A dynamic system to manage changes in course material

Purpose: Despite the popularity of existing course management systems, they do not consider the management of course material changes, particularly courses that require more than one instructor. The main purpose of this study is to instantly communicate course material changes to all instructors teaching the same course and to communicate approved changes to students registered on the course. Design/methodology/approach: The fundamental hypothesis tested was whether the developed system effectively communicates changes in a timely manner. The level of students' acceptance to this new system was also tested. A dynamic course material change-management system was developed using visual basic programming language and an Access database. The system was applied to a hypothetical case study and to a currently running undergraduate civil engineering course. Findings: Results indicated that changes made to a course material were instantly communicated to all instructors teaching the same course. It also indicated that approved changes were instantly communicated to affected students. As a result, students were satisfied with the instant notifications they receive whenever a change takes place. Research limitations/implications: The proposed system does not include a methodology for online tests, course grades, and course assessment. The system needs to be integrated with these important features. Developments pertaining to integrating the system with these features will be considered for future investigation. Originality/value: The novel aspect of the developed system is the effective management of challenges made to course material and communicating these changes to instructors and students in a timely manner. The system can benefit any institution at different educational levels.