[K12OSN] Web based Student Information Systems?

[Tom Hoffman]

On 1/15/07, Vince Callaway <vince at totalsense.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 2007-01-15 at 20:03 -0700, rmcdaniel at indata.us wrote:
> > 2.) Does the new system use AJAX to prevent complete screen updates?
> > Huh, what's AJAX...
>
> Ajax has its uses.  And it is not a microsoft thing.  It also has
> detractors as well.  Not sure I would bet the farm that it will become
> widely used in the long term.

There are some pretty obviously good uses for Ajax (Asynchronous
Javascript and XML, formerly known as DTML...) in a student
information system, because using Ajax in a complex form like a
gradebook spreadsheet data can be sent to the server as each form
element is entered, rather than only when the whole form is submitted.
 This gets around classic problems like accidentally closing the
browser window after spending an hour entering 3/4 of your grades or
having your session timeout before you submit the grades and losing
them.

Of course, Ajax isn't the only way to prevent these, and, like
anything else, it can be done badly.

--Tom