Online Course Platform

Introduction

The Online Course Platform is designed to provide a flexible and accessible solution for online education. It enables students to enroll in online courses, instructors to upload and manage their courses, and admins to monitor the platform’s activities, offering a bridge between learners and digital education.

Objectives:

• Provide a centralized, flexible online learning environment.
• Enable instructors to effectively manage and update their courses.
• Facilitate student progress tracking and course enrollment.

Project Scope

Problem:

The demand for online education platforms has increased significantly due to the constraints of traditional, in-person learning environments.

Solution:

This platform offers an all-in-one solution where instructors can easily upload courses, and students can access and engage with educational content.

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System Overview

Functional Requirements:

• Students:

  • View and enroll in available courses.
  • Track course progress.

• Instructors:

  • Create, edit, and delete courses.
  • View student enrollments and progress.

• Admins:

  • Manage users (students, instructors).
  • Review and approve courses before publishing.

Non-Functional Requirements:

• Performance: The system is designed to handle multiple simultaneous users efficiently.
• Security: Ensures data protection for users and course content.
• Usability: Provides a user-friendly interface for all users.

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System Architecture

This platform is built following the 3-Layer Architecture:

1. Presentation Layer:
   Manages the UI/UX for students, instructors, and admins.

2. Business Logic Layer:
   Handles the main functionality such as course management, user interaction, and course approval.

3. Data Access Layer:
   Communicates with the SQL Server database to retrieve and store data.

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Technology Stack

• Language: C#
• Framework: ASP.NET Core MVC
• Database: SQL Server
• ORM: Entity Framework Core
• UI: Bootstrap for responsive design

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Database Design

The platform’s database structure follows the ERD as shown below, illustrating the relationships between entities such as Students, Instructors, Courses, and more.

ERD Diagram

Schema Diagram

The schema diagram represents the detailed structure of the database.

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User Interface Design

The platform has different interfaces for its users:

1. Login and Registration:
   Users can create accounts and log in according to their roles (student, instructor, admin).

2. Course Listing:
   Students can browse and enroll in courses.

3. Student Dashboard:
   Displays enrolled courses and progress tracking.

4. Instructor Dashboard:
   Allows course management and interaction with students.

5. Admin Dashboard:
   Full control over user management and course approval.

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User Interaction

• Students:

  • Can browse and enroll in courses.
  • Can track their progress in enrolled courses.

• Instructors:

  • Can create, edit, and manage courses.
  • Monitor students' progress and engagement.

• Admins:

  • Can manage both instructors and students.
  • Review and approve courses before publishing.