Education
Our Expertise
Denali Data Systems helps educational providers remain competitive without taxing already-tapped internal resources, offering responsive applications and solutions to meet ever-changing needs and evolving institutional requirements. We work with leading educational establishments to upgrade and replace:- Learning management systems
- Educational software
- Instructor portal systems
- Mobile & virtual learning platforms
- Student course registration systems
- Continuing education management software
Working with you on your most critical business challenges
Discovery — Design — Development — Dedicated Support
Denali works as an extension of your team, designing and developing safe and secure application solutions to meet your business needs in a collaborative, communicative environment. Our team of development experts and systems analysts partners with your team at every stage of the process to ensure your project meets your expectations.
Discover how you can upgrade your systems within budget, on your timeline and terms, and without straining internal resources.
Case Study
Overview
The Continuing Studies Program at Stanford University uses a custom-developed client/server 4D database application that communicates to their website using secure web service calls. This prevents exposure of the client/server system while providing fast access to the data for the website. Denali built the original website in 2008, and redesigned the site with a custom CMS framework in 2014. We used HTML5, CSS3, PHP, SQL, and jQuery to create a fully responsive system to support the increase in mobile users.
The site has both student and instructor portals, supporting the two primary user groups with the services they need. Students can add/drop classes, view course history transcripts, and submit survey results. Instructors are able to download course rosters, publish homework assignments and grades, among other activities. The site also integrates with Canvas and other University systems.
Challenge
Stanford’s biggest challenge was security – managing courses, instructors, students, events, and registrations ins a safe environment. In addition to security, speed is an additional requirement: the site needs to process thousands of registrations in the first few hours of a registration launch day.
Solution
Denali developed a secure, custom application that was easy for the staff to use in managing needed data via a 4D Client connection to the server. This information is securely retrieved via the website using Web Services. Denali employed a 4D Server v14 as the database engine for course data, powered the website CMS by SQLite and PHP to better handle images and page content, navigation, and site information. Web services provide course, student, and instructor data to the website dynamically. Denali also partnered with the creative team at 1185 Design and AG Design Group to craft a look and feel appropriate to the university.
Results
A fully dynamic solution in which the staff can update the website and manage all important data securely and easily. 4D continues to provide a reliable, secure product line for their custom application needs.
