EduTrack

A Project Report

Submitted in fulfilment of the

Requirement for the award of the degree of

Master of Computer Applications (Batch 2022- 2025) To

By Mukul Chauhan(52212113)

Crystal Tech Training

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS NATIONAL

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KURUKSHETRA
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the work which is being presented in this project report entitled
“EduTrack”, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of
MASTER OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS submitted to the Department of Computer
Applications, National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra is an authentic work done by me
since 23 December completing 4 weeks by Mukul Chauhan under the Guidance of Gourav
Mourya (Name of Company Supervisor(s)/Mentor/Team Leader) in Crystal Tech
Service Private Limited .(Name of Company).

The work presented in this project report has not been submitted by me for the award of any
other degree of this or any other Institute/University.

Signature

Name of the Candidate: Mukul Chauhan

Roll no. 52212113

This is to certify that the above statement made by the candidate is correct to the best of
my knowledge and belief. Further, during the above mentioned period he/she worked
regularly.

Date : 24/05/2025 Signature

Place : Indore
Name of the Company Supervisor(s)
/Mentor/Team Leader
 Abstract
EduTrack is a robust and modern online learning and course management system developed
using the powerful MERN stack—comprising MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and
Node.js. This technology stack is widely used for building full-stack web applications,
offering scalability, performance, and responsiveness. EduTrack leverages these advantages
to provide a unified, centralized, and interactive platform that allows educators and learners
to collaborate efficiently in a virtual learning environment.
The platform has been designed with the primary objective of transforming and simplifying
digital education. It offers a wide range of essential functionalities that are integral to the
learning process. These include course creation, where instructors can easily add, update,
and manage learning content; student enrollment, allowing learners to register for various
courses with just a few clicks; and assignment submission, which facilitates the smooth
upload, review, and grading of assignments. In addition, the platform includes progress
tracking features that allow both students and instructors to monitor academic performance
over time through interactive dashboards and analytical tools.
One of the key motivations behind the development of EduTrack is the limitations and
inefficiencies of traditional education systems and many existing online platforms. In
conventional setups, course materials are often scattered, student data is fragmented, and the
lack of automation leads to repetitive manual work for educators. Students, on the other hand,
may face difficulties in tracking their progress or receiving timely feedback. EduTrack solves
these problems by bringing all essential educational elements together in one cohesive
platform. It acts as a digital classroom and administration hub, where everything from
lectures to evaluation is streamlined.
What sets EduTrack apart is its focus on automation, user interactivity, and real-time
functionality. For example, it integrates real-time notifications for assignment deadlines or
announcements using WebSockets. It uses JWT-based authentication to ensure secure
access to user accounts, maintaining data privacy and role-based permissions. Students can
receive live feedback on their performance, and instructors can manage their course content
and student activity with ease. All user roles—admin, instructor, and student—are clearly
defined with specific permissions and dashboards tailored to their needs.
The backend is supported by Node.js and Express.js, which manage the application’s logic
and server-side functions. The frontend is powered by React.js, delivering a smooth,
responsive user experience across different devices. Data is stored securely in MongoDB, a
NoSQL database well-suited for flexible and scalable data models, especially in education
platforms where diverse data types like user profiles, course details, assignments, and grades
are handled.
Moreover, EduTrack is designed with future scalability in mind. It can be deployed on cloud
platforms like AWS or Firebase, and its modular microservices architecture allows for easy
integration with third-party tools like Zoom, Google Classroom, or calendar apps. In the
future, the platform can incorporate AI-powered course recommendations, live video
classes, and mobile applications to reach a wider audience.
In conclusion, EduTrack is not just a learning management system—it is a complete digital
education solution. By centralizing content delivery, automating processes, and enabling real-
time collaboration, it redefines how modern education can be conducted effectively in the
digital age.
🔷 1. Introduction
1.1 Overview and Issues Involved
Traditional educational institutions and systems often rely on disconnected processes and
platforms for managing various academic activities. In such setups, tasks like tracking student
performance, managing assignments, monitoring attendance, and communicating with
learners are done manually or spread across multiple tools. This lack of integration leads to
several operational inefficiencies, such as delays in feedback, difficulty in maintaining
academic records, and poor communication between students and instructors. Additionally,
educators face challenges in organizing their course materials, handling submissions, and
grading efficiently. Students, on the other hand, often struggle to keep track of their learning
progress or access learning resources in a timely and organized manner.
With the rapid global shift toward digital learning, especially after the widespread adoption of
remote education, these issues have become more evident. As institutions increasingly rely on
technology to deliver education, the demand for robust digital platforms that consolidate all
learning-related functionalities has grown significantly. There is a strong need for a system
that centralizes educational operations while remaining user-friendly, interactive, and
responsive. EduTrack has been developed precisely to meet this demand. By offering a
streamlined, all-in-one platform, EduTrack seeks to automate essential academic functions,
simplify course and student management, and provide a smooth user experience for all
stakeholders—students, instructors, and administrators.
1.2 Problem Definition
Despite the presence of several online learning management systems, many still lack features
that are critical for modern digital education. Some systems offer static content with limited
interactivity, while others are hard to customize or fail to provide timely feedback to learners.
Real-time communication between students and instructors is often minimal or delayed,
leading to disengagement and confusion. Furthermore, grading assignments manually or
updating student performance records individually can be both time-consuming and error-
prone.
EduTrack is designed to eliminate these issues by providing an integrated solution. The
platform offers dynamic tools for creating and managing courses, assigning and grading
homework, and tracking student progress in real-time. It enables automated notifications,
assignment submission status, and performance analytics through interactive dashboards. A
key strength of EduTrack is its ability to offer personalized and role-based access—students,
instructors, and admins each have separate interfaces with tools suited to their
responsibilities. It also incorporates strong security measures, such as JWT (JSON Web
Token) authentication, ensuring safe and controlled access to sensitive academic data.
1.3 Team and Company
EduTrack has been developed by a skilled and dedicated team of full-stack developers,
UI/UX designers, and software architects. The team specializes in the MERN stack—
MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js—which has enabled the development of a fast,
scalable, and reliable application. Their experience in building cloud-native applications has
allowed them to deploy the system using modern DevOps practices and microservices
architecture. This modular structure ensures that the platform is not only easy to maintain but
can also evolve over time by integrating new features or third-party tools. The project reflects
the team's commitment to solving real-world problems in education through efficient
software engineering and thoughtful design.

🔷 2. Literature Survey
2.1 Existing Solutions (Expanded)
In the current landscape of online education, numerous platforms have carved out a space to
serve diverse learning and teaching needs. Among the most notable are Moodle, Udemy,
Coursera, and Google Classroom. These platforms have proven effective in democratizing
access to education and have established strong user bases globally. However, despite their
strengths, these solutions present several limitations when applied in institutional or
specialized educational settings.
Moodle is a powerful open-source Learning Management System (LMS) used by many
universities and colleges. Its biggest advantage is its flexibility and the extensive community
that supports it. However, it often requires a significant amount of technical expertise to
install, configure, and maintain. Institutions without a dedicated IT department may find it
difficult to customize or scale the platform according to specific educational needs.
Moreover, its interface, though functional, is often criticized for being outdated and less
intuitive compared to modern platforms.
Udemy and Coursera are content-rich, marketplace-based learning platforms. These are
excellent for individual learners seeking personal or professional development, offering
courses created by professionals and institutions. However, their model is geared toward
mass-market learners, not institutional usage. These platforms lack features such as
institution-specific branding, multi-role administration, and real-time class
management. Additionally, they offer limited options for tracking learner progress in a
granular way across multiple cohorts or departments.
Google Classroom is widely used, especially in K–12 education due to its seamless
integration with Google Workspace tools like Docs, Drive, and Meet. However, it also comes
with limitations, particularly in areas of customization, detailed analytics, and scalability.
While it serves well for basic educational workflows, it doesn’t offer in-depth performance
analytics or customizable dashboards for role-specific needs (e.g., admin, faculty, student). It
is more of a collaboration tool than a comprehensive LMS.
In light of these gaps, EduTrack is designed as a next-generation learning platform
focused on affordability, real-time interaction, customization, and role-based modular
control. It aims to provide an institution-friendly environment that adapts to a variety of
educational contexts—whether it's a small training center, a large university, or an
independent tutor. EduTrack supports live communication, assignment tracking,
integrated analytics dashboards, and customizable modules that can be turned on or off
depending on the institution’s needs. This tailored approach helps overcome the generic, one-
size-fits-all limitations of existing platforms.

2.2 Methodology (Expanded)

EduTrack is developed using a modern Agile development methodology, which enables
iterative progress through sprints, continuous feedback incorporation, and rapid response to
changing requirements. Agile is well-suited to educational platforms, where user needs
evolve quickly and testing across diverse learning scenarios is crucial. Through weekly sprint
cycles, developers, designers, and stakeholders collaborate to prioritize features and address
bugs or user feedback, resulting in a user-centric product.
The frontend of EduTrack is developed using React.js, a popular JavaScript library for
building interactive and dynamic web applications. React’s component-based architecture
allows for the creation of reusable UI components, improving both efficiency and
maintainability. The platform’s responsive design ensures seamless usability across devices,
from desktops to smartphones, enabling learning on the go.
The backend is built on Node.js with Express.js, which offers a lightweight and robust
framework for building scalable server-side applications. These technologies enable fast,
event-driven execution and efficient handling of multiple requests, which is essential for real-
time updates and high user concurrency.
For data storage, EduTrack uses MongoDB, a NoSQL database. Unlike relational databases,
MongoDB stores data in flexible, JSON-like documents. This allows the application to
handle diverse user data (e.g., assignments, scores, profiles) without the rigid structure of
SQL, making it scalable and adaptable for future features.
Security is a top priority. User authentication and session management are handled using
JWT (JSON Web Tokens), which ensures secure communication and access control. JWTs
enable stateless authentication and are ideal for distributed applications, ensuring that user
credentials remain encrypted and secure during interactions with the backend.
One of EduTrack’s standout features is its real-time interactivity. Using WebSockets, the
system supports instant updates, such as new announcements, live assignment submissions,
and real-time grading feedback. This enhances the learning experience by reducing delays in
communication between students and instructors. For example, a student submitting an
assignment can instantly receive confirmation, while the instructor can be notified in real-
time about the submission, making the platform more dynamic and responsive.
Additionally, EduTrack integrates modular architecture, allowing institutions to choose
specific functionalities relevant to their educational model. Whether it’s enabling a video
conferencing module, turning on analytics dashboards, or configuring grading rubrics, the
platform can be tailored without requiring code-level changes.
In summary, EduTrack’s development methodology ensures it is agile, scalable, secure, and
adaptable—qualities essential for a modern, institution-focused online learning system that
goes beyond traditional LMS limitations.

🔷 3. Analysis & Design (Expanded)

3.1 Software Requirements
EduTrack is built using a robust and modern technology stack designed for scalability,
performance, and maintainability. The frontend is developed using React.js, a powerful
JavaScript library known for its modular component-based architecture. To effectively
manage complex application state, Redux is implemented. Redux allows centralized state
management, which ensures that data is passed seamlessly across components, reducing bugs
and improving debugging efficiency.
The backend of the application is developed using Node.js and Express.js, a popular
combination for building efficient server-side applications. Node.js handles concurrent
operations with its non-blocking I/O model, making it ideal for real-time features. Express.js
simplifies routing and middleware integration, supporting RESTful API development for
communication between client and server.
For persistent data storage, MongoDB is used. As a NoSQL database, MongoDB allows for
dynamic and scalable data modeling using JSON-like documents. It is schema-flexible,
making it suitable for a growing application like EduTrack, which handles varied types of
user-generated content, course data, and real-time interactions.
To handle authentication and authorization, JWT (JSON Web Tokens) is implemented.
JWT provides stateless security tokens that ensure users can access only permitted parts of
the platform. Tokens are securely stored in the browser (typically in local storage or cookies)
and sent with API requests to validate user identity.
For content delivery, such as video lectures, PDFs, and multimedia files, EduTrack
integrates cloud storage services like AWS S3 or Firebase Storage. This not only offloads
storage from the application server but also enables fast, reliable, and scalable file access.
CDN services are leveraged to speed up content delivery, ensuring low latency and a better
user experience globally.

3.2 Hardware Requirements

EduTrack is a web-based platform and does not require high-end client machines. However,
for development purposes, a minimum configuration is necessary:
 Minimum for Development:
o RAM: 4GB or higher
o Processor: Dual-core CPU
o Storage: 10GB free space
o OS: Windows, Linux, or macOS
o Software: Node.js, MongoDB, and any modern browser (e.g., Chrome)
For deployment, EduTrack is cloud-native and is designed to be hosted on platforms such as
AWS (EC2, S3, RDS), Firebase, or DigitalOcean. These platforms ensure high availability,
auto-scaling, and continuous integration/deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.

3.3 System Architecture

EduTrack follows a MERN stack microservices-based architecture to promote separation
of concerns, scalability, and fault tolerance.
 Frontend (Client Layer): Built with React.js, handles user interface rendering,
routing, and interaction logic. Uses Redux for state management and Axios to send
HTTP requests to the backend.
 Backend (Service Layer): Node.js and Express.js handle business logic, routing,
authentication, and database communication. APIs are RESTful and stateless for
simplicity and efficiency.
 Database (Data Layer): MongoDB stores user profiles, course structures,
assignments, analytics, and submission records. It supports flexible data modeling and
scaling.
  Real-Time Layer: Integrated WebSockets (e.g., using Socket.io) support real-time
notifications, live updates on submissions, and instant messaging between users.
 Security Layer: JWT ensures secure session management and role-based access.
HTTPS is used for secure data transmission.
This distributed and modular architecture allows the platform to scale horizontally by adding
more services or micro-frontends without disrupting existing functionality.

3.4 Database Design

EduTrack’s MongoDB schema design is structured to reflect the educational use case,
supporting both flexibility and performance.
 User Schema:
o Fields: Name, email, role (student/instructor/admin), hashed password, profile
info
o Function: Stores authentication and role-based access control
 Course Schema:
o Fields: Course ID, title, description, instructor, modules, enrolled students
o Function: Contains metadata and structural layout of courses
 Assignment Schema:
o Fields: Assignment ID, course ID, due date, attachments, submissions
o Function: Manages individual assignment tasks and related documents
 Progress Schema:
o Fields: Student ID, course ID, progress percentage, quiz scores, completion
date
o Function: Tracks each student's performance metrics and course completion
history
This schema design ensures easy querying, scalability, and extensibility as more features (like
discussion forums or certification tracking) are added.

3.5 Contribution
EduTrack defines clear user roles and responsibilities to create a role-based system that is
easy to manage and secure.
 Student:
o Access courses, view materials, submit assignments, participate in discussions
o View grades and track personal progress through visual dashboards
 Instructor:
o Create and manage course content (lectures, assignments, quizzes)
o Monitor student progress, provide feedback, and host live sessions
o Engage through announcements and real-time alerts
 Administrator:
o Oversee platform operations, manage user accounts and permissions
o Configure platform settings, assign roles, and monitor usage analytics
This structured role management not only simplifies user experience but also enhances the
platform’s integrity and security.
🔷 4. Implementation & Testing (Expanded)
4.1 Implementation
The implementation of EduTrack follows a modular, scalable, and maintainable approach
using the MERN (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js) stack. Each component of the
system is developed as an independent module, allowing easy updates, scalability, and
debugging. The application emphasizes separation of concerns, with clear demarcations
between the frontend interface, backend API services, and data management layers.
Key Features Implemented:
 Secure Authentication and Authorization:
EduTrack uses JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for managing secure sessions. On user
login or signup, a token is generated and stored in the browser (typically in local
storage or cookies). This token is used to validate all protected routes, ensuring that
only authenticated users can access them. Additionally, token expiration and refresh
mechanisms are implemented to enhance security.
 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC):
The system identifies three primary roles: Admin, Instructor, and Student. Each
role is granted specific permissions. Admins manage users and system configurations,
instructors create and evaluate content, and students access and interact with courses.
RBAC is enforced both on the frontend (UI restrictions) and backend (API-level
security) to prevent unauthorized actions.
 CRUD Operations:
Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations are available for managing users,
courses, assignments, and submissions. These operations are built using RESTful
APIs in Node.js/Express, and they interact with MongoDB for persistent storage.
Input validation is handled via middleware to prevent malformed or harmful data.
 Real-Time Features:
EduTrack integrates WebSockets (via Socket.io) to support real-time updates for
notifications, submissions, and instructor announcements. This enables a dynamic and
engaging learning environment, where updates like assignment feedback or live
messages appear instantly.
 Dashboards and Visualizations:
Each user type has a custom dashboard. Students can track progress through charts
and graphs showing grades, completion status, and deadlines. Instructors see
overviews of class performance, submission rates, and pending reviews. Admins have
access to system-wide analytics, including user activity logs and system health.
 Content Upload and Management:
Users can upload documents, videos, and PDFs. The files are stored in AWS S3 or
Firebase Cloud Storage, and appropriate links are generated for easy access. Upload
modules include file size validation and format checks for security.

4.2 Testing
To ensure EduTrack’s reliability, performance, and security, a comprehensive testing
framework is integrated into the development workflow.
Unit Testing (Jest):
All major frontend and backend modules are tested using Jest, a robust JavaScript testing
framework. Unit tests are written for:
 UI components in React (button clicks, form validations, conditional rendering)
 Backend routes and business logic (data handling, controller responses)
 Utility functions and helpers (token generation, date formatting)
Tests follow Test-Driven Development (TDD) principles where feasible, ensuring high
coverage and early bug detection.
API Testing (Postman):
REST APIs developed in Express.js are tested using Postman and automated test suites.
Each endpoint is tested for:
 Response correctness (status codes, response structure)
 Error handling (invalid inputs, unauthorized access)
 Data integrity (consistent database updates)
Automated scripts are used for batch testing endpoints during deployment.
Security Testing:
Security is a major focus. Tests are performed to ensure:
 RBAC enforcement: users cannot access or manipulate data outside their scope.
 Input sanitization: preventing SQL/NoSQL injection and XSS attacks.
 Secure token handling: ensuring tokens are not exposed or stored insecurely.
Authentication flows are tested under different user roles to ensure that unauthorized
operations are blocked at both the frontend and backend.
Performance Testing:
EduTrack undergoes performance and load testing using tools like Apache JMeter and
Lighthouse to simulate high user traffic and ensure the system can scale effectively. Key
performance metrics tested include:
 API response times under load
 UI render speed on various devices
 Database query efficiency with large datasets
These tests help ensure smooth operation even under peak usage conditions such as exam
submissions or assignment deadlines.
Responsive and Cross-Device Testing:
The platform is designed to be mobile-friendly and responsive across devices. Testing is
performed on:
 Laptops and desktops (Windows, macOS, Linux)
 Tablets and smartphones (Android, iOS)
 Different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
Responsive layouts are verified using browser developer tools and real-device testing to
guarantee a consistent experience.

🔷 5. Conclusion & Future Scope (Expanded)

5.1 Conclusion
EduTrack emerges as a comprehensive and user-focused platform designed to meet the
evolving needs of the digital education landscape. Built using modern web technologies and
designed with modularity, flexibility, and scalability in mind, EduTrack provides a dynamic
solution that simplifies educational administration and enhances the overall learning
experience.
The platform successfully brings together various functionalities essential for digital
learning—such as course creation, assignment management, performance tracking, and real-
time communication—into a cohesive system. Its multi-role architecture (admin, instructor,
student) ensures that each stakeholder receives a tailored experience, empowering them to
perform their respective tasks efficiently and effectively.
A significant achievement of EduTrack is its role-based dashboard system, which enhances
usability by organizing the most relevant information and features based on user type. For
example, students can quickly access deadlines and progress, while instructors can monitor
submission trends and manage learning materials. Admins benefit from centralized control
over users, system configurations, and data analytics.
Additionally, EduTrack addresses several limitations found in existing platforms. By
integrating real-time notifications, secure authentication mechanisms, and responsive
design, the system creates a fluid and engaging learning environment. Furthermore, using
WebSockets for live updates makes the platform more interactive and suitable for fast-paced
academic workflows, where updates and alerts need to be timely.
From an implementation standpoint, EduTrack showcases strong engineering practices. The
use of RESTful APIs, JWT-based security, MongoDB schema design, and React state
management ensures the project is technically sound and easily extendable. Rigorous
testing, both manual and automated, guarantees that the platform remains stable and secure
across devices and browsers.
In summary, EduTrack bridges the gap between traditional e-learning tools and modern
expectations by offering a personalized, intuitive, and interactive learning experience. It has
been crafted with attention to user behavior, scalability, and adaptability—positioning itself
as a viable alternative to more rigid or overly complex systems.

5.2 Future Scope

Although the current version of EduTrack provides a solid and feature-rich foundation, the
potential for future enhancements is vast. The future scope for the platform focuses on
expanding capabilities, improving user experience, and integrating emerging technologies to
further support learners and educators.
1. AI-Driven Personalization:
One of the most promising future directions is the integration of artificial intelligence and
machine learning. This can enable:
 Course recommendations based on student interests and performance history.
 Automated grading for certain types of assessments (e.g., MCQs, short answers).
 Learning path customization based on engagement metrics and knowledge gaps.
AI-driven features will enhance the platform’s ability to deliver individualized learning
experiences, improve retention, and optimize outcomes.
2. Live Video Classes Integration:
Adding support for live classes through WebRTC or third-party platforms (like Zoom,
Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams) will transform EduTrack into a hybrid learning system.
Real-time virtual classrooms will promote interaction, Q&A sessions, and collaborative
activities that are missing from asynchronous platforms.
Integration of attendance tracking and session recordings will make live sessions even more
valuable by allowing learners to revisit classes.
3. Mobile App Development:
To ensure uninterrupted access to education, the development of native mobile apps for
Android and iOS is planned. The apps will mirror the functionality of the web version but
optimized for mobile usability. Features like offline access, push notifications, and camera
integration for assignment uploads can greatly increase engagement and accessibility,
especially for students in remote areas.
4. Gamification & Badging:
Gamifying the learning experience can help improve motivation. Features like leaderboards,
badges, and achievement tracking will make learning more enjoyable and encourage
consistent participation. These elements also create a sense of competition and
accomplishment among students.
5. Data Analytics and Insights:
The future versions of EduTrack will include advanced analytics and reporting dashboards
powered by data visualization libraries like Chart.js or D3.js. This will allow:
 Instructors to better understand student performance trends.
 Admins to track system usage, course popularity, and user engagement.
 Students to self-assess their strengths and weaknesses through interactive charts.
6. Multilingual Support and Localization:
To broaden accessibility, multilingual support will be added, allowing institutions from
different regions to adopt EduTrack in their native languages. This will include translation of
the UI, instructional content, and automated messages.
7. Third-Party API Integration:
Future updates may support integration with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools used by educational institutions. This would
allow seamless data flow and centralized management of academic and administrative
processes.