meeting times, there are multiple potential course plans, but students often take more than two classes per term, exponentially increasing possible schedules These schedules may include time conflicts that students must identify manually within the Banner system, which is prone to errors The Banner registration system only flags conflicts by rejecting registration, leaving students to reschedule on their own before the deadline However, the system does not provide clear or efficient information to help students resolve scheduling issues, making course rescheduling challenging and time-consuming.
Advantageous Features of the Add-on Course Registration System
Avoid Time Conflicts of Courses
The Add-on Course Registration System allows students to view their existing schedule plan prior to selecting courses for the upcoming quarter, as all available courses are displayed in a comprehensive schedule grid (see Fig A.1 in Appendix A) This feature helps students efficiently manage their course selections by providing a clear overview of their current timetable Additionally, students can remove courses, such as those related to Major feature #1, to avoid potential time conflicts and ensure their new schedule remains feasible and well-organized.
When multiple courses conflict, they are displayed within the same grid cell on the schedule, making conflicts immediately obvious to students Additionally, the system's major features include providing detailed information to meet various requirements such as LACCs, prerequisites, and other academic criteria, ensuring students can easily access relevant course requirements and plan their schedules effectively.
The Sidebar showcases courses that meet specific arbitrary requirements, helping students identify relevant options efficiently Courses are sorted by importance, with major required courses that also fulfill these requirements listed at the top A key feature is the ability to provide a “forecast” of students planning to take each course, enabling better planning and resource allocation This organized presentation enhances user experience by highlighting essential courses and offering insightful projections of student enrollment trends.
The side of each course has a number to show how many students choose the same course as you. ỉ Major feature #4 Provide course recommendation ranking and reviews
Courses are prioritized based on their ranking scores from students who have taken them, especially when they hold the same level of importance Students can access and read detailed reviews of each course in the discussion board, and after completing a class, they are encouraged to leave feedback on the same page The Add-on Course Registration System simplifies scheduling by allowing students to easily identify unavailable classes through checkboxes next to course numbers, preventing selection conflicts and helping students avoid time clashes.
Provide Information of Meeting Arbitrary Requirements
At Western Oregon University, students must earn various credits to complete their degrees, with courses categorized into major, minor, elective, and additional graduation requirements Some specific requirements are hidden from the course catalog and can be fulfilled by courses in particular sections, such as writing intensive and cultural diversity courses, which require six credits each, and mathematics or computer science courses, totaling 11-12 credits Business students, for example, must also complete 54-58 credits in the liberal arts core curriculum Notably, the "Quantitative Business Method" course, a lower-division credit, serves as both a major requirement and an arbitrary requirement, fulfilling the quantitative literacy requirement within mathematics or computer science This dual functionality makes the course highly valuable for students aiming to efficiently meet multiple graduation requirements.
The Add-on Course Registration System features a sidebar that displays which courses fulfill specific student requirements, serving as a simplified version of DegreeWorks This functionality helps students easily identify how each course meets their degree requirements, track remaining required credit hours, and plan their courses with greater flexibility For instance, if two lower-division courses are scheduled simultaneously—one satisfying only the major requirement and the other fulfilling both the major and writing-intensive requirements—the system prioritizes the latter and recommends it to the student By guiding students to meet their degree requirements efficiently, this system enhances flexibility in course planning and supports a smoother path to graduation.
Provide a “Forecast” of Students Planning to Take a Course
Before the registration date, students should verify their registration status and timings to ensure eligibility, and plan their courses for the upcoming quarter in advance Since students are grouped into different registration batches, there is a risk that some preparative courses may become full when they register Without a backup plan, students may need to reschedule all their courses quickly and with little time for consideration Failing to decide on courses during their registration period can result in subsequent batches filling these classes, making them unavailable for later registrants.
The Add-on Course Registration System forecasts the number of students for each course, reducing the likelihood of waiting lists and enabling better planning It displays the number of students selecting each course during scheduling, helping students decide whether to enroll in popular classes If the student batch number is published early, students can choose to register for preferred courses or identify substitute options in advance Additionally, the system allows students to save multiple course schedules, including backup plans, to ensure flexible and efficient registration.
Provide Course Recommendation Ranking and Reviews
The sidebar in the Add-on Course Registration System functions as a simplified version of DegreeWorks, providing students with an overview of their credit hour requirements, completed courses, and remaining courses for their bachelor's degree Courses are organized by importance level, helping students prioritize their registration tasks When multiple courses share the same importance level, they are further sorted by their average course scores to assist in making informed decisions.
Students are the ones who can evaluate a class, as they are the participants with firsthand experience Those who have already taken the course can provide valuable feedback on the course Discussion Board and assign grades, ensuring a fair assessment.
Students can access the course Discussion Board by clicking on the class number in the Sidebar, which redirects them to the sub-page designated for class discussions (refer to fig A.6 in appendix A for detailed instructions) The Add-on Course feature enhances the learning experience by providing seamless navigation to relevant discussion forums, encouraging student engagement and collaboration.
The registration system currently lacks a pop-up window for reviews, as courses may be offered at multiple class times with different instructors Incorporating dedicated sub-pages for each course can provide students with detailed information without cluttering the main registration page, balancing comprehensive content with user-friendly navigation Since not all students seek in-depth course details, this structure helps streamline the registration process while still offering valuable insights for those who need them.
User Interface Design
The Add-on Course Registration System interface comprises four main sections to enhance user experience and system efficiency These include the Schedule Grid, which provides a comprehensive timetable view (refer to fig A.1 in appendix A), the Sidebar for navigation and course selection (see fig A.2 in appendix A), the View Box that displays detailed course information (see fig A.3 in appendix A), and the Save Bar for saving and confirming selections (refer to fig A.4 in appendix A).
Figure 4.2 Add-on Course Registration System Interface for Western Oregon University
Cost
When developing the Add-on Course Registration System, Western Oregon University faces two options: collaborating with the computer science department to build it internally or outsourcing the project to a software company Evaluating these options requires comparing initial development costs, ongoing update expenses, and maintenance fees Currently, the university's Banner 8 registration system incurs an annual maintenance cost of $114,563, which includes software updates, highlighting the importance of assessing long-term expenses in the decision-making process.
Creating the Add-on Course Registration System at Western Oregon University involves higher initial development costs but offers easier updates and maintenance over time The completed software can be marketed and sold to other educational institutions and organizations, generating additional revenue Investing in this software development is a strategic, long-term decision that is expected to yield a return through software sales To accurately assess the project's feasibility, it is essential to calculate the total investment by understanding the development costs involved.
1) What will be the salary of each programmer?
2) How many programmers are needed to build this software?
3) How long will building this program take?
4) How many people are needed to maintain this software?
Western Oregon University can choose to purchase an existing Add-on Course Registration System or have it custom-designed to meet new specifications While buying an off-the-shelf solution may reduce initial software costs, it involves ongoing expenses for maintenance and updates Additionally, staff training is essential for effectively using, editing, testing, and maintaining the system Each time the software is updated, staff must be retrained to stay current with the new features, making the initial savings potentially offset by long-term costs Therefore, opting for a ready-made system might be cheaper initially but could lead to higher expenses over time due to maintenance and training needs.
Benefits
Efficiency
The Add-on Course Registration System provides an intuitive course planning interface
An improved course registration system significantly saves time for both students and faculty According to data from Q5 in Appendix B (see figure 5.1), 50% of students spend between 30 to 60 minutes planning their schedules, while 28.9% allocate more than an hour, highlighting the time-consuming nature of the process Conversely, only 21.1% of students manage to complete their scheduling in less than 30 minutes, emphasizing the need for more efficient registration systems.
Implementing the Add-on Course Registration System enables students at Western Oregon University to complete their course planning in less than 15 minutes, significantly reducing planning time With a total student population of 5,445—comprising 4,808 undergraduates and 637 graduates—the system helps streamline the registration process On average, students using the system save time per quarter, as calculations exclude the 21.1% of students who already spend less than 30 minutes on scheduling, averaging around 15 minutes—meaning these students experience no additional time saving with the new system This efficient registration solution enhances student experience by minimizing time spent on course planning.
Course Registration System.) Moreover, using the lowest limiting value of each segment to calculate, and the result would be the minimum value of planning time saved:
Figure 5.1 How Much Time Do Student Spend on Searching for Courses and Planning
The calculation result shows that the system can save Western Oregon University students at least 1861-hour worth of planning time per quarter
Analysis of Q4 data reveals that 43.3% of students spend 15-30 minutes with their advisor, 40% spend less than 15 minutes, 15.6% require 30-60 minutes, and only 1.1% need over an hour Implementing the Add-on Course Registration System significantly reduces both student and advisor time investment by automating course selection suggestions through its Sidebar feature This system minimizes the need for direct meetings, allowing students to avoid unnecessary advisor consultations unless they encounter issues The time savings achieved with this system can be quantified using a specific formula, demonstrating its efficiency in streamlining the course registration process.
When analyzing user engagement, we standardize session durations by using a 1-hour timeframe for consistency For students who spend between 30 to 60 minutes, the average time per interval is approximately 45 minutes Those who spend 15 to 30 minutes contribute an average of about 22.5 minutes per session, while students with sessions under 15 minutes typically average around 7.5 minutes This segmentation helps optimize content delivery and enhances user engagement strategies.
Figure 5.2 How Much Time Do Student Spend with Their Advisor?
Advisors can save up to 1,853 hours of advising time per quarter, boosting efficiency and student support However, survey results indicating a 40% reduction in advising sessions lasting less than 15 minutes highlight variation in advising practices While some advisors provide students with the next quarter’s course list and recommend three to five major courses, they often do not assist students with detailed schedule planning during advising sessions This underscores the importance of comprehensive advising to optimize student success and time management.
It means a student would meet their advisor more than one time if they have any problem when they are planning their courses.
Accuracy
The Add-on Course Registration System enables students to efficiently plan their course schedules within minutes, saving time and effort Its intuitive Schedule Grid interface allows students to accurately design their timetable while easily identifying course conflicts and required classes for degree completion Specifically designed to eliminate course conflicts, the system streamlines the registration process, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for students striving to meet their academic goals.
Figure 5.3 How Much Time Do Students Spend on Registering for the Term’s Classes?
Analysis of the registration data reveals that only 20% of students complete their registration within two minutes under the Banner system, requiring them to quickly type and submit course CRNs Conversely, 38.9% spend 2-10 minutes, and 26.7% take longer than 10 minutes, indicating many students face efficiency challenges Notably, 14.4% of students are placed on waitlists due to incomplete registration during the filing period, highlighting delays The fact that 80% of students take longer than two minutes suggests they struggle with timely and accurate registration, leading to increased workload for advisors and the registrar’s office when issues arise Overall, the current registration process impacts student efficiency and institutional operations.
Figure 5.4 How Often Do Students Experience Problems Getting the Courses They Need?
According to Q8 results in Appendix B, about one-third of Western Oregon University students never experience problems securing their required courses However, the remaining students face issues such as course conflicts, quickly filling classes, prerequisite requirements, canceled courses, and lengthy waitlists, which disrupt their schedules nearly 66% of the time Common problems include delays caused by prerequisite requirements and limited course offerings in specific terms, which can hinder students’ ability to graduate on time due to inadequate timely information.
Better Utilization for Departments
The current registration system limits departments from viewing the full scope of course enrollment before the registration period ends, leading to potential imbalances between course supply and demand However, the new Add-on Course Registration System helps address this issue by providing real-time data, allowing departments to better manage course availability and optimize student registration processes Implementing this advanced system enhances registration efficiency and ensures a more balanced allocation of courses, benefiting both students and academic staff.
Departments can access real-time forecasted student enrollment for each course, allowing them to adjust course offerings proactively before classes commence Maintaining full classes optimizes resource utilization, benefiting both the institution and students While the teaching cost remains constant regardless of class size, maximizing enrollment increases the school's profit Accurate enrollment predictions help create a balanced, efficient, and financially sustainable academic environment.
When course supply exceeds demand, some classes have very low enrollment, leading to potential financial inefficiencies The maximum seating capacity of each classroom determines how many students can be accommodated, and underutilized large classrooms result in monetary losses for the department Western Oregon University’s real-time class availability website provides up-to-date registration information, revealing that in Winter 2017, out of 1,641 courses offered, approximately 261 had less than a 10% registration rate, with only 13 courses canceled Early awareness of registration trends enables departments to cancel low-enrollment courses proactively, thereby reducing costs and optimizing instructional budgets.
When course demand exceeds supply at Western Oregon University, classes fill up quickly, leading some students to be placed on waitlists or request overrides During each registration period, the registrar’s office manages numerous override requests, which require significant time and effort Implementing the Add-on Course Registration System has streamlined this process, reducing administrative costs and saving valuable resources for the university.
Satisfaction
Figure 5.5 The Satisfaction for Banner System
The survey results indicate an average satisfaction score of 6.9 out of 10 for WOU’s current online registration system, reflecting a moderate to high level of satisfaction Despite this, respondents have expressed awareness of the system’s issues, particularly with the Banner system, but feel powerless to effect change as students lack alternative options and must rely on it for registration Common complaints include long waitlists for essential classes, which have caused some students to miss timely graduation, and a complicated course catalog that provides insufficient information, further impacting their degree completion plans.
The Add-on Course Registration System addresses many student complaints, leading to increased satisfaction with the registration process Higher student satisfaction encourages greater retention rates, as students are more likely to stay at the university and complete their degrees on schedule Maintaining a stable student population who graduate on time is a key indicator of the university's overall quality and academic effectiveness.
Tedious Registration Flow
The Add-on Course Registration System offers an innovative Banner alternative, enabling students to select courses and resolve scheduling conflicts seamlessly without navigating multiple screens By integrating course and student information, this system helps students identify missing courses and address scheduling issues efficiently It displays all available courses in an intuitive schedule grid, providing a clear overview to enhance the registration experience and streamline course management.
Figure 6.1 Schedule Grid of Add-on Course Registration System
To effectively display all available courses in a schedule grid, the Add-on Course Registration System requires clean and well-structured data from the database When multiple courses start at the same time, the system consolidates these courses' numbers within the same grid cell, as shown in Figure 6.1 Since the class time attribute in the Banner system's Oracle database is discrete and non-numerical, the system cannot compare or analyze start and end times directly This limitation may result in overlooking time conflicts when classes share start times but have different end times, affecting the accuracy of the schedule display and conflict detection.
System needs cleaning data for data warehouse The class time-slot should be in continuous type
The Add-on Course Registration System helps students identify time conflicts between classes by detecting overlapping time-slots during course selection When a student attempts to register for a class, the system checks for schedule overlaps to prevent registration errors If the Banner system detects that the chosen class's time-slot is already registered, it prevents enrollment in conflicting courses, ensuring a smooth and conflict-free registration process.
Course numbers are distinguished by different colors to enhance clarity during selection; for example, regular courses appear in black, while courses requiring prerequisites are highlighted in light blue When a student selects a class, all conflicting classes with overlapping schedules automatically change from black or light blue to gray, indicating schedule conflicts visually This color-coded system helps students easily identify available and conflicting courses, as demonstrated in figures 6.1 and A.1 in the appendix for detailed illustration.
The View Box, highlighted as the dark red area below the Schedule Grid (refer to Fig A.3 in Appendix A for detailed visualization), offers students two distinct viewing options This feature enhances user experience by allowing students to access different perspectives of their schedule easily Additionally, the View Box plays a crucial role in managing and navigating schedule information efficiently The Add-on Course feature further complements the interface, providing extended functionality to personalize the learning experience.
Registration System considers the normal view as default The simple view will hide all courses that are not available during schedule planning (see figure 6.2)
Figure 6.2 Schedule Grid after Selection (Simple View) of Add-on Course Registration System
The Add-on Course Registration System allows students to view one or multiple course types within the schedule grid, enhancing scheduling flexibility Students can select specific course categories to display, as detailed in Section 6.2 of the Sidebar For example, Figure 6.3 demonstrates a view displaying only required core courses, using sample course information to illustrate this functionality.
Figure 6.3 Normal View of the Required Core Courses of Add-on Course Registration System
The simple view feature is particularly beneficial for freshmen, as it helps manage the multitude of available courses by simplifying the Schedule Grid By comparing Figure 6.4, which displays only the required core courses, with Figure 6.3's normal view, users can clearly see how the new system streamlines and declutters the Schedule Grid, enhancing ease of use and navigation.
Figure 6.4 The Required Core Courses Schedule Grid after Selection (Simple View) of Add-on Course Registration System
To improve user experience, the Add-on Course Registration System provides a course summary pop-up when students hover over course numbers in the Schedule Grid, helping students easily access essential course information without cluttering the timetable If the Schedule Grid contains numerous courses, displaying only course numbers can cause confusion, so the pop-up feature offers a clear and concise course overview For example, Figure 6.5 shows the course summary window for the Regression Analysis class at Western Oregon University, enhancing students' ability to quickly identify course details This interactive feature streamlines course selection and supports efficient academic planning within the university's online registration system.
Figure 6.5 Pop-up Window of BA367Q of Add-on Course Registration System
Students can access comprehensive course information—including course names, reference numbers, schedules, credit hours, instructors, locations, and requirement statuses—through the schedule grid, enhancing their ability to plan effectively This feature aids students in organizing their courses efficiently, especially when classes are scheduled close together; for example, when the time gap between two classes is only 10 minutes Recognizing potential location conflicts, such as distant classroom venues for back-to-back classes, can be challenging within the Banner system Therefore, this schedule overview helps students identify and address logistical issues to optimize their learning experience.
The Add-on Course Registration System simplifies the process by eliminating the need to identify which courses are successful Instead, users can easily interpret course schedules, as adjacent grid cells indicate potential location conflicts Students can resolve scheduling issues by checking course locations directly through the class pop-up windows, allowing for a more organized and efficient course arrangement.
Insufficient Registration Information
The Add-on Course Registration System must facilitate efficient registration, track degree requirements, and monitor students' progress by integrating course data and student records Unlike the Banner system’s relational database, this system should seamlessly connect course information with individual student data to enhance academic management and ensure accurate progress tracking.
Registration System need to access more data Besides the current regular course information, we should add these 6 attributes to the course table of the database:
1) Complete Course: the student completed this course or not
2) Course Type: required core course or elective course
3) Required Prerequisite Course: yes, what class is the prerequisite course of this class?
Or this course does not need any prerequisite course
4) Prerequisite Course: Yes, this course is the prerequisite course of which class Or this course is not any course prerequisite course
5) Attribute: this course meets what kinds of arbitrary requirements Or this course does not meet any arbitrary requirement
6) Forecast Number: the number of students selected same class when they planned their schedule
The Add-on Course Registration System now incorporates additional database attributes, enabling it to generate select queries that accurately count and sum required course credits, elective credits, and degree credits, thereby enhancing sidebar support Furthermore, the system intelligently classifies all courses into ten level groups for students using a decision tree algorithm, improving course organization and student planning.
Figure 6.6 Decision Tree of Add-on Course Registration System This system is used to divide all courses into I~X level type for deciding the sequence of Sidebar
These I ~ X level courses can help system to have a simplified version of the
DegreeWorks features a Sidebar section within the Add-on Course Registration System that sorts courses by importance level, making it easier for students to prioritize their selections The most important courses, labeled as I level, are essential for students as they fulfill core, prerequisite, and specific program requirements simultaneously Conversely, X level courses are the least important and unlikely to be chosen The Sidebar lists courses starting from the most important at the top, enabling students to identify key classes without consulting their advisors Additionally, the Schedule Grid displays multiple courses within the same cell, with course numbers sorted according to the same priority order as the Sidebar When courses are at the same importance level, the system further sorts them based on average course scores, as detailed in section 6.3, providing a comprehensive and organized course selection process.
The course numbers on both the Sidebar and schedule grid automatically change color as students select courses, enhancing visual clarity Figure 6.7 displays three screenshots of the Sidebar interface: the first shows the Sidebar when students are logged into their school account, the second illustrates the options for filtering course types, and the third demonstrates the Sidebar after a student has selected four classes This dynamic feature improves user experience by providing real-time visual updates during course registration.
Figure 6.7 Three variations of Sidebar
The dark red cells represent different course types, each accompanied by a checkbox on the left for selection, allowing students to choose one or multiple courses By default, all checkboxes are selected, but students can modify their choices On the right side of each course type, a round bracket displays two numbers: the first indicates the credits the student has earned in that section, while the second shows the total required credits for their degree, as illustrated in figure 6.8 For example, a notation like (8/53) signifies the student needs 53 credits to complete their degree, with 8 credits earned so far in required courses Similarly, (20/73) indicates the student must complete 73 credits, and after finishing selected courses, they will have earned 20 credits—8 from required courses and 12 from electives A filled checkbox next to a course, such as CS361, indicates it has been completed, whereas an empty checkbox signifies the course has been selected but not yet finished The Add-on Course Registration System aids students in tracking their progress toward degree completion.
Figure 6.8 Sidebar of Add-on Course Registration System
When students select courses, the course number displayed on the Sidebar automatically updates by adding the course number from its respective course type section to the complete section An empty checkbox appears next to each course number, enabling students to easily select or deselect courses Additionally, the numbers within the round brackets next to the course type section update automatically to reflect the current selections, ensuring an organized and efficient course registration process.
Each class has a round bracket indicating the maximum available seats and the forecasted number of students For example, BA367Q (83/35) means there are 35 seats available, but 83 students are expected to select the course, reflecting its popularity The Add-on Course Registration System allows students to save their schedules with Prime Save and Draft Save options; Prime Save specifically records the forecasted enrollment numbers, helping to gauge course demand.
A Lack of Feedback
The add-on course registration system features a comment board similar to Amazon's review platform, allowing students to share feedback on courses and professors The Discussion Board for BA361D enables students to review and select courses based on peer reviews, providing valuable insights into each class This platform helps students make informed decisions by accessing feedback from peers who have previously taken the courses.
Clicking the course number in the Sidebar directs students to the course’s Discussion Board page, where they can engage with fellow classmates To access this page, students must log into their school account, as the system needs to verify their approval by connecting to the school database This login requirement ensures that only enrolled students can participate and leave reviews, making these reviews more reliable than those on third-party sites like Rate My Professors Since all reviews are submitted by students who have personally experienced the course, they provide authentic and trustworthy insights for prospective students.
The Discussion Board provides comprehensive information about courses offered by different professors, including course number, name, instructor, and relevant details Students can view course history, grades, and whether they would recommend retaking the course It also displays if a textbook is required, teaching methods, course content, student comments, and uploaded files The platform allows users to filter and sort reviews by score, grade received, term, instructor, content, comments, and files To ensure consistency and accuracy, the system automatically restricts students from editing certain data points such as scores, likelihood of retaking, and textbooks used, while automatically filling in term and instructor details based on their previous records stored in the database This streamlined approach helps students make informed decisions about courses efficiently and reliably.
The Discussion Board can be customized to support the organization of the Sidebar, enhancing user navigation Courses are categorized into ten distinct levels, which are sorted sequentially to improve course accessibility Within each level, courses are further ranked based on their average scores, calculated using an AVG query in the database This dual sorting system ensures that users can easily find courses by level and see the highest-rated options first in the Sidebar.
A Review of Results
Registering for courses at Western Oregon University has been difficult at best and almost a nightmare at worst for two-thirds of the students who attend The Add-on Course
The Registration System revolutionizes course registration by utilizing a user-friendly schedule grid that displays all available courses, streamlining the traditional, tedious process Unlike the manual method of consulting hard copy catalogs and resolving time conflicts without knowing class capacity, this new system integrates essential information, allowing students to select courses directly online It simplifies the registration flow, saving time, and provides students with real-time updates on class availability, scheduling conflicts, and how courses fit into their graduation requirements, making the entire process more efficient and user-friendly.
The Sidebar of the Add-on Course Registration System simplifies course selection by categorizing course types and displaying key details such as completed credits, required degree credits, forecasted courses, and maximum seat capacity within brackets This feature effectively replaces many advisor functions, saving time and streamlining the registration process Additionally, the system's relational database integrates related attributes by connecting course information and student records, providing students with a comprehensive overview of their degree progress.
The Discussion Board serves as a valuable platform for students to provide and receive feedback on each class, enabling informed decisions about courses and instructors Student feedback includes course forecast numbers, which help identify potential issues early, preventing waitlist placements Additionally, course average scores inform the sequence of the Sidebar, guiding schedule grid generation to optimize course planning and student experience.
Limitations
The Add-on Course Registration System at Western Oregon University is designed to integrate course information, degree requirements, and student records within a complex database system, with DegreeWorks embedded into Banner to streamline registration processes However, this increased complexity makes system maintenance and updates more challenging, especially given that Western Oregon University still operates on Banner version 8.8, while Banner XE was released in 2012 The university has chosen not to upgrade due to concerns over potential issues, despite upcoming statewide migration to the newer Banner XE system This situation necessitates extensive testing and system adjustments by the university's IT and registrar’s departments, including developing detailed reports to facilitate a smooth transition once upgrades become unavoidable. -**Sponsor**Looking to streamline your content creation process while maintaining SEO standards? It sounds like you need a tool that understands the nuances of rewriting and optimizing articles With [Article Generation](https://pollinations.ai/redirect-nexad/R8zhmlOl?user_id=983577), you can instantly generate 2,000-word, SEO-optimized articles and potentially save over $2,500 a month compared to hiring a writer Imagine getting key sentences that retain the core meaning of coherent paragraphs, all while adhering to SEO rules, making your content creation smoother and more efficient! It's like having your own content team, minus the management headaches.
More procedures done by any system means a higher potential for system error This can be shown by the report of the Oregon State University:
The article highlights that student grades recorded in the system were often not backed by proper source documents, with 12 out of 50 grades tested lacking adequate supporting records Additionally, under certain limited circumstances, the system incorrectly processed tuition and fees on student accounts, though the exact cause and the total number of affected students remain unknown These issues raise concerns about recordkeeping accuracy and system reliability within the institution.
Oregon State University, a member of the Oregon University System, uses the Banner course registration system, which it shares with Western Oregon University However, Banner faces multiple challenges, including structural and interface issues, as well as various operational problems that impact its effectiveness and user experience.
Routine testing and maintenance are essential for the optimal performance of the Add-on Course Registration System Regular updates help identify and resolve issues promptly, ensuring smooth operation While the registrar’s office cannot be entirely replaced by the system, implementing efficient software can reduce staff workload and streamline course management processes Emphasizing the importance of ongoing system upkeep improves reliability and user experience in the registration process.
Implementing a Registration System can significantly streamline the workload for the registrar’s office and improve the student experience by reducing administrative burdens Additionally, utilizing a Sidebar feature minimizes the need for constant advisor intervention, offering students quick access to essential information unless they face complex issues requiring personalized support This integration enhances operational efficiency and supports proactive student self-service.
Future Research
The Add-on Course Registration System is currently non-functional, highlighting the need for future research to address challenges in integrating it with the existing system This process is complicated by the outdated version of the Banner system used by Western Oregon University This article offers an overview of the prototype for the new Add-on Course Registration System and outlines its development process However, without testing, we cannot confirm its operational effectiveness or predict potential issues that may arise during implementation.
Registration System is a complicated system
Implementing the Add-on Course Registration System requires a strategic modification of the school's existing database to ensure seamless operation Designing an efficient database is crucial for supporting the new system's functionalities, including integrating student records, degree requirements, and course information Key considerations involve creating a cohesive data structure that facilitates smooth registration processes and supports data integrity Additionally, cleaning and standardizing existing course data are essential steps to optimize the data warehouse for improved reporting and decision-making in the new system.
Appendix A Proposed Add-on Course Registration System Interfaces
Fig A.1 Completed Schedule Grid Illustrates courses and times selected by the student
Fig A.2 Sidebar Illustrates which courses meet the student’s arbitrary requirement as a list
Fig A.3 View Box Illustrates the view selections of Schedule Grid
Fig A.5 Course Forecast Number Illustrates the number of students who selected same course when they are scheduling their courses
Fig A.6 Discussion Board for BA361D of Add-on Course Registration System
Satisfaction Survey of WOU Registration System
1 (If you were a graduate student, please skip Q1 and fill Q2)
Undergraduate: a Freshman b Sophomore c Junior d Senior e Non-traditional
2 How long have you been in the graduate program: _ quarters
4 Each time you meet, how much time do you spend with your advisor? a Less than 15 minutes b 15-30 minutes c 30-60 minutes d More than 1 hour
5 When registering for courses for a given term, how much time do you spend searching for courses and planning schedules? a Less than 30 minutes b 30-60 minutes c More than an hour
Registering for classes can vary in time, especially during busy registration periods Many students find that the process often requires more than one session due to waitlist issues, leading to extended registration times Typically, the registration process can take less than 2 minutes for some students, while others may spend between 2 to 10 minutes or more than 10 minutes if they encounter delays Efficient registration is crucial to secure preferred courses and avoid lengthy wait times, making it important to plan accordingly.
7 How often do you experience the course time-conflict reminder when registering for classes? a Never b Sometimes c Nearly every term
8 How often do you experience problems getting the courses you need? What is the problem? a Never b Sometimes (The problem is: c Nearly every term (The problem is:
Understanding BA/BS graduation requirements is essential for students, including courses like the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum (LACCs), writing intensive courses, and culture diversity classes These courses are designed to fulfill core academic standards and enhance students' critical thinking, writing skills, and cultural awareness Students should familiarize themselves with these requirements to ensure successful graduation planning Whether you're already aware of these courses or just have a vague idea, knowing their importance can help you stay on track with your degree journey.
When searching for courses that fulfill your major or minor requirements, ease of finding them can vary Some students find it easy to locate the necessary classes, while others only need to occasionally browse the catalog to identify suitable options However, for some, it can be quite challenging to find the right courses, making the process feel difficult The level of difficulty often depends on the clarity of course offerings and how well students navigate the available resources.
Finding the right courses to meet your LACC, Writing, Diversity, Quantitative, or overall graduation requirements can vary in difficulty Some students find it easy to identify suitable courses, while others might need to browse the catalog occasionally to locate the necessary classes However, for many, searching for the right courses can be challenging, making it hard to meet specific academic requirements efficiently.
12 Do you know how many credit hours are remaining in your each requirements? (Major requirements, Minor requirements, LACC requirements, Writing intensive, etc.) a Yes b I rely on my advisor help c No
13 Overall, how satisfied are you with WOU’s current online registration system?
14 Overall, how would you rate your experience with your last use of WOU’s online registration system? (1) very difficult - (10) easy, no problem
15 What other features would you want to add to WOU registration system?
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[8] Amy Clark (University registrar, Western Oregon University), interview by Yilin Li, October 13, 2016, University Registrar’s Office
[9] "Ellucian Portfolio and Roadmap Update Banner." Ellucian October 2, 2012 Accessed September 25, 2015 http://echo360.ellucian.com/ess/echo/presentation/08d68775-741c- 46b7-9c6b-7fd3fceb8212
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