Swansea University is a research-focused university in Swansea, Wales, known for its high quality teaching and student satisfaction.
The university has a long history of working with industry and business and in recent years, its research output has exceeded that of many larger universities.
Kanuka Digital were approached by Swansea University to extend their existing LearnDash platform. They needed the ability for students to experiment with SQL queries from within their LearnDash course.
We proposed a novel approach—running an instance of SQLite directly in the browser. This fully client-side solution would give each student a sandboxed database instance, eliminating security concerns and significantly reducing maintenance and administration overheads.
As this was a relatively experimental build, our first step was to develop a prototype. This allowed us to test performance using sample datasets, create a preliminary user interface, and validate the concept before committing to full development.
Once the prototype was in place, we conducted a hands-on demo with the Swansea University team to gather feedback and refine the scope. This collaborative approach ensured that our proposed solution aligned with their needs and that development time was used effectively.
With this feedback, we iterated on the prototype, providing updates at key milestones to gather further input and present options where relevant. This incremental approach ensured an efficient and well-targeted development process, ultimately leading to a successful solution.
To enhance student engagement and create a more immersive learning experience, we developed an interactive LearnDash extension that seamlessly integrates with the university’s LMS. This extension allows course creators to embed configurable SQL learning exercises directly within their course content.
By embedding these interactive elements within LearnDash, we provided a practical, engaging way for students to develop SQL skills while ensuring a seamless and fully browser-based learning experience.
One of the biggest technical challenges was finding a way for students to write and execute SQL queries within the LMS without requiring external software or server-based database instances. Traditional approaches—such as connecting to a remote SQL server—would introduce security risks, infrastructure costs, and administrative overhead.
To overcome these challenges, we took a novel approach using WebAssembly to run an instance of SQLite directly in the browser. This allowed us to create a fully client-side SQL execution environment.
This approach provided a seamless, scalable, and cost-effective solution for Swansea University, enhancing their SQL teaching module while ensuring a smooth experience for both students and course administrators.
A key advantage of our LearnDash SQL editor is its flexibility, allowing each instance to be fully configurable based on the lesson’s requirements. Course creators can initialise the editor with a custom database snapshot, ensuring students start each exercise with a predefined dataset relevant to the topic at hand.
By embedding this level of adaptability into the SQL editor, we ensured that Swansea University’s students could engage with SQL in a structured yet forgiving environment, making the learning process smoother and more effective.
Educational institutions and training providers often require learning management systems that go beyond out-of-the-box functionality. Our work with Swansea University demonstrates how custom LearnDash solutions can transform an LMS into a truly interactive and engaging learning environment.
By developing a bespoke SQL learning tool, we enabled Swansea University to provide hands-on SQL training entirely within their LMS, eliminating the need for external software or server-based databases. This approach ensures a seamless experience for both students and instructors, making course delivery more efficient and scalable.
For universities and training providers looking to deliver engaging, interactive, and scalable online courses, our tailored LearnDash solutions provide the flexibility and innovation needed to meet modern eLearning demands.
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