As educational requirements and expectations change within the K-12 school sector, it is essential to question whether students are grasping subject concepts that are taught throughout the day. Traditionally, students in K-12 attend school for at least six hours a day where they receive instruction in various subjects such as math, reading, writing, and a variation of subject electives including but not limited to foreign language, arts, and technology. At the conclusion of each day, students are required to demonstrate their understanding of the learning content through at home assignments. Unfortunately, many students still fall behind. This often leaves both parents and school staff at odds because of poor academic progress among students.
In a recent case study performed by the Educational Technology Research and Development organization, researchers discussed the effect of computer based instruction as a means to improve student performance scores. This research provided results to support the theory that supplemental computer based learning can help with student comprehension and grading (Hannafin & Foshay, 2008).
The purpose of this project is to implement an online educational website with a similar goal of helping students to better grasp subject concepts that are taught within the classroom. The website will be setup by the school, but access and content is administered by each teacher to help emphasize complex subjects. The idea is to present complex subjects in a fun online learning system that will allow students to think about the content from a different perspective, and better understand his/her school subjects. The website must have the capacity to accommodate an entire school district for grades K-12, and offer access restrictions where students are limited to how much time may be spent on each subject.
In the following report, the project scope, guidelines, and expectations from both school administrators and the project team are assessed to ensure the project is feasible and completed on time. The project team will further discuss the design of the website and any challenges that may arise during the planning, design, and implementation phases.