Website optimization and custom LMS development: automating 30% of paperwork

Innowise has updated a college website to the new Umbraco version featuring a customized course management system and student application forms.

Customer

Industry

Education

Region

Client since

2022

Our client is an educational institution based in the European Union providing academic courses for students worldwide. Detailed information about the client cannot be disclosed under the provisions of the NDA.

Challenge

The customer’s college content management system was based on CMS Umbraco 4.11. The main issues were unoptimized code and poor performance, which could be fixed by upgrading to a newer version of Umbraco.

Furthermore, the application system for online course enrollment required an upgrade to address issues related to documents submission, tracking educational advancements, and student records. The platform also lacked tools for tracking individual progress and the capability to upload education-related multimedia files.

Innowise was tasked with updating an existing website, including Umbraco migration to a new version of the CMS, creating new HTML templates, implementing electronic application functionality, and creating a more flexible management system for progress tracking, student accounting, and publishing content.

Solution

Our team conducted an audit of the client’s education CMS and decided to upgrade it to a newer version over several stages as per the official Umbraco documentation. We upgraded the system to enable efficient course management and application submission, which makes the educational process more convenient for teachers and students alike.

Website upgrade

The existing Umbraco CMS 4.11 version was deemed unsuitable for future website development due to its poor performance and limited functionality. Our idea was to upgrade the system to version 9.5 or higher.

For a smooth and controllable Umbraco migration, we divided the workflow into several stages:

creating a backup copy of the client’s database and website files;
upgrading the custom code and templates to version 6.5;
upgrading to version 7.5 with the new admin panel;
upgrading to version 8.5 to change the underlying project architecture;
upgrading the website to Umbraco 9.5 for subsequent enhancement.

The upgrade to Umbraco 9.5 has resulted in significant global system changes. The switch to .NET5 significantly increased the website’s performance. Following the upgrade, our team performed testing, pinpointing and promptly resolving minor problems in the architecture and non-optimized queries. As a result, we increased the website’s speed by 2.5 times.

Customized management system for educational courses

After updating the platform to a more recent version, our team developed new course-related functionality. We created a list of available programs with flexible filtering. The students can now submit online applications for various programs by filling in the required information and uploading documents.

We also divided the courses into several modules with attached notes, video lessons and books. After passing one of the modules , students should take tests from college teachers to gain access to the next module. We also implemented a grading scale for each discipline, and an individual grade tracking system.

The updated student management systems and tracking tools for educational progress enable students and teachers to concentrate on education instead of organizational concerns.

In addition, our specialists implemented functionality that allows students to make document requests from the college. The request notification is sent to the dean’s office for subsequent processing and submission. Once the necessary documentation is ready, students receive notifications to come to the dean’s office.

The printed document form has also been redesigned: the idea was to get a two-page layout with the Personal Statement on one page and the rest on the other side of the A4 sheet for easy document processing, with less important info available yet visually separated.

Furthermore, we added several new online forms, one of which is an international application with the functionality of a basic assessment of the applicant’s English language proficiency. Our team is currently working on this form to add more evaluation criteria and voice input.

Innowise also enhanced the site’s functionality with a new dashboard, allowing students to view professors’ schedules and book available slots for research consultations. With the help of this new feature, students can conveniently schedule appointments without having to go through a lengthy process of emailing professors or visiting their offices. The system allows users to quickly navigate professors’ calendars and select a convenient time and college room. The system can be integrated with Google Calendar, ensuring that all bookings and changes made to the schedule are instantly synced across all platforms.

Technologies & tools

Back-end

.NET5, ASP.NET WEB API, Entity Framework, JWT, FluentValidation, AutoMapper

Front-end

XHTML built to W3C Specifications, JavaScript, jQuery and CSS. Level A Conformance to Web Content Accessibility. React, Lodash, Recoil, Material UI, Apollo Client

Databases

MS SQL Server

Platforms

Umbraco CMS 9

Cloud

Azure Data Storage, Azure Key Vault, Azure App Insights, Azure App Services, Azure AD, Azure Functions, Azure Cosmos DB

DevOps

Azure DevOps

NUnit, Moq

Process

We followed the Scrum methodology with two-week sprints to ensure the necessary flexibility in the work process. During the project, all communication between our team and the client was carried out via Google Chat and Google Meets with permanent task tracking via Jira. In general, the scope of our work included the following stages:

We conducted a project audit to identify performance issues and gather requirements.
After collecting requirements, we made a backup of the website and the database.
We upgraded the website to the Umbraco 9.5 version, keeping the process from disrupting college work and the processing of new applications.
While testing, we maintained and improved the previous functionality of the college content management system.

After results were approved by the client, we started developing new course features, automation tools for documents, and new application and test forms. We continue to work on the project, maintain the site functionality and refine new features for educational programs.

Team

Project Manager

DevOps Engineer

Front-end Developers

Back-end Developers

UI/UX Designer

QA Engineer

Team Lead

Results

The updated college website showed a significant performance increase, doubling the site traffic and increasing the number of student applications for new courses. The implementation of automated paperwork and new documentation tools has optimized and considerably expedited the work of the college staff. Students are now able to supplement learning materials with videos, books, images, and articles, which makes the learning process more structured and enjoyable. The site is optimized for mobile devices, allowing students to learn, track progress, book consultations, and submit applications anytime, anywhere.

Project duration

May 2022 - in progress

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