AdminTrack

Introduction

AdminTrack is an application for administering education, effortlessly. My partner, Priscah Reginah Shikanda and I, developed this app in a span of one month. Both the Team Members took on the roles of Full-Stack Developers for the project, by collectively handling both backend and frontend development tasks. This decision was made out of necessity to ensure that all aspects of the project are covered, including both backend and frontend development. While frontend development is not our primary expertise, we collaborated and learnt as we progressed through the project. This approach allowed for a balanced workload distribution and ensured that the project moved forward even in the absence of a dedicated frontend developer. It also provided an opportunity for skill development and learning during the project.

Target Audience

AdminTrack is a school management system for administrators that aims to tackle the intricate challenges faced by educational institutions in efficiently managing their administrative operations. These challenges include:

• Data Management: Traditional methods of managing students, teachers, employees, books, and attendance records are often manual, error-prone, and time-consuming. AdminTrack seeks to automate these processes to reduce administrative burden and minimize data entry errors.
• Data Security and Compliance: With the increasing importance of data security and privacy regulations, educational institutions face challenges in safeguarding sensitive student and staff information. AdminTrack prioritizes data security and compliance, ensuring that personal data is stored securely and in accordance with relevant regulations.
• Efficient Administrative Workflow: Administrative staff often deal with a myriad of tasks, from enrollment and scheduling to grade management and reporting. AdminTrack aims to optimize administrative workflows, allowing staff to focus on more strategic aspects of their roles.

Motivation behind AdminTrack development

Oddly enough, I did not care about administration and school management system. We were given a week to brainstorm which application to develop as a portfolio project. While brainstorming on different ideas, my partner suggested that education institutions face data management, data security and compliance, and efficient administrative workflow challenges. Considering that I’m a graduate from one of the Kenyan universities, I understood the challenges of manually managing records. So, I agreed with the idea of developing a school management system for admins, where administrators can easily view, add, update, and delete students, teachers, employees, books, and attendance records.

Technologies used while developing AdminTrack

Architecture

Technologies

For backend development, python was used as a primary language in collaboration with Django and Django REST frameworks. The decision to use Django and Django REST Frameworks was made due to the project's scope, which require a comprehensive framework to handle various features like user authentication, database management, and RESTful API development efficiently. Django's built-in components and the availability of Django REST Framework made it a suitable choice for a school management system.

For frontend development, we used JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and bootstrap framework. The languages helped in frontend interactivity, dynamic web features, structuring web pages, and styling the user interface. Bootstrap was chosen primarily due to its widespread usage, extensive documentation, and a vast community of developers. These factors made it easier to find resources, templates, and plugins that speed up the development process. Additionally, both team members are primarily backend heavy with limited frontend experience. Hence, Bootstrap's well-defined components helped to streamline frontend development tasks.

Overview of completed features

• User Management and Authentication: AdminTrack implement a robust user management system that allows administrators to create, view, update, and delete user accounts for teachers, staff, and employees. To achieve this, my partner and I used Django’s built-in authentication system to handle login, logout, and password reset functionalities.
• Dashboard and Analytics: AdminTrack provides administrators with a comprehensive overview of key metrics and analytics related to the students, teachers, and employees. The admin can measure this using their attendance rates and enrollment statistics.

Technical Challenge

During the development of the AdminTrack, a significant technical challenge emerged when implementing the real-time synchronization of data across multiple modules. The objective was to ensure that updates made in one module, such as user management, reflected instantly in related modules like information management. Achieving this synchronization was crucial for maintaining data consistency and providing administrators with an accurate and up-to-date view of the school's information. To address this challenge, we adopted a robust messaging and event-driven architecture. We implemented Django signals and message queues to facilitate asynchronous communication between different components of the system. This allowed changes in one module to trigger events that propagated updates to relevant sections without causing delays or disruptions in the user interface. By employing this approach, we successfully overcame the synchronization challenge. The real-time update mechanism ensured that administrators could seamlessly navigate through different modules of the school management system, confident in the accuracy and timeliness of the displayed information. This solution not only enhanced the user experience but also laid a foundation for scalability and future expansions of the system.

What I learned while developing AdminTrack

• Technical Take-Aways: Developing the school management system using Django and Bootstrap provided valuable technical insights. Django enabled leveraging Django's MVC architecture and ORM simplified database interactions, enhancing code organization and maintainability. Alternatively, bootstrap's responsive design components facilitated a consistent and visually appealing user interface across devices. Integrating real-time features with Django signals and message queues improved data synchronization and user experience.
• What I Might Do Differently: Reflecting on the project, I would emphasize on User Feedback Loops. Recognizing the significance of user feedback loops in the development process would have been crucial for delivering a product that truly meets user needs. In future projects, I will prioritize a regular user feedback sessions throughout development to ensure a more iterative and user-centric approach. This iterative feedback loop will allow for adjustments based on real-world user experiences, resulting in a product that not only aligns with user expectations but can also adapt to evolving requirements more effectively.
• What I Learned About Myself as an Engineer: This project underscored my ability to adapt and learn rapidly, especially when faced with unfamiliar technologies or challenges. It highlighted the importance of effective communication in a development team and reinforced my appreciation for a systematic approach to problem-solving. Managing the project from conception to completion also showcased my organizational and leadership skills.
• How This Project Informs My Engineering Path in the Future: The AdminTrack project significantly influenced my engineering path. It ignited an interest in educational technology and systems that optimize administrative processes. Moving forward, I aim to delve deeper into full-stack development, exploring technologies like Docker for containerization and continuous integration for streamlined deployment processes. This project affirmed my passion for creating impactful solutions that contribute positively to educational environments.
• Confirm or Questioned Beliefs: This project confirmed the belief in the power of well-established frameworks like Django and Bootstrap for efficient and rapid development. It also reinforced the importance of choosing the right tools for the job, as these technologies seamlessly aligned with the project requirements. However, it challenged the notion that a feature-rich text editor is always the best choice, as utilizing integrated development environments (IDEs) with strong Django support proved more efficient during this project.

Conclusion

I am a versatile and adaptable engineer with a passion for creating impactful solutions. My experience in developing a school management system using Django and Bootstrap has honed my skills in leveraging advanced features, emphasizing automated testing for code reliability, and prioritizing user feedback loops. This project has not only reinforced my technical proficiency, but also highlighted my commitment to continuous improvement and user-centric development. As I navigate my engineering path, I am driven by a desire to explore cutting-edge technologies, enhance scalability, and contribute to solutions that positively impact diverse domains.

GitHub link to the project

Project’s Landing Page link

LinkedIn link