Services Learning Practicum Andrew Charles Swanson Regis University
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Regis University ePublications at Regis University All Regis University Theses Summer 2005 Services Learning Practicum Andrew Charles Swanson Regis University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.regis.edu/theses Part of the Computer Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Swanson, Andrew Charles, "Services Learning Practicum" (2005). All Regis University Theses. 769. https://epublications.regis.edu/theses/769 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by ePublications at Regis University. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Regis University Theses by an authorized administrator of ePublications at Regis University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations. Services Learning Practicum 5 Acknowledgements Thanks to Hal Friskey for reviewing this paper. Thanks to Trisha Litz for her contribution to this whole project. She provided the business requirements and organized the project as faculty advisor. Trisha Litz and Wolf Thompson provided good advice and feedback on the original design and architecture. Julie Thomas contributed early on in the project, providing feedback on the database design. Thanks to the Director of Testing and Quality Assurance, Teri Lane and my fellow employees of GuideWorks, LLC, who supported me and provided me access to Professional Office 2003 and Microsoft .Net software development tools as part of the ongoing efforts at GuideWorks to help their employees pursue their academic goals. Most of all, I would like to thank my family for the support they have shown over the past few years while I have been studying. They have tolerated my attention to academic and professional goals when I was also needed as husband, father, and grandfather. My wife, Kathleen, has been the greatest support to me and I could not have done any of this without her. Services Learning Practicum 6 Abstract The Service Learning Practicum is a document driven knowledge management system. The purpose of the Practicum is to involve MSCIT students in IT projects that support and provide solutions to non-profit organizations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The main documents that drive the practicum are the student application; the NGO needs statement; and the student’s thesis, design, and research documents. The practicum unites graduate students with NGOs. Both benefit from this union because the student is able to reach academic goals and the NGOs are able to implement low-cost or no-cost solutions for their IT needs. This project implements a graphic user interface for the collection, storage, and access of these documents. Services Learning Practicum 7 Table of Contents Revision History............................................... 4 Acknowledgements............................................... 5 Abstract....................................................... 6 Table of Contents.............................................. 7 List of Tables................................................. 9 List of Figures / Exhibits / Addenda.......................... 10 Chapter One: Introduction / Executive Summary................. 11 Statement of the problem and goal to be achieved ............ 11 Needs ....................................................... 11 Barriers .................................................... 12 XML solutions to be discussed ............................... 12 Project Scope ............................................... 14 Definition of terms ......................................... 14 Summary ..................................................... 16 Chapter Two: Review of Literature / Research.................. 17 Overview of literature and research on XML .................. 17 Project research ............................................ 18 Summary: what is known and unknown about XML ................ 21 Contributing aspects of this project ........................ 23 Chapter Three: Methodology.................................... 25 Research methods to be used ................................. 25 Life-cycle models to be followed ............................ 26 Specific procedures ......................................... 28 Formats for presenting results/deliverables ................. 30 Review of the deliverables .................................. 30 Resource requirements ....................................... 30 Outcomes .................................................... 31 Summary ..................................................... 32 Chapter Four: Project History................................. 35 Project Origin .............................................. 35 Project Management .......................................... 35 Project Milestones .......................................... 36 Changes to the project plan ................................. 36 Evaluation of project goals ................................. 37 Discussion: Project achievement and frustrations ............ 38 Discussion: Impact of project variables ..................... 38 Findings/analysis ........................................... 39 Chapter Five: Lessons Learned / Next Evolution............... 40 The project experience ...................................... 40 What could have been done differently ....................... 40 Discussion: achievement of initial project expectations ..... 41 Next stage of project evolution ............................. 42 Conclusions/recommendations ................................. 43 Summary ..................................................... 44 Works Cited................................................... 47 Services Learning Practicum 8 Addendum A: Business Implementation........................... 49 Addendum B: XML Schema........................................ 56 Addendum C: Project Schedule.................................. 64 Services Learning Practicum 9 List of Tables Table 1 Revision History....................................... 4 Table 2 XML Product Solutions................................. 13 Table 3 XML Engine selection.................................. 18 Table 4 Project Schedule...................................... 64 Services Learning Practicum 10 List of Figures / Exhibits / Addenda Figure 1 Rapid Prototype Diagram (Schach 71).................. 27 Figure 2 Amaya................................................ 29 Figure 3 InfoPath............................................. 32 Figure 4 Business Use Case Diagram............................ 49 Figure 5 MVC Architecture..................................... 54 Figure 6 Workbook, workflow ERD............................... 56 Figure 7 SLP Schema........................................... 62 Figure 8 Schema converted with MS .NET........................ 63 Addendum A: Business Implementation........................... 49 Addendum B: XML Schema........................................ 56 Addendum C: Project Schedule.................................. 64 Services Learning Practicum 11 Chapter One: Introduction / Executive Summary Statement of the problem and goal to be achieved Research thesis: A knowledge management system can be designed and implemented, using little or no cost Extensible Markup Language (XML) technology, to unite Regis University graduate students seeking research projects with non-profit organizations seeking engineers to implement computer and information technology projects. Needs Each year, non-profit organizations or non-governmental organizations (NGO) are faced with technology hurdles. Some wish to create databases to retain valuable information about their services and their organization. Some wish to create Web sites on the Internet in order to provide information about their services. Still others wish to get newly acquired hardware or software up and running. And finally some leaders in these organizations are so busy with day to day work that they cannot find the resources to even consider how technology can help them. On the other hand, Regis University students in Computer Science need real and practical problems to study. Most academic problems in computer science involve fictional Services Learning Practicum 12 companies or organizations with fictional problems. The Services Learning Practicum suggests a means to provide problems posed by NGO needs and students who can work to find computer science solutions. Faculty members need a way to track project