Practical Project I – SS3 Digital Technologies Lesson Note (Third Term)

A practical project in Digital Technologies is a system, such as a library website or database, that solves a real problem for real users. You work in stages: plan the problem and the users, design the screens and logic on paper, build the small parts first, then test the project and write a report to submit with it.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• state the problem their project solves and who will use it;
• write a one-page project proposal with a title, objectives and tools;
• draw a wireframe, a flowchart or an Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) for a project;
• build a project in stages, starting with the small parts;
• test a project and write a project report.

How do you plan a project?

Before you type a single line of code or create a table in Access, answer two questions:

1. What problem am I solving? (e.g., “Students find it hard to check library book availability.”)
2. Who is going to use it? (e.g., “The Librarian and the Students.”)

The project proposal

Write down a simple one-page plan with these parts:

• Title: (e.g., Greenwood High Library Manager)
• Objectives: What should the system do? (Search for books, register new members, track borrowed books.)
• Tools: What will you use? (HTML/CSS for a website, or MS Access for a database.)

How do you design the interface?

Do not start on the computer yet. Take a pencil and paper and draw your wireframes. A wireframe is a simple sketch of your screens.

• For a website: Where does the logo go? Where are the navigation buttons?
• For a database: How will the data entry form look? Is it easy for a person to type into?

User Experience (UX) tip: Keep it simple. If a user has to click 10 times just to find a “Home” button, they will get frustrated and stop using your app.

How do you design the logic?

Next, plan how the information flows.

• If you are building a website or app: Draw a flowchart. What happens when a user clicks “Submit”? If the password is wrong, where does the app take them?
• If you are building a database: Create an Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD). An ERD shows how your tables “talk” to each other. For example, the Student table must be linked to the Books Borrowed table.

How do you build the project?

This is where the actual work happens. Build the small parts first.

1. The skeleton: Create your basic folders and files (e.g., index.html, style.css).
2. The data: If it is a database, create your tables first and define your primary keys (like Admission Number).
3. The connection: Use your code (JavaScript) or your database queries to make the parts work together.

Common mistake: Trying to make the project look “beautiful” before making it work. Make it function first, then add the colours and fonts later.

How do you test and document the project?

When you think you have finished, you still have work to do. You must try to “break” your own project.

• The stress test: Try to enter a name into a “Phone Number” box. Does your system give an error, or does it crash?
• The user test: Give your project to a classmate and do not explain anything. If they cannot work out how to use it, your design needs work.

The project report

Write a report to submit with your project. It should include:

• The problem statement.
• System requirements (What kind of computer is needed to run it?).
• User manual (A “How-To” guide with screenshots).
• Conclusion (What did you learn? What would you add if you had more time?).

Project checklist

• Plan: Solve a real problem.
• Design: Draw it on paper first.
• Build: Make it work before making it look good.
• Test: Fix the bugs before the teacher sees them.

Evaluation

1. What two questions must you answer before you start a project?
2. List the three parts of a project proposal.
3. What is a wireframe, and why should you draw it before using the computer?
4. Which diagram would you draw for a database, and which for a website or app?
5. Describe the stress test and the user test.

Assignment

Choose a real problem in your school or community. Write a one-page project proposal with a title, objectives and tools. Then draw a wireframe of your main screen and list the parts of the project report you will submit.