An interactive career development test
Project type
New website
Industry
Education
Technologies
Drupal
ReactScope of work
Web Development
Key Project Aspects
- The digitization of algorithm prepared by WSB Merito to automatically assess the user competencies
- Drupal instance with two login mechanisms – for the user and the mentor
- The back-end and front-end automation
About the Client
WSB Merito is the largest private university group in Poland. The universities are placed in a few Polish cities: Bydgoszcz, Chorzów, Gdańsk, Gdynia, Opole, Poznań, Szczecin, Toruń, Wrocław and Warszawa. The group was formed in 1994 and offers first-degree (bachelor’s, engineering), second-degree (master’s), third-degree (doctoral) studies, postgraduate and MBA programs.
The Challenge
As we completed a major overhaul of WSB’s entire web presence, where we laid out and implemented a university-wide system for individual campus website management, WSB approached us with the KierunekRozwoju.pl (Development Direction) project. It is a free academic project based on knowledge and many years of experience in career counselling.
The Goal
Developed by lecturers and business practitioners, Kierunek Rozwoju is intended to advise each user in choosing the right career development path by completing an online test. Once completed, the user should be paired with a mentor who will answer the questions and help interpret the test results.
The Solution
Because it is an online test, we created a special algorithm that analyses the users’ answers and assesses their competencies. WSB Merito developed the algorithm’s substantive assumptions, and our programmers generated a code that perfectly reflects them.
Another aspect of the project was the website’s multitasking nature. On the one hand, it was supposed to be aimed at the user who, after logging in, had the opportunity to take the test, and on the other – it was supposed to connect the user with a mentor. From the website’s point of view, this means that one page provides two different desktops after logging in:
- one for the users taking the test,
- one for mentors.
The last important aspect of the Kierunek Rozwoju project was its affiliation with the Merito University network. As a university with many campuses and at the same time a brand recognized in Poland, WSB Merito has its own brand, which was reflected in the project.
Solution Details
Drupal
Given that we have based the entire web presence of all WSB’s campuses on Drupal technology, adding an instance for this project was a logical choice. Moreover, certain parts of corporate theming could be utilized in this project, creating a sense of visual “belonging” to WSB.
The second reason why we chose Drupal is its flexibility and security. The use of Drupal allowed us to adapt the WSB Merito brand, included in other instances, to the image of the Kierunek Rozwoju project. In other words, some aspects of template layout, typography and other design assumptions could easily be used to build a new project, creating visual consistency.
When it comes to security, Drupal is easy to use and secure at the same time, especially compared to platforms such as WordPress. Importantly, Kierunek Rozwoju is a project that was intended to process personal data not only of users but also of teachers. That’s why Drupal is the undisputed favorite of schools, offices and enterprises that deal with a large range of personal data.
The Algorithm
Although the algorithm is the result of substantive development of WSB Merito, our task was to digitize it in such a way that it perfectly reflected the planned test assessment criteria. To achieve it, we used React technology, which allowed us to create a form that automatically retrieves information and addresses the values to the mechanism for assessing the user’s predispositions. As a result, the test automatically evaluates the user and shares the results on the website.
Multitasking and Integrations
As we noted, the project assumes that the website should have two different interfaces – one for the users and the other for the mentor. In order not to create a complicated design of two separate websites and transfer data between them, we chose one Drupal instance with two login mechanisms. This way, users and mentors can use one website, while each of them receives completely different functions after logging in.
The second aspect of integration is back-end automation and numerous integrations visible from the front-end perspective. For example, in the back-end, we added automatic notifications for mentors regarding test completion. In addition, we have added the Drupal Mule ESB module for secure data synchronization between the Kierunek Rozwoju website and back-end IT infrastructure systems in WSB Merito.
Front-end integrations and automation included:
- adding modules for running a blog,
- creating a library of downloadable materials,
- integration with social media channels,
- downloading test results in PDF format.
The Effects
We successfully combined academic knowledge with technology
We have implemented the WSB Merito project, thanks to which users can find their career paths. What have we achieved?
Online career predisposition test based on React technology
Unique algorithm for automatically assessing the tests
Drupal-based back-end for theming and integrations
One portal for students and mentors with different functions for each group
Social media integrations
Data-sharing back-end integrations based on Mule ESB
Statistics
4
500
22
22
Build your project with Smartbees