Question: University Campus Portal (UCP)

[Vikash Bajaj]

Hello Avnee,

So the UCP will have a discussion board. Wouldnt it be better to integrate a full functional open source discussion board into the project instead of building it from scratch? something like https://www.discourse.org ?

thanks,

Vikash 

[Avnee]

Hi Vikash

 

So the UCP will have a discussion board. Wouldnt it be better to integrate a full functional open source discussion board into the project instead of building it from scratch? something like https://www.discourse.org ?

Good question. Firstly, discourse doesn't seem free.

https://payments.discourse.org/buy/

We want to build a free platform that universities and colleges can host themselves.

Secondly, our aim of building the UCP is to provide an integrated experience for the users. A lot of 'standard forum' functionality may have to be customised for University purposes. For example, posting a job, exam schedule, results, workshops, etc. It may not be worth the effort, besides we get more control over things if we write our own forum. Additionally, UCP should also expose APIs to make this data available to other potential client applications (front-ends or mobile app platforms) that we may want to build in the future. Some of the open source solutions do not do this as yet.

If you feel there is something existing out there that can be integrated 'as is' for this purpose, let me know we may consider it.

Avnee

[Vikash Bajaj]

Hello Avnee,

Discourse is completely free and open source(https://github.com/discourse/discourse) and can be deployed free of cost and edited easily to meet the requirements. Even though it is written using RUBY, but it provides modules to interact using Python and other languages making it easier to integrate with other applications(like custom Django app) and API can be made in your custom app. It was just a suggestion though there are many other cookiecutter python forums aswell(https://www.reddit.com/r/django/comments/2cr755/best_django_forum_application/). 

by the way, how do we submit a new project proposal, something which is not on your ideas list?

[Avnee]

 

by the way, how do we submit a new project proposal, something which is not on your ideas list?

There's not much difference. We would like to see similar information for your new idea as well. 

Just make sure that you include enough information about your idea in your proposal. Also, you may want to post your idea to the group and discuss it with other mentors before submitting your proposal for it.

[Aakash Tyagi]

Hi Avnee,

Also, you may want to post your idea to the group and discuss it with other mentors before submitting your proposal for it.

I have some suggestions which you could look upon, that would add more to the project

1.  Apart from the details already mentioned in the idea, we could also add small details like what programs does the university offers etc.
   
2.  We can create an alumni network where current students can interact with alumni (we can extend the discussions forum). 
3.  A manager of some sort for students - where the manager could display placement records, or company details (like their application deadlines, general information) etc. which can be easily managed by the universities.

Thanks

Aakash  

[Avnee]

Hi Aakash

 

I have some suggestions which you could look upon, that would add more to the project

1.  Apart from the details already mentioned in the idea, we could also add small details like what programs does the university offers etc.
   

The portal would be for internal use for the university student & staff rather than outsiders. Additionally, these details would be available on the university official website. So I guess, we do not need to include these details. 

1.  We can create an alumni network where current students can interact with alumni (we can extend the discussions forum). 

Possibly yes. However, the area for these discussions should be separate from where the interactions between present students/staff happens.

1.  A manager of some sort for students - where the manager could display placement records, or company details (like their application deadlines, general information) etc. which can be easily managed by the universities.

The moderator and administrator roles should be able to do this.

[Aakash Tyagi]

 Hello Avnee,

Thanks for the feedback. I have understood the whole work flow and have prepared the wireframes. I have attached the wireframes. I have prepared the wireframes using pen and paper for now, I hope that doesn’t raise an issue. Also, I had some time so I prepared a sample layout for the wireframes.

http://aakashtyagi.me/gsoc/UsingBS/

Please have a look at the flows and wireframes and let me know if I need to add/improve something or if I am going wrong somewhere.

Secondly I wanted to ask if it is necessary to use Bootstrap? Can I use Materialize Css framework instead. As on mobile, the application would look similar to android apps (which most of them are using material design) and would give a good feel of the materialize framework. Have look at the sample that I prepared for the wireframes in Materialize Css framework.

http://aakashtyagi.me/gsoc/UsingMaterialDesign/

Lastly, I was wondering if I can use SASS for the project? It will help us to write re-usable CSS efficiently and decrease the size of the code. I have also prepared the database schema for the applications so should I upload it here only?

I’ll also be adding the resume manager(a manager to manage students resume and placements), AlumConnect (Lets students/staff connect with the alumni of the university and vice versa ), a complaints section (allows staff/students to book complaints which would be approved by admin before displaying on the complaint page) and the account menu in the next set of wireframes and in the layout as well.

Thanks for your time.

Regards

Aakash

[Avnee]

Hi Aakash,

 

Wireframes and let me know if I need to add/improve something or if I am going wrong somewhere.

Thanks for posting the wireframes. Couple of comments:

1. We should make the Home page like a feed (like facebook) rather than home page of a website. For now it looks more like a college website that students would visit before getting admissions.

2. I would suggest that you work on the details of the individual items like news entries and events. I think there is a scope of improvement here. For now it looks like a lot of information is fitted in small rows.

The only problem with paper wireframes is that if you use only one or two colors, it makes the wireframes harder to read. I would suggest using different color for different UI components to improve your wireframes.

Secondly I wanted to ask if it is necessary to use Bootstrap? Can I use Materialize Css framework instead. As on mobile, the application would look similar to android apps (which most of them are using material design) and would give a good feel of the materialize framework. Have look at the sample that I prepared for the wireframes in Materialize Css framework.

http://aakashtyagi.me/gsoc/UsingMaterialDesign/

Using bootstrap is not compulsory. The requirement is that the portal design should be responsive i.e. work well on desktop and mobile.

 

Lastly, I was wondering if I can use SASS for the project? It will help us to write re-usable CSS efficiently and decrease the size of the code.

Yes, you may use SASS.

 

I have also prepared the database schema for the applications so should I upload it here only?

It would be great if you can include this in your draft proposal and submit for review in the thread started for requesting draft proposal reviews.

 

[Aakash Tyagi]

Hi Avnee,

Thanks for the feedback. I have submitted the draft proposal and my wireframes and database schema is in it. So, please have a look and let me know for improvements. 

Regards

Aakash

[Aakash Tyagi]

Hello Avnee,

I had another idea that could be incorporated into the UCP project. I am working on a minor project with my college friends, but it becomes difficult to manage all the code and tasks together, so we have to use different resources. So I was thinking about adding a feature where:

1) Student can start a project

2) Student can add members to that project

3) Share all the information and tasks about the project. As well as submit a project.

This will give a chance to students to collaborate more as well as being in touch with all the latest news/events/discussions happening around the university.

What do you think? Would this suffice to the current UCP idea. Any comments?

Thanks again

Aakash

[Avnee]

Hey Aakash

 

1) Student can start a project

2) Student can add members to that project

3) Share all the information and tasks about the project. As well as submit a project.

I think it's a good standalone idea, however I don't see it fit the scope of UCP currently.

[Aakash Tyagi]

Hello Avnee, 

I had a query about, results section in the UCP. Apart from the search that user can search for a particular file, should we make another section, "let's call it advance search" where we take 2 inputs, name and roll number, and accordingly display their 'specific' result ?

I have made the recruitment drive where a user can apply for a particular recruitment drive, so should we make another model for a particular company, which can start multiple recruitment drives? 

Thanks

Aakash

[Avnee]

 

I had a query about, results section in the UCP. Apart from the search that user can search for a particular file, should we make another section, "let's call it advance search" where we take 2 inputs, name and roll number, and accordingly display their 'specific' result ?

Not sure. I don't see what exactly is advanced about it. If the format of the uploaded results is not definite... search within the uploaded content is fine. 

 

I have made the recruitment drive where a user can apply for a particular recruitment drive, so should we make another model for a particular company, which can start multiple recruitment drives? 

Recruitment drives should have it's model.