Education Supported by Education Supported by Content Management Content Management

SystemsSystemsMilena Stanković, Milan Milena Stanković, Milan

Rajković, Ivan Petković, Petar Rajković, Ivan Petković, Petar RajkovićRajković

Faculty of Electronic Faculty of Electronic Engineering,Engineering, NiNišš

The educational Web site The educational Web site challenge challenge

Campus Web sites - on of the biggest Campus Web sites - on of the biggest challenges that institutions of higher challenges that institutions of higher education have been faced with. education have been faced with.

They have typically grown from ad hoc sites to essential sources of marketing and academic information and communication.

They have become inevitable part of They have become inevitable part of educational process containing all necessary educational process containing all necessary information, white papers, tutorials, and news information, white papers, tutorials, and news regarding exams. regarding exams.

The educational Web site The educational Web site challengechallenge

The clear conflict between the expectations of the users and the capacity of webmasters.

The problem is especially critical because of the highly decentralized environment with very limited budget.

The solution: adopting the new technologies

CMS (Content Management CMS (Content Management System)System)

The content management system (CMS) The content management system (CMS) can be defined as a tool for manage, store, can be defined as a tool for manage, store, retrieve and publish content.retrieve and publish content.

If the primary goal for the content is to be If the primary goal for the content is to be

published on the Web, than the CMS is published on the Web, than the CMS is referred to as the Web CMS referred to as the Web CMS

Typically, a CMS consists of two elements: Typically, a CMS consists of two elements: the content management application (CMA) the content management application (CMA) and the content delivery application (CDA). and the content delivery application (CDA).

Benefits from using Benefits from using CMSCMS(1)(1)

Streamline and automate content Streamline and automate content administration-administration- A Web CMS hides the A Web CMS hides the complexities of HTML, thus enabling people complexities of HTML, thus enabling people who are not familiar with it to administrate who are not familiar with it to administrate content on the site.content on the site.

Distribute content management and Distribute content management and control-control- Web master of a typical campus Web master of a typical campus Web site should visit tens of pages every day Web site should visit tens of pages every day to enter the new information. A CMS can to enter the new information. A CMS can distribute this work to individuals.distribute this work to individuals.

Benefits from using Benefits from using CMSCMS(2)(2)

Separate content from layout and designSeparate content from layout and design – A CMS separates the content from the – A CMS separates the content from the publication format. separately from its publication format. separately from its publication format. XML is often used in publication format. XML is often used in order for this to be achieved.order for this to be achieved.

Creating reusable content repositoriesCreating reusable content repositories – – The content which is entered once can be The content which is entered once can be reused somewhere else on the same site.reused somewhere else on the same site.

Implement central graphic design Implement central graphic design managementmanagement – Using templates to achieve – Using templates to achieve constant look-and-feel through the site. constant look-and-feel through the site.

Benefits from using Benefits from using CMSCMS(3)(3)

Automate workflow managementAutomate workflow management – The – The workflow of a Web CMS is determined by the workflow of a Web CMS is determined by the workflow of the institution the CMS is workflow of the institution the CMS is intended for.intended for.

Build sophisticated content access and Build sophisticated content access and securitysecurity-- The access and security policy are The access and security policy are crucial for achieving distributed content crucial for achieving distributed content management and control. management and control.

Allow archiving and version control-Allow archiving and version control- Enterprise systems must provide mechanisms Enterprise systems must provide mechanisms for storing and managing revisions of content. for storing and managing revisions of content.

Content Content Management Management

System System CenturaCentura

Centura Centura objectivesobjectives

Centura Centura has been developed at the has been developed at the FEEN, and the work on in it is still in FEEN, and the work on in it is still in progress. progress.

FFulfils or is going to fulfill most of the ulfils or is going to fulfill most of the goals and requirements already listed. goals and requirements already listed.

Built using PHP and MySQL as an XML Built using PHP and MySQL as an XML based content management systembased content management system

Centura – Centura – main partsmain parts back office (content and user back office (content and user

management, customization and management, customization and personalization )personalization )

content converter (transformation of content converter (transformation of created content in format suitable for created content in format suitable for presentation)presentation)

front end (different services for content front end (different services for content presentation, navigation and search)presentation, navigation and search)

Content ManagementContent Management

manages content manages content items items binary and other uploaded filesbinary and other uploaded files

defines structure of the content defines structure of the content (modules)(modules) standard modulesstandard modules binary modulesbinary modules

Item editorItem editor

managing item contentmanaging item content

managing additional item contentmanaging additional item content

version control version control

Multilanguage controlMultilanguage control

Privileges – rights for Privileges – rights for module accessmodule access

The privileges are defined for specific user or The privileges are defined for specific user or group of users on specific module through group of users on specific module through their accounts. their accounts.

Every single privilege has its own value that Every single privilege has its own value that is power of two. is power of two.

So far we identified privileges of read, write, So far we identified privileges of read, write, delete, publish and administrate and assign delete, publish and administrate and assign them values of 1,2,4,8 and 16 respectively. them values of 1,2,4,8 and 16 respectively.

Set of privileges for concrete user on concrete Set of privileges for concrete user on concrete module is sum of values of single privileges. module is sum of values of single privileges.

User managementUser management

manipulation with users and their accounts manipulation with users and their accounts allows association users in groups allows association users in groups administrators can determine groups; administrators can determine groups;

managing user memberships in particular managing user memberships in particular groups, and gives administrative privilege for groups, and gives administrative privilege for specific user on specific groupspecific user on specific group

group administrators can assign other users to group administrators can assign other users to specific group and also can define other group specific group and also can define other group administratorsadministrators

all administrators of specific group have equal all administrators of specific group have equal rightsrights

User management (2)User management (2)

provides creating new users and groupsprovides creating new users and groups

updating existing accountsupdating existing accounts

setting and unsetting system setting and unsetting system administrator’s administrator’s

privilege for specific userprivilege for specific user

defining user membership in groupsdefining user membership in groups

Content converterContent converter

is connection between front end and back is connection between front end and back officeoffice

defines mapping that convert module defines mapping that convert module structure to menu tree according defined structure to menu tree according defined limitationslimitations

allows that user from internet can view allows that user from internet can view only content that is located in modules only content that is located in modules with selected flag “public”with selected flag “public”

users with defined user account can view users with defined user account can view content according their user profilescontent according their user profiles

Classes of usersClasses of users

ExternalExternal guestsguests registered usersregistered users

InternalInternal system administratorssystem administrators group administratorsgroup administrators group membersgroup members othersothers

Front endFront end

content presentation servicescontent presentation services

navigationnavigation

searchsearch

ConclusionConclusion One of the biggest challenges that One of the biggest challenges that

institutions of higher education have been institutions of higher education have been faced with is the one of their Web sitefaced with is the one of their Web site

This problem is further complicated This problem is further complicated because there are increased expectationsbecause there are increased expectations from future or current students and faculty from future or current students and faculty staff,staff, about what the web site should about what the web site should provide. provide.

Using an CMS can help to reduce costs, Using an CMS can help to reduce costs, and improve efficiency of Web site and improve efficiency of Web site maintenance. maintenance.

In this paper, some of the main benefits In this paper, some of the main benefits from using a Web CMS are presented. from using a Web CMS are presented.