Internet The Wrong Way (Education Sector)

[Mechatrommer]

listen kids, dont make this mistake again in the future, this is done by so called "professional", since this is used by many tens hundreds of thousands or people (professional servants) in the state...

we have to key in students marks online, there is no way we can put the marks offline and upload the data at one go, they should made some php to do it right (reading the uploaded data and blends into their giant central database). 60+ clicks for each student for each month, click save and next and wait for it to reload the next student's data or GUI. we have 30 students in each class, 4-6 classes taught in the year. so altogether? 60 clicks X 30 students X 6 classes X 12 months = 129,600 clicks and tremendous amount of waiting time due to alot less than ideal internet infrastructure. multiplied by 60,000+ 400,000+ of servants doing this? that is ~8 ~52 billlions of very uneffective production... online!

end of rant!

[Psi]

You know it's a good rant when you can't understand what it's actually about 

[Mechatrommer]

You know it's a good rant when you can't understand what it's actually about 

i think i wouldnt rant if i dont get a picture. maybe some political infuences involved or higher management issues i dont know. but only if i can, i'll make a letter requesting for a temporary transfer of me to their internet division and given an absolute power to make decision, wipe off the politicians and MD DH from the floor, i'll show them how it should be done, i'll bring my php book along.

the so called "5 years of re-structuring plan". this is what they come up with.

and also i wouldnt rant if there is no supporting evidence. it is a closed event where only on certain dates we can enter the system. we've been given around 2 weeks time last year to complete the marking, times upped. and then a week later, they announced they are re-opening for giving us chance to re-enter incomplete marks. and then now! the third time, the marking still not fully completed, thats obvious!? i did email them, so far a little improvement has been made, good! but it still can be better. i'm still struggling to complete the marks (or record).

Regards...

[SeanB]

At least your country does not change the pass level to get a good pass rate. 30% pass mark? Turn up, write your name and you are half way there...........

[amyk]

Doesn't sound too hard to write a script that automates the process, if you know a scripting language.

Related: http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Classic-WTF-The-Indexer.aspx

[Mechatrommer]

solutions:
1) offline file uploaded to internet and interpreted by some program. yes maybe Psi is right, the language designed for internet do not allow that? i'm not sure, i havent touch php yet
2) use more compact GUI even if it has to be a big table. at least we can click for all students at once and click save only one time, 1 class complete, no need fancy csv->sql converter (solution 1)
i'm just assuming, but with current tech and fanciness, both should be possible.

now SeanB, you raised another issue, and that is just about relevant, i didnt want to get into that but since you raised it. brilliant class's students, poor performing class's students, they all 'MUST' pass band 3, I dont care what you should do ("I" means the boss) what?! easy! we make different exam/assessment sets. easy questions go to poor class, standard (or more difficult) questions go to brilliant class, in the end all students get band 3, same! brilliant idea? i dont know this is just the beginning. its starting last year and we've been briefed 10% of the whole story.

[MrPlacid]

solutions:
1) offline file uploaded to internet and interpreted by some program. yes maybe Psi is right, the language designed for internet do not allow that? i'm not sure, i havent touch php yet

Yes, this could be done. I have done this on my flashcard website before. I have disabled it for security reason, but it could be done just put a lot of security checks. I would create a text file, put all the students grade in it, uploaded it to the website, and have php software takes care of it. I did it with php.

[houdini]

Do you guys have a firewall?  We have a lovely one that blocks anything vaugley education related but fails misserably when it comes to blocking non education things.  Like its easy to find flash games and such.  But youtube, wikipedia, and most of the random sites on whatever topic your looking for are blocked for the the student and most of the time also for the teacher. 

[jnd]

Simplest user-side solution is to write javascript which will auto fill the web page form from some better formatted input file or just make additional textarea where you paste the data.

[Mechatrommer]

Simplest user-side solution is to write javascript which will auto fill the web page form from some better formatted input file or just make additional textarea where you paste the data.

i dont expect someone with great scripting capability on the end side. for me, i can code something with WinAPI to move mouse and clicks automated, but what if they change their format later on? and what about the faith of the rest of the 59,999 peoples (servants) out there? they (developers side) get it right from the root, they get it right for all, they can create downloadable software to run offline for the automation. but no, scripting is not our (user side) main core, not for the rest of 59,999 people out there. we are no javascripters.

[Harvs]

yes maybe Psi is right, the language designed for internet do not allow that?

BTW,  PSI isn't saying you don't know what you're talking about, he's saying from your first post it is very difficult to understand exactly what you're writing about.


A typical indication that someone is really mad about something, they're writing quickly and sometimes it doesn't end up all that fluent 

[Mechatrommer]

ok this is my public announcement... i'm terribly sorry that i've made a blatant mistake. its not 60,000 users, i guess it was during the stone age. the correct and most current statistics is its now 400,000+ users. so... ~5.2e10 or 52 billions of very uneffective production. i apologize, i will correct the OP.

A typical indication that someone is really mad about something, they're writing quickly and sometimes it doesn't end up all that fluent 

yeah i shouldnt post this in electronics blogs but i guess this is the safest place to blow out my rant

[Mechatrommer]

Related: http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Classic-WTF-The-Indexer.aspx

just finished reading it, good story and example! pretty much thats what i was talking about, except i'm not sure for this "thread topic" case, if its intentional (political influence) or not. or maybe i should just shut my mouth up in my arse otherwise i'll get kicked out from the community. i cannot make suggestion since its considered as a "threat". 

[ciccio]

It's a little out of topic, but starting this year  all enrollment to any public school in Italy must be done through an Internet connection.
Nobody listened to people that said:
- I have no Internet
- I have no computer
- I have but I'm not capable
and the only answer was: if you cannot do this from home or office, go the the  school, and they'll do it for you (over the Net).
Most Italian school have Internet connections  so slow and unstable that it takes 15 minutes for enrolling a student in the same school....
The first day the server of the Government was blocked by excess of traffic, and some people do not know if their sons are actually enrolled.
Pathetic!

[lewis]

At least your country does not change the pass level to get a good pass rate. 30% pass mark? Turn up, write your name and you are half way there...........

Just like the UK... Everyone must have prizes.

[Mechatrommer]

agree with ciccio. just "dont do it" if you have not enough "infrastructure" or "preparation", otherwise it will just give the misery to people and the involved workers, its more or less like.... slavery (maybe the word is too harsh but i'm not sure what to call it any softer )

[SeanB]

Do your universities have to do an extra year of study for at least half the incoming students so they are able to do basic literacy and maths. These are students **With** university range of school results. Students that are barely capable of writing, let alone anything more than their name and address.

[Mechatrommer]

Do your universities have to do an extra year of study for at least half the incoming students so they are able to do basic literacy and maths. These are students **With** university range of school results. Students that are barely capable of writing, let alone anything more than their name and address.

no we dont have such scenario afaik. but we are receiving and teaching such students at their age of 13. those who are still incompetent at reading until the age of 18 are confirmed to be dropped out, by other more brilliant students. thats how, currently with older assessment scheme. not sure in the future, that is 5 years to come, i hope it will not be the case.

[SeanB]

Here pass one pass all is the mentality.........

[Mechatrommer]

everybody will get a job, probably poor performing can get better than good performing students. quality and standard will be low, one of the driving force is the people (parents) themselves, they want their kids to get good result, so the government with their political agenda will just follow to win people's heart, they dont consult education expert. bad things will happen.