DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTERIZED PROCESSING OF STUDENTS RESULT AND GRADING CRITERIA

1.1 Introduction

The computerized 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. 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.

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.

The primary objective of any institution of leaning is teaching to be effective; it must be assessed over a period of time. Academic advisers use results of students of monitor then academic progress and this will guide them in advising them either to change departments or change their study pattern also parents need the results of their wards in order for them to know how well they are performing academically, this will enable them to advice their wards meaningfully in their performance.

In the event of transfer the receiving institution will want to know the institution, the importance of students’ results cannot be over emphases; hence the preparation of such result should be done in the best possible way. In this time of computerization processing have been found to be at optimum advantage in the processing and storage of results.

The results of the assessments which may be quizzes or test or term papers, laboratory work, exhibition or end of semester examination are expected to be published on time so that the students can know their performance.

This is due to numerous characteristics and advantage with regard to its reliability, versatility processing speed and capacity. Hence with the use of computer system, software can be developed to replace manual processing of result which has already witnesses a lot of computational errors during processing.

This research work therefore attempts to encourage assist and show how results can be processed using computer system in institutions of higher learning. A unique and informative result sheet format will be the product of this project for institutions of higher learning to adopt.

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.

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. Substitution of human labour and skills with machinery self regulating device or computers in the school, calculating and cumulating the end of the year GPA of the student’s grade in the school with computer system and 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.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

Investigation revealed that the students result 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 Web Based system that would timel6y and effectively process and transmit data.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to Design and Implement a Computerized Processing of Students Result and Grading Criteria 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 to develop an application software that will:

1. Identify the existing problems and the system required as to surface with relevant facts that will be of help in the design of a computer based;
2. Assist management in the computation and preparation of a computer based package for student's grade point;
3. Serve as a relief to tedious repetitive clerical work in preparation of grade Point average computation; and
4. Hasten the rate of computing students Grade and scores thereby the manually records and statistics department labour function eliminated.

1.5 Significance of Study

The following is the significance of the study which is stated as follows:

1. The study will bring about awareness that computers can be used to process results in universities instead of the manual processing for accurate calculation and speed in processing.
2. It 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.
3. It will save the students and lecturers so that there will be no waste of time in reviewing any of the student files.
4. The package shades light to the relevance of computer and it’s accessories as opposes to the manual file processing system and data storage.
5. It will also 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.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on the Design and Implementation of Computerized Processing of Students Result and Grading Criteria using Computer Science Department in Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri as a case study.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
4. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
5. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).

1.8 Definition of Terms

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

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.