Uncle Sam S America

Uncle Sam’s America Project Plan Ongo8c

Faculty Advisors: Dr. John Lamont Professor Ralph Patterson

Client: Ames Community Schools

CprE/EE 492 Team Members:

Jeff Russell, CprE Dimitry Berg, CprE

CprE/EE 491 Team Member:

Laurie Bidrawn, CprE

REPORT DISCLAIMER NOTICE

DISCLAIMER: This document was developed as a part of the requirements of an electrical and computer engineering course at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. This document does not constitute a professional engineering design or a professional land surveying document. Although the information is intended to be accurate, the associated students, faculty, and Iowa State University make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, quality, or adequacy of the information. The user of this document shall ensure that any such use does not violate any laws with regard to professional licensing and certification requirements. This use includes any work resulting from this student-prepared document that is required to be under the responsible charge of a licensed engineer or surveyor. This document is copyrighted by the students who produced this document and the associated faculty advisors. No part may be reproduced without the written permission of the senior design course coordinator. 11 February 2005

Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS...... II LIST OF FIGURES...... IV LIST OF TABLES...... V List of Definitions...... vi List of Definitions...... vi INTRODUCTION...... 1 Abstract...... 1 Acknowledgements...... 1 Problem Statement...... 1 General Solution-Approach Statement...... 2 Operating Environment...... 3 Intended Users and Uses...... 3 Intended Users...... 3 Intended Uses...... 3 Assumptions and Limitations...... 4 Assumptions...... 4 Limitations...... 4 Expected End-Product...... 5 PROPOSED APPROACH AND STATEMENT OF WORK...... 6 Proposed Approach...... 6 Functional Requirements...... 6 Constraint Considerations...... 7 Technology Considerations...... 7 Technical Approach Considerations...... 7 Testing Requirements Considerations...... 8 Safety Considerations...... 9 Security Considerations...... 9 Intellectual Property Considerations...... 10 Commercialization Considerations...... 10 Possible Risks and Risk Management...... 10 Proposed Milestones and Evaluation Criteria...... 11 Project Tracking Procedures...... 12 Statement of Work...... 12 ESTIMATED RESOURCES AND SCHEDULE...... 16 Estimated Resource Requirements...... 16 Personnel Effort Requirements...... 16 Other Required Resources...... 16 Financial Requirements...... 17 Schedule...... 19 FIGURE 4: PROJECT SCHEDULE – SPRING 2005...... 19 CONCLUSION...... 20 Project Team Information...... 20 Client Information...... 20 Faculty Advisor Information...... 20 Team Member Information...... 20 Summary...... 21 References...... 21 List of Figures

Figure 1: Client-Server Relationship...... 2 Figure 2: Database Framework...... 6 Figure 3: Testing Plan...... 8 Figure 4: Project Schedule – Spring 2005...... 19 Ongo8c Project Plan CprE/EE 491 Revision 1.0

List of Tables

Table 1: List of Acronyms and Definitions...... vi Table 2: Milestones and Current Status...... 11 Table 3: Estimated Personnel Effort (Hours)...... 16 Table 4: Other Required Resources...... 17 Table 5: Estimated Financial Budget Spring 2005...... 17 Table 6: Estimated Financial Budget Fall 2004...... 18 Table 7: Estimated Financial Budget Spring 2004...... 18 Table 8: Estimated Financial Budget Fall 2003...... 18

ii Ongo8c Project Plan CprE/EE 491 Revision 1.0

List of Definitions The following table will help define technical and project-specific terms used throughout this document.

Table 1: List of Acronyms and Definitions

Acronym Definition ACS Ames Community Schools Apache A software product that serves web pages to clients requesting them. Apache can be used in conjunction with PHP in order to produce dynamic web pages that are built and delivered to the requesting client on the fly GUI Graphical user interface—what the user sees and interacts with while using the software GW Globey’s World – concurrent Ongo8b project dealing with world geography HTML Hyper Text Markup Language—the language used to describe the formatting and presentation of a web page LAMP A development environment utilizing Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP Linux An open-source operating system that is optimized for use as a web application server MySQL An open-source implementation of an SQL server PC-compatible Personal computers that run a Microsoft Windows operating system PHP Pseudo-acronym for Hypertext Preprocessor. A computer language that enables Apache web server to dynamically generate HTML documents SQL Structured Query Language—a language used to retrieve information from SQL-compliant databases USA Uncle Sam’s America

iii Ongo8c Project Plan CprE/EE 491 Revision 1.0

Introduction This section introduces the background information behind Uncle Sam’s America software project which includes the abstract, problem statement, operating environment, intended users and uses, assumptions and limitations, and expected end product description. Abstract The purpose of the Ongo08 project is to provide software that supplements classroom learning, particularly in the areas of mathematics and geography while stressing the improvement of problem-solving skills. To this end, a web application is being produced. The final product will allow students to solve problems, answer questions, and allow teachers to view the results. By utilizing the software to extend classroom learning, the students of ACS will be better prepared for standardized tests, ultimately resulting in higher test scores. Acknowledgements Thanks to faculty advisors Dr. John Lamont and Professor Ralph Patterson for their past and continued guidance throughout this project. Lastly, thanks go to the project client, the teachers of the Ames Community School District, for their guidance toward the final product. Problem Statement This section presents the general problem and solution-approach statements that provide a general overview and the approach that will be used to solve the problem.

General Problem Statement The project objective is to develop software for third through sixth grade students as a means to learn more about United States geography using a computer-based environment. It shall provide geographical information, such as population, land area, state flag, state song, natural resources, religions, and manufactured products for each state. This information will be stored and accessed from a database, which must be able to be easily updated so that the material presented to the students is up-to-date.

With students as the main users of the software, it must be user-friendly and highly interactive. To help in making USA appeal to this age of audience, a game shall be incorporated. Teachers and administrators will also be using this software as a means for creating practice and performance examinations. USA must be presented to create an environment that allows these secondary users the ability to easily access the supplied geographical questions as well as offering the creation of their own for examinations.

Ongo8c Project Plan CprE/EE 491 Revision 1.0

Internet-based teaching software provides children in upper elementary school grades the opportunity to learn core subjects while exercising computer skills. USA will account for the two main groups of users through the development of two different interfaces. Student users will be able to access geographical and mathematical question-based lessons. It will have an interface where students can click on states to learn more about them and will provide a means to test their retention of factual material and mathematical skills as they compare state statistics. Teachers and administrators will have privileged access to screens that allow them to monitor performance and customize lessons pertaining to these subjects.

A software framework capable of managing user accounts, allowing teachers to customize their lessons, and maintaining information about each student's performance shall support the application. This system will make access and maintenance of lessons easy for teachers, while providing feedback, which will assist in evaluating the students. This function will be provided with the help of Ongo08d, the framework team.

General Solution-Approach Statement A server or main computer shall store the software and database. The database shall contain the information about United States geography, practice exercises, questions for performance examinations, and student results. Each student will operate from their own computer, called a client, where they will learn about geography and apply it to solve problems. The server communicates to the clients via the Internet. This relationship is shown in Figure 1. Based on the information provided by the client, the server shall generate a customized web page for each individual using the software. This offers the ability for each student to work at his or her own pace.

Figure 1: Client-Server Relationship

The software solution shall utilize dynamic web pages written using Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), Structured Query Language (SQL), and Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML). Operating Environment

USA shall exist and run on LAMP (Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP) architecture. The web application code will be written in PHP, which runs as a module to the popular and powerful Apache web server. The software will use MySQL as its database backend and run on the Linux operating system. This structure will provide a powerful open-standards environment for the web applications.

The software will need to function on both PC- and Macintosh-compatible machines. This limitation can be bypassed by using platform-independent HTML. The central server will need to be running Linux and must be capable of making many computations simultaneously. If adopted by all ACS elementary schools, USA must have the hardware to support a large number of simultaneous clients (students). Intended Users and Uses This section identifies the intended users and uses of USA and characteristics of each.

Intended Users The primary intended users of the USA software are students in grades third through sixth. This age corresponds to when students are at the point in their grade school curriculum where they learn about United States geography and mathematics. The software presents this material at the level of the students. Other users to consider are those directly supplementing students’ learning experience in these subjects, which include teachers, administrators, and parents.

Intended Uses The main purpose of this software is to enable students to learn United States geography easily by using a computer-based environment. The primary use of USA will take place in computer labs of elementary schools. It will be provided as a supplement to coursework presented in the classroom by letting students further explore the topic in an interactive means.

Teachers will be able to use this software as a means to use geography and mathematical problems provided in USA to gain feedback on the students’ comprehension. They will also be able to create their own problems for customized examinations.

The Internet-based nature of USA will make it available to be used in students’ homes as a homework component. This use allows parents to have an interactive role in their child's education.

In order to make the software use easier for the main users, additional uses to consider include managing each user’s login information, reviewing the results of students’ activities, and the supplementing the software with the ability to add, modify, or delete problems. This role can be the teacher or an administrator. This user would have privileged rights to more of the backend of the software and its database.

Assumptions and Limitations This section provides information about the project assumptions (engineering inferences) and limitations (physical limits imposed by the client or technology).

Assumptions Non-technical assumptions include the following:  There will be adequate supervision with computer experience to assist the students when they are operating the system with small computer-related troubleshooting.  This software shall be a supplement to classroom instruction as not all families have Internet access in their homes, leading to the software being used in the computer lab setting of elementary schools.  The students have been exposed to United States geography topics prior to their initial encounter with the software.

Technical assumptions include the following:  All client computers are connected to the Internet so communication can occur between the client and database.  Clients have Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 5.0, or later versions.  Final builds of the application will be hosted on a computer managed by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Two versions of the software will be maintained once client schools have been granted access to USA for initial field integration and continued support.  Support for the software will be provided. The software will be supported through the email address [email protected], which can be used by ACS to contact members of the Ongo8 team.  The team will have access to a development environment on a separate machine from the production environment.  The USA application will have write-access to the server.  The application will have a developed PHP framework to support a set of Internet educational activities.

Limitations Challenges and limitations to development include the following:  Primary students may not have much prior experience using computers, leading to the need to make the client software easy to understand and use.  Younger students may not know how to type. USA should provide a means for feedback appropriate to their age level.  Computers are not really interactive. They only respond to pre-defined commands. The commands available to students must make the computer appear alive. For example, when asked for a hint, the computer should supply one it has not supplied before, up to a maximum of three.  Team members must learn and become comfortable with PHP and MySQL in order to be compatible with the entire Ongo8 project team.

Other technical limitations include:  Internet connection and Internet bandwidth.  Computer/processor speed of the client machines.  MySQL database is not an enterprise database solution; so advanced features such as sub queries will not be possible.

Expected End-Product At project completion, the end product will be a thoroughly tested web application that allows teachers to have support when teaching United States geography. Students will be able to login, learn about the states, and solve problems based on comparison problem sets. A game feature will further encourage learning through interaction with the computer. Teachers will be able to access student statistics in order to gauge student performance. Teachers will also be able to add to the application by creating additional problems for the students to solve.

A web solution allows the pages of generated HTML to be viewed on any platform. Teachers will be able to compare information obtained from all participating students. These students do not necessarily need to be in the same classroom with the teacher due to the implementation of an Internet-based solution. Students will have the opportunity to work on math problems associated with geography at home with their parents. This flexibility can indirectly have a large effect on parental involvement with the education process.

The main interface for USA will consist of a map of the United States wherein each state will be a link to an information page about that state. There will also be a function to compare the states to each other in given categories, and a quiz page.

At semester completion, USA shall be integrated with the framework team’s (Ongo8d) grade book capabilities. A game will be an added feature to the software that lets students interact with the geographical information in a less structured manner, but still offering educational value. As the software nears deployment to the client for initial use, the Ongo8 team will be available under the [email protected] email address for any concerns that come up and the ability to simulate the problem with their own version of the software. The database behind USA’s state information will also be able to be updated from an electronic source.

Proposed Approach and Statement of Work This section includes both the proposed approach and a statement of work meant to help insure project success.

Proposed Approach The proposed approach includes considerations of functional requirements, constraints, technology, technical approaches, testing requirements, security, safety, intellectual property, commercialization, risks and their management, proposed milestones and their evaluation criteria, and tracking procedures.

Functional Requirements The following functional requirements apply to the USA software package:  The program should be accessible to students via the Internet.  The program should allow the student to choose a state using an easily navigable map of the United States.  The program should display information on a chosen state of interest upon request.  The program should integrate mathematics problem solving in meaningful ways.  The program should implement a game to provide further interaction with the geographical information.  The program should store results in a database as shown in Figure 2 of each student for teachers to retrieve and review.  The program should be compatible with the framework program.  The program’s geographical information should be able to be easily updated.

Figure 2: Database Framework

The user table will hold the username, password, permission settings, etc for anyone that has official access to the USA web site. Users without official access to the web site may still use the program under a general user name. No record keeping will take place in this case. The permission settings are set to allow restrictions to users, such as not allowing students to edit/create problems, and letting teachers view class and individual statistics. The problems table will store the problems that will be used for the students to solve. The statistics table stores the results of problems per student.

Constraint Considerations The following design constraints apply to all aspects of the project:  The program will be web-based to allow for multiple platform use on both PC and Macintosh machines.  The navigation of the program must be easy for third to sixth grade students to understand and operate.  The material presented about United States geography and mathematics must be appropriate for the target client (students).  Basic help instructions must be available to provide for those users that do not know how to operate computers.

Technology Considerations The technology to use for this project is largely mandated based on the imposed requirements and limitations. The application must be accessible to computers in the ACS system over the Internet, which allows the use of HTML to be sent from the server to the client machines.

For server technology, the use of PHP and MySQL is required because of the architecture of the machine that the software will run on. Other technologies such as ASP.NET and SQL Server 2000 cannot be used because the machine is not a Microsoft server.

Technical Approach Considerations Software design will be done using PHP/MySQL as the base language. The project will have a number of components, including database design and population, HTML design, graphic design, and application code design.

In order to familiarize team members of the current progress of the entire project and introduce new concepts developed recently, team meetings consisting of the entire Ongo8 sub teams will be held. These will serve to teach newer members some of the basics of the PHP language and present team information important for development.

Team members will be assigned for each component of the project and will primarily be responsible for the completion of that component of the project. The team leader may decide to assign other duties to team members beyond their area of expertise,

Ongo8c Project Plan CprE/EE 491 Revision 1.0 but primarily each team member will do most of his or her work in one or two areas of specialization.

Testing Requirements Considerations Quality assurance is not only important; it is an integral step of the software development process. Testing of the USA software will follow a testing plan similar to that pictured below in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Testing Plan

The first phase of testing is done as unit testing. The developer does this type of testing during coding and initial development. Individual components are checked for correctness as they are written. This type of testing works on the smaller scale.

Modular testing brings together the smaller components to form modules such as classes and objects. Testing in this phase is done without much reliance from other modules as the only code testing is directly related to the current module. The developer is responsible for this type of testing as development progresses.

As the system starts to take shape, functional or system testing is done. Performed by the developer, all of the modules of the software application are tested for their functionality as a whole. This phase is where most code is considered as a unit to test the relationships between the various modules. Anticipated and some unanticipated inputs are entered by simulated scripts during testing to see the system’s response.

Alpha testing (also known as client or acceptance testing) is the first phase in the test plan where developers begin to team up with the client to perform testing. The system is put under more of the conditions that will be encountered after final release as it handles input from users that do not necessarily know the backend of the application. The client’s interpretation of the software can help developers realize errors in requirements or extraneous conditions that must also be handled. In this phase, the clients performing the testing are a sample of the general client market that will eventually use the application.

After the initial release of USA, beta testing will occur. This form of testing involves releasing the application to a wider section of the intended client. The client reports problems as they occur to the development team. For USA, the team will have set up an email that will provide the client a direct link to the development team behind the application. This address will be [email protected] and will be answered by the members of the Ongo8c team.

This semester will focus on functionality, reliability, and ease of use in the phases of functional, alpha, and beta testing. Team members will initially test the USA software. People outside the group will conduct further testing, preferably ACS teachers and instructors. Finally, third through sixth grade students will test the software. The system will be evaluated by feedback from students and teachers during these testing phases.

Safety Considerations The issue of safety comes into play only in that the users will be in contact with computers, which long periods of time can cause health problems later on such as carpal tunnel syndrome or eye strain. While the students are not at the greatest risk for this, hand rests and limited amounts of time at the computers will probably be enforced at the school level.

Security Considerations There shall be measures taken during the course of the project to ensure that no security concerns arise. This consideration is accomplished by being open and transparent with the client, ACS, to ensure the best education for third through sixth grade students in Iowa. The client has no competitor, thus there is little possibility of a security breach for the client to worry about.

There is a security consideration related to the operation of the end project. Since all the answers to the examination questions are contained in the server database, security measures must be taken to ensure that students do not gain illegal access to the database.

Intellectual Property Considerations ACS does not have any intellectual property considerations. Application code belongs to the authors of the team. The source information used for the geography

Ongo8c Project Plan CprE/EE 491 Revision 1.0 has been acknowledged and approved for use. However, the character of Uncle Sam for the application will be verified as public domain before use.

Commercialization Considerations There is no intention of commercialization at this point, thus there is no impact on project activities. Commercialization may be considered at a later date depending upon the quality of the results. The end product is a copyright of Iowa State University.

Possible Risks and Risk Management Below are seven major issues/risks that represent possible setbacks that could occur in the course of the project’s lifetime:  Risk: Due to unforeseen circumstances, a group member leaves the project. Mitigation: The team has three members, so in the event that a team member is lost, the remaining members will shoulder the increased workload. If the person leaving were a critical member, the team would work with him/her to ensure that his/her knowledge and responsibilities were adequately disseminated among the remaining group members. If more than one group member must leave the team, the team will decide whether a member from another project group could volunteer for double duty with or switch groups all together to maintain proper productivity levels.  Risk: The PC with the project’s software is stolen, it crashes, or the software is maliciously tampered with or otherwise modified. Mitigation: Since the project is entirely software, it is imperative that the source files are kept secure. In addition to limiting access to the machine to Ongo8 group members via user permissions on the Linux box, the source code and databases shall be backed up regularly.  Risk: An update to the software makes it cease to function correctly. Mitigation: Backups will be made of the incomplete but functional software so that a running version of the software is always available. The source code and databases will be assigned version numbers with notes on their capabilities in a file accessible to all group members.  Risk: The clients at ACS request certain elements of the software implemented differently or want additional functionality not originally specified. Mitigation: The group will make an effort to keep members of ACS informed with the progress and abilities of the project. ACS is currently satisfied with the direction and feature set of the proposed and partially implemented software. Additional requests will be considered and fulfilled if the project leader deems enough time exists to add the requested parts while still maintaining enough time for quality control, testing, and debugging.  Risk: There is a loss of contacts at ACS. The current contacts might retire or change jobs and be replaced by new personnel. Mitigation: The group will need to involve the new personnel or maybe even new instructors in the project. Other schools could be approached for help if necessary.  Risk: The technical approach fails.

Mitigation: The group will need to determine cause of failure and redefine the technical approach to compensate. If the failure is due to server problems, other server platforms can be investigated. If a web solution is not adequate, other options can be explored such as integrating individually installed software packages on Windows-only machines capable of running VB.  Risk: The testing methods fail. Mitigation: The group will need to determine the cause of the failure and redesign the test scripts accordingly. Part of the solution might require the group to write inline scripts to monitor the health and status of the program for further in-depth testing. The group might also need to write additional scripts that can help monitor the performance of the software from the viewpoint of client machines.

Proposed Milestones and Evaluation Criteria The following table is a list of proposed milestones for the project and their current status. Evaluation of the current status results in one of the following: greatly exceeded, exceeded, met, almost met, partially met, did not meet, did not attempt. “Did not attempt” means the work towards the milestone has not yet begun.

Table 2: Milestones and Current Status Current Rating Milestone Importance Product (Score) Project definition Met (100%) 10% 10% Technology selection Met (100%) 8% 8% PHP/MySQL education Met (100%) 5% 5% Database population Almost Met (95%) 10% 9.5% Base software coding Partially Met (80%) 10% 8% Base development testing Partially Met (80%) 5% 4.5% Advanced features coding Partially Met (30%) 10% 3% Advanced features testing Did not attempt (0%) 5% 0% Installation and testing Partially Met (80%) 5% 4% Functional testing Partially Met (85%) 5% 4.25% Client testing Did not attempt (0%) 5% 0% Client demo Did not attempt (0%) 5% 0% Industrial review panel demo Did not attempt (0%) 5% 0% Project plan Met (100%) 4% 4% Project poster Did Not Attempt (0%) 4% 0% Status report Did Not Attempt (0%) 4% 0% Total 100% 60.25% The success of the aforementioned milestones will be evaluated throughout the project based upon timeliness, thoroughness, overall cost, and functionality. The milestones will be assigned an evaluation mechanism and a team member to evaluate the performance and define what constitutes success.

Project Tracking Procedures Meeting the project requirements, keeping the project on schedule, and keeping it within the budget are three of the critical elements for project success. Having a good forecast or estimate for each of these three items is essential, as is knowledge of where the project is with respect to the schedule or estimate. This project’s approved tracking procedure involves the creation and maintenance of a Gantt chart for the schedule and tables to track personnel effort, miscellaneous required resources, and financial resources. These items are described in more detail later in this plan. Other tracking procedures include reviews of the project on a weekly basis by e-mail reports and weekly meetings with team advisors.

Statement of Work The statement of work is based upon the semester milestones for this project. Five tasks have been defined below to illustrate how the project is being conducted.

Task 1 – Problem Definition Objective: To clearly define the two separate components in a general problem statement and solution approach. This will be used in documentation such as the project plan and project poster. Approach: The problem definition from previous Ongo8c project plans was reviewed, and changes were made according to the new requirements. Suggestions and revisions were also reviewed with other Ongo8 groups so that all teams similarly knew the problem to be solved. Results: The latest version of the problem definition appears in this project plan. It will also be on the project poster, to be completed soon.

Task 2 – Application Development Subtask 2a: PHP/MySQL Education Objective: To educate group members about the technologies involved in this project, especially those new to the Ongo8 teams. These sessions can also serve to refresh senior members of the teams. Approach: Two short seminars shall be conducted to instruct members about PHP and MySQL as they pertain to project requirements. The framework team created and presented examples of PHP code that showed the various functions of grade book methods. Results: Group members will acquire the minimum skills to successfully meet the requirements. The examples used in the seminars were left available on the server for reference for all team members.

Subtask 2b: Grade Book Implementation Objective: To create the capabilities of keeping track of student profiles and scores as well as letting teachers create problems for performance reviews.

Approach: Working with the Ongo8d framework team and their code, this functionality will be built into USA. Additional screen interfaces will be implemented as the client performs a grade book feature. Results: The grade book feature will be available in the USA application. Screens will have been created for logins, problem presentation, and problem creation. These will be documented by screenshots.

Subtask 2c: Database Repopulation Objective: To provide an electronic source with which to gather geographical information about the states for the USA database. This will replace the previous method of repopulating the database by data entry. Approach: Research will take place to find an online source for geographical data about the states like the almanac. A feature of the application will involve parsing through this electronic source and populating the database in a more scripted manner. Results: The data presented about each state in the USA software will be as current as the database information. The database will be able to be updated more frequently. Students will see the latest information about the states without requiring waiting as long for individual data entry to occur for updates.

Subtask 2d: Uncle Sam Game Objective: To make USA more interactive for its intended audience, a game with Uncle Sam as the main character will be developed. Approach: Research and brainstorming on the part of the team will be done to come up with an idea for a potential game and its format. Development will then take place. The target audience of third through sixth grade students must be considered throughout. Results: The USA application will appeal to its audience with this added feature that allows game play and educational value about geography and mathematics.

Subtask 2e: Merge with Ongo8b Objective: To prepare for the eventual merger between two of the Ongo8 teams. Approach: The last few weeks of the semester will be dedicated to working with the Globey’s World (GW) team. The two groups will meet at joint meetings. Results: The applications will come together to produce a geography-based educational package. Those working on these projects in the future will be in a merged team.

Task 3 - Project Testing Subtask 3a: Development Testing Objective: To test the small components of code for errors in the development environment. Approach: As development progresses, individual team members will test small chunks of code as they are written. Results: Individual components of the code should have few errors. Individual testing progress will be documented.

Subtask 3b: Functional Testing Objective: To test the expected inputs and outputs of the program. This type of testing is in the simulated environment that the application will face upon release. Approach: The code shall be tested by exposure to proper inputs and verifying that the expected outputs are achieved. Scripts will be created to expose the application to many versions of output to test the various paths of dataflow that exist in USA. Results: The program shall output correctly according to the inputs. Scripts will be available with reports about the results.

Subtask 3c: Client Testing Objective: To test the code with the client in its intended environment. Approach: A version of the USA application will be deployed for the client to use in a classroom setting to see how it reacts with students and teachers. The application will experience expected and unexpected inputs from the client. Results: The team shall receive feedback from outside the development environment by evaluations from students and teachers. The application should be able to handle a variety of situations that the client could possibly experience while using the software.

Task 4 - Project Demonstration Subtask 4a: Class Presentation Objective: To demonstrate the project to the Senior Design class. Approach: There shall be discussion, coordination, and practice among all team members and meetings with the course coordinator and faculty advisors. The PowerPoint slides from the previous semester will be reviewed and a new set of slides produced. Results: There shall be an in-class presentation using PowerPoint slides.

Subtask 4b: Industrial Review Panel Objective: To demonstrate the end-product to the industrial review panel Approach: There shall be discussion, coordination, and practice among all team members and meetings with the course coordinator and faculty advisors. Results: There shall be an oral presentation to the panel.

Task 5 - Project Reporting Subtask 5a: Project Plan Objective: To provide a basis for conducting the project, a project plan document will be created. It will be used to ensure that the project accomplishes what it was supposed to achieve within its approved schedule and financial budget. Approach: An idea of what needs to be done was gained from reading previous project plans, followed by a discussion with the project team and faculty advisors. Also, the criteria for the project plan as listed in the senior design notes packet was analyzed and met by coordinating with other group members. Result: A well-documented semester plan was generated that meets its objective.

Subtask 5b: Project Poster Objective: To present the project in a graphical representation on a large, single sheet with project description. Approach: Reading previous projects posters and analyzing award-winning posters from previous years will generate ideas, as well as discussing and coordinating with the team. Results: A full-color, descriptive and professional-looking project poster shall be generated.

Subtask 5c: Status Report Objective: To report the status and progress for the project and its end product. It summarizes the results of the project to date, remaining work to be done, and forecasts project completion. Approach: As stated in the senior design requirements packet, the status report is generally an update of the previous status report, so the previous status report shall be reviewed and updates made in the form of the new status report. It shall also document the research, thought, and effort that have been accomplished. Results: A well-documented status report shall be generated.

Subtask 5d: Weekly Email Reporting Objective: To review the progress of each team member related to the projects, the team’s recent accomplishments, its planned near-term activities, its resource utilization, and any outstanding problems. A second objective is to ensure that all members of the team, the client, the team’s faculty advisors, and the course coordinator are aware of this same information. Approach: Input from each team member shall be sent to the communications coordinator that meets the first objective above. Results: A weekly email report to all the people involved in the project shall be delivered.

Estimated Resources and Schedule This section includes estimates of project resources and the project schedule.

Estimated Resource Requirements The estimated resource requirements section is composed of the following three components: personnel effort requirements, other resource requirements, and financial requirements.

Personnel Effort Requirements The table below shows the estimated effort given by each team member during the spring 2005 semester. The team leader will monitor time expenditures and adjust member assignments to try to maintain equality. The attributes of the table and their descriptions include:  Class: Hours spent attending class lectures  Meetings: Hours spent attending weekly advising meeting as well as smaller group meetings  Presentation: Hours spent working on the industrial review panel presentation and client demonstration. Effort includes preparing, practicing, and delivering the presentation.  Research: Hours spent conducting research for the project.  Documentation: Hours spent working on the project plan, project poster, project status report, and weekly project updates.  Coding: Hours spent working on the actual development of the application. An example of coding is populating the USA database.  Overall: Total hours spent by each team member

Table 3: Estimated Personnel Effort (Hours)

Member Class Meetings Presentation Research Documentation Coding Overall Russell, 15 20 6 17 9 25 92 Jeffery Berg, 15 16 6 19 7 23 86 Dimitry Bidrawn, 15 16 6 20 20 13 90 Laurie Totals 45 52 18 56 36 61 268

Other Required Resources The table below shows the estimates of other required resources during the spring 2005 semester. “Other required resources” include items such as parts and materials required to conduct the project. The attributes of the table and their descriptions include:

 Resource: A description of the resource  Team Hours: Total team hours dedicated to the resource  Other Hours: Non-team hours dedicated to the resource  Cost: Cost of the resource, not including man-hours

Table 4: Other Required Resources

Resource Team Hours Other Hours Cost Design and Printing of Project Poster 10 0 $45.00 Totals 10 0 $45.00

Financial Requirements The table below shows the estimated financial budget during the spring 2005 semester. The budget includes items such as parts and materials required to conduct the project, and also estimated labor costs based upon departmental senior undergraduate wages. The attributes of the table and their descriptions include:  Item: A description of the item grouped into the categories of parts and materials and labor  W/O Labor: Cost of the item not figuring in labor charges  With Labor: Cost of the item figuring in labor charges

Table 5: Estimated Financial Budget Spring 2005

Item W/O Labor With Labor Parts and Materials Poster $45.00 $45.00 Miscellaneous Binding $5.00 $5.00 Copying $10.00 $10.00 Subtotal $60.00 $60.00 Labor at $10.50 per hour Russel, Jeffery $966.00 Berg, Dimitry $903.00 Bidrawn, Laurie $945.00 Subtotal $2814.00 Total $60.00 $2874.00

Table 6: Estimated Financial Budget Fall 2004

Item W/O Labor With Labor

Parts and Materials Poster $45.00 $45.00 Miscellaneous Binding $5.00 $5.00 Copying $10.00 $10.00 Subtotal $60.00 $60.00 Labor at $10.50 per hour Schwenker, David $1092.00 Sailer, Robert $1039.50 Russell, Jeffrey $1029.00 Berg, Dimitry $1029.00 Subtotal $4231.50 Total $60.00 $4189.5

Table 7: Estimated Financial Budget Spring 2004

Item W/O Labor With Labor Parts and Materials Poster $45.00 $45.00 Miscellaneous Binding $5.00 $5.00 Copying $10.00 $10.00 Subtotal $60.00 $60.00 Labor at $10.50 per hour Low, Li-Wei $1113.00 Longoria, Laura $1008.00 Schwenker, David $1081.50 Sailer, Robert $1029.00 Subtotal $4231.50 Total $60.00 $4291.50

Table 8: Estimated Financial Budget Fall 2003

Item W/O Labor With Labor Parts and Materials Poster $45.00 $45.00 Miscellaneous Binding $5.00 $5.00 Copying $10.00 $10.00 Subtotal $60.00 $60.00 Labor at $10.50 per hour Tan, Ricky $1270.50 Longoria, Laura $1270.50 Low, Li-Wei $1270.50 Subtotal $3,811.50 Total $60.00 $3,871.50

Schedule Figure 4 below shows a timeline of events for Ongo8c. This chart will serve as a guideline for overall project progress. Several elements run simultaneously, such as development tasks and those dedicated to testing.

Figure 4: Project Schedule – Spring 2005

Conclusion This section includes project team information, a project summary, and the project references.

Project Team Information Client Information Ames Community Schools Administrative Offices 1921 Ames High Drive Ames, IA 50010 Phone: 515-268-6600

Faculty Advisor Information Dr. John Lamont Professor Ralph Patterson, III 324 Town Engineering 326 Town Engineering Ames, IA 50011-3230 Ames, IA 50011-3230 Phone: 515-294-3600 Phone: 515-294-2428 Fax: 515-294-6760 Fax: 515-294-6760 [email protected] [email protected]

Team Member Information CprE/EE 492 Members Jeff Russell Dimitry Berg Computer Engineering Computer Engineering 1713 Amherst Dr. 2407 Knapp St. Ames, IA 50014 Ames, IA 50014 515-292-2526 515-451-9383 [email protected] [email protected]

CprE/EE 491 Member Laurie Bidrawn Computer Engineering 2224 Frederiksen Court Ames, IA 50010 515-572-7818 [email protected]

Summary Test results and discussions with ACS teachers have shown that additional resources are needed to boost the district’s performance in the problem solving sections of standardized tests. This project will provide the supplementary instruction and drills that ACS students need to meet and exceed the goals of the school and the community.

Since the software is platform independent, it will be accessible by all computers with an Internet connection. The statistical analysis modules will provide invaluable insight to the teachers and administrators by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the students.

ACS teachers have pinpointed a need for geographic help for students in grades three through six. The program will allow students to “travel” around the United States, learning facts about the states and territories along the way. Math problem solving will also be incorporated into this program wherever possible.

References The following references were, or will be, utilized by the Ongo8c team:  ACS teachers and administration  Iowa State University Department of Education  Des Moines Public Schools Policies  Dike-New Hartford Community School District Policies  US World Almanac  United States Official Websites