DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPUTERIZED STUDENT INFORMATION TRACKING SYSTEM

 ABSTRACT

Student information tracking system is a system designed to computerize the process of student information records considering the problems faced by doing this manually. The system was studied and relevant officials were interview to acquire the required data. This designed system allows easily information retrieval of accurate information for effective and efficient allocations. Easy maintenance of information integrity as well as time saving and reduction in operation. The system design in visual basic 6.0 is interactive, menu- driven and user friendly. It provides a timely information: about students. Most students information operations are recorded and stored in the computer and retrieved at willed. It ensures security as students must logo to the systems before they see information concerning them.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0     Introduction

A student information system (SIS) is software application for education establishments to manage student data. Also known as student information management system (SIMS), student records system (SRS), student management system (SMS), campus management system (CMS) or school management system (SMS).  The SIS is equivalent to an Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP system for a cooperate customer. As such, many of the issue with ERP system selection Methodology, implementation, and operation of an ERP system apply too. Student information system (SIS) is also a computer- based application software designed to introduced a conducive and structured information exchange environment for integrating students, parent, teachers and administration of a school or college. Some of the other software packages available for this purpose include student management system (SMS), student information management system (SIMS) and student record system (SRS). These software system enable educational institutions to surprise student- related activities such as Keeping records of tests or examination conducted, attendance, appraisal on performance including details of mark scored, particular of everyday school attendance, and all other institution- related activities? In short, they provide a complete student records system. They are designed with diverse application potential ranging from simple management of students? Records at school to manage of all student- related functions as well as administrative functions of a university or a chain of educational establishments.

The further education sector has devoted time, energy and resources in recent years to the development and improvement of information systems, particularly computerised systems. These are most commonly referred to as management information systems (MIS). Many of the systems in place were first developed to help colleges to provide statistics (eg the Further Education Statistical Return and the Annual Monitoring Survey) to the (then) Department of Education and Science and the Welsh Office. Refinements to the systems began to be implemented in the late 1980s because of criticisms that MIS were too unwieldy, suitec. for their original purpose but not for the provision and manipulation of management (as opposed to administrative) information.

This process has continued since the incorporation of colleges in 1993 and the consequent revised and expanded data demands of the Funding Councils. The main change in focus, and the heart of this report, bas been away from global information about groups and populations of students towards information about and for individuals. The Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) has established an information systems sub-group of its steering group on statistical needs, to monitor the use of information systems by colleges and to identify good practice and developments.

The greatest related pre:ssure upon colleges to develop a student tracking facility as part of their information system has been the introduction of three-part funding. Formerly, college funding was based largely on student rminbers in colleges at a particular census date assuming that most of these students were in cohesive groups of a year’s duration. Now colleges are funded for recruiting students, for their period on a learning programme (with guided learning hours) and for student achievement. Colleges, therefore, need accurate information about individual students at each of these phases in order to maximise funding. The FEFC (1995a) announced that its tariff advisory committee had set up three sub-groups to undertake further research, including one on “extending the number of individually-listed qualifications, cost weighting factors, and the emergence of a credit framework for qualifications”, with implications for some of the issues below.

At the same time as changes in funding, the kinds of learning programmes which students can follow have become more diverse and potentially fragmented. Within the parameters of a college’s curriculum offer and the resources and support available, students can elect for an individualised learning programme and an assessment regime which suits their individual circumstances. This is facilitated by the division of a number of discrete programmes into modules of delivery (MOD), which can be combined in various ways. The biggest single impetus for this change is the unitisation of the curriculum. Colleges which adopt the credit framework know that units of assessment (UOA) from a range of academic, vocational and pre-vocational programmes can be measured, compared and (if necessary) combined in valid and reliable ways.

None of this is possible unless the technology and tools are available. The existing software developers for the sector have been adjusting their products to fulfil the need to track students, for the reasons above, and new developers and products have appeared to fill perceived gaps in the market.

At the same time colleges have been reviewing their relatcd needs, processes and procedures in the interests of efficiency and effectiveness. There is a requirement under the new funding regimes to have an individualised student record (ISR); colleges have sought guidance from national bodies and their professional organisations on how associated practice might be developed for purposes of curriculum management. Surveys by the former Further Education Unit (FEU) – for example as part of work noted below indicate that there is concern in the sector about the ability of information systems to support these enhanced functions.

Arising out of the involvement with the credit framework implementation project and the college’s commitment to the validation and accreditation of the part-time programme, the project team report that further substantial changes to the student tracking system will be required. Currently the credit records of students on the full-time programme are kept manually, but a manual system will not be able to cope with the information needed when the accreditation of the part-time programme conies on-stream. There is need for guidance front the funding councils and other national organisations on data collection strategies for a unitised and modularised curriculum.

An internal paper for the London Training and Enterprise Councils’ (TECs’) credit accumulation and transfer systems (CATS) Projects Liaison Group notes that the college’s computerised management information system will underpin all these changes. land) it is essential that developments are business – not technology driven (extracts November 1994).

Many of the student tracking systems (or aspects of them) in use in colleges are not computer-based; they rely on information collected and disseminated by a mixture of word of mouth, paper and electronic systems. They reflect, in part, the traditional personal and tutorial relations which exist in colleges. This has been illustrated by a number of FEU projects. To give just one example, work on GCSEs in colleges (FEU 1994a) showed a large majority using paper-based tracking systems. Other examples are given in this report. Whilst the factors above may make the move to comprehensive electronic/computerised systems inexorable, it is important that tutorial and other relation are enhanced and supported rather than damaged. This report offers some related guidance.

The report is intended to support all concerned funding bodies, colleges, college staff, software developers whose aim is to introduce and support systems of student tracking. It is part of a portfolio of related work from FEU and its successor body the Further Education Development Agency (FEDA) which includes:

• a proposed planning handbook on MIS and the curriculum to help colleges review and re-specify their overall information system;
• a range of publications and support material on developing and implementing a framework for credit;
• a discussion paper on CATS (credit accumulation and transfer systems) and MIS, and reactions from the sector, resulting in further development activity with funding bodies;
• a project to monitor the impact of FEFC funding methodologies (FEU 1994b);
• a project on evaluating systems of recording attendance (FEDA 1995b);
• project work on implementing flexibility in colleges.

As well as providing guidance and practical information, the report contains a reference section of publications (Appendix 4) and organisations (Appendix 3) which will be of use. The project leading to the report was undertaken in co-operation with the National Council for Educational Technology (NCET); the Council’s reports on trials of some related software are included in appropriate sections below.

A student tracking system must provide useable information about any student’s contact with a college at whatever point of progress and over time. Any vision of an ideal, whether or not it is appropriate, is still far from current practice in most colleges. Many are in a development phase adapting to changing internal and external circumstances:

We are in a period of transition from fragmented systems for applications, enrolments and on-programme, to an integrated student tracking system which Is intended to track students from enquiry to achievement and destination. (College H). We are currently evaluating several packages, as well as conducting a feasibility study on modifijing our in-house enrolment database to analyse and store student tracking information. (College N).

This report allows organisations to decide how much of the ideal exists or is necessary, to evaluate current practice and compare their own experiences, and to specify systems which provide what is required. There are a number of published specifications (Appendix 1) against which existing and proposed tracking systems can be measured and Appendix 2 provides an overview of existing student tracking software. Chapter 3 of this report suggests ways in which colleges can evaluate systems in use or those proposed for purchase.

Today, it is believed that the application of computer technology in any activity would go a long way in making activity much easier. To the research this statement remains theory until proven otherwise by the implementation of computerized student’s information tracking system. It is also believed that the benefits and advantages of using computer is more significant than that of the manual methods. This also wants to be proven beyond doubt by the researcher through the implementation of the system.

1.2     Statements of the Problems

In much higher learning school in the country, they do have data bank that contain all information of every students who are learning in the school. In the case of conflict that do happen in many schools, for the management to fetch out the culprit cause the management  a lot of time and resources. Through the implement at of the new system, it seeks to provide a reliable storage that will contain every information that concern both students and their guardian incase of investigation. It would also solve the problem of mass absence from the class during lecture by keeping the records of students who are in the class day by day.

• Aim and Objective(s) of the Study

The project is aimed at developing  student information tracking system with improved performance over that of the current to ensure that the problem of the current system are properly analyzed and a solution to such problems incorporated in the new system.

Student information system must meet the following objectives:

• Enable self-service for students to perform basic administration functions and tasks in a “one – stop” service and access environment.
• Integrate data sources and process them through a single function that supports one-time entry of student data.
• Support the retention and recruitment of students and encourage a strong and positive relationship with the university, alumni, donors, and other constituencies.
• Integrate and support new learning and teaching opportunities and technologies for students and faculty.

1.4     Significant of the Study

The use of student information system has the significance effect and this can be enumerated as follows:

• To help the school to know the pedigree of all the student admitted into the school.
• To create a storage of large volume of data on school records.
• To assist the school management for easily identification of students.
• To prevents students to involve themselves any havoc happening in the school because of the fear tracking them.

1.5     Scope of the Study

This project is aimed at how the institute can improve the efficiency of the services. Student information tracking system is one the application involves almost all the features of the information system? The futures implementation will be online help for users to obtain information.

1.6     Organization of the Research

This project is divided into five chapter one gives a generation introduction, theoretical background, statement of the problem, aim and objective (s) of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, organization of the research and definition of the terms. Chapter two handles introduction, literature review highlighting basic concepts. Chapter three is deals with system design that handles introduction, research methodology, input/output format, program flowchart. Chapter four is the system implementation and evaluation phases that handle system design flowchart, choice of programming language, analysis of the modules and implementation. Chapter five handles introduction, summary, conclusion and recommendation of the research.

1.7     Definition of Terms

Tracking System: It is used for the observing of persons or objects on the more and supplying a timely ordered sequence of respective location data to a model e.g. capable to serve for depicting the motion on a display capability.

Student: A person studying at a university other place of higher education.  

Student Information: Is a student-level data collection system that allows the department to collect and analyze more accurate and comprehensive information.

Student: An institution for educating children or any institution at which institution is given in a particular discipline.

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