DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE COMPUTATION SYSTEM ­(CGPA)

1.1 Introduction

Comprehensive grade point computation is a system by which the result of student is computerized. Grade computation and analysis is obviously not an easy task that would survive the use of manual filling operation and mechanical operation alone. This problem prompted the need for a computerization and analysis of grades. Consequently, this will affect the prompt release of result of student and improve the grading system by its standard. One indisputable face about our present society is the independence of electronic grading, so much of the work done in the past has been heavily laid on electronic therefore taking the community into an electronic system will be a better approach. The electronic grading system is aimed at equipping students and lecturers at the diploma level with the ideas on an easy and fast means to load and access student record as well as compute the student grade using computer.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

The letter grade are not base on effort instead they are based on actual performance. Grade computation and analysis is obviously not a task that will serve the use of manual filling of operations and mechanical operations alone. The overall cause grade is base on the combination of four grades. These will be based on evaluation of four different sort of written work student will be expected to complete in his course.

General Description of Grading System

There are basically four descriptions of the grading system:

• Short paper: Two of these will be assigned each about a page in length.
• Long written project: Two of each of these, will be about five or six pages in length.
• Easy examination written outside of the classes: There will be two of these.
• Written answer to study question, quiz and other similar short project.

In grading the student result, “A” means that the work is judged to exceptionally of high quality, going beyond what is needed to minimally acceptation “A” level work shows factual accuracy, originality in thought. The “AB” also work but cannot be compared to the “A” level. “B” level work but not consistently, or to some extent (it may lack originality a deep factual thought, yet it is acceptable). The “C” level means that the work is acceptable, i.e., it meets the basic standard level work in terms of relevance, factual accuracy and log real but cannot be compared with the above mentioned grades. The grade “D” means that the work does not meet the standards for acceptable college grade and does not exhibit some positive qualities that indicate that it deserve some credit done. The grade “F” means that the work is so weak that it does not meet college level, credit work was not computed.

What is Electronic Grading?

The electronic grading is the act of making processes self acting or moving. Also, it pertains to the techniques of making a device, machine process (say computer) to automatically generate result based on input data. An electronic grade system need industrialized processor greater reliability and often for cost effectiveness.

An electronic is a self controlling or moving process and self driving computing method from which human initiative has been excluded and an interruption of the process in informative situation intended of humans is achieved. An electronic is generally characterized by two major principles:

Mechanization: This is to say, machines are self regulating so as to meet predetermined time (a sample example of self regulation can be formed in the operation of a thermostatically controlled furnace)

Continue Process: This is production facilities are linked together, thereby integrating several separate elements of productive process into a united whole.

How Is It Important To Federal Polytechnic Nekede?

The computerized grading system is of great importance to federal polytechnic Nekede, Owerri just as explained earlier about electronic or industrial machinery and processes, replacing human operation, the following are the numerous benefits accruing from a computerize system.

1. Substitution of human labour and skills with machinery self regulating device or computers in the school.
2. Calculating and cumulating the end of the year GPA of the student’s grade in the school with computer system.
3. The replacement of human workers by machine, the system transfers human effort to machine without significant human intervention of operation in order to improve performance.

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1.3 Statement of the Problem

The students Comprehensive Grade Point Average (CGPA) Computation System generation are done manually in Federal Polytechnic Nekede long before now. The manual method of Comprehensive Grade Point Average Computation result processing and generation are prone to error, result to an inaccurate students' result.

The problem is to investigate the way the computer science department in federal Polytechnic Nekede prepare the grade point processing and analyze the system, design and implement a new computerized system that would timel6y and effectively process and transmit data.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to Design and Implement a Comprehensive Grade Point Average (CGPA) Computation System using Computer Science Dept, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the existing system in an attempt to identify its problems and the system required as to surface with relevant facts that will be of help in the design of a computer based.
2. To develop a Comprehensive Grade Point Average computation system that will help management in the computation and preparation of a computer based package for student's grade point.
3. To design an application software that will hasten the rate of computing students Grade and scores thereby the manually records and statistics department labour function eliminated.
4. To system will serve as a relief to tedious repetitive clerical work in preparation of grade Point average computation

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1.5 Significance of Study

This study will produce a computer based program that will be used in student’s record handling and computation of grades of students. Thus, the package is poised to present an easy processing of student record and grading in federal polytechnic Nekede, Owerri. It saves the students and lecturers so that there will be no waste of time in reviewing any of the student files.

The package shades light to the relevance of computer and it’s accessories as opposes to the manual file processing system and data storage.

This will be a very good help to the lecturers and head of departments (HOD) for efficient computation of students records and grading. Hence it is authentically narrowed to source the problems of the manual system.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

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1.6 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on the Design and Development of a Comprehensive Grade Point Average Computation System (CGPA) using Computer Science Department in Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri as a case study. It is of great important to the management of the school and the record of computer science department. This goes a long way to helping stop those problems that prove detriment to the calculation of student's grade point (G.P).

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1.7 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are mainly due to time limit and difficulties in data collection this study has been limited to computerization of exam score/grade point (G.P) for morning and evening program students. The program is under the security of the following:

1. Computer science Department
2. Exam Records, Grade Computation
3. School of Engineering Technology.

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1.8 Definition of Terms

Registration: This means to keep records received from the management for reference purposes.

Certificate Number (Code): An Assign Numeric data added to each certificate to uniquely identify each certificate.

Management: It is the co-ordination of all the resources of an Organization through the process of planning, Organization, directing and controlling

System: Physical component of a computer that is used to perform certain task.

Data: Numbers, Text or image which is in the form suitable for Storage in or processing by a computer, or incomplete information.

Information: A meaning full material derived from computer data by organizing it and interpreting it in a specified way.

Input: Data entered into a computer for storage or processing.

Output: Information produced from a computer after processing.

Information System: A set of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve), process, store and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization.

Computer: Computer is an electronic device that accepts data as Input, processes data and gives out information as output to the user.

Software: Software is set of related programs that are designed by the manufacturer to control the hardware and to enable the computer perform a given task.

Hardware: Hardware is a physical part of a computer that can be touched, seen, feel which are been control by the software to perform a given task.

Database: Database is the collection of related data in an organized form.

Programming: Programming is a set of coded instruction which the computers understands and obey.

Technology: Technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use technical and their interrelation with life, society and the environment, drawing upon such as industrial art, engineering, applied science and pure science.

Algorithm: A set of logic rules determined during the design phase of a data matching application. The ‘blueprint’ used to turn logic rules into computer instructions that detail what step to perform in what order.

Application: The final combination of software and hardware which performs the data matching.

Data matching database: A structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system.