Comments on: The train that Web 2.0 missed: Part 1 of 3 http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/ my god, it's full of stars Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:45:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: iconoclast » Blog Archive » It’s a Series of Tubes http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-26580 iconoclast » Blog Archive » It’s a Series of Tubes Sat, 19 May 2007 03:12:55 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-26580 <p>[...] Disclaimer: I’m talking about the fairly large population of teachers who are intimidated by technology. Frankly, I don’t blame them: Most school software is horribly designed. [...]</p> [...] Disclaimer: I’m talking about the fairly large population of teachers who are intimidated by technology. Frankly, I don’t blame them: Most school software is horribly designed. [...]

]]> By: Wired http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-5675 Wired Fri, 29 Sep 2006 15:00:26 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-5675 <p>whassup Kyle, long time :)</p> <p>I remember my first semester (Univ. Central Florida) where we had to register OVER THE PHONE with some horrible automated system. The online system after that was pretty easy. Slap in the prefix (e.g. CS for computer science) and /or ID code for a class, and it would spit out in a nice table all of the relevant info:</p> <p>total class size, spots taken, spots available, professor, class schedule, spots held for overflow and whatnot. It was a live system, so if your friend registered and you refreshed the page, it would show the spot taken up.</p> <p>IIRC, it would always warn you about what the pre-reqs were for a class. On the printouts you would get each year that told you when you could start registering, as well as what classes you had taken (w/ the grade) and what you still needed, it would have a check or an x next to each class telling you if you had all of the pre-reqs for it. It had its bugs here and there, but worked faily well. Keep in mind we started using this in 1998, somewhat high tech back then I guess. Damn... 1998... I am so damn old... :)</p> whassup Kyle, long time :)

I remember my first semester (Univ. Central Florida) where we had to register OVER THE PHONE with some horrible automated system. The online system after that was pretty easy. Slap in the prefix (e.g. CS for computer science) and /or ID code for a class, and it would spit out in a nice table all of the relevant info:

total class size, spots taken, spots available, professor, class schedule, spots held for overflow and whatnot. It was a live system, so if your friend registered and you refreshed the page, it would show the spot taken up.

IIRC, it would always warn you about what the pre-reqs were for a class. On the printouts you would get each year that told you when you could start registering, as well as what classes you had taken (w/ the grade) and what you still needed, it would have a check or an x next to each class telling you if you had all of the pre-reqs for it. It had its bugs here and there, but worked faily well. Keep in mind we started using this in 1998, somewhat high tech back then I guess. Damn… 1998… I am so damn old… :)

]]> By: Jack and Chicken » The train that Web 2.0 missed http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-5614 Jack and Chicken » The train that Web 2.0 missed Thu, 28 Sep 2006 16:28:27 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-5614 <p>[...] Kyle Neath is a web developer and student at Cal Poly and he talks about the red-headed step child of the Web 2.0 movement. Seriously people, if you took a good hard look around the web you’ll see almost everything has a Web 2.0 counterpart. Neath refers to the enrollment applications specifically, but what about ONLINE COURSES? The crap that’s out there now is awful. Web 2.0 needs to take a glance in that direction as well. [...]</p> [...] Kyle Neath is a web developer and student at Cal Poly and he talks about the red-headed step child of the Web 2.0 movement. Seriously people, if you took a good hard look around the web you’ll see almost everything has a Web 2.0 counterpart. Neath refers to the enrollment applications specifically, but what about ONLINE COURSES? The crap that’s out there now is awful. Web 2.0 needs to take a glance in that direction as well. [...]

]]> By: Brian http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4649 Brian Sat, 16 Sep 2006 06:36:28 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4649 <p>I have thought about this exact topic SO many times. Every person that I have talked to that is enrolled in college says the same thing: the enrollment process is slow, clunky, hard to use, and confusing. I could post screen shots of my school's (jwu.edu) software (called UConnect, how clever!). I think it is some customized off the shelf software. </p> <p>I am hoping to do my senior technical solo project on this issue, because I think it is a severe need. The problem is that enrollment (currently, at least) IS a confusing transaction. It's cumbersome by nature. Not only are there thousands of classes to register for, but there are dozens of classes that you need to take before you can even think about taking a higher level course. There are a lot of layers of complication that need to be addressed. </p> <p>I think the problem CAN be overcome (we've landed a man on the moon, blah blah blah) but it's not as easy as it seems at first glance. An interesting topic, none the less.</p> I have thought about this exact topic SO many times. Every person that I have talked to that is enrolled in college says the same thing: the enrollment process is slow, clunky, hard to use, and confusing. I could post screen shots of my school’s (jwu.edu) software (called UConnect, how clever!). I think it is some customized off the shelf software.

I am hoping to do my senior technical solo project on this issue, because I think it is a severe need. The problem is that enrollment (currently, at least) IS a confusing transaction. It’s cumbersome by nature. Not only are there thousands of classes to register for, but there are dozens of classes that you need to take before you can even think about taking a higher level course. There are a lot of layers of complication that need to be addressed.

I think the problem CAN be overcome (we’ve landed a man on the moon, blah blah blah) but it’s not as easy as it seems at first glance. An interesting topic, none the less.

]]> By: Rea http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4581 Rea Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:37:47 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4581 <p>My university has a very complicated and I believe inherintly evil registration program. There are actually classes offered constantly throughout the semester to teach users how to use the program that will get you to the registration program. I wish we not only had an easier program to use, but use one that is more aesthetically pleasing.</p> <p>John, I love the system that you have. Very easy to use. I had fun playing around with it.</p> My university has a very complicated and I believe inherintly evil registration program. There are actually classes offered constantly throughout the semester to teach users how to use the program that will get you to the registration program. I wish we not only had an easier program to use, but use one that is more aesthetically pleasing.

John, I love the system that you have. Very easy to use. I had fun playing around with it.

]]> By: iconoclast » Blog Archive » My Teacher Can’t Use Google http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4538 iconoclast » Blog Archive » My Teacher Can’t Use Google Fri, 15 Sep 2006 00:53:08 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4538 <p>[...] Disclaimer: I’m talking about the fairly large population of teachers who are intimidated by technology. Frankly, I don’t blame them: Most school software is horribly designed. [...]</p> [...] Disclaimer: I’m talking about the fairly large population of teachers who are intimidated by technology. Frankly, I don’t blame them: Most school software is horribly designed. [...]

]]> By: Joel http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4413 Joel Wed, 13 Sep 2006 07:53:31 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4413 <p>Jim: which uni?</p> <p>UNSW's got a pretty good system going with MyUNSW...</p> Jim: which uni?

UNSW’s got a pretty good system going with MyUNSW…

]]> By: Jim Whimpey http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4253 Jim Whimpey Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:10:47 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4253 <p>I completely agree. At my university (in Australia) class enrollment is so complicated they run classes during orientation week to teach people how to enrol.</p> I completely agree. At my university (in Australia) class enrollment is so complicated they run classes during orientation week to teach people how to enrol.

]]> By: John Resig http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/ia-usability/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4246 John Resig Sun, 10 Sep 2006 05:50:39 +0000 http://warpspire.com/journal/personal/the-train-that-web-20-missed-part-1-of-3/#comment-4246 <p>An interesting post - I actually developed an <a href="http://rit.schedulemaker.org/" rel="nofollow">AJAX-based scheduling system</a> for students to use, about two years ago. It's a completely web-based application and doesn't require any reloads of any sort, while still providing the full computation power of the <a href="http://schedule.csh.rit.edu/" rel="nofollow">standard application</a> (which I also developed). They're both wildly popular, and I suspect that most technical universities have some system like this, in one way or another. I'm interested to see what Cal Poly has, in your upcoming posts.</p> An interesting post - I actually developed an AJAX-based scheduling system for students to use, about two years ago. It’s a completely web-based application and doesn’t require any reloads of any sort, while still providing the full computation power of the standard application (which I also developed). They’re both wildly popular, and I suspect that most technical universities have some system like this, in one way or another. I’m interested to see what Cal Poly has, in your upcoming posts.

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