Catholic Diocese of Warri
Introduction
This document is the official system manual for the Catholic Music Academy Online Learning Management System (CMA LMS). It describes the features delivered as part of Phase 1 of the platform, the roles of the people who use it, the workflows it supports, and the recommended procedures for day-to-day operation.
This manual is intended for the Academy Director, designated administrator, and assigned lecturers. It does not assume any prior technical knowledge.
1.1 Purpose of the Platform
The Catholic Music Academy Online Learning Platform was developed to extend the Academy's educational reach beyond the physical classroom. It enables prospective students to apply online, participate in structured learning, complete assessments, and monitor their progress from any location — while preserving the Academy's academic standards and the integrity of its certification process.
The platform supports both blended and fully online delivery of approved programmes and establishes a scalable digital foundation for the Academy's future academic expansion. It is not merely a tool for convenience — it is a formal expression of the Academy's commitment to accessible, standards-driven music education within the Catholic Diocese of Warri.
1.2 What Phase 1 Delivers
The following features were delivered as part of Phase 1. This list is the definitive record of what the platform provides.
- Public homepage presenting the Academy's programmes, mission, and application entry point
- Online application form through which prospective students apply, upload proof of payment, and await admission review
- Automated email notifications at every key milestone in the student journey
- Administrator panel for reviewing applications, verifying payment, and approving or rejecting applicants
- Automatic student account creation and portal access upon admission approval
- Student portal with personal dashboard, enrolled programmes, and module progress tracking
- Sequential module learning — each module must be completed before the next is accessible
- Reading period enforcement — students must engage fully with lesson content before the assessment becomes available
- Embedded instructional video and audio within each module
- Downloadable study resources attached to modules
- Assessment engine supporting multiple choice questions (graded automatically) and written response questions (reviewed by the lecturer)
- Question banks per module, from which questions are selected for each attempt
- Lecturer grading panel with score entry and individual written feedback per student
- Student result notifications by email, including lecturer feedback
- Course completion detection and Completion Card available for download
- Final examination scheduling by the administrator with student notification
- Examination result recording and certificate availability upon passing
- Announcements system for the Academy to communicate directly with students through the portal
- Course Builder for the administrator to create programmes, add modules, and manage academic content
- Student management — view progress, reset passwords, suspend and restore access
- Academic analytics — completion rates, assessment performance, and student activity reports
- Multi-role access — Master Administrator and Lecturer, each with a defined scope
System Overview
The CMA LMS manages the complete student journey in five stages:
- Application — a prospective student applies online, provides proof of payment, and awaits review.
- Admission — the administrator reviews the application, verifies payment, and either admits or declines the applicant.
- Learning — the admitted student accesses their course and works through sequential modules at their own pace.
- Assessment & Grading — each module concludes with an assessment. Results are returned automatically or by the assigned lecturer.
- Certification — upon completing all modules, the student sits a final in-person examination. On passing, a certificate is issued.
2.1 How the Platform Is Accessed
User Roles
Three types of users interact with the platform. Each has a clearly defined scope that cannot be exceeded.
3.1 Student
Students access the platform at catholicmusicacademy.net/portal after their application has been approved. They can:
- View their enrolled programmes and track their progress
- Access lesson content, instructional videos, audio, and downloadable resources
- Complete timed reading periods before assessments become available
- Submit multiple choice and written assessments
- View their scores and correct answers immediately after multiple choice submissions
- Receive written assessment results and lecturer feedback by email
- Download their Completion Card after finishing all modules
- Receive notification of their examination date and download their certificate after passing
- Set a security question and reset their own password without contacting the Academy
- View Academy announcements on their dashboard
- Apply for additional programmes from within their portal
3.2 Lecturer
Lecturers are members of the Academy's academic staff assigned to a specific programme. They log in at catholicmusicacademy.net/academy-management. A Lecturer can:
- View the students enrolled on their assigned programme only
- Review and grade written assessment submissions from their students
- Enter scores and personal written feedback for each submission
- Mark students as ready for their final examination and schedule examination dates
- Record examination results
- View and update lesson content for their assigned programme
3.3 Master Administrator
The Master Administrator holds full access to the platform. In addition to everything a Lecturer can do, the Master Administrator can:
- Review all student applications and verify payment receipts
- Approve and reject applicants
- View and manage all students across all programmes
- Reset student passwords and suspend or restore student access
- Post announcements to all students or to specific programmes
- Create and manage all courses and modules across all programmes
- Create, assign, and remove Lecturer accounts
- Configure the Academy's academic settings: pass marks, enrolment deadlines, and attempt limits
- Configure the site: contact details, bank account information, course fees, and certificate personalisation
- Access full academic analytics and at-risk student reports
Student Journey
| # | Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Submit Application | The student visits catholicmusicacademy.net, completes the application form, selects their programme, makes payment, and uploads proof of payment before submitting. |
| 2 | Confirmation Received | The system immediately sends a confirmation to the student and notifies the Academy administrator that a new application has arrived. |
| 3 | Application Reviewed | The administrator opens the application, views the proof of payment, and makes an admission decision. |
| 4 | Account Created | On approval, the student account is created automatically. The student receives an admission email with a link to the portal. No further setup is needed. |
| 5 | Student Logs In | The student visits catholicmusicacademy.net/portal and signs in with the email address and password they chose during application. |
| 6 | Course Begins | The student dashboard shows their enrolled programme. They open the first module to begin learning. |
| 7 | Lesson Content | The student reads through the lesson material, watches any instructional video, and listens to any audio provided. They must spend sufficient time on the material before the assessment is made available. |
| 8 | Assessment | The student completes the module assessment. Multiple choice results are shown immediately. Written responses are sent to the lecturer for review. |
| 9 | Progress Updated | On passing, the module is marked complete and the next module becomes available. On not passing, the student may retry within the limit set by the Academy. |
| 10 | Course Complete | After passing all module assessments, the course is marked complete. The student receives a congratulatory notification and may download their Completion Card. |
| 11 | Examination Scheduled | The administrator schedules the final in-person examination. The student receives the date by email. |
| 12 | Certificate Issued | On passing the examination, the administrator records the result. The student receives a formal notification and their certificate becomes available for download. |
Administrator Workflow
5.1 Overview
The administration panel surfaces all tasks that require attention automatically. The administrator does not need to search through records manually. On logging in, the dashboard shows pending applications, assessments awaiting grading, students ready for examination, and students who may need encouragement.
5.2 Admissions Flow
- Log in to the administration panel.
- Click Applications.
- Open the pending application and click View Receipt.
- Confirm the payment is correct.
- Click Approve. The student account is created and the admission email is sent automatically.
5.3 Grading Written Assessments
- Click Grading.
- Open a pending submission.
- Read the student's written response.
- Enter a score and any written feedback.
- Click Submit Grade. The system notifies the student by email.
5.4 Examination Scheduling
When a student completes all modules, they appear automatically on the dashboard.
- Open the student's profile from the dashboard alert.
- Click Mark Exam Ready, then enter the examination date.
- The student receives an automatic notification with the date.
- After the examination, return to the profile and record the result.
- On passing, the certificate becomes available and the student is notified.
5.5 Posting Announcements
- Click Announcements.
- Enter a title and the message.
- Select the audience — all students, or a specific programme.
- Click Post. The notice appears on students' dashboards immediately.
System Features
6.1 Application Form
A structured four-step application at catholicmusicacademy.net/apply. Collects personal details, programme selection, musical background, and proof of payment. Prevents duplicate submissions and preserves entries if the applicant navigates away before completing.
6.2 Email Notifications
The platform sends automated emails at every key milestone. The Academy is represented professionally at each point of contact without any manual action from the administrator.
| Event | Notified |
|---|---|
| Application submitted | Student receives confirmation. Administrator receives alert. |
| Application approved | Student receives admission email with portal link. |
| Application declined | Student receives a courteous notification with reason. |
| Written assessment graded | Student receives score and lecturer's written feedback. |
| All modules completed | Student and administrator both notified. Completion Card available. |
| Examination scheduled | Student receives the date and instructions. |
| Examination passed | Student receives result and certificate download link. |
| Examination not passed | Student receives result and guidance on next steps. |
6.3 Module Learning
Each module contains lesson content, an optional instructional video, optional audio material, optional downloadable resources, and an assessment. Students cannot access the assessment until they have spent sufficient time reading the lesson and scrolled through to the end. Modules are presented in a fixed sequence.
6.4 Assessments
- Multiple Choice Questions — the student selects from provided options. Results are shown immediately, including which answers were correct and which were not.
- Written Response Questions — the student types their response. The assigned lecturer reviews it, enters a score, and provides written feedback. The student is notified by email.
The Academy administrator sets the pass mark, the maximum number of attempts per module, and the balance between multiple choice and written components.
6.5 Announcements
The Master Administrator may post notices that appear immediately on students' portal dashboards. Announcements can be addressed to all students or to students on a specific programme. No email is required. Announcements may be removed at any time.
6.6 Course Builder
Where the Academy's academic content is managed. The administrator or assigned lecturer may create programmes, add and reorder modules, write lesson content, link instructional videos, attach audio and downloadable materials, build assessment question banks, and toggle each module between hidden and visible.
6.7 Student Management
View all enrolled students, open individual profiles, reset passwords, or suspend access. Suspending access immediately ends all active sessions across all devices. Access can be restored at any time.
6.8 Academic Analytics
Reports showing completion rates per module and programme, average assessment scores, modules with high non-passing rates, individual student progress, and students who may be at risk of falling behind.
Role Permissions
| Function | Master Admin | Lecturer |
|---|---|---|
| Review and process applications | ✓ | — |
| View and verify proof of payment | ✓ | — |
| Approve and decline applicants | ✓ | — |
| View all students across all programmes | ✓ | — |
| View students on assigned programme | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reset student passwords | ✓ | — |
| Suspend and restore student access | ✓ | — |
| Grade written assessments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Schedule and record examinations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Build and edit course content | ✓ | Assigned only |
| Post announcements | ✓ | — |
| View academic analytics | ✓ | — |
| Configure academic and site settings | ✓ | — |
| Create and remove lecturer accounts | ✓ | — |
System Testing
Before commencing live enrolment, the Academy is encouraged to test every workflow using staff accounts and a test email address.
Student Experience
- Submit an application and confirm the confirmation email arrives
- Approve the application and confirm the admission email arrives with the correct portal link
- Log in and confirm the dashboard loads correctly
- Open a module and confirm the assessment remains locked until the lesson is read in full
- Submit a multiple choice assessment and confirm correct and incorrect answers are shown
- Submit a written response and confirm the Awaiting Review status appears
- Have a Lecturer grade the response and confirm the result email arrives
- Complete all modules and confirm the Completion Card is available
- Use Forgot Password and confirm the security question is presented and the reset works
Administration
- Log in as Master Administrator and confirm the dashboard displays all pending items
- View a payment receipt attached to an application
- Post an announcement and confirm it appears on a student's dashboard
- Add a module to a course, publish it, and confirm it is visible to the student
- Reset a student's password and confirm they can log in with the new credentials
- Suspend a student's access and confirm they are immediately logged out
- Log in as a Lecturer and confirm they can only see their assigned programme
Recommended Operational Procedure
The following procedure is recommended for each intake.
- Open applications by communicating catholicmusicacademy.net to prospective students, together with the application deadline.
- Monitor the Applications section daily. Respond to new applications promptly — students are waiting for a decision.
- Track student activity from the Students section. Students who have been approved but have not yet logged in may benefit from a reminder.
- Check the Grading Queue regularly. Students cannot advance past a module with a written component until it is graded.
- Use the Announcements feature for all cohort-wide communications — important dates, schedule updates, and encouragement before the examination period.
- When students complete all modules, the dashboard surfaces them automatically. Schedule their examination promptly.
- After each intake concludes, review the Analytics section to understand which modules presented the most difficulty and refine content for the next intake.
Technical Reference
10.1 Platform Addresses
10.2 Domain Renewal
The domain catholicmusicacademy.net must be renewed annually through Namecheap, where it was registered. Failure to renew before the expiry date will take the entire platform offline. Ensure auto-renewal is enabled and that the billing information on the account is kept current.
10.3 Platform Infrastructure
The platform is built on the following infrastructure components, all maintained on behalf of the Academy:
10.4 Technical Support
Technical support and future enhancements may be arranged through the system developer as required.
Phase Two — Proposed Enhancements
The following enhancements are proposed for a second phase of development, building directly on the foundation established in Phase 1.