Design and Implementation of on Line Result Checker System

Introduction

1.1 Overview

Student enrolment in tertiary institutions is increasing at a very alarming rate. The increase in students’ population over the years has made the work of administrative officer in charge of processing students’ result a very tiresome exercise to deal with (Atebong et al., 2010). In Sule Lamido University K/Hausa, which records quite number of students turnout and yet admit more on yearly basis, processing of students’ academic record represents very significant challenge as it tends to require a great deal of human involvement thereby increasing the cost and delay associated with it. Students’ academic record refers to the vital information relating to a student admission, and academic performance at the host university (Moses, 2008).

Students’ academic record usually provides both student and staff with numerous services designed to assist them in attaining their academic goals and management objectives respectively (Abel &Abu, 2013). These may include generation of individual students result, transcripts and, publishing academic timetable for each semester.

The proposed system for academic record assessments, grades processing is arranged and designed to simplify the work in students’ academic record system, due to its complexities thereby reducing the workload of level coordinators.

At large extent, the proposed system would in turn reduce the causes associated with delays in processing and releasing results in the Faculty of Computer Science Sule Lamido University K/hausa. An enhanced computer program for result computation integrated with a database for storage of processed results simplifies the faculty grading system and overcomes the short-comings of existing packages. The system takes interdepartmental collaboration and alliances into consideration, over a network that speeds up collection of processed results from designated departments through an improved centralized database system (Obiniyi&Ezugwu, 2010).

1.2 Historical Background Of The Casestudy

Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Sule Lamido University K/Hausa is one of the biggest Faculties in the University having being approved by Senate and Council in 2013. Subsequently, took off fully in the 2014/2015 Academic Session. Before now, the students of BSc Computer Science were part of the Department of Mathematics.

1.3 Statement Of The Problem

The students result processing and transcript generation are done manually in physics and industrial physics long before now. The manual method of result processing and transcript generation from my investigation has many problems among which are:-

• Delay:

This occurs due to the tediousness of manual result processing and transcript generation. This gets so much at times that some students try to bribe their way out.

• Missing Results:

This happens as a result or carrying about of files from one place to another. Some results may be lost in this process.

• Duplication Of Results:

Due to the tiredness of the operator, a result can be duplicated since he/she has no strength to trace the student’s data such as registration number.

1.4 Scope Of The Study

The scope of this study is an integrated study on the use of a Computer-Based Result Checking System (CBRCS) a case of Faculty of Computer Science.

1.5 Aims And Objectives

The sole aim of this research work is to device an effective ways of academic record assessments, grades processing thereby reducing the workload of level coordinators. Since this study is specifically to use the physical view to make efficient use of storage and processing resources, therefore, the objective of this study includes the following;

1. To review the existing method of checking and verifying students’ results.
2. To design/develop a system that facilitates ease of querying of students’ academic records.

Implement the proposed design system of checking students’ results.

1.6 Significance Of The Study

The significance of this study is to examine closely the advantage of this result checking system to the benefit of Faculty of Computer Science Sule Lamido University, K/Hausa.

1. It will serve as a reference material to those who will use this project material.
2. It is a contribution to knowledge.
3. It will provide information to other researchers/developers on how best and beneficial the use of a result checking system can be in providing accurate information for an institutions decision making.
4. It will ensure high level quality service development of the management which will ensure that students are not subjected to undue suffering in collection of their transcript or clearance prior to the deployment for youth service.

1.7 Methodology

Data would be obtaining from both primary and secondary sourcesThe primary source of data collection, data would be collected based on observation, interview and distribution of questionnaires. While in the secondary source, data would be collected from related literatures (journals, textbooks, internet, articles, magazines, newspapers etc.)

1.8 Organisation Of The Project

Chapter one:

Student enrolment in tertiary institutions is increasing at a very alarming rate. The increase in students’ population over the years has made the work of administrative officer in charge of processing students’ result a very tiresome exercise to deal with

Chapter Two:

In this chapter, an attempt is made to review the existing processes involved in students result computations and accessing it respectively. The present method is cumbersome and delay in processing the results often experienced.

Chapter Three:

This chapter focuses on detailed description of the research methodology where a description on the way and manner the research has been conducted, such as research design, requirement procedures, requirement elicitation, and requirement analysis.

Chapter Four:

For a system designto be meaningful, it has to be implemented first in order to ascertain cases of robustness, flexibility, reliability and effectiveness of the program/system. Program implementation can be said to be a process in which a program or new system developed is put in to use to serve the purpose for which it was developed.

System Analysis And Design

3.1 Introduction

This chapter focuses on detailed description of the research methodology where a description on the way and manner the research has been conducted, such as research design, requirement procedures, requirement elicitation, and requirement analysis. The methodology used during this design is Structured System Analysis and Design Methodology (SSADM). The process model used is waterfall and incremental process model. PHP and MySQL Server were used for system design.

A thorough investigation of functional requirements of the present system and finding out whether the requirements and objectives of the system are being achieved was made in order to obtain detailed facts about the application area to be re-designed. Direct interview and examination of documents were carried out.

3.2 System Analysis

System analysis is the term use to describe the process of collecting and analyzing facts, regarding to the existing operational procedures and systems in order to fully understand the prevailing situation.When we analyze and design the system we build a model of a system. The main purpose of this system model is to help us to understand the systems we are developing. By definition analysis and design are two separate activities.

System analysis and design can simply be defined as the structural and systematic process of studying how a system will work with the hope of designing and realizing such functions. In other words, it is a range of technique used especially in commercial computing in which the needs of a company or its staff are analyzed and translated into a technical description of the necessary software which is then created by programs. Their main aim is to study the problem of an existing and to proffer meaningful and reasonable solution.

3.3 Input, Processing And Output Analysis Of The Existingsystem

The input, processing and output sub system of the conventional system is treated blow;

I. Input Analysis: The continuous assessments (Course works) are conducted; on the ground that it has to suit the convenience period of both lecturers and the students alike. The assessments conducted in a semester are summarized which are jointly weighed between 20% and 40%of the total marks for a taught course, while the end-of-semester examination shall account for 60% to 80%, unless approved otherwise by the authority involved.

II. Processing Analysis: The scores from the continuous assessments/assignments and the examination scores of registered courses is added together to give a total score. The total score in each course is then graded according to the grading criteria used in the institution. The total score in each course is then added and divided by the number of courses credit units offered.

Output Analysis: The outputs of the system is the general students sheet document which contains the students name and surname, the students class, semester the courses offered by the students, the cumulative grade points, cumulative grade points average and remarks for each student for each level.

3.4 The Proposed System

This system is aimed at solving or enhancingthe current system of result processing system thereby prioritizing the speeds involved in the computation as well as the mode of accessibility of the processed results by students respectively.

The system aimed at enabling the faculty lecturers to upload their respective courses tutored at different levels to their respective level coordinators when compiled in due time; thereby reducing the complexities involved in the transfer of students academic performance records. And perhaps, on the side of students, the mode of accessibility of the result is guaranteed to be electronically (i.e. online) thereby reducing the time, costs and resources of coming to the notice boards.

3.5 System Design

The methodology use in designing the system is Structured System Analysis and Design Methodology. It was employed in this design because it is a set of standards for systems analysis and applications design. It uses a formal methodical approach to the analysis and design of information systems. One of the main feature of this methodology is it intensive user involvement in the requirement analysis stage. The users are made to sign off each stage as they are completed.

Furthermore, users are provided with clear, easily understandable documentation consisting of various diagrammatic representation of the system. It equally breaks up a development project into stages, modules, steps and tasks.

3.6 The System Requirements

The system requirements are all of the requirements at this system level described the functions which the system as a whole will fulfil to satisfy the Faculty needs and requirements. The possible system requirements adopted on this study are thus;

1. Functional requirements
2. Non-functional requirements

Functional requirements.

Here, the related expectation of the system and what the system has to do is properly put into consideration hence the system should:

1. Grant accessibility of students result via online in due time.
2. Control access of both lecturers and users (students) of the System.
3. Receive, update and retrieve student result information’s in due time.
4. Accept feedback responses from both lectures and students in form of email should be in case of vital records omitted.
5. The system also has the functionalities of automatically computing academic scores of students based on the uploaded compilation records by the respective lecturer.
6. Accept and retrieve different enquiries
7. Printing of students result transcripts.
8. Register / Manage students, institutions and Institution Admin.

Non-functional Requirements.

A. Usability

1. The system requires keyboard and mouse or keyboard or mouse for all its input.
2. The interface will be user friendly.

B. Flexibility:

1. The system provides for expansion as user requirement changes.
2. The System can be adopted for usage in handheld devices and computer systems environment.

C. Reliability: All action in the system will not take longer than 0.5 seconds to execute except encryption and decryption which the time taking depend on the file or folder size.

D. Availability: The availability of the system is guaranteed in real time.

E. Maintainability: this is the characteristic of design and installation which determines the probability that a failed equipment, machine or system can be restored to its normal operable state within a given timeframe, using the prescribed practices and procedures. Its two main components are serviceability (ease of conducting scheduled inspections and servicing) and reparability (ease of restoring service after a failure).

F. Testability: this is the degree of difficulty of testing the proposed system. Testability determines the limit to which the risk of costly or dangerous bugs can be reduced to an acceptable level