aaron brubaker

Master's Paper. During my last semester at SILS I completed my master's paper. This paper presents findings from my study of faculty perceptions of the impact of wireless laptops on the classroom learning environment and teaching. While laptops can be valuable tools for classroom learning, some problems have emerged related to student distraction, inattentiveness and lack of participation due to laptop use. More...

XSL-FO. Extensible Stylesheet Language - Formatting Objects (XSL-FO) technology is used to transform XML documents into other formats including PDF, plain and rich text. This project began with documents from several collections in the Documenting the American South digital publishing initiative. I created XSL-FO templates to transform multiple documents using the Apache FOP (Formatting Objects Processor).

Content Management System. This project revised earlier work with the North Carolina chapter of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research. In this instance, I used the Drupal content management system to provide the client with a flexible, low cost, and easy to maintain website. More...

Course Project Website. This application was created for my final project in INLS 668, Advanced Internet Applications. The course focused on bash scripting, PHP, Javascript, AJAX, and the integration of the those technologies. More...

Content Management System. This project involved the creation of a new web site for a small business, ThinkingTravel.com. I used the Drupal content management system to provide the client with a flexible, low cost, and easy to maintain website. More...

Metadata Research Center In this two-week project I evaluated the website needs of the University of North Carolina School of Information and Library Science's Metadata Research Center. A complete site redesign and implementation was completed using Wordpress and a customized CSS-based theme. More...

Content Management System. This project examined the communication needs of the North Carolina chapter of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research. We made recommendations for an effective Information Communication Technology (ICT) solution, and implemented a Zope/Plone content management system.

ALISE Statistical Database. In this current group project we are designing and implementing an on-line database for the Association for Library and Information Science Education. Using MySQL and PHP, we have completed the backend database and are currently in the design and coding stage of the browser interface.

The Online Use of Text. In this research project I explored effective ways of using text in the online environment. Topics included selection of type face, font size, line length, color, contrast, the use of white space, legibility, and preferences of different user populations. The final report was presented in XHTML and CSS.

MySQL & PHP Web-based Database. This database is the final project in a semester-long independent study on PHP and MySQL. The database and web interface were designed from scratch for non-profit organizations to track their fundraising activities. Database features include authentication, sessions, data validation, CSS, includes, a main library, data sorting, pagination and inline record selection.

XML, XML Schema and XSLT. This project made use of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) to store data on a series of books. Each XML document was then validated against an XML schema and transformed for display using XSLT.

Faculty Review & Tracking System. Using the contextual inquiry/design approach this project conducted a detailed analysis of a current work process. By closely engaging with the customers and utilizing a variety of work models and a data dictionary we produced a holistic view of the work practice which led to the development and design of a new system and its implementation.

Foreign Language E-Learning Environment. This semester-long project involved the design of a prototype of an online foreign language course. The design process involved a user analysis, task analysis, evidence-based design decisions, a system description, a usability inspection and a formal usability test plan.

Musical Ensemble Database. This database was designed for a professional group of musicians who specialize in string music for weddings, private parties, ceremonies, civic and corporate events. Project deliverables included a completed database, a database description, a listing of functional dependencies, an EER diagram, a relational schema, and a UML diagram.

Management Portfolio. This series of reports examined the management environment of a university information technology department. Interviews, organizational analysis and stakeholder analysis were used to shed light on the complexities of modern organizational life. Additional course work focused on the theories and principles in contemporary management and strategies for continued learning about management.

Heuristic Analysis. This project conducted a heuristic evaluation of the web site of an information architecture firm. The overall efficacy of the site was critiqued using gestalt theory in visual screen design, standard principles of web design, style guides, usability heuristics, emotional design and principles of information architecture.

SmallEvent. SmallEvent is a web-based database used to register participants in locally scheduled events or outings. It is designed to meet the needs of a variety of small groups and organizations who wish to simplify their event registration process. The application was built using LAMP (Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP) and is issued under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

Role of Children in the Interface Design Process. This literature review presented an overview of the current thinking on the role children can and should play in the interface design process. A number of design approaches were discussed in an effort to better understand how to best include children in the design process and to elicit their valuable contributions.

Budget Proposal - IT Support Services. Based on an IT department at a fictitious pharmaceutical company, this team project developed a budgetary response to a loss of company revenue. The team produced a detailed explanation and justification of a new budget for the next fiscal year addressing personnel and non-personnel costs and subsequent restructuring.