WIDE World course platform
Role:Web developer and content writer; member of a four-person web project team
About the WIDE World course platform
This web application serves as the “classroom” for WIDE World’s distance learning courses. Features include a discussion board, a section devoted to course lectures and new material posted by the course instructor, a course roster of participant profiles, and a set of administrative tools.
Problems to solve
Although the course platform was usable, it needed improvements “under the hood”: poor information architecture, an outdated frames-based navigation system, and a clunky collection of administrative tools. In addition, the course platform had been in use for several years and needed a refreshing face lift.
Programming and design details
- Full recoding using ColdFusion, XHTML, and CSS for presentation. Removed frames, which allowed for simpler navigation and for linking to specific parts of web pages inside the course.
- CSS used to give the course platform a more stylish and up-to-date appearance. Coded with backwards compatibility in mind, allowing the course platform to be functional to course participants using browsers that do not support CSS.
- Implemented a content management system across the entire course platform to allow for multiple language support (WIDE World offers courses in English and Spanish).
- Rebuilt the set of course administration tools and integrated them into the course platform itself to allow easy access by course instructors.
- Wrote help text, including screen captures, to support users of the updated admin tools.
- Technologies: ColdFusion, XHTML, JavaScript, SQL, CSS