Supporting workflow in a course management system

CMS is a secure and scalable web-based course management system developed by the Cornell University Computer Science Department. The system was designed to simplify, streamline, and automate many aspects of the workflow associated with running a large course, such as course creation, importing students, management of student workgroups, online submission of assignments, assignment of graders, grading, handling regrade requests, and preparation of final grades. In contrast, other course management systems of which we are aware provide only specialized solutions for specific components, such as grading. CMS is increasingly widely used for course management at Cornell University. In this paper we articulate the principles we followed in designing the system and describe the features that users found most useful.