On the Design of an Advanced Web-Based System for Supporting Thesis Research Process and Knowledge Sharing

Recently many universities have adopted web-based systems to manage the supervision and administration of postgraduate programs. The existing web-based systems mainly focus on monitoring the thesis management process rather than on supporting thesis research itself. This study aims on designing an advanced web-based system to support the Master’s degree thesis research process and the knowledge sharing. This study firstly identifies the main steps of the thesis research process. It then presents an instructional model based on the analysis of practical thesis research workflow and relevant instructional approaches, such as problem-based learning, cognitive apprenticeship learning and collaborative learning. Based on this instructional model and the relevant literature, six principles were adopted to develop an advanced web-based system for the supporting thesis research process. This system includes three key modules: research process, research group and knowledge sharing. A preliminary evaluation of the system was conducted and the results showed that the system is effective to support the thesis research by providing multi-supervision in the research process. Moreover, a literature resources database plays an important role in knowledge sharing. Keyword: Master’s degree thesis, research process, web-based supporting system, knowledge sharing, research group

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