DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ONLINE STUDENT RECORD SYSTEM

1.1 Introduction

Students’ academic records form a vital part of the education system though progress throughout life continues to be hinged on availability of accurate data on graduates of various institutions. Students’ records in most institutions have been held in low esteem, especially in the third world where most archival records on students are held in physical systems, giving rise to complications in recovering vital information and reduced access time (Desai, 2009; Arekete et al., 2009). Student record achievement is profoundly influenced by the evaluation practice used by teachers in the classroom. Research in education has consistently shown achievement monitoring and feedback to be extremely important factors in the teaching learning process. Online Student Record System is a web based application that provide platform for the colleague to conduct student’s evaluation online. Student will fill online feedback using a standard form.

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

Database is a collection of logically related files, organized in a manner to satisfy the needs of an organization. A database is a store of data structured so that access and update can be made by different people in different ways without needs to change its design or content for this to happen, it is essential that all data items are logically related.

Database is always necessary to store date items once, because of it, input cost are lower. Duplicate letters are largely dominated thereby saving space and ensuring data consistency. Data is defined as unprocessed facts. They are raw fact that is unprocessed. Data does not have meaning. Information are processed data through the computer, which process different type of information. Information in the computer is stored in codes. File is the collection of related filed, field is the collection of data items.

Database management system is important, because important information requirement and non-specialist need easy ways of accessing this information, large amount of data with many types of records occurring many times in database management system. Also in database management system, complex data structures including many relationships between data items. Many organizations will have many use requirements in data base management system. Organizations will also have many frequent demands for changes to be made which only unflexible database management system can cope with.

Data is viewed as a source to be shared by as many processes as possible. As a result, data must be organized in a way that is flexible and adaptable to un-anticipation requirements. The data which they stored in anticipation of requests, and the requests themselves, data may be stored as references to documents, microforms or computer coded text, graphics etc. The service may be offered on a local basis or through a telecommunication network. Database system may be operated by organizations for their own benefit or offered to the public on a subscription basic. The output from database services is either a document or computer data presented, say, on a video display unit or a voice output.

The main purpose of database is to satisfy the user information needs. The way in which these needs are expressed largely determined the principles of operation of a particular database system. Perhaps the most straight forward request for database is when the user supplies a complete reference for a document. The job of the service then is to locate a copy of the document and deliver it to the user. This is usually referred to as document retrieved service. It may be aided by computers in compelling the index to the documents in store, and in physically locating a required document as in a computerized warehouse.

The database distribution system, with the added facility of storage at computer coded text, offer one approach to reducing, the physical size of records, and to mechanizing their search and retrieval the records unfortunately, first have to be converted into computer compatible form, and can be consulted only after reconversion via some printing or display device.

It is against the background that the development of this software to enable Student record information storage and retrieval, so the software users should not give false information that is out of the software deeds. This research work is based on providing adequate information about students’ records. At the end of this project, the research work, the software will able school officials to evaluate students’ course in learning and teaching and concise students’ records from the database.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the difficulties student record department usually force in any institution of higher learning made us to realize that (computer aid) an online record system is the best that can happen to FUTO. This will save our school the embarrassment caused by students’ complaints at the end of the working day.

It was in the view of this that Sundison (1994) pointed out that a typical problem students have had was moving from school to another school. In a modern society labour moves quite a bit and many students change schools at least OND/HND in their lifetime. Every time new students were offered record into a school, there was a problem of which curriculum the previous school had followed and therefore whether the previous level tallied with those of the new school.

Many students neither know their right nor left at the record level in the institution. Record had frustrated so many students that some even roles a lot of lectures in pursuit of registration.

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1.4 Aims and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to design and implement an Online Student Record System. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to develop an application software that will:

1. Provide accurate report for decision making by the school management;
2. Enhance easy retrieval and access to students’ records;
3. Provide efficient and safe storage of students’ information; and
4. Facilitate proper accounting, students’ file storage and quick response to any adhoc enquires.

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1.5 Significance of Study

It is hoped that the result of this study will serve as tools for helping students who wish to register for their OND/HND programmes, and will go a long way helping the staff also. This is easy to achieve OND/HND standard and tested computer programs handle all sort of complex calculations, storage and retrieval of valuable information needed from the school. Also, important is the fact that records prepared with electronic machine can be stored as long as needed in non-bulky and compact systems.

Works has been done in many areas of computerization, in industry and commerce but not much has been done in school administration and management system/services. We have therefore done this work to highlight the use of an online in the important area of student’s services.

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 Study

The study focuses on the Design and Implementation of an Online Student Record System using Computer Science Department, Federal University of Technology (FUTO) as a Case Study.

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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:

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. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. 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).

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1.8 Definition of Terms

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

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