Backgrounds

The Traffic Light System is a project developed by the UCL Department of Computer Science under the supervision of Dr. Yun Fu. Dr. Fu is a highly experienced lecturer who has been teaching project-based modules for many years. He wanted to create a centralized platform to manage these classes more efficiently, as he noticed that managing project-based classes can be quite challenging without the right tools.

Project-based classes are an essential part of the computer science curriculum, as they enable students to apply the knowledge they have learned in a practical setting. However, managing these classes can be inefficient and error-prone when using spreadsheets, emails, and other tools. The Traffic Light System is an intelligent, dependable, and versatile all-in-one solution for project-based classes that address these issues.

The Traffic Light System is part of the UCL Industrial Exchange Network, which offers students the chance to collaborate with industry-leading partners and gain real-world experience through projects. By providing students with the opportunity to work on real-world projects, the Department can hone students’ programming and project management skills and help them gain a competitive edge in the job market.

Our Goals

The core feature of the Traffic Light System is to assess students' and groups' weekly performance. The system uses traffic light colors red, amber green, and dark green, which represent below-average, average, good, and exceptional performances respectively. With this feature, students and groups can receive immediate feedback on their performance and adjust accordingly. Moreover, the system allows lecturers and TAs to monitor the progress of each team and intervene if necessary.

In addition to this core feature, we have included other features to make the system as versatile and intuitive to use as possible. For example, we have a tracking board for TAs to quickly raise issues with lecturers, and we have a pinning functionality for lecturers and TAs to pin teams that require special attention. These features help ensure that the system is easy to use and that lecturers and TAs can quickly identify and address any issues that arise.

From a system's perspective, the Traffic Light System needs to be secure, scalable, and responsive. To ensure that the system is secure, we have implemented a robust authentication system that only allows authorized users to access the system. We have also used the latest front-end technologies to achieve exceptional response times and performance. These features help ensure that the system is designed to address users’ actual pain points and be as versatile and usable as possible.