Online Information system Essay Example for Free

Online Information system Essay Nowadays, technology has reached its highest level and is in the phase of developing more with the new innovations. Innovations that helps a lot of people to have a more convenient way to do enormous job to be done in a short period of time. Almost public high schools like Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School (BLMNHS) are still handling their student record by means of using file document in a manual manner. The grades of the student are computed and recorded manually which it took time for the teachers to be done. Especially when a high school’s population increases annually, the ease of data handling needs more effort to taken care off. The manual saving of files in BLMNHS needs more file cabinets in order to save their school records. There are cases that some files are being lost and never been find or have been misplaced. There are also incidents that teachers are having mistakes in writing their student grades and records and they have to make a way to reedit the data and give them a lot of time and effort. As one of the first web-based of information system in computer technology in education, Online Student Information System (OLSIS) is made for educational establishment to manage student data. It is a database controlling student records, information, schedules, subjects, and grades. Information System (IS) helps users to become instructive, which means making it easy for them to organize, analyze, search and use old information to create new ones. As an order, it focuses on exploring the interface between Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science (CS). Computer Science (CS) focuses on information technology which is a software development. While Information Technology (IT) is involved with the manipulation, storage of data and information, and management of computer systems with companies, universities, and other organizations. The developers chose Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School (BLMNHS) as their client because they need technology assistance. Since the populations of the students in BLMNHS are increasing yearly they decided to make this website to facilitate the keeping of records of each student. This project is an online student information system made for BLMNHS in order to manage their student data that should be handled for their school needs. The system helps especially those incoming first year students to inquire online. It also helps the faculty and the school administration in terms of handling of records. They can also upload their class and teacher schedules. The students can have their own account wherein they can view their grades, schedule and activities. Parents can also have an access of their child account. The faculty and the school administration can also have their own accounts for data handling. This online information system is created for schools that are in need of data handling. This project will benefit the school in terms of grade record handling for the teachers, accessible grade records for the student and their parents and other data that the school needed to be handled online. Project Context The developers decided to apply this web information system to BLMNHS because the purpose of the developers is to help them ease their job and to enhance the productivity of every person involved in school management. At present, the school management and it’s all procedures are done manually. It creates a lot of problems due to the wrong entries of adding data which causes duplication and redundancy of student record and grade setup. Since their data are stored in file cabinets, searching for data adds a lot of time for them to find it out. The developers proposed this system to maximize and minimize this kind of manual arrangement of data for the users to have a convenient way of handling their data. The system will solve the problem such as mistakes through proper checks and validation control methods in checking of student record, teacher’s record, grading reports. Purpose and Description The proposed system is an online school portal for BLMNHS that will help school teachers in handling their student’s data. It is a convenient way to access their data because it can be viewed over the internet. The confidentiality of their files is still maintained through the use of faculty no. and password in order to avoid from intruders. The privacy of the proposed system should also maintain for the school’s policies in the confidentiality of their school records. The students can also have an access in their school performances, school activities, health record and class schedules, these records can be viewed on their student profile. In this system, the parents have also their account wherein they can monitor their children’s records, like they can view their children’s grade, schedules, health record and their activities in school. The main purpose of the developed system is to give an ease of use in data handling in order to have a more efficient way of adding, deleting and editing of the data that should be managed and maintain. It woul help the client into a convenient way of accessing their data throughout the internet. This would benefit the students and teachers of Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School (BLMNHS), the parents, other public high schools. The users should also have the knowledge of browsing the internet especially the said website. The developers used a web designing software in order to build an interface and functionalities for the future users of the system. A Server is also used to view the created website over the internet. For data handling we use database software that could handle and manage a large amount of data. Objectives The main objective of the said project is to develop a web information system that will computerize and organize different modules in Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School (BLMNHS). Specifically it aims to: 1. Identify the present student information system used by BLMNHS in terms of: 1. 1 facilities and resources 1. 2 technology utilization 2. Provide a better service for the students and faculty of BLMNHS with the following features: 2. 1 Submission of grades 2. 2 Viewing of Schedules and Subjects 3. Determine the level of acceptance of the developed web services among faculty and students of Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School relative to: 3. 1 user interface 3. 2 compatibility functionality in terms of browser 3. 3 contents components 4. Perform beta testing on the developed web services. Scope and Limitation The developers would like to improve and build up the web information system for BLMNHS. The study will focus on the transformation of manual Online Student Information System of BLMNHS. The aim of the project is to concentrate on data handling of records of each student like grades, subjects, schedules, and medical record. Each student’s parent would also have their own account in which they could access their child’s grade records and schedules. Students are not able to edit or manipulate their records within the website, instead, the website administrator are the only one who can edit this data. Parents should register first their accounts via their child’s designated LRN, but they can create their own username and password in order to secure their accounts. Faculty could also have their own account wherein they are the one’s who record each of their student’s school performances, in terms of grades and class schedules. They could also upload their files but this data are only seen by their co-faculty members and also by the website administrator. The website administrator accesses all data that the website should maintain. It is also responsible for user requests wherever they could have problems in their profile. The entrance examination will not be covered by the study for the reason that the examination should not be taken online due to the possibilities that it may have leakage during the examination. Definition of Terms These terminologies were gathered by the researcher for better and clearer understanding about the study. It also sets as reference for each system’s functionalities. Backend. Backend is everything that happens before it gets to your browser. A backend can be very simple or very complicated. [1] It is hidden by a user and can only access by the administrator of the system. It is where the data are being stored and operated. Client-server. It describes the relationship between two computer programs in which one program, the client, makes a service request from another program, the server, which fulfills the request It serves as the administrator’s task to manipulate and control the system through peer-to-peer or network. [7] It is a correlation of program that fulfills request and delivers the response, and vice versa that creates a one line process. Database server. Database server is the term used to refer to the back-end system of a database application using client/server architecture. The back-end, sometimes called a database server, performs tasks such as data analysis, storage, data manipulation, archiving, and other non-user specific tasks. [4] It is a kind of internet service that provides databases for websites; it acts as the backend of the system. Data Flow Diagram (DFD). A data flow diagram (DFD) shows how data moves through an information system but does not show pogram logic or processing steps. [2] It also illustrates the data flow of each function of the system. It also shows on how each data has been processed and the corresponding end users of this system. Domain name. Provides the ability to refer to IP devices using names instead of just numerical IP addresses. Allows machines to resolve these names into their corresponding IP addresses. [2] It also serves as an identification name for the website. Frontend. It is the part of the web that you can see and interact with. The Frontend usually consists of two parts: the design and frontend development. [1] It also serves as the user interface of the system. It is accessed by the user. IP (Internet Protocol). A packet-switching technology that is deisgned to get packets from point A to B in whatever way is most effective, without the user necessarily having any ability to know what route will be taken. [3] It acts as the address number of each data from a computer that has been sent to another computer. It also sets as identification for each computer in the internet. Text Editor. A text editor is a computer program that lets a user enter, change, store, and usually print text It is a programming tool used for editing plain text files. [8] It is used mostly for webpage designing and integration. Web host. Hosting (also known as Web site hosting, Web hosting, and Webhosting) is the business of housing, serving, and maintaining files for one or more Web sites. [9] It is a kind of Internet service that allows orgranizations to make their website accessible via World Wide Web. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED SYSTEMS In this chapter presents the related studies that have been done over the past years. This includes the foreign studies, local studies and the technical background which includes the software that will be used throughout the process of creating the study. Related Systems The Degif developed the system â€Å"School Management System† for KokebeTsebah Secondary School†. It has been shown that the system effectively registers students along with parental information, easily retrieves information about a student and generates the required reports such as transcript, report card and timetable. In addition to generating a feasible master timetable it produces a timetable for each teacher. Furthermore it has been shown that the web application of the system helps attendance recording by the homeroom teacher and parents can view the status of their children using the Internet or Intranet of the school. Most educators like the systems if they work smoothly and help students learn, according to teachers and teacher-union representatives. Brian Lewis, chief executive of the International Society for Technology in Education, a Eugene, Ore. , professional group, says the systems can foster a strong home-school connection and allow busy parents to be involved—and let them step in early if a child is struggling. Bill Erneste, a math teacher for 20 years, says one of the biggest advantages these systems have over paper grade books is that parents and teachers are communicating without even a phone call. At Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Mo. , where he teaches, he likes posting links to instructional materials that students and families can use at home. Plus, teachers say online reporting makes it easier to collaborate and share information. Other teachers, however, regard posting grades and assignments as an administrative burden, especially for inexperienced educators who often need to spend more time planning lessons and managing their classrooms. Some parents misuse the systems by trying to micromanage their childrens work or overreacting to minor missteps, creating extra work for teachers. Also, problems arise when schools use multiple programs that dont share data, requiring teachers to enter data more than once. [10] The developers found out that there are related systems that exist outside the country so it is a proof that â€Å"Online Student Information System for Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School† is convenient to use and lastly, it can improve the services of the school to its students. The Student Information system Via-Wapsite was developed to provide a system in wap-based information retrieval system of student. The system has also provided an alternative, efficient and reliable system that provides an easier way to access student information system and verify grades through mobile phones. And also the developers want to provide a system that has a key access and menu-driven interface for students and also for the administrator. [11] On the other study the developers developed the online submission of grades of the faculty to the registrar and the online viewing of student’s grades. It will diminish the hassles in walking right through the registrar office. The system developed only in authorized persons. [12] The Online Student Information System for F. L Vargas College Tuguegarao City cited that maintaining student’s records manually is a very difficult task and time consuming. The said school are still using filling cabinet to store their files, there are some incident that some of the files are lost. [13] The Student Information System of Southgate Institute of Malvar is specifically about the arrangement of different modules into one whole school system. One of the objectives of this study is to remove the deficiencies of current system and build up new computerized system, it shall be faster and will able to produce results of various queries. [14] The developers found out that the system has its potential to provide greater conveniences and accessibility to the students since student can access information despite of their location and time at their convenience. All these systems are related in the sense that systems aimed to lessen the problems encountered by the students, faculty and other respondent during enrollment and school days. The preceding review shows the transition from a manual system into a computerized system. As similar applications for the enlistment process have not been implemented yet in Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School the results of this study may provide additional information on the subject and may become an effective tool to push the computerization of many transactions done in school. The study shows that the proposed system is feasible and had a chance to be implemented. The proposed system was developed and concentrated only in high school. The difference of the proposed system from other system that has been done is that it is made exclusively for a certain High School. Nowadays the existing school online websites services are made only for tertiary levels. The developers want to bring the benefits of technology to high schools in which students can have their own accounts and also for their parents. Teachers, administration and staff have their own accounts also for their school monitoring activities, updates and grade records. The system is comprised of a newer networking technology technique, thus a faster and real time online student information system. Technical Background In building a website there are different softwares that can be used in which it should includes programming language, database and server. Here are the programs that are used in order to build the Online Student Information System of Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School. The PHP Hypertext Preprocessor allows web developers to create dynamic content that interacts with databases. (Mike Chapple, 2008). The proponent used this language for the ease of making website. The language was one of the most recommended in terms of making websites. PHP is also great for creating database-driven Web sites. Most web hosting providers support PHP for use by their clients. It is originally designed to create dynamic web pages. PHP is very fast and lightweight. MySQL It is an open source RDBMS package for back end tool for managing the database as this allows users to manage the database very efficiently and controls data redundancy and inconsistency. It allows enforcing various data integrity constraints on the data being entered into the tables. Database can be accessed using GUI provided by the system (Angela Bradley, 2006). MySQL serve as the database of the system. The proponents believe that MySQL was the most reliable to managing database because most of the web developer used it. Database can be accessed using GUI provided by the system. MySQL helps the proponents to accumulate the appropriate records in the database. It helps to handle the whole data and information in the certain school. Apache Server is a web server software program notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. Apache was the first viable alternative to the Netscape Communications Corporation web server (currently named Oracle iPlanet Web Server). Typically Apache is run on a Unix-like operating system, and was developed for use on Linux. Apache is developed and maintained by an open community of developers under the auspices of the Apache Software Foundation. The application is available for a wide variety of operating systems, including UNIX, FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris, Novell NetWare, OS X, Microsoft Windows, OS/2, TPF, and ComStation. Released under the Apache License, Apache is open-source software. (Robert McCool, February 2013) Apache Server was the most popular server software on the Web so that the researcher decided to use this server. This server serves as the temporary server for our websites. It enables a computer to host one or more websites that can be accessed over the Internet using a Web browser. It supports PHP so the developers use this as server. Apache is popular when it comes in Web Hosting because it is open source and free to use. CHAPTER III DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the methodological study for creating the proposed system. It includes the methodologies, requirement specification, user interfaces, software interfaces, performance requirements, system overview, and system architecture. System Analysis and Design The Online Student Information system of Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School access the student and faculty school information. It also improves the user’s accessibility in their information, and convenience in data handling and manipulation. System Design The following diagrams are the system design followed by the developers in order to achieve the necessary data that should be processed on the system. Figure 1 shows the general flow of the data accommodated within the system. It is compose of four entities wherein it sets as the user of the system, in each entity there are several operations that should be undergone. These processes are the functions of the system to imply on the actual operation of the system. Figure 1. Context Flow Diagram Figure 2 shows the registration process of a user to the IS wherein the system admin generates the newly registered user’s to its database. The users can have their own account. Figure 2. DFD of User Registration Figure 3 illustrates the data flow diagram of the grading system of BLMNHS that can handled by the system. The grades of the student to be computed by their teachers are from their assignments and their examinations. The grade that has been computed can be view by the student’s profile and also to their parent’s profile. Figure 3. DFD of Grading System Figure 4 shows the data flow on handling the student’s health record. The BLMNHS’s P. E. teacher is the one who is in charge of handling the health record of the students. Figure 4. DFD of Student Health Record Figure 5 shows the flow of submitting of schedule. The admin will submit the schedules in both teachers and student. And the teachers and students can view their schedules on the web, the same with the parents they can view the schedule of their children. Figure 5. DFD of Schedule System Implementation The Online Student Information System for BLMNHS was deployed over the web through a web server. The system’s main feature was implemented only for BLMNHS student, parents and faculty. The developers used web hosting for their system to be accessed via online by the students. The administrator is the one who maintain and update the system. The users of the site should have internet access in order to explore the said system. Project Concepts To meet the needs of the proponents in data handling specially the developers sets an objective in order to achieve a goal in creating the system. Figure 10 shows the Homepage of the Web Page. The users can see the Announcements, history, and admission policies of the school. Figure 10. Homepage Figure 11 shows the login page in order to have security on their profiles. Their student’s Information should be confidential and to avoid from intruders. For newly registered users they have to fill up some important details to fulfill the information that are needed by the school. The information that entered by the users can remain confidential generated by the system administrator. Figure 11. Log in Page Figure 12 shows the Student’s profile wherein they can view their grade record, Class schedule, school activities uploaded by their teachers; they can also submit their assignment. Their health record and status can also view on their profile. This data are manipulated by their P. E. teachers who are in charge in their health maintainability. The student account record can be view by the system. Figure 12. Student Profile Figure 13 shows the teachers’ profile that has the authority to view their student profile. They are also the one who upload schedules, school activities, student grades and class standings. Teachers can also compute their student’s grade on the website and sent it throughout the designated profile. Figure 13. Teacher’s Profile Figure 14 shows the Parent’s portal that have an access to their child’s class standing, grades, schedule, and health record. They can view the school activies of the school of their child. They can also send a message to the system admin. Figure 14. Parent’s Portal Figure 15 shows Rapid Application Development (RAD) whereby, it is use mostly by information systems and website to describe the process of building the system. The first phase is to define the problems of the school that we are using for our study. The developers also identify the possible solutions for the problem and how to help them in the most convenient way of data handling. The second phase is Analyze wherein the developers analyze the software to be use to create the system. The developers will also analyze the flow of the system throughout the operation of the system. The next phase is Design developers will now formulate design for the data flow of the system and also the design of the user interface that the user will view on the proposed system. This will help the users to easily understand and explore the system on the rest of the system operation. Develop is the fourth phase to follow by the developers, here the system’s design, operation and processes are being develop in order to improve the system’s performance. Here the user interface of the system and the functions should be developed to have a more efficient system to be use. It will also identify the possible risk that system will undergo. The next phase is to test the system if it is functional and can be used by the actual users. It will also test the website if it is effective and the other functions are usable. The last phase is support, as the system has been test and has no possible malfunction that has been identified it is now ready for the users to use throughout the net. The maintainability of the system should be operated in order to have a well created system. It will limit the system future risk within the operation. Development Model Figure 15. Rapid Application Development Development Approach The developers are referring to use the top-down approach. In this approach the developers has the overview of the system wherein it focuses on the formulation of the system. Top-down approach breaks down some parts of the system into categories which is essential for the developers. The IS are consisting of different divisions on different function that will be used by the users of the system. Each division should be identified to know the functionalities of each system for the appropriate users. Software Development Tools The developer prefered using open source software tools, since it is more accessible and free than using proprietary softwares. For front end software tools, we use html and css for the website interfaces. For the special website functionalities we use javascript. In order to code these softwares we use a text editor for the entire coding operation of the system. For the backend of the system, we use PHP for website conditions and also functionalities, in order to implement database within the website we use MySql. At first the developers worked offline in order to test the website’s effectivity with the use of XAMPP. For the live implementation of the website, the developers prefer to buy domain name, web host, and the database server. For the users who can access the website faster than using free web hosting sites that might commits problems in accessing the website. The developers also use Filezilla to import the files and links that has been use for the website within the net. Project Teams and their Responsibilities Each team members actively participated in every task all throughout with their own responsibilities in developing a web system. Some specified partitions of project task are as follows: Irish Opena is responsible in designing and development of the project. Angelica Montero is responsible for congregation of information, data and other related facts that would help in the development of the study. Lester Cueva is responsible for organizing group meetings, places, times, dates, communication requirements, etc Budget Cost Management Plan Table 9 shows the expense that has been used for the system. These are suggested to be bought in order to have an easier and accessible website for the user. Domain name is an identification string for the website so that it would be easier to be search by the web. Web host is a web service wherein it helps the website to be accessed by the users. Database server is a computer program that provides database services for the website that allows handling the data within the web. These preferences are bought to make a website implemented throughout the World Wide Web. Table 9 Budget Cost Verification, Validation and Testing Plans The system will test its functionalities with the use of server to test if it is actually works throughout the internet. As this test has been done, it will now evaluated by the faculty, parents and students of Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High school. Questionnaire. Preparation and construction of the questionnaire were done by reviewing concepts related from books, journals, theses and electronic resources. The responses provided by the respondents were given weights of 0 to 5 with 0 as lowest to 5 as highest rate. Corresponding verbal descriptions were also proided in different areas. The following scale was used to interpret and analyse the results: RateVerbal Interpretations 5 Exemplary 4Good 3Satisfactory 2 Needs Improvement 1 Poor 0 Unaacceptable/Absent, N/A A total of (40) respondent evaluated the system having number (5) as the highest possible rating and number (0) as the lowest. The scale used has the corresponding values such as 5 for exemplary, 4 for good, 3 for satisfactory, 2 for needs improvement, 1 for poor and 0 for unacceptable. The total points of the evaluation has corresponding verbal equivalent rating the system’s performace for the user. The respondents in the conducted survey were the faculty and students in Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School (BLMNHS) and parents for they are the target user of the proposed system. In testing the system, the proponents used the content testing which involves checking of the human-interface of the web. In our system we check errors in font types, screen layout, colors, graphic resolutions and other features that may affect the end-user experience. Next is the white- box testing which is said to be very applicable in testing web architecture web. This type of testing is used to find navigational and structural structures in the system. Lastly, testing the end-user environment or the browser compatibility testing web [3] (Glenford J. Myres, Art of Software Testing. Second Edition. John Wiley Sons Inc, New Jersey, 2004). In this part of testing, the proponents focused in configuring the compatibility of the browser, operating system, and the programming language used in the system. Table 10 present’s respondents profile based on gender where in female got the highest frequency of 24 and having a percentage of 56% while male having a percentage of 44% and got the lowest frequency of 16. Table 10 Respondents Profile in terms of Gender Gender Frequency Percentage Male 16 44% Female 24 56% Total 40 100% CHAPTER IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This chapter will discuss the result and analysis of the development and testing of the program in tabulated format. Screenshots of the system are also included in this chapter. Observation 1. The proponents have collected the desirable information from Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School (BLMNHS) which was used in developing the system suited in the need of the said school. The proponents noticed that the school had a problem in their record management method. They manually handled the files and information they have and sometimes they are having hard time in accessing it. Figure 16 shows the homepage of the website. It is divided into 4 major portals, the Student, Parent, Faculty, and Admin. Figure 16. Homepage To solve the problem, the proponents had designed and developed the system that can be used to manage and record the information of the students. Hereby, the developers identify the present student information system used by Bernardo Lirio Memorial National High School in terms of: 1. 1 facilities and resources As the system has been tested and evaluated the developers observed that the facility of staff should be increased in order to better serve the student population. It also decreases the time required to access and deliver student records. 1. 2 technology utilization By means of the new technology, the said institution offers more convenient transactions contrasting in their manual system beforehand. 2. Provide a better service for the students and faculty of BLMNHS with the following features: 2. 1 Submission of grades Submission of grades is more convenient than the manual system of grades. Figure 17 the subject to be graded. The faculty can choose the subject that they would like to upload the grade of their students. As they choose their designated subjects they can now search their students name a