Project Overview
During my time at Monash University in 2018, I undertook a significant curriculum modernization project for the FIT5032 Internet Applications Development unit. This project involved completely restructuring the unit’s content and materials to transition from legacy WebForms technology to modern ASP.NET MVC framework.
The Challenge
The existing FIT5032 unit was built around Microsoft WebForms, a technology that was becoming increasingly outdated in the rapidly evolving web development landscape. Students were learning concepts and practices that were no longer relevant to modern industry standards, putting them at a disadvantage when entering the workforce.
Solution: Modern Curriculum Development
I developed a complete set of educational materials from scratch, covering every aspect of the unit. The lecture materials spanned twelve weeks and covered fundamental web development concepts, modern web architecture principles, database integration with Entity Framework, security considerations for web applications, and deployment strategies including cloud hosting options.
The tutorial materials were designed to provide hands-on practical exercises for each week, with step-by-step coding tutorials that included detailed explanations. I incorporated real-world project examples to demonstrate concepts effectively, along with assessment guidelines and marking criteria.
Technical Implementation
The new curriculum was organized around modern web development principles, structured to provide a logical progression of skills. The first three weeks focused on fundamentals of web development and MVC architecture, establishing the foundation for more advanced concepts. Weeks four through six covered database design and Entity Framework integration, teaching students how to work with data in modern web applications.
The middle section, weeks seven through nine, introduced advanced MVC features and security implementation, ensuring students understood how to build secure, robust applications. The final weeks, ten through twelve, focused on deployment, testing, and final project development, giving students the opportunity to apply everything they had learned in a comprehensive project.
The complete curriculum materials, including tutorials, assignments, and sample solutions, are available in the FIT5032 GitHub repository.
Repository Impact and Open Source Contribution
The FIT5032 GitHub repository became a significant educational resource that extended beyond the classroom. The repository contains 69 commits and is organized into comprehensive directories including Assignments, Media, Readings, Sample projects, Solutions, and Tutorials.
The repository was specifically designed to encourage student participation in open source development, particularly during Hacktoberfest 2018, with comprehensive contribution guidelines and pull request templates.
The technical stack represented in the repository demonstrates the modern web development approach, with JavaScript (88.4% of codebase) for client-side functionality, CSS (4.6%) for responsive design, C# (4.5%) for server-side logic with ASP.NET MVC, and HTML (2.5%) for structure.
Impact and Results
The updated curriculum provided students with industry-relevant skills that directly translated to improved job prospects. By learning current technologies used in the workplace, graduates were better prepared for modern web development roles. The hands-on projects provided real-world development experience, while exposure to modern best practices ensured students understood current industry standards and methodologies.
The university benefited from an updated curriculum that aligned with current industry standards, improving the institution’s reputation for providing relevant education. Modern technologies increased student interest and participation, leading to better engagement and learning outcomes.
Reflection on Technology Evolution
It’s worth noting that while this curriculum modernization was significant for 2018, the rapid pace of technology evolution means that even these updated materials would need further modernization today. The web development landscape continues to evolve with new frameworks, tools, and best practices emerging constantly. This project demonstrated the importance of regular curriculum reviews and the need for educational institutions to stay current with industry trends.
Conclusion
The FIT5032 curriculum modernization project successfully transformed an outdated web development unit into a modern, industry-relevant educational experience. By transitioning from WebForms to ASP.NET MVC and developing comprehensive new materials, students gained valuable skills that directly translated to improved career prospects.
This project demonstrated the importance of keeping educational content current with industry standards and the value of hands-on, practical learning in technical education. The open source component created a lasting resource that continues to benefit the broader educational community.