<h2 id="institution">The structure of an institution interface</h2>
An institutional structure is a multi
-level lattice of a group of
virtual
classes
. Each virtual class in the lattice is called a
<em
>work zone
</em
>,
or <em>zone</em>.
<p id="portal">
The structure of an institution is built below a unique zone called
<em>portal</em>. This is the common entrance point, it serves also for
global management for the institution. No real teaching work should take
place in this zone.
</p><p id="level">
Zones immediately below the portal are <em>levels</em>. A level corresponds to
a set of students sharing the same annual programs.</p>
</p><p>
The role of levels is essentially to separate things that have no relation
between them.
Student logins are not
accepted for levels, nor teaching works.
</p><p id="class">
<em
>Classes
</em
> are immediately below
each level
. A
class is a group of
students sharing the same teaching
time table
.
</p><p>
Students should
log in to classes
. Each student may have one or more classes
.
</p><p id="program">
Immediately below a level are also
<em
>programs
</em
>. Each program is a
gathering point of teaching materials shared by one or several classes in
the level.
</p><p>
Students cannot
log in to programs
. Teachers can
log to programs
(as
supervisors) in order to prepare teaching materials.
</p><p id="course">
<em
>Courses
</em
> are zones of lowerest level
. Each course belongs to a
program, as well as to a class. One can think that to every pair
{program,class} may correspond a course.
</p><p>
Teaching materials of a program are shared by all its courses. A student in
a class can navigate between the courses of the class. Daily student works
are done in courses.
</p><p>
A course has a unique set of teaching materials
, and a unique
time table
.
</p><p id="icourse">
A program can also have <em>Interclass courses</em>. Such a course only
belongs to a program, and students from any class can register to an
interclass course. This can be used for optional teaching programs.
</p><p id="test">
Each program can also have a special course
, called
<em
>test zone
</em
>.
Teachers can prepare experimental teaching materials in the text zone, then
export them to the program when finished. Everything in the test zone is
invisible to the students.
</p>