"How to Build an Online Learning Platform in PHP and MySQL: A Step-by-Step Guide"

Rashmi Mishra
personRashmi Mishra
December 23, 2024
0

 



Online Learning Platform in PHP and MySQL 

Project Title:

Online Learning Platform

Objective:

The goal of this project is to develop a web-based platform that facilitates seamless learning and teaching by providing tools to manage courses, assignments, quizzes, and student progress. The platform caters to three main types of users: Admins, Instructors, and Students, each with specific roles and permissions.

This project combines robust backend development using PHP and MySQL with an intuitive frontend interface enhanced by Bootstrap for responsive design.

This project aims to deliver a comprehensive Online Learning Platform that simplifies and enhances the teaching and learning experience. By leveraging PHP and MySQL, it provides a scalable and efficient solution to educational needs while maintaining user-friendly and responsive designs.

Features and Functionality of the Online Learning Platform

1. User Management

  • Authentication and Authorization:
    • Secure login and registration with password encryption.
    • Role-based access control for Admins, Instructors, and Students.
  • Profile Management:
    • Users can update their profiles with personal details, including name, email, and password.

2. Admin Features

  • User Management:
    • Add, edit, and delete instructor and student accounts.
    • Assign roles to users during registration or update roles.
  • Course Management:
    • Create, update, and delete courses.
    • Assign instructors to specific courses.
  • Reporting and Analytics:
    • View platform-wide statistics, such as the number of courses, enrolled students, and instructor performance.
    • Generate progress reports for students and courses.
  • Notification Management:
    • Send platform-wide announcements or notifications to instructors and students.

3. Instructor Features

  • Course Creation and Management:
    • Create and manage courses with detailed descriptions, syllabus, and media files.
    • Upload materials such as PDFs, videos, or presentations.
  • Assignment and Quiz Management:
    • Create, update, and delete assignments and quizzes.
    • Set deadlines and provide instructions for each task.
  • Student Progress Monitoring:
    • View and track the performance of enrolled students.
    • Grade assignments and provide feedback.
  • Communication:
    • Post announcements or messages for enrolled students.
    • Respond to student queries through a messaging feature.

4. Student Features

  • Course Enrollment:
    • Browse and enroll in available courses.
    • View course details, syllabus, and announcements.
  • Assignment Submission:
    • Download and review assignment instructions.
    • Upload completed assignments before deadlines.
  • Quiz Participation:
    • Take quizzes associated with courses.
    • View immediate results (if auto-graded) or wait for instructor feedback.
  • Progress Tracking:
    • View personal progress in enrolled courses.
    • Access grades and instructor feedback for assignments and quizzes.
  • Communication:
    • Ask questions or seek clarifications through messaging features.

5. Course Management

  • Dynamic Course Catalog:
    • Centralized listing of all courses with search and filter options.
  • Content Organization:
    • Courses can include multiple modules, each with associated resources, assignments, and quizzes.
  • Enrollment Tracking:
    • Track which students are enrolled in which courses.
  • Course Feedback:
    • Allow students to provide feedback or ratings for courses.

6. Assignments and Quizzes

  • Instructor Functionality:
    • Add detailed instructions for assignments.
    • Create quizzes with various question types (e.g., multiple choice, true/false, short answer).
  • Student Functionality:
    • View pending assignments and quizzes in the dashboard.
    • Upload assignment files directly through the portal.
    • Participate in quizzes and view results.
  • Grading and Feedback:
    • Auto-grade quizzes with pre-set answers.
    • Allow instructors to manually review and grade assignments or quizzes.

7. Dashboards

  • Admin Dashboard:
    • Overview of platform activity (e.g., total users, active courses, ongoing assignments).
    • Shortcut actions for managing users, courses, and notifications.
  • Instructor Dashboard:
    • List of courses managed by the instructor.
    • Notifications for upcoming deadlines or student submissions.
    • Overview of student progress and performance.
  • Student Dashboard:
    • Personalized course list and progress tracker.
    • Notifications for pending assignments and quizzes.
    • Quick access to grades and feedback.

8. Notifications and Alerts

  • System Notifications:
    • Automatic reminders for assignment deadlines, quiz schedules, and course updates.
  • Manual Notifications:
    • Admins and instructors can send custom notifications to targeted users.
  • Real-Time Alerts:
    • Notify users of new announcements or messages via email or in-app alerts.

9. Progress and Reporting

  • Progress Tracking for Students:
    • View completed, pending, and overdue tasks.
    • Access performance metrics like grades and feedback history.
  • Reporting for Admins and Instructors:
    • Generate course-wise or user-specific reports.
    • Visualize data through charts or tables for better insights.
  • Export Options:
    • Export reports to PDF or Excel for record-keeping.

10. File Management

  • Upload and download resources, assignments, and materials.
  • Ensure secure file storage and retrieval for all roles.

11. Communication Tools

  • Messaging System:
    • Instructors and students can communicate directly through the platform.
  • Announcements:
    • Admins and instructors can broadcast important updates or messages.

12. Responsive Design

  • Mobile-Friendly:
    • Fully responsive layout designed using Bootstrap to ensure compatibility across devices.
  • User-Friendly Interface:
    • Clean navigation tailored for each user role.

13. Security

  • Data Protection:
    • Secure database connections using prepared statements in PHP to prevent SQL injection.
  • Password Hashing:
    • Store user passwords securely using hashing algorithms like bcrypt.
  • Role-Based Permissions:
    • Prevent unauthorized access to restricted features.

14. Scalability and Customization

  • Modular architecture allows easy addition of new features or roles.
  • Support for multiple instructors per course and unlimited student enrollments.

Modules in the project

1. User Management Module

  • Handles user authentication (login, registration, password management).
  • Implements role-based access control for Admins, Instructors, and Students.
  • Manages user profiles (view, edit, and update personal details).

2. Admin Module

  • Features:
    • Dashboard for an overview of platform activities.
    • Management of users (add, edit, delete instructors and students).
    • Manage and assign instructors to courses.
    • Generate and export reports.
  • Acts as the control center for the entire platform.

3. Course Management Module

  • Features:
    • Create, edit, and delete courses.
    • Organize course content into modules (e.g., chapters, lessons, or topics).
    • Upload course resources like videos, PDFs, and presentations.
    • Assign instructors to courses.
  • Instructors:
    • Manage course-specific materials, assignments, and quizzes.

4. Assignment Management Module

  • Features:
    • Create, manage, and delete assignments for courses.
    • Set deadlines and provide instructions for assignments.
    • Allow students to upload submissions.
    • Enable instructors to grade submissions and provide feedback.
  • Student Interface:
    • View assignments and submit files.

5. Quiz Management Module

  • Features:
    • Create quizzes with multiple question types (e.g., multiple choice, true/false, and short answer).
    • Set quiz rules, such as time limits or passing criteria.
  • Auto-Grading:
    • Automatically grade quizzes where applicable.
  • Student Interface:
    • View upcoming quizzes, participate, and review results.

6. Student Progress Tracking Module

  • Features:
    • Track student progress in enrolled courses.
    • Monitor completed assignments, quizzes, and feedback.
    • Generate detailed progress reports.
  • Instructor Interface:
    • View student performance metrics.
    • Generate course-wide or individual student reports.

7. Notifications and Alerts Module

  • Features:
    • Manage platform-wide notifications and alerts.
    • Send reminders for assignments, quizzes, or announcements.
    • Provide real-time alerts via email or in-app notifications.

8. Communication Module

  • Features:
    • Messaging system for direct communication between instructors and students.
    • Announcement system for course updates or important notifications.
  • Enables seamless interaction and query resolution.

9. Dashboard Module

  • Features:
    • Custom dashboards for Admins, Instructors, and Students.
    • Summarized views of relevant information for each role:
      • Admin: Platform stats and management shortcuts.
      • Instructor: Course lists, pending grading, and student queries.
      • Student: Enrolled courses, pending tasks, and progress.

10. Reporting and Analytics Module

  • Features:
    • Generate detailed reports for courses, instructors, and students.
    • Visualize platform data through charts or tables.
    • Export reports for offline use (e.g., PDF, Excel).

11. File Management Module

  • Features:
    • Upload and manage course resources (videos, PDFs, etc.).
    • Store student submissions securely.
    • Provide download access to resources and materials.

12. Authentication and Security Module

  • Features:
    • Manage user sessions securely.
    • Implement password hashing for secure storage.
    • Enforce role-based access control to restrict unauthorized access.

13. Responsive Design Module

  • Features:
    • Ensure the application is mobile-friendly.
    • Use Bootstrap for a responsive layout that adapts to different screen sizes.

14. Search and Filtering Module

  • Features:
    • Enable users to search for courses by keywords.
    • Filter courses based on criteria such as category, instructor, or level.

15. Feedback and Rating Module

  • Features:
    • Allow students to provide feedback on courses and instructors.
    • Collect ratings to improve course quality.

16. Payment Integration Module (Optional, Advanced)

  • Features:
    • Enable payment functionality for paid courses.
    • Integrate payment gateways (e.g., PayPal, Stripe).

Technologies Used in the Online Learning Platform

The Online Learning Platform is built using a combination of backend, frontend, database, and supportive technologies. 

1. Backend Technologies

  • PHP:
    • Core language for server-side scripting and handling business logic.
    • Frameworks (Optional for scalability and better structure):
      • Laravel: For MVC architecture, routing, and advanced features.
  • MySQL:
    • Relational database management system for storing and managing data such as users, courses, assignments, and progress.
  • XAMPP or WAMP:
    • Local development environment for testing PHP and MySQL functionality.

2. Frontend Technologies

  • HTML5:
    • Structure and content of web pages.
  • CSS3:
    • Styling and layout of the platform for a visually appealing design.
  • JavaScript:
    • Adding interactivity to the platform, such as form validation and dynamic content loading.
  • Bootstrap:
    • Responsive design framework for ensuring compatibility across devices.
  • AJAX:
    • Asynchronous requests for dynamic updates without refreshing the page.

3. Database

  • MySQL:
    • Primary database for storing structured data:
      • User details (admins, instructors, students).
      • Course information and materials.
      • Assignments, quizzes, and grades.
      • Progress tracking and reports.

4. Version Control

  • Git:
    • Version control for managing code changes.
  • GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket:
    • Remote repositories for team collaboration and code management.

5. Tools for Development

  • Code Editor/IDE:
    • Popular choices:
      • Visual Studio Code: Lightweight and feature-rich for PHP, JavaScript, and HTML.
      • PHPStorm: Advanced IDE for PHP development.
  • Browser Developer Tools:
    • Debugging and testing frontend elements across different browsers.
  • Postman:
    • API testing tool for ensuring smooth interaction between frontend and backend.

6. Security

  • HTTPS:
    • For secure communication between the server and clients.
  • Prepared Statements in PHP:
    • Prevents SQL injection by securely handling database queries.
  • bcrypt:
    • Hashing library for secure password storage.

7. Optional Advanced Technologies

  • Frameworks:
    • Laravel or CodeIgniter: For better structure and scalability.
  • JavaScript Libraries:
    • jQuery: Simplifies DOM manipulation and AJAX calls.
  • Charts.js or Google Charts:
    • For visualizing data in reports and dashboards.
  • Payment Gateways:
    • Stripe or PayPal: For integrating payment systems (if implementing paid courses).
  • Cloud Storage:
    • Amazon S3 or Google Drive API: For storing large files like videos and presentations.

8. Deployment

  • Web Server:
    • Apache or Nginx: For hosting the PHP application.
  • Hosting Platform:
    • Shared hosting (e.g., Bluehost, HostGator) or cloud hosting (e.g., AWS, DigitalOcean).
  • Domain and SSL:
    • For deploying the application with a secure URL.

9. Testing

  • PHPUnit:
    • For writing and running unit tests for backend logic.
  • Selenium:
    • For automated testing of the frontend interface.

Summary of Key Technologies

Category

Technologies

Backend

PHP, Laravel (optional), XAMPP/WAMP

Database

MySQL

Frontend

HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Bootstrap, AJAX

Version Control

Git, GitHub/GitLab

Development

Visual Studio Code, PHPStorm, Postman

Security

HTTPS, Prepared Statements, bcrypt

Optional

Stripe, PayPal, Amazon S3, Charts.js

Deployment

Apache/Nginx, AWS, DigitalOcean, SSL

Testing

PHPUnit, Selenium

Entity-Relationship (ER) Diagram 

Entities and Attributes

1. Users

  • id (Primary Key)
  • name
  • email
  • password
  • role (Admin, Instructor, Student)
  • created_at
  • updated_at

2. Courses

  • id (Primary Key)
  • title
  • description
  • instructor_id (Foreign Key from Users)
  • created_at
  • updated_at

3. Modules

  • id (Primary Key)
  • course_id (Foreign Key from Courses)
  • title
  • content (text or file)
  • created_at
  • updated_at

4. Assignments

  • id (Primary Key)
  • course_id (Foreign Key from Courses)
  • title
  • description
  • deadline
  • created_at
  • updated_at

5. Quizzes

  • id (Primary Key)
  • course_id (Foreign Key from Courses)
  • title
  • description
  • created_at
  • updated_at

6. Questions

  • id (Primary Key)
  • quiz_id (Foreign Key from Quizzes)
  • question_text
  • question_type (e.g., MCQ, True/False)
  • options (if applicable, as JSON)
  • correct_answer
  • created_at
  • updated_at

7. Submissions

  • id (Primary Key)
  • assignment_id (Foreign Key from Assignments)
  • student_id (Foreign Key from Users)
  • submission_file
  • submitted_at
  • grade (nullable)
  • feedback (nullable)

8. Enrollments

  • id (Primary Key)
  • course_id (Foreign Key from Courses)
  • student_id (Foreign Key from Users)
  • enrolled_at

Relationships

1.   Users and Courses:

o    A user (instructor) can create multiple courses (1-to-Many).

o    A course is managed by one instructor (Many-to-1).

2.   Courses and Modules:

o    A course can have multiple modules (1-to-Many).

o    A module belongs to one course (Many-to-1).

3.   Courses and Assignments:

o    A course can have multiple assignments (1-to-Many).

o    An assignment belongs to one course (Many-to-1).

4.   Courses and Quizzes:

o    A course can have multiple quizzes (1-to-Many).

o    A quiz belongs to one course (Many-to-1).

5.   Quizzes and Questions:

o    A quiz can have multiple questions (1-to-Many).

o    A question belongs to one quiz (Many-to-1).

6.   Assignments and Submissions:

o    An assignment can have multiple submissions (1-to-Many).

o    A submission belongs to one assignment (Many-to-1).

7.   Users and Submissions:

o    A student can submit multiple assignments (1-to-Many).

o    A submission is submitted by one student (Many-to-1).

8.   Users and Enrollments:

o    A student can enroll in multiple courses (Many-to-Many via Enrollments).

o    A course can have multiple students enrolled (Many-to-Many via Enrollments).

ER Diagram

While  the ER diagram cannot draw directly , you can follow these steps to create it in a tool like Lucidchart, Draw.io, or MySQL Workbench:

1.   Place Entities:

o    Add the above entities (Users, Courses, Modules, Assignments, Quizzes, Questions, Submissions, Enrollments) as rectangles.

2.   Add Attributes:

o    Inside each entity, include the attributes listed above.

3.   Define Relationships:

o    Use lines to connect entities with appropriate relationship symbols:

§  1-to-Many: A single entity connects to multiple instances of another.

§  Many-to-Many: Requires a linking table like Enrollments.



DFD for this project

A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) illustrates the flow of data within a system, detailing how data is processed, stored, and transferred between different entities and processes.

Below is a step-by-step breakdown for creating the DFD for the Online Learning Platform:

DFD Level 0 (Context Diagram)

The context diagram provides an overview of the entire system. It contains:

  • External Entities:
    • Admin
    • Instructor
    • Student
  • System:
    • Online Learning Platform
  • Data Flows:
    • Admin manages users, courses, and quizzes.
    • Instructor manages courses, modules, assignments, and quizzes.
    • Students interact with courses, submit assignments, take quizzes, and view progress.

DFD Level 1 (Detailed System Breakdown)

Processes:

1.   User Management (Admin):

o    Admin adds, updates, or deletes users.

o    System authenticates and authorizes users.

2.   Course Management (Admin & Instructor):

o    Admin creates course categories.

o    Instructor adds course details, modules, and materials.

3.   Content Management (Instructor):

o    Instructor uploads modules, assignments, and quizzes.

4.   Student Enrollment:

o    Students enroll in courses.

o    System validates course availability.

5.   Assignment Submission:

o    Students submit assignments.

o    System stores submissions and tracks deadlines.

6.   Quiz Management:

o    Instructors create quizzes.

o    Students take quizzes.

o    System evaluates and stores quiz results.

7.   Progress Tracking:

o    System generates progress reports for students and instructors.

Data Stores:

  • User Database: Stores user credentials, roles, and details.
  • Course Database: Stores course information.
  • Assignment Database: Stores assignment details and submissions.
  • Quiz Database: Stores quizzes, questions, and results.
  • Enrollment Database: Tracks student enrollments.
  • Progress Database: Stores student progress and performance data.

DFD Level 2 (Process-Specific Flows)

Example: Assignment Submission

1.   Input:

o    Student uploads an assignment.

2.   Processes:

o    Validate file format and deadline.

o    Save the submission in the database.

o    Notify the instructor of new submissions.

3.   Output:

o    Store submission details in the Assignment Database.

Diagram 

1.   DFD Level 0 (Context Diagram)


2. DFD Level 1 (Detailed Breakdown):


Database  Table

Database tables for the Online Learning Platform project. These tables are designed to manage courses, users, assignments, quizzes, enrollments, and student progress.

1. Users Table

This table stores the details of users, including students, instructors, and admins.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

name

VARCHAR(255)

Name of the user

email

VARCHAR(255)

Email address (unique)

password

VARCHAR(255)

Password (hashed)

role

ENUM

Role of the user (e.g., student, instructor, admin)

created_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the user was created

updated_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the user details were last updated

2. Courses Table

This table stores the information about the courses offered.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

title

VARCHAR(255)

Course title

description

TEXT

Brief description of the course

instructor_id

INT

Foreign Key to users table (references id of instructor)

created_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the course was created

updated_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the course details were last updated

3. Modules Table

This table stores information about the modules in each course.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

course_id

INT

Foreign Key to courses table (references id of course)

title

VARCHAR(255)

Title of the module

content

TEXT

Module content (could be text, video, or links)

created_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the module was created

updated_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the module was last updated

4. Assignments Table

This table stores information about assignments given in each course.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

course_id

INT

Foreign Key to courses table (references id of course)

title

VARCHAR(255)

Assignment title

description

TEXT

Description of the assignment

deadline

DATETIME

Deadline for assignment submission

created_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the assignment was created

updated_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the assignment details were last updated

5. Quizzes Table

This table stores information about quizzes for each course.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

course_id

INT

Foreign Key to courses table (references id of course)

title

VARCHAR(255)

Quiz title

description

TEXT

Description of the quiz

created_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the quiz was created

updated_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the quiz details were last updated

6. Questions Table

This table stores the questions for quizzes.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

quiz_id

INT

Foreign Key to quizzes table (references id of quiz)

question_text

TEXT

The question text

question_type

ENUM

Type of the question (e.g., multiple choice, true/false)

options

TEXT

Options for multiple choice questions (JSON format)

correct_answer

VARCHAR(255)

Correct answer for the question

created_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the question was created

updated_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the question details were last updated

7. Submissions Table

This table stores student submissions for assignments.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

assignment_id

INT

Foreign Key to assignments table (references id of assignment)

student_id

INT

Foreign Key to users table (references id of student)

submission_file

VARCHAR(255)

File path or name of the submitted file

submitted_at

DATETIME

Timestamp when the assignment was submitted

grade

VARCHAR(10)

Grade awarded for the assignment

feedback

TEXT

Feedback given to the student

8. Enrollments Table

This table stores the relationship between students and the courses they are enrolled in.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

course_id

INT

Foreign Key to courses table (references id of course)

student_id

INT

Foreign Key to users table (references id of student)

enrolled_at

DATETIME

Timestamp when the student enrolled in the course

9. Progress Table

This table stores the progress of students in courses, tracking completed modules, assignments, and quizzes.

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

student_id

INT

Foreign Key to users table (references id of student)

course_id

INT

Foreign Key to courses table (references id of course)

completed_modules

TEXT

JSON list of completed module IDs

completed_assignments

TEXT

JSON list of completed assignment IDs

completed_quizzes

TEXT

JSON list of completed quiz IDs

created_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the progress record was created

updated_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the progress record was last updated

10. Notifications Table

This table stores notifications for users (students, instructors, admins).

Column Name

Data Type

Description

id

INT

Primary Key, Auto Increment

user_id

INT

Foreign Key to users table (references id of user)

message

TEXT

Notification message

status

ENUM

Status of the notification (unread, read)

created_at

TIMESTAMP

Timestamp when the notification was created

Summary of Relationships:

  • Users can be students, instructors, or admins.
  • Courses are created by instructors and can have multiple modules, assignments, and quizzes.
  • Assignments can have multiple submissions by students.
  • Quizzes can have multiple questions that students answer.
  • Students enroll in courses and progress is tracked in the Progress table.
  • Notifications can be sent to users for updates.

SQL queries to create all the database tables for the Online Learning Platform project.

1. Users Table

CREATE TABLE users (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,

    email VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL UNIQUE,

    password VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,

    role ENUM('student', 'instructor', 'admin') NOT NULL,

    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP

);

2. Courses Table


CREATE TABLE courses (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,

    description TEXT,

    instructor_id INT NOT NULL,

    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    FOREIGN KEY (instructor_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

3. Modules Table

CREATE TABLE modules (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    course_id INT NOT NULL,

    title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,

    content TEXT,

    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    FOREIGN KEY (course_id) REFERENCES courses(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

4. Assignments Table

CREATE TABLE assignments (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    course_id INT NOT NULL,

    title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,

    description TEXT,

    deadline DATETIME NOT NULL,

    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    FOREIGN KEY (course_id) REFERENCES courses(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

5. Quizzes Table

CREATE TABLE quizzes (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    course_id INT NOT NULL,

    title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,

    description TEXT,

    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    FOREIGN KEY (course_id) REFERENCES courses(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

6. Questions Table

CREATE TABLE questions (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    quiz_id INT NOT NULL,

    question_text TEXT NOT NULL,

    question_type ENUM('multiple choice', 'true/false', 'short answer') NOT NULL,

    options TEXT,  -- JSON format for options if the question is multiple choice

    correct_answer VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,

    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    FOREIGN KEY (quiz_id) REFERENCES quizzes(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

7. Submissions Table

CREATE TABLE submissions (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    assignment_id INT NOT NULL,

    student_id INT NOT NULL,

    submission_file VARCHAR(255),

    submitted_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    grade VARCHAR(10),

    feedback TEXT,

    FOREIGN KEY (assignment_id) REFERENCES assignments(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,

    FOREIGN KEY (student_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

8. Enrollments Table

CREATE TABLE enrollments (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    course_id INT NOT NULL,

    student_id INT NOT NULL,

    enrolled_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    FOREIGN KEY (course_id) REFERENCES courses(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,

    FOREIGN KEY (student_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

9. Progress Table

CREATE TABLE progress (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    student_id INT NOT NULL,

    course_id INT NOT NULL,

    completed_modules TEXT,  -- JSON format of completed module IDs

    completed_assignments TEXT,  -- JSON format of completed assignment IDs

    completed_quizzes TEXT,  -- JSON format of completed quiz IDs

    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    FOREIGN KEY (student_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,

    FOREIGN KEY (course_id) REFERENCES courses(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

10. Notifications Table

CREATE TABLE notifications (

    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

    user_id INT NOT NULL,

    message TEXT NOT NULL,

    status ENUM('unread', 'read') DEFAULT 'unread',

    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,

    FOREIGN KEY (user_id) REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE CASCADE

);

Summary of Relationships:

  • Users Table: Stores information about all users (students, instructors, admins).
  • Courses Table: Stores course details; linked to the Users table for the instructor.
  • Modules Table: Stores the modules for each course.
  • Assignments Table: Stores assignments related to each course.
  • Quizzes Table: Stores quizzes related to each course.
  • Questions Table: Stores the questions related to each quiz.
  • Submissions Table: Stores student assignment submissions.
  • Enrollments Table: Tracks student enrollments in courses.
  • Progress Table: Stores the progress of students in courses.
  • Notifications Table: Stores notifications for users.

Project Structure:

/online-learning-platform

│

├── /assets                     # Static files like images, CSS, and JS

│   ├── /css                    # CSS files

│   ├── /img                    # Image files

│   ├── /js                     # JavaScript files

│   └── /fonts                  # Font files

│

├── /config                     # Configuration files

│   └── config.php              # Database connection configuration and other global settings

│

├── /controllers                # PHP classes to handle requests

│   ├── CourseController.php    # Handles course-related functionality

│   ├── AssignmentController.php # Handles assignment-related functionality

│   ├── QuizController.php      # Handles quiz-related functionality

│   ├── UserController.php      # Handles user-related functionality (signup, login, profile)

│   └── AdminController.php     # Handles admin-specific functionality

│

├── /core                       # Core functionality of the platform

│   ├── Database.php            # Database connection and query handling

│   └── Auth.php                # Authentication and session handling

│

├── /models                     # PHP classes representing database tables (models)

│   ├── Course.php              # Represents the Course table

│   ├── Module.php              # Represents the Module table

│   ├── Assignment.php          # Represents the Assignment table

│   ├── Quiz.php                # Represents the Quiz table

│   ├── Question.php            # Represents the Question table

│   ├── Submission.php          # Represents the Submission table

│   ├── Enrollment.php          # Represents the Enrollment table

│   ├── Progress.php            # Represents the Progress table

│   ├── Notification.php        # Represents the Notification table

│   └── User.php                # Represents the User table

│

├── /views                      # HTML and PHP files for the frontend (views)

│   ├── /admin                  # Admin dashboard views

│   │   ├── dashboard.php       # Admin dashboard page

│   │   ├── manage_courses.php  # Admin course management page

│   │   ├── manage_users.php    # Admin user management page

│   │   └── settings.php        # Admin settings page

│   │

│   ├── /student                # Student dashboard views

│   │   ├── dashboard.php       # Student dashboard page

│   │   ├── course_details.php  # Student course detail page

│   │   ├── assignments.php     # Student assignments page

│   │   ├── quizzes.php         # Student quizzes page

│   │   └── progress.php        # Student progress page

│   │

│   ├── /instructor             # Instructor dashboard views

│   │   ├── dashboard.php       # Instructor dashboard page

│   │   ├── manage_modules.php  # Instructor module management page

│   │   ├── manage_assignments.php # Instructor assignment management page

│   │   └── manage_quizzes.php  # Instructor quiz management page

│   │

│   ├── login.php               # Login page (shared for all users)

│   ├── signup.php              # Signup page

│   └── 404.php                 # Error page (404)

│

├── /includes                   # Reusable components and templates

│   ├── header.php              # Header file (includes navbar, common assets)

│   ├── footer.php              # Footer file (common footer elements)

│   ├── sidebar.php             # Sidebar for admin and user panels

│   └── message.php             # Message notification system (display alerts)

│

├── /uploads                    # Directory for file uploads (assignments, course materials)

│   ├── assignments             # Directory for uploaded assignment files

│   ├── course_materials        # Directory for course content files (PDFs, docs, etc.)

│   └── profile_pictures        # Directory for user profile pictures

│

├── /routes                      # Routing files (handling user requests)

│   ├── web.php                 # Routes for various functionalities (courses, assignments, etc.)

│

├── /tests                       # Unit tests for various modules

│   └── UserTest.php             # Tests for user registration, login, etc.

│

├── index.php                    # Main entry point of the project

├── .htaccess                    # Apache configuration file for URL rewriting

└── README.md                    # Project documentation

Description of Directories and Files:

1. /assets:

  • /css: Contains all the CSS files for styling the platform.
  • /img: Stores images used throughout the platform.
  • /js: Contains JavaScript files for front-end interactivity.
  • /fonts: Stores font files used in the platform.

2. /config:

  • config.php: Contains database connection settings and other global configuration variables.

3. /controllers:

  • Each file here corresponds to a module in the platform (e.g., UserController, CourseController, AssignmentController, etc.).
  • These controllers handle user input, interact with the models, and return appropriate views.

4. /core:

  • Database.php: A class for handling database connections and queries.
  • Auth.php: A class for user authentication (login, signup, and session management).

5. /models:

  • Each file here corresponds to a database table (e.g., User.php, Course.php, Module.php, etc.).
  • These files define the structure and interaction with the respective database tables, using object-oriented programming principles.

6. /views:

  • Contains HTML files (mixed with PHP) that render the user interface.
  • /admin, /student, /instructor: Each directory contains views specific to the type of user.
  • Common views like login.php, signup.php, and 404.php are available for general use.

7. /includes:

  • Reusable components (header, footer, sidebar, etc.) that are included in various pages to avoid redundancy.

8. /uploads:

  • Stores files uploaded by users, such as assignment submissions, course materials, and profile pictures.

9. /routes:

  • web.php: Defines routes that handle different requests (GET, POST, etc.) and map them to corresponding controller functions.

10. /tests:

  • Unit tests for the platform to ensure that key functionalities are working as expected.

11. index.php:

  • The entry point of the application where the request is routed, often through a controller or main router.

12. .htaccess:

  • Apache configuration file that allows URL rewriting for clean and user-friendly URLs (e.g., /courses instead of /index.php?page=courses).

13. README.md:

  • Project documentation, including setup instructions, feature explanations, and contribution guidelines.

Explanation of File Workflow:

1.   index.php:

o    The main entry point that loads the necessary controllers and routes based on user requests.

2.   Routing:

o    web.php defines the routes to various functions within the controllers. For example, when a user visits /courses, the corresponding controller (CourseController.php) will handle that request.

3.   Controller:

o    The controller receives user input (via GET/POST), processes it, and interacts with models (e.g., retrieving or saving data from the database).

4.   Model:

o    Each model corresponds to a table in the database and provides methods to interact with that table, such as inserting data, fetching records, updating, and deleting entries.

5.   View:

o    After the controller processes the data, it sends it to the view, which is responsible for rendering the HTML output to the user. The view also includes partials like headers, footers, and sidebars from the /includes directory.

6.   Database:

o    The models interact with the MySQL database to fetch and manipulate data. The config.php file sets up the database connection.

By following this structure, the project will remain organized, and it will be easier to maintain and scale the platform as new features are added.

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