Information and Knowledge Management using ArcGIS ModelBuilder

2. The project
2.1 Background and requirements
Juha Kontio
In 2008, the Turku University of Applied Sciences was using an old information system (Study
register) to manage students and their study credits and assessments. The information system
contained
Student register
Curriculum register (courses and implementations)
Students’ credits
Basic teacher information
User management.
In addition, a separate Lotus Notes database was used for detailed curriculum descriptions.
Necessary information was manually copied to the Study register IS. The Study register IS is used for
management of several types of information such as disciplines, degree programs, students’ cohorts,
students’ study times and students’ credits. Furthermore, the system is used to produce many
important documents and certificates such as the degree certificate, the study certificate and list of
student’s credits. Finally, some official statistics are produced from this system.
However, the Study register IS lacked some increasingly important features. It did not support the
curricula design process and it did not provide useful tools for managing competence based curricula.
Neither did the system support the yearly planning of degree programs’ teaching and course level
implementation design. Allthough teachers were linked to every course; this system did not support
the management of teachers’ yearly working loads. Teachers’ yearly working loads were managed in
an inhouse information system, which was not integrated into any other information systems. Finally,
there was not a tool for interactive planning of students’ individual study plans.
The new system should provide tools and support for better management of the teaching process. It
should combine curriculum, planning of degree programs’ teaching and course implementation,
management of teachers’ yearly working loads and management of students’ individual study plans.
The new system should be browser based and the user interface should be easy to use. The new
system will be used by both students and personnel.
The future situation with the new system is described in the figure 2 below. The introduction of the
new system will end the lifecycle of three other information systems: the curricula database in Lotus
Notes, the course implementation plans IS (Totsu) and the teachers’ yearly working load
management IS (Tilipussi). The new system will be connected with following systems:
LDAP: user management system in Turku University of Applied Sciences. The access priviliges
will be maintained here.
Financials: an information system managed by the city of Turku. Contains information of the
accounts and cost pools.
Salary IS: an information system managed by the city of Turku. Contains information of every
employer and is the system used for salary management.
Study register: the IS is described earlier, but the role will change partly. Still maintains its role for
assessments and providing necessary certificates.
2.2 The new project
The information system project started in 2008 and the aim was to create an information system for
the teaching process in the Turku University of Applied Sciences. The project was planned to finish at
the end of 2009. At the beginning requirements were prioritized and three main phases could be
identified based on the information system’s desired functions:
Curriculum and teaching
Working load management and salary information
Students’ personal study plans and connections to study register.
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