Karuovic and radosav

African Journal of Business Management Vol. 6(8), pp.2882-2887, 29 February, 2012
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM
DOI: 10.5897/AJBM11.1368
ISSN 1993-8233 ©2012 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Managers’ roles in web content management system
Dijana Karuovic* and Dragica Radosav
Technical faculty “Mihajlo Pupin”, University of Novi Sad, Djure Djakovica bb, Zrenjanin, Serbia.
Accepted 26 August, 2011

Modern education demands the usage of modern methods of education. Students’ lifestyle and learning
largely depends on information obtained by using the internet and social networks. Managing this
information represents a very complex process. In this paper, the roles of managers in learning
management system will be presented. Also, the research results of applying WBMS developed at
Technical Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin” and its effects will be presented as well. The paper’s contribution is
in comparative analysis of the research results obtained in 2005 and in 2011.

Key words: Manager, role, web, content management system.

INTRODUCTION

The learning process begins from the day we were born, should contents presented on the internet need to be
the first steps we took and it continuous throughout our created? The role of managers is to coordinate the
lives in order for us to be successful (Naris and Ukpere, process of preparing materials and to direct teachers and
2010). students towards acquiring relevant information. A
Modern technology offers a range of possibilities which modern manager must be skilled while using IT.
can bring considerable savings and improve the quality of
teaching. Current educational systems are facing a
challenge considering offering a great number of various Web content management system
educational possibilities without increasing the budget.
Numerous educational institutions are developing A content management system is a set of automated
educational programs for studying via web in order to processes that may support the following features: import
keep pace with these trends. The role of managers is of and creation of documents and multimedia material,
essential importance because students are faced with identification of all key users and their roles, the ability to
great quantities of various information and the assign roles and responsibilities to different instances of
organizations with increasing costs. content categories or types, definition of workflow tasks
A wider issue which represents the framework of the often coupled with messaging so that content managers
research described in this paper represents an are alerted to changes in content, the ability to track and
application of WBMS model and examination of its effects manage multiple versions of a single instance of content,
during the period of five years. This research represents and the ability to publish the content to a repository to
an attempt at determining the difference between a support access to the content.
traditional teaching and the teaching by the help of the A web content management system (WCMS) is a
internet. A more narrow issue which is the subject of this software system which provides website authoring,
research is described in the following – does a distance collaboration and administration tools designed to allow
learning system have a statistically significant influence users with little knowledge of web programming and
on increasing educational effects of teaching and how designing to create and manage the site's content with
relative ease.
Most systems provides the foundation for collaboration,
offering users the ability to manage documents, images
*Corresponding author. E-mail: aruena1@open.telekom.rs. and other forms of media and use a database to store

Karuovic and Radosav 2883

content. A presentation layer displays the content to web- by the CMS and are not published online. They include
site visitors based on a set of templates. WCMS allows the roles of:
non-technical users to make changes to a website with
little training. i. Authoriser - accountable for the subsite, authorises
CMS software may provide a means of collaboratively major updates and changes.
managing the life cycle of a document from initial creation ii. Subsite manager - stakeholder relationship manage-
time, through revisions, publication, archive, and ment and coordination, ensuring quality and compliance,
document destruction. There are three major types of monitoring and analysing the subsite’s performance,
WCMS: offline processing, online processing, and hybrid managing / coordinating subsite reviews (goals, content,
systems. These terms describe the deployment pattern information structure and workflow roles).
for the WCMS in terms of when presentation templates
are applied to render web pages from structured content. It is envisaged that initially, these roles will be recorded
Some systems write out executable code (for example, and that guidelines and processes will subsequently be
JSP, ASP, PHP, ColdFusion, or Perl pages) rather than developed to support people assuming these roles. The
just static HTML, so that the CMS itself does not need to content management system (CMS) is the new web
be deployed on every web server. Some of advantages content publishing and management system being rolled
when using CMSs are: out as part of the web redevelopment. The CMS makes it
easier for authorized users to edit and publish content
i. Low cost (Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress, for according to the standardized styles and workflow
example, are free), process. Workflow is a key component of the CMS. It
ii. Easy customization (this systems have universal layout allocates responsibilities and automates a standard
with pages with a similar theme and design without much process for content review and publication. Within this
code), standard process, there are 3 workflow roles:
iii. Easy to use (simplicity in design of the admin user
interface allows content managers and other users to i. Editors - rights are basically limited to edits of existing
update content without much training), content.
iv. Workflow management (CMSs provide the facility to ii. Advanced editors – have the same publishing workflow
control how content is published, when it is published, permissions as editors. However, they can also: add new
and who publishes it. Some WCMSs allow administrators sections, pages and containers, modify section and page
to set up rules for workflow management, guiding content variables.
managers through a series of steps required for each of iii. Publishers - similar permissions as advanced editors,
their tasks). except they can also: publish or decline content sub-
mitted to the publishing workflow queue, directly modify
Some of disadvantages when using CMSs are: or publish, content, reorder sections and pages.

i. cost of implementation (more complexs CMSs may There are several roles in WCMS. Their access rights are
require training, planning, and certifications), (IBM, 2011):
ii. cost of maintenance (some CMSs may require license
updates, upgrades, and hardware maintenance), i. User - can view items in a web site or rendering portlet
iii. storage volume (volume of files may be large in HTML- that they have been assigned at least user access to.
based systems. A site that contains many files leaves ii. Contributor – can view items in a rendering portlet or
itself open to errors). servlet-rendered Web site that they have been assigned
at least user access to; view libraries the they have been
assigned contributor access to in an authoring portlet;
Managers’ roles in web content management system access the "My Items" and "All Items" views in an
authoring portlet for libraries that they have been
As part of the web redevelopment, a number of roles and assigned contributor access to; access the item type view
responsibilities for subsite and content management within the authoring portlet for item types that they been
need to be assigned. These roles include: assigned at least user access to.
iii. Editor– can view items in a rendering portlet or servlet-
i. Subsite management roles rendered Web site that they have been assigned at least
ii. Content management system (CMS) workflow roles. user access to; view libraries the they have been
(Flinders, 2011) assigned contributor access to in an authoring portlet;
access the "My Items" and "All Items" views in an au-
Subsite management roles are essential to identify thoring portlet for libraries that they have been assigned
subsite responsibility and authority within an ongoing at least contributor access to; for library item types that
management context. These roles are not administered user and groups have been assigned at least editor

2884 Afr. J. Bus. Manage.

Figure 1. User role.

access to, editors can access the following actions in the iii. module for managing students’ data
authoring portlet; access the item type view; create a new iv. module for keeping teaching materials
v. module for knowledge testing
item; add/remove links; apply authoring template; copy,
vi. module for examination entry
delete, edit , link to, move, restore a version, edit version vii. module for sending e-mails
labels viii. module for generating various reports
iv. Manager – can view items in a rendering portlet or ix. module for publishing according to SCORM standard
servlet-rendered Web site that they have been assigned
at least user access to; view libraries the they have been Some modules will be described in detail.
access the “My Items” and “All Items” views in an Module for managing the users and licenses
authoring portlet for libraries that they have been
assigned at least contributor access to; for library item It is designed and implemented because of different users who are
types that they have been assigned manager access to, using the system and have different rights and roles in the system.
managers can access the all of the actions available to The system’s functions require restrictions of activities for individual
users. For example, students are not allowed to attach teaching
editors and also the following actions in the authoring materials until teachers correct and approve them. Students can put
portlet; edit access settings, next stage, purge, unlock, their materials in a separate part of data base, where the teachers
edit user profile can, firstly, see and correct them and then set them if they consider
v. Administrator – can view items in a rendering portlet or them useful to other users/students. This module assumes the
servlet-rendered Web site that they have been assigned following activities: creating a new user (by giving a user name and
a password), defining a role or a status, changing a password or a
at least user access to; view libraries the they have been
role as well as deleting the user.
access the “My Items” and “All Items” views in an au-
thoring portlet for libraries that they have been assigned Administrative module
at least contributor access to; all actions in the authoring
portlet for library item types that they have been assigned The need for this module appeared in the domain of updating basic
data about students, educators (professors or assistants) and
administrator access to. subjects.
vi. Roles that have no access to web content
management are security administrator, delegator and
privileged user. Module for testing knowledge

Students can repeat tests several times and they can access them
at any time and the results may be input into the base when they
MATERIALS AND METHODS are satisfied with their results. In this way students are more relaxed
because they can correct the mistakes by repeating the test. Test
Web content management system model results are input in the data base with the date of testing. A teacher
gives the final mark on account of collected points.
Web content management system model is realized at Technical
Faculty “Mihajlo Pupin” in Zrenjanin. This model as shown in Figure
1 has 9 modules which are: Module for sending e-mails

i. Managing the users and licenses This paper also contains a module for communication among
ii. administrative module students as well as for communication between students and


Figure 2. Logical organization of forum.

educators in the form of on-line communication via forum. Every viii. Validation and
student has a possibility to set any section, theme or an answer to ix. Implementation.
the asked question. In the same time forum can serve for attaching
students' materials. Students who want to set additional teaching The module for maintaining teaching material has some processes
materials through forum send their requests for acceptance and that are given in Table 1. During the system definition, the following
validation of these materials by their teachers. Teachers receive activities have been identified:
these materials and if they satisfy the prescribed criteria, they
incorporate them in the teaching units. This communication may be i. Logging
performed in real time because the asked questions are kept in the ii. Entry of Educators, Students, Subjects, Teaching plans and
base so other users can access them at any time and ask their programs
questions, give answers or leave comments. This module can also iii. Deleting Educators, Students, Subjects, Teaching plans and
be used for setting different information to students with an option programs
of deleting them when necessary. Information and notices can be iv. Review of Educators, Students, Subjects, Teaching plans and
grouped according to themes and within sections. Logical programs
organization of forum is presented in Figure 2. v. Forum
The advantage of this type of communication comparing to e-mail
is in the fact that more users can access to questions and answers There is a rule concerning data input into the system: the users’
in the same time, whether they are students or teachers. A user rights have been defined and only the administrator has the right to
does not have to wait for his interlocutor to connect to the web in input data related to educators, students and subjects. Educators
order to read the answer. Another advantage is in the fact that enter/input teaching material that is, teaching topics, teaching units
users don’t have to know addresses of their interlocutors but they and exercises. During the process of teaching material entry, the
simply leave their comments in the base which all registered users following activities have been identified:
can access at any time.
i. Teaching topics entry
ii. Teaching units entry
The phases of designing WCMS iii. Exercises entry
iv. The choice of subjects for entry
The procedure of making a module for keeping teaching materials v. The choice of teaching topic for entry
of WCMS model has passed through nine phases (Radosav and vi. The choice of teaching unit for entry
Karuovic, 2005): vii. Acknowledgment of entry

i. Definition of objectives, All users can assess data review (they cannot change any data).
ii. Research planning,
iii. Problem formulation,
iv. Making a model, The description of creating system for maintaining teaching
v. Selecting a method for solution, material
vi. Programing and testing,
vii. Collecting data, Since the process of model designing has been concluded

2886 Afr. J. Bus. Manage.

Table 1. Teaching material processes.

The name of process
Filling in the forms for setting up the content
Access to system
Setting up the content by the students
Recognizing about inaccurate content
Setting up the content
Maintenance of contents that have been set up
Checking of a content
Choosing the subject for which the content is set up

successfully, a demonstrational example for maintaining teaching classical way of teaching. This attitude implied a certain
material in the system of distance learning has been started. ASP fear from accepting new systems of education that were
technology was used in creating it.
There is no time limit for adopting teaching units, every user
not known and realized enough here. They considered it
defines his own time needed for studying teaching programs and better (33.8%) because:
plans. What are the benefits? One of the main characteristics is
uniformity and simplicity of usage (that is not the case with i. Studying is more interesting,
traditional presenting of teaching material on Internet, because ii. Studying can be performed according to their own
there are a lot of different ways for site design, different choice of choice (adjusted to individuals),
multimedia materials and conceptual solutions). It improves the
access to teaching materials due to the fact that pupils don’t have
iii. Contains more information.
to spend time while looking for individual sites for each subject, and
they also don’t have to waste time in coping with requirements of Those who considered a traditional educational system
each design. The usefulness of the site that has been mastered better (17%) founded their opinion on the presence of
once can be applied to all subjects. Teachers do not have to think teachers in the classroom because they could clarify
about his site design, but only about the contents to be put on it. He teaching materials at any moment - no machine could
fills in the appropriate table, and the content is presented on the
screen whenever the user wants to use it by clicking on the replace teachers.
appropriate subject they picks out of the base through forms. The half of the interviewed users (50%) who
Another important characteristic is accessing velocity. Teachers considered that distance learning system should be com-
set up their contents on-line, and students or pupils can access bined with a traditional system of education, used it as
them in a few seconds. Organisation is very important in this additional material, so they thought that these two
system. The subjects are read out from the base by their codes
systems were equal.
(numbers in increasing order). Users can choose time, place and
the way of adopting teaching material as well as whether they want No matter if they considered it better in comparison to a
to study exercises or adopt theoretical knowledge. classical way of teaching, the majority of the interviewed
The application of this system enables the unity of teachers and students (78%) thought that WCMS would improve their
users (pupils or students) because users can put their contents with learning results because it:
teachers’ approval and, in that way, take part in teaching process
actively. If users’ are physically separated (in the case of illness),
they do not have to lose the continuity because they can follow the
i. Offers more information
contents from home. The teacher or other students can easily solve ii. Offers only necessary information
possible problems or misunderstandings through forum. Home user iii. Does not waste time in classes
doesn’t have to memorize e-mail addresses, which enables iv. Offers possibilities to students to concentrate on new
multidirectional communication. and unknown material
v. Enables individualization of teaching
vi. Learning is more interesting.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In 2011, when asked if they considered WCMS better
The research results from 2005 and 2011 will be than a classical way of teaching, the students gave the
presented in this part of the paper. The objective was to expected more positive results because the Internet
determine the users' attitudes about WCMS and to broke all barriers and took the deserved place in
compare them during the period of five years. All education. A great majority of students (78%) thought
students answered the questions about WCMS. Three that WCMS would improve their learning results because
hundred students were polled. it:
In 2005, when asked if WCMS was better than classical
form, the students gave a bit unexpected answers, taking i. makes learning materials easier and faster,
into account that all of them expressed a wish to use ii. has modern methods of work,
WCMS, but that they did not consider it better than a iii. does not limit time and space.


Conclusion of usage but it also makes some new ones such as a
security issue. Managers themselves must implement the
Our WCMS is designed to fit any organization size. The first step.
main prerequisite for successful application of a new kind
of education conducting is certainly developing students’
web culture and also qualifying teaching stuff for using REFERENCES
new informative technologies in more sophisticated way.
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