Mini Project Simulation – Online Learning
Platform
1. Requirement Gathering (Initial Client Call BRD Outline)
In the first client call, the goal is to capture the client’s vision and clarify
requirements for the e-learning platform. Key areas to explore include:
the platform’s objectives, user roles (students, teachers, admins), core
functionalities, and any constraints or preferences. I would begin by asking
open-ended questions to let the client freely describe their vision, followed
by specific questions to nail down details[1][2]. Some key questions and
topics would be:
Business Goals & Success Criteria: “What does success look like
for this platform?” – Understanding their primary objectives (e.g.
number of courses, user engagement) and how they will measure
success[3]. This ensures we focus on outcomes that matter to them.
User Roles & Use Cases: Confirm the roles (student, teacher, admin)
and ask “What are the main things each user should be able to do?”
For example, how students register and find courses, how teachers
conduct live classes and record attendance, and what specific
oversight admins need (reports, user management, etc.).
Feature Details: Drill into each major feature the client mentioned.
“How do you envision live classes working?” – Do they need real-time
video streaming or integration with Zoom? “How should homework
assignments be submitted and graded?” – This clarifies functional
requirements for class scheduling, attendance marking, homework
upload/review, etc.
Content & Course Management: “Will courses be created by
teachers on the platform? Will there be a course catalog or
categories?” Determine how courses are added and organized, and if
the platform should support things like course descriptions,
prerequisites, or multimedia content.
Technical Constraints & Preferences: Since the client is non-
technical, ask in simple terms about any preferences: “Do you have
any examples of platforms you like?” or “Are there specific
requirements for mobile access or integrations (e.g., payment
gateways, analytics)?” This helps gauge any unspoken expectations
(like needing a mobile-friendly design from day one, which we’ll ensure
given the request for web and mobile apps).
Timeline & Budget Considerations: “Are there any deadlines we
should know of (for a launch or an upcoming semester)?” and “Do you
have a budget range in mind?” – This helps shape the scope and
prioritize features realistically.
Throughout the call, I would practice active listening and clarification.
This means repeating back what I’ve heard in my own words to confirm
understanding (e.g. “So, students should be able to join a live video class
and then access recordings later, correct?”). I’d avoid technical jargon and
explain concepts in plain language to ensure nothing is misunderstood[4].
It’s crucial the client feels heard and understood – I would encourage them to
elaborate on pain points and ideas, and acknowledge their input, since their
involvement is crucial for project success[5]. By the end of the call, I’d
summarize the requirements we discussed and confirm agreement. This
summary would form the basis of a short Business Requirements Document
(BRD) section, ensuring we have a clear, shared understanding of the
platform’s vision before moving forward.
2. Workflow Breakdown – High-Level Features & Team
Work Distribution
Based on the client’s needs, here are priority high-level features and how
work would be divided among design, development, and QA to deliver each:
1. User Registration & Authentication: Students and teachers need
to sign up/login (possibly with email or social logins) and have profile
management.
2. Design: Create intuitive sign-up and login screens (both web and
mobile), ensuring a simple flow for a non-technical audience.
3. Development: Implement a secure authentication system (user
database, password encryption, session management). Include role-
based access control so that upon login, the system knows if a user is
a student, teacher, or admin.
4. QA: Test the registration process (validations for emails/passwords),
login/logout, password reset, and role permissions. Ensure both web
and mobile flows work smoothly on different devices/browsers.
5. Course Catalog & Enrollment: A browsable course list where
students can find courses and enroll.
6. Design: Develop a clean course catalog UI with search and filters (e.g.,
by category or teacher). Design course detail pages that show course
info, schedules, and an Enroll button.
7. Development: Build back-end APIs for courses (creating, reading,
updating course info). Implement the functionality for students to
enroll or register for a course. For teachers, allow them to create and
manage their course listings (if teachers are allowed to add courses).
8. QA: Verify that courses can be listed, viewed, and enrolled in. Check
that only authorized users (teachers/admins) can create or edit
courses. Test edge cases like enrolling in a full course or unenrolling.
9. Live Class Scheduling & Video Sessions: Teachers can schedule
live classes (with date/time) that students can attend online.
10. Design: Produce a calendar or schedule interface for teachers to
create classes and for students to see upcoming classes. Ensure it’s
mobile-friendly (e.g., a calendar view or list of upcoming sessions).
11. Development: Integrate a live video solution (this could be an API
like Zoom/Teams integration or a custom WebRTC solution). Implement
scheduling back-end logic (class metadata, timing, invites/notifications
to students). Develop real-time class launch functionality (links or in-
app streaming).
12. QA: Test scheduling (creating, editing, deleting class sessions),
including time zone handling if needed. Ensure students can join the
live session at the scheduled time. Test the video functionality across
browsers/devices. Also, test that only enrolled students can access the
live class.
13. Attendance Tracking: During or after each live class, teachers
mark attendance for students.
14. Design: Provide an in-class roster interface for teachers (e.g., a
list of enrolled students with checkboxes to mark present/absent). This
could be part of the live class screen or a separate attendance page.
15. Development: Enable teachers to mark attendance and save it to
the system. Possibly auto-track if integrated with the video (e.g., mark
present if a student joined the session). Store attendance records for
each class.
16. QA: Test that teachers can successfully mark attendance and
that data is saved. Check that admins (and possibly students
themselves) can view attendance records if needed. Validate edge
cases (marking everyone present, editing attendance after class, etc.).
17. Assignments & Homework Management: Teachers assign
homework or quizzes, students submit them, and teachers grade or
give feedback.
18. Design: Craft a simple workflow for assignments – a teacher’s
interface to post assignments (title, description, due date, attachment
upload) and a student interface to submit their work. Ensure the design
clearly shows due dates and submission status.
19. Development: Implement models for assignments and
submissions. Teachers can create assignments tied to a course/class;
students upload files or type responses; teachers can review
submissions and mark them or provide feedback. Possibly notify
students of grades or completed review.
20. QA: Test the full cycle: creation of an assignment by teacher,
visibility to students, student submission (including various file types or
resubmissions), and teacher feedback. Verify permission rules (only
the assigned teacher can grade, only the student can view their own
feedback, etc.).
21. Admin Dashboard & User Management: Administrators
oversee platform activity and manage roles.
22. Design: Design an admin dashboard highlighting key metrics
(e.g., number of active students, upcoming classes) and management
screens for users and courses. The interface should be straightforward
since the admin may also be non-technical.
23. Development: Build admin functionalities: viewing platform
statistics, editing or assigning user roles, and monitoring
classes/courses. Possibly include features like approving new teacher
accounts or generating reports. This may involve aggregate queries
and ensuring admin actions (like deleting a course or user) propagate
correctly.
24. QA: Thoroughly test admin actions – e.g., that admins can view
all classes and users, promote a user to a teacher or deactivate
accounts, etc. Ensure no regular user can access admin-only pages
(security testing). Also verify that metrics (if any analytics are shown)
are calculated correctly.
Each feature would be tackled in an iterative cycle: the Design team
produces UX/UI prototypes which the client can sign off on, the Development
team then implements the functionality, and the QA team tests it to validate
acceptance criteria. We would likely prioritize in the order above (registration
first as it’s foundational, then course browsing, live classes, etc.) so that the
most critical user-facing components are delivered early. This staged
approach also means the client can see progress feature by feature. Close
collaboration between teams is key – for instance, QA would be involved
early by reviewing requirements and design to write test cases proactively,
ensuring a smoother development and testing phase for each feature.
3. Communication Plan (Client Engagement & Feedback
Management)
Keeping the client in the loop is crucial, especially since the client is non-
technical and relying on us to guide the project. I will establish a clear
communication plan from day one. This plan outlines communication
channels, update frequency, and feedback handling to ensure
transparency. Regular updates and an open channel for questions will build
trust and keep the client invested in the project’s progress[6].
Communication Channels & Tools: We will use a combination of
tools for different purposes:
Weekly Video Meetings: Schedule a recurring weekly or bi-weekly
video call (via Zoom or Google Meet) to go over progress, demo new
features, and discuss any concerns. Face-to-face (even virtually) helps
clarify complex points quickly.
Instant Messaging: Use a tool like Slack or Microsoft Teams for quick
questions and day-to-day check-ins. This gives the client an easy way
to reach the team with minor queries or clarifications in real-time.
Email Updates: Send summary emails at key milestones (end of week
or sprint). These emails will recap what was accomplished, any
blockers, and what’s next. Written records help the client refer back
anytime and keep stakeholders who may not attend meetings
informed.
Project Tracker Access: If the client is interested, provide access to a
project management tool (e.g., Jira, Trello, or Asana board) where they
can see the status of tasks and milestones. This provides transparency
into progress and lets them know what’s in development or testing.
Update Frequency: Consistency is important. I plan to provide
weekly status updates. In the weekly meetings, we’ll review
progress against the plan and preview any completed feature (a mini
demo if possible). For a more agile process, we might work in 2-week
sprints, with a slightly larger demo/review at the end of each sprint
where the client can experience the new functionality hands-on.
Additionally, if any urgent issues or scope changes arise, I’d inform the
client immediately rather than waiting – no one likes surprises late in
the project.
Feedback Management: To handle feedback, I will set up a clear
process. For example, maintain a shared Action/Change Log
document or an issue tracker for client feedback. Whenever the client
provides input (design change requests, new ideas, or bug reports
from their testing), we will log it with a priority and discuss the impact.
This way, nothing falls through the cracks. During weekly updates,
we’ll review this feedback log to confirm what’s been addressed and
what is planned. If the client requests a change that affects scope or
timeline, I will explain the implications and either accommodate it via
reprioritization or schedule it for a future phase, keeping expectations
aligned. By systematically tracking feedback and following up on it, the
client sees their concerns being taken seriously, which fosters a
collaborative atmosphere.
Overall, the communication plan uses regular, transparent updates to
ensure the client is never in the dark[6]. Frequent touchpoints (meetings,
reports) will keep them engaged and allow for early course-corrections if
needed. This not only prevents misunderstandings but also gives the client
confidence that the project is on track and their vision is being realized with
their input.
4. Upsell Opportunity Spotting (Value-Add Proposals)
Throughout the project (and after delivery), I will be on the lookout for
opportunities to add value beyond the initial requirements. Here are two
potential upsells or add-ons I would proactively pitch to the client, along
with the reasoning:
Gamification Features: As the platform matures, introducing
gamification can greatly enhance student engagement. I would
propose features like badges for course completion, points for
participation (attending live classes or submitting homework on time),
and perhaps leaderboards for friendly competition. Gamified e-learning
techniques are proven to engage learners more deeply and make them
more likely to complete courses[7]. For example, awarding badges or
certificates when a student completes all classes in a course could
motivate them to stick with it. This adds a layer of fun and incentive to
the learning experience, which can lead to higher student satisfaction
and retention. Gamification goes beyond just entertainment; it uses
game design principles to make learning more interactive and
rewarding, which ultimately supports better knowledge retention and
course completion rates[7]. Pitching this as an add-on could set the
client’s platform apart by boosting user engagement and word-of-
mouth (students are more likely to continue courses and recommend
the platform if it feels rewarding).
Advanced Analytics & Reporting Dashboard: Data is incredibly
valuable for an online learning platform. I’d suggest adding an
analytics module for the client as an upsell. This could include a
dashboard showing metrics like student enrollment trends, attendance
rates, course completion rates, and performance statistics. For
teachers, analytics could help identify students who are struggling
(e.g., low attendance or poor homework scores) so they can intervene.
For admins, it could show overall platform usage and growth.
Currently, the admin can “monitor overall activity,” but a rich analytics
dashboard would transform raw data into actionable insights. As a
rationale, learning analytics tools help educators spot trends
and improve their strategies[8]. For instance, if data shows many
students drop out after a particular week of content, the client can
investigate and improve that module. By pitching an analytics add-on
(perhaps after the core system is stable), we not only create a
potential revenue extension for our services but also give the client a
way to continuously improve their platform using real user data. This
upsell emphasizes helping the client make data-driven decisions to
enhance learning outcomes, which is a compelling value proposition.
These upsell suggestions would be timed appropriately: I’d introduce the
ideas once the client sees the base platform coming to life (so as not to
overwhelm them early on). The gamification could be a phase-2
enhancement to drive engagement once the basic usage is in place, and the
analytics dashboard could be pitched either alongside the admin panel
development or as a post-launch upgrade, highlighting how it can provide
deeper transparency into the platform’s effectiveness. Both add-ons align
with the client’s overall goals (better learning experiences and effective
management) and show that we’re thinking beyond just the immediate
delivery – we’re interested in the platform’s long-term success and the
client’s return on investment.
Each of these suggestions also opens doors for additional services (design,
development, and even ongoing support/maintenance), thereby benefiting
the client with a richer product and offering our company continued
partnership opportunities beyond the initial project.
[1] [2] [4] [5] First meeting with a client? Knowing requirement gathering
techniques makes a difference - DEV Community
https://dev.to/maikomiyazaki/first-meeting-with-a-client-knowing-
requirement-gathering-techniques-makes-a-difference-1p6b
[3] What Questions Do I Ask During Requirements Elicitation?
https://www.bridging-the-gap.com/what-questions-do-i-ask-during-
requirements-elicitation/
[6] The Importance of Communication in Project Management | IPM
https://instituteprojectmanagement.com/blog/the-crucial-role-of-
communication-in-project-management/
[7] The Advantages Of Gamification In eLearning - eLearning Industry
https://elearningindustry.com/how-to-use-gamification-in-elearning-for-
maximum-engagement-and-effectiveness
[8] 10 Must Have Features of an Online Learning Platform
https://www.schneideit.com/blogs/key-features-of-an-online-learning-
platform/
