CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE ON-LINE UNDERGRADUATE ADVISEMENT SYSTEM FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE FACULTY A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science by Robert Oberwager January, 1984 The Thesis of Robert Oberwager is approved: Steven Stepanek John Swanson Morteza Anvari, Chair California State University, Northridge ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This acknowledgement is to thank my committee members for their kindness, patience, under­ standing and assistance in getting the final product done. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT • • • • • • iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES vi Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND • 1 1.1 Introduction • • • • • • 1 1.2 Background • • • • 1 2 ANALYSIS OF PROBLEM 6 2.1 Review of Current Procedures 6 2.2 User Requirements • • • • • 10 2.2.1 User Demands of System • • • • • 10 2.2.2 System Usage • • • 11 2.2.3 Communication with Other Systems . • . • • • • • • • • • 11 2.2.4 User Technical Background and Training • • • • 12 2.2.5 Type of VDT Terminal and Speed to Use • • • • • • . • . 12 2.2.6 Choice of Computer System for Implementation ••••• 13 2.2.7 Programming Language to be Used • • • • • • • • • • • 14 2.2.8 Expected User Load, Port Availability, and Reponse Time . 15 2.2.9 Access Limitations and Privacy Concerns • • • • • • 16 2.2.10 System Ownership and Operational Control • • • • • • 18 2.2.11 Software Support, Maintenance and On-Going Development • • • • 19 3 DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS • • • 22 3.1 Menu Driven Systems • • • • . • • • 22 3.2 Output Considerations • • • • • • . 23 3.3 Input Considerations • • . • . • 24 iv 3.4 F.ile Design . 25 3.4.1 Disk-Student-Master File . • • • 27 3.4.2 Course-Master-Disk File 30 3.4.3 Advise-Student-History File 31 3.4.4 Advise-student-Master File • 33 3.4.5 Advise-Course-Master File • • • 35 3.4.6 Advise-Department-Student File • 37 3.4.7 Advise-Department-Faculty File • 39 3.4.8 Advise-Transfer File • . 40 3.4.9 Advise-xschool-Code File •• 43 3.4.10 HEGIS-Major File •••••• 44 3.4.11 Advise-Department-Info File 44 3.5 Program Module Requirements Design • 50 3.5.1 Batch Modules • • • 50 3.5.2 Interactive Modules 72 3.6 Module Time Estimates 91 4 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS • 95 4.1 Project History •••••• . 95 4.2 New System Interfaces Required in the Future • • • • • • • • . • • 98 4.3 Implementation Suggestions ... 99 4.4 Enhancements • • . • • • 101 4.5 Conclusions ••••.••. 101 BIBLIOGRAPHY 104 APPENDICES A DEPARTMENT INFORMATION 107 B. FILE STRUCTURES • • • • . 120 c. SAMPLE ADVISE-DEPARTMENT-INFO FILE 127 D. AMBASE SCREEN UPDATING INSTRUCTIONS 134 E. LISTING OF BASIC+2 SOURCE PROGRAM 139 F. LOGIC FLOW: BATCH MODULES 152 G. LOGIC FLOW: INTERACTIVE MODULES 161 H. STUDENT TO FACULTY LOAD BALANCING CONSIDERATIONS • • . • • • • 180 ADDENDUM 184 v LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 School of Engineering and Computer Science Student Population Count • • • • • • • • • • 8 2 Estimated Task Hours to Complete System Batch Tasks • • • • • • • • 92 3 Estimated Hours to Complete System Interactive Tasks • • • • • • • • 94 Figure 1 SU04 Dump Tape Disk Reload Module 52 2 Creation of ADVISE-STUDENT-MASTER, ADVISE­ STUDENT-HISTORY, and ADVISE-COURSE-MASTER Files via AVOlOO and AV0101 Modules •••• 57 3 Creation of ADVISE-COURSE-MASTER File via AV0200 Module • • • • • • • • 59 4 Updating of ADVISE-DEPARTMENT File via AV0300 module • • • • • • • • 63 5 Archive/Recover of Department and Transfer Student Data via AV0400/AV0401 • • • • • 67 6 Comparison between ADVISE-STUDENT-MASTER versus ADVISE-DEPARTMENT-STUDENT Data Files via AV0500 • • • • • • • . • • 71 7 Faculty Advisor Menu Selection/Data Display Modules AV0125, AV0225, AV0325, AV04 2 5 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 76 8 Department File Maintenance Modules and Files Accessed Through AD0150 and Submodules • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 82 vi ABSTRACT ON-LINE UNDERGRADUATE ADVISEMENT SYSTEM FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE FACULTY by Robert Oberwager Master of Science in Computer Science This thesis was undertaken with the objective of designing and implementing, on a limited basis, an on­ line undergraduate advising system for computer science ·faculty at California State University, Northridge. Originally, the design and implementation was to be done using a database system. This system would be used to assist the faculty advisor and student in selecting the appropriate series of courses for the student to enroll in so graduation could be quickly achieved. By placing student and department data in an on-line database, the advisor will be able to obtain accurate and timely information and eliminate a portion of the clerical work. vii The contents of this document are divided into major sections on: 1) background information; 2) current department advising processes; 3) general system design requirement and specification factors; 4) specific file design; 5) specific software module functions: and 6) evaluation and conclusions. Although part of the initial system design was coded and tested, the implementation was never completed. This was due to the unanticipated loss of the AMBASE database software plus an increase in project size as more requirements were added to the system. As a result, this project was redirected toward documenting a revised system design which conceptually could be implemented on the University's Control Data Cyber 750 computer system. Hopefully this could be accomplished with the aid of an appropriate database package on the Cyber and the design material found within this document. viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction Faculty members, particularly in their roles as student advisors, are inundated with university, depart­ ment, and student record paperwork. Therefore, the goal of this thesis is to attempt to improve the delivery of advising information to the Computer Science faculty member. This goal can be achieved by implementing the on-line undergraduate advisement system described in this thesis. Basic requirements for an on-line advisement system were developed specifically for the Computer Science department. After initial specifications were formulated, implementation of one module was attempted. Because the project encountered slowdowns, the project's goal was re-shaped towards the completion of the data file and module designs for the advisement system. 1.2 Background To be useful, advisement by computer must have accurate and up-to-date information in its database. This is necessary to assure that appropriate academic choices are made when educational advising is done. 1 2 In addition, it is prudent to monitor the student's progress toward achieving his/her educational goals. Computer-aided advisement will allow Computer Science faculty members to keep up with continually changing curricula and an expanding student population with diverse educational backgrounds. Many faculty members use a university catalog, various lists of department requirements, transcripts and hand-tracking procedures to perform their advising tasks. These items can be cumbersome to work with and can pre­ sent interpretation problems for faculty. This is true especially for faculty who are not interested in the complex but mundane advisement process, or for those faculty who must advise in fields outside of their edu­ cational and career experience background. Also, they usually are not provided with adequate advisement infor­ mation and training. In summary, faculty members can become dissatisfied in performing advisement tasks and students may not be given adequate guidance because of: a. Shortage of time b. Excessive number of students to advise c. Lack of advisement materials d. Lack of up-to-date and/or accurate materials e. Inadequate training in procedures f. Inadequate access to up-to-date student records 3 g. Low incentive/interest due to repetitive, bookkeeping character of the task h. Ambiguous rules and requirements. Some of these advisement problems may be allevi- ated by introducing the use of an on-line computer advising system. Such an implementation could reduce costs through savings in faculty member time. An on-line computer advising system will provide: a list of courses necessary to meet requirements for graduation; student class/grade record history; course substitution (for example, for transfer student course equivalency credit); and examination results in certain areas of proficiencies. In Robert Spencer's (20) article on advisement by computing, he lists the following capabilities which may be provided. 1. Instant on-line and printing capability. 2. States and tracks all requirements for gradu­ ation. a. University b. General Education c. Major 3. Categorizes requirements within major. a. College b. Department c. Major d. Specialization 4. Capability to insert and track individually tailored and approved degree programs. 5. Capability to track number of classes, number of semester hours, and combinations. 6. Lists prerequisites for required courses. 7. Capability to show narrative information. 8. Includes all credit, substitutions, and waivers. a. Institutional credit b. Transfer credit 4 c. Miscellaneous credit (i.e., AP, CLEP, Military, etc.) d. Substitutions e. Waivers 9. Instant update capability. 10. Capability for students to "shop" for a major and review immed~ately change of major consequences. 11. Capability to change requirements as frequently as every semester, but track each student by date of entry into the major. 12. Provides management information. a. Course use by major and specialization