DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A WEB BASED STUDENT COMPLAINT SYSTEM

1.1 Introduction

The computer has become widely accepted as an assistant that is exceptionally competent and well defined. It should come as no surprise, then, that almost all the task that could be solved manually, can now be solved with just a click of the computer keyboard. At this point one can say that a complain system is a software that uses modern day web tools to collect students’ complaints and store it in the same way a human expert will save a complain about no light at the hostel or how a lecturer plans to extort money from them to pass a course. This software will be designed in such a way that it can listen to students’ medical problems. A computerized complaint system can generally collect complaints, store them and these records are collected by the appropriate authority and then decide on the next step to be taken in solving the issues. Traditionally, computer software uses an algorithmic or procedural approach to problem solving; in other words’ it uses a rigid step-by-step approach. Thus, its system has been developed with the best tools to be able to hold the students’ data and this said data can be retrieved anytime.

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

An academic growth can be of various concerns in academic environment to promote social and functioning educational system. For an effective educational system to take place there are some issues in academic environment that should properly address to, take for instance issue of complaints management system in the university. This issue had created a lot of problems for an academic growth in the various aspects of the educational system. To support this approach, this project identifies a range of options that can be used to manage and resolve Academic complaints. This includes, where the opportunity presents itself, the need for administrator to make every effort to resolve potential or actual academic complaints as informally as possible in the first instance.

Marchington and Wilkinson (2005) defined method of handling complaint as a product of labor relations environment in the 60s and 70s when there was a more explicit struggle for control in the workplace. This had two main effects. Firstly, it created the requirement for clear techniques so that all specialists knew and decides that oversee implicit rules, and moves that may be made against them if these guidelines were charged. Besides, it prompted more prominent clarity and consistency of executive activities to determination the protests. Design and implementation of complaint management system is to maintain an effective, timely, and equitable complaint handling system which is easily accessible and offered to complainants (students) at no charge. This project defines the policy and steps for handling and resolving complaints and also to appeal for an un-favored situation and for this process to take place there must be an automation of the system that will be handle the complaints process and appeal method of registration. Automation can be defined as the aspects involved in using a computer system for the tasks or process such as circulation, implementation etc. In relation to the above preposition by Marcus, it is possible for the design and implementation of an online complaint management system to yield substantial benefits for the users (Marcus, 2000).

The challenges encountered that led to the execution of the research work is that, the Poor performance of the manual system may lead into the missing or exploitative of the complaint by the staff or any member of the management, this is a circumstance where there is no avenue made for survey of the complaint. This obstructs satisfactory upkeep of the system, and there is no system or database set up to screen transfer of complaint submitted on paper or as verbal representation.

1.3 Statement of Problem

During the analysis and data collection of this project, it was discovered that there existed a manual form of collecting and storing students complains in other for them to be attended to, and for future purpose by the Students Affairs Department of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri. That is to say that the process of daily task and activities are done manually which is quite unfortunate; manual procedural for complains execution delays and reduces result output quality. Manual complain record keeping has resulted in many setbacks to the expected standard. The setback encountered includes:

1. Time wastage and long quarries.
2. Partial or total loss of file or documents.
3. Under recording of criminal analysis.
4. Exposures of confidential matters.
5. Inefficiency of some members of staff due to laziness in searching of the files.

As a result of these problems, the manual system of complains record information storage, input and retrieval is very clumsy: inefficient and unbelievable.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to develop a computerized complaint system to enable students submit complains or any wrong doing on the campus, to be handled by a professional administrator who will send the complaints to the appropriate body. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To design web based complaint registration and appeal management system;
2. To design a web based complaint system record and information system to replace some extent of human role in cases of unavailability of job;
3. To provide quick responds to students complains on campus; and
4. To implement a new system called complaint management system for student Affair Division of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri in Imo State using HTML, JavaScript and MYSQL.

1.5 Significance of Study

The significance of this study is to serve better than the existing system which is highly manual and therefore difficult in terms of monitoring the complaint in the University, improve database and enhance effectiveness, efficiency and security of the system. It is also intended that the study will help in the development of a new and hopefully and standard better computer aided system.

The new system will save time, reduce improper handling of complaint system and also improve relationship between student, lecturer and management. The system is expected to be easy as student can login their complaint anytime, staff and management also can equally response to student complaint in a more easy way.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the Design and Implementation of a Web-based Student Complaint System using Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri in Imo State as a case study. The system is designed to be web-based, which will aid student login their complaint and request for management helps concern any complaints.

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

Lecturer: A person who gives lectures, especially (British) as an occupation at a university or college of higher education. (dictionary.com)

College: A school or a division of a university that usually has its own dean and other administrators and whose faculty teaches and confers degrees in specific academic fields reserved (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Academic: Designed for students who intend to study at a college after high school, or attending a school with such courses (Microsoft Encarta 2009)