Requirements

Data Requirements

Users must be UF Department of Housing and Residence Education employees.
Users must use their specified UF ID and password.
Learners consist of 15-30 staff members who participate in all course activities.
Writing experts consist of three staff members who provide feedback to learners.

System access is free for specified users.
System access is safe with UF login information.
Learners’ writing records are stored within the system
Learners’ progress reports are stored within the system
Email archive is provided for correspondence between users/users and users/writing experts and saved work
Profile information for individual profile pages (indicated in functional requirements)
User activity log is provided for administrators of the system

Functional Requirements

What will the product do?

The writing course provides a communicative online platform for the learners to practice and interact. The course will be designed with the following systems requirements:

Access Functions:

Learners must be able to upload files up to 5 MB.
System must be able to store user ID and password.
System should authenticate the user’s ID upon initial log-in to the computer; no additional log-in is needed (usernames and passwords are the same).
System can be customized to remember passwords to save time for users.

Award Functions:

System must be able to award learners (badges/certificates) for module and end-of-course completion.

Evaluation Functions:

Users can view feedback for a particular lesson or module assessment.
Writing experts must be able to access user-system interaction log.
There is a separate feedback page for submissions and feedback comments.
System gives writing experts the option to open an editable version of user assignments.
System does not allow writing experts ability to delete any learner’s work.
System displays “Comments” box for writing experts to put open-ended suggestions.
System has ability to archive learners’ writing records.
System has ability to archive learners’ progress reports.
System has ability to archive email correspondence between learners/learners and learners/writing experts .
System has ability to archive saved work.

Notification Functions:

System should be able to send push reminders (due dates, comments, grades, etc.).
System has a protocol for notifying users when assignments are saved, reviewed, and graded by writing experts as well as their overall course completion status.
System has a protocol for notifying writing experts when assignments have been submitted or questions asked.
System notifies learners to “collect your badge” for a completed module or at end-of-course.

Peer Interaction Functions:

User interactions with the system must be logged.

System has a working forum for individual discussion and interaction.
Learners can comment on the work of other learners.
Peer interaction can be made optional for shy or nervous learners.
Submissions by learners go through a peer review process.

Contextual Requirements

Basic course design is an online virtual environment in which all users interact.
Learners must take all 8 modules (4 modules from Tier 1 and 4 modules from Tier 2).
Learners have their own profile page.
Peer-interaction system (chat/forum/discussion board) creates the third space for the learners to communicate and to learn and practice writing professional skills.
Expert writing instructors are available to guide learners.

System has two access points for the program: a shortcut icon and the the departmental SharePoint.
A menu system to navigate all modules and assignments is available.
Learners can display badges on his/her profile screen,
System will contain and organize materials for all modules.
System will contain writing rubrics for all modules.
Content can be removed by Learning and Development team.
Content for terminated employees is automatically removed.

Other (Technical) Requirements

The Learning and Development team members will monitor the progress of how the course program works and how the learners behave in this environment.
Program must run on a Windows 7 based PC.
Learners will be able to access the microphone/headset.
Internet access will be available.
The form factor is a virtual Web-based application.
Contact information for the UF IT department needs to be distributed.