Chapter 1

Introduction

Technology has become one of the most important elements in today’s societies

and its role in our lives keeps getting complex. Technology is a powerful tool that can

support and transform education in many ways, from making it easier for teachers to

create instructional materials to enabling new ways for people to learn and work

together. Technology is inevitable in our everyday lives. This is because life without

technology is pointless in today’s dynamic world. Technology, which

brings together tools to promote development, use and information exchange, has as its

main objective of making tasks easier and the solving of many problems of mankind.

When technology progresses and makes our lives even more convenient, we must

stress how beneficial it is to our lives (Krishna, 2019). The world depends on technology

and everyone from the young to the old seems to be deeply involved. It is true that it

has influenced all sectors of the society and even helped to increase efficiency and

effectiveness. The integration of technological innovations into different facets of our

lives has indeed helped to transform the world and to improve efficiency in almost

everything people do. Efficiency simply denotes being effective or conducting oneself in

a way that completely depicts one’s input. However, the advent of technology and the

improvement of the manual systems to automatic meant that more could be achieved

with less people. These technological modernizations have great contributions in many

organizations and one of it is in education (A. Marave, 2019).

 Indeed, education plays a vital role in shaping our future. Education is an

important medium of acquiring essential knowledge and skills. It is more than just

learning from books. It is an effort of the older generation to transfer their life wisdom to

their offspring. Our world is constantly changing and developing so it is very important to

teach and bring up intelligent people who could understand the problems of modern

society and solve them in a proper way (Barlow, 2017). Right education is the integral

education in which all dimensions of the growing child - physical, mental, psychic and

spiritual -are addressed. A free and natural growth is the fundamental condition. The

function of education is to help you from childhood not to imitate anybody but to be

yourself. And It is not a static endeavor (Gupta, 2012). Education gives us knowledge of

the world around us. It develops in us a perspective of looking at life. It is the most

important element in the evolution of the nation. Without education, one will not explore

new ideas. It means one will not able to develop the world because without ideas there

is no creativity and without creativity, there is no development of the nation (V. Vihar, et.

Al., 2018). Definitely one should finish their studies in order to have a great future. But

not all are lucky, some families do not have enough money and opportunities to send

their children to school. There are several answers to solve these problems. The easiest

of this is to have a scholarship. Scholarship program helps students in their financial

needs and if every student has a scholarship no one has to drop off from school.

Scholarship is one of the development programs obtained by students to

continue the study, both in the form of assistance costs, with various seminars and

training activities. Furthermore, it supports the cost of education, also an award for

students because there is a class of scholarships earned on the achievement achieved

by someone. Web-based scholarship grantee is using data mining because data mining

application can be used with large-scale database. The processed variables have

dynamic weighting so that the application can determine the priority variable in the

decision of education degree such as academic achievement improvement, the decision

taken is more emphasized on the academic achievement and the scholarship for

student learning aid (BBM) that is more emphasized on the economic conditions of

prospective scholarship grantee (E Sugiyarti, KA Jasmi, et.al., 2018). Supporting

education through scholarships to students of higher learning is an important aspect of

government’s effort to assist students at all levels of learning to allow them afford the

basic needs that accrue during their studies. It’s a government plan to develop a critical

mass of professionals who would serve as catalysts of change and agents of scientific

and technological advancement, as well as sustainable economic development.

However, the cost of education has risen drastically over the past few years hindering

the families of low income earners to send their children to school as they can barely

afford the cost (M. Brumbaugh, 2011).

Spreading information on how to get a scholarship is often heard. Nowadays,

students don’t have enough knowledge on how scholarship scheme works, how to get a

scholarship and what to do to have a scholarship. Almost all students have the

possibility of receiving a scholarship based on their circumstances in life, if only

information can be disseminated to everyone this will be a big help to those students

that are in need. Information dissemination is one of the most important way of

communication. Data was gathered through surveys, interviews, and observations. The

data analysis suggests that passive information on the part of colleges, lack of student
confidence in qualifications, and lack of student awareness of the differences in

scholarship criteria are significant contributing factors leading to low rates of application.

Data related to recipient selection processes show that committee training, the use of

multiple reviewers, and the use of consistently-applied scoring rubrics increase

selection efficiency. Results suggest further research possibilities to determine the

extent to which various scholarship marketing strategies, and the manner in which

individual scholarship 9criteria are presented, influence application rates (M.

Brumbaugh, 2011).

In the current process of the scholarship scheme in Leyte Normal University, the

procedures of applying for scholarships, managing scholarships, and evaluating

application forms, or even in posting some updates about scholarship grantees,

scholarship requirements, and announcements for their deadlines of submitting their

applications are all done manually using paper-based processing.

However, there are some disadvantages in the current paper-based processing:

First, inconvenience and time-consuming communication, searching and applying a

scholarship, nowadays we are on the edge of technology that can work ten times faster

than the usual way. Much has been made about the new generation of technology-

savvy students currently in and entering college. These students possess

unprecedented levels of skill with information technology; they think about and use

technology very differently from earlier student cohorts. They are characterized as

preferring teamwork, experiential activities, and the use of technology (R Kvavik, J

Caruso, et. Al., 2004). These students not only possess the skills necessary to use

these new communication forms, but there is an ever increasing expectation on their
part that these new communication paths be used (Hagner, 2001). Second, Heavy

workload and uneconomical. To streamline their workflows, become more productive,

and cut costs, an increasing number of businesses are choosing to automate their

manual processes as a result of the pain points that they've experienced. Whether it's

wasted time or too many errors, every company has struggled with one or more of the

problems in the list below. If you find yourself nodding along with more than one

issue, automating your processes will likely be a valuable and worthwhile investment

(Devitt, 2017). The local government unit (LGU) of AYZ City offers scholarship program

among learners who are included in the underprivileged families. The said agency is

structured in poblacion covering a total land area of 28,220.59 square kilometers. It has

a total population of 391,520 as of 2007 WSO census. There are nine (9) public schools

for elementary levels and one (1) public school and three (3) private schools for

secondary level. It has three hundred twenty (320) scholars in 2018. This scholarship

program is only open for legitimate residents of the said locality and should not have

deficient grades. In spite of their good intentions to their fellowmen, they find difficulties

in handling the data of the scholars due to manual process. They are just using paper

and pen in recording scholars’ information (A. Marave, 2019). An online scholarship

application system was developed for their foundation. The foundation deals with a

large number of scholarship applications as the foundation uses paper-based

processing. In order to automate the task performed by this foundation, a re -

engineering approach named “Evolutionary Re-engineering Approach” was used to

identify all critical functionalities of the existing system (S. Wen-Kai, 2015). Third,

Technology supposed to shorten the working week and give more leisure time to the
employees, but reverse is happening. People are working long hours and spend less

hours with their family. According to a survey from Ricoh Europe, 57% of European

workers believe that technology will bring about a four-day working week in the near

future as it improves their productivity and efficiency (Baxter, 2019). Lastly, difficulty in

data maintenance. As noticed, the administrator of the said municipality uses traditional

way of managing their scholarship program. Hence, it is assumed that the administrator

of the municipality finds difficulties in managing the scholarship program. Moreover, in

the traditional record keeping, application forms and other requirements for scholarship

can be misplaced. Finding records is also a tedious job using the manual filing specially

when there is a bulk of compilations (A. Marave, 2019). The system project was

developed to provide a central storage to maintain all the data related to their

university scholarship awards. The primary reason for developing Scholarship

Management System for University of Northern Iowa was because the scholarship

information was stored in many individual files spread across various locations. Any

information related to the scholarship awarding process can be located more

efficiently using the system (J. Sauser, 2015).

With the help of the proposed project “Implementation of Scholarship News

Update and Application System in Leyte Normal University with Decision Support

Algorithm”, the workload for the scholarship coordinator can be effectively and

considerably reduced. The developed system, is an online portal that serve as an

instrument of the undergraduate students to have a general awareness, it will be more

convenient if each and every educational institution take active participation in the

implementation of various scholarship schemes under their supervision. It has features

that suits the needs of a scholarship office. It has reports of news and updates about

scholarship, list of scholarship programs and their availability and the list of scholar

students. Users can upload and download various documents and supporting materials

of the scholarship. With this study, students won’t spend too much time processing their

documents and requirements, it would be much easier applying a scholarship program

and the system notifies applicants with their schedules and deadlines. In addition, with

this study it will help the undergraduate students to get up-to-date information when will

the release and passing of requirements and their applications, manage the schedules

of examination, interview and orientation of scholarship applicants. It will be an

inducement to improve the quality and fast service by having paperless work.
 Project Context

For years, upon observation of the process of the said university manual

processing is very evident in most of the transaction running. The scholarship

coordinator is still using the traditional way of managing the scholarship program. All of

the records of the said office, from the profiling of the students, records of the

scholarship program are done in the Microsoft Excel file and saved but their other

document files and requirement are still done in a manual process. Hence, it is

assumed that the scholarship coordinator finds difficulties in managing the scholarship

program of the university.

Moreover, in the traditional way of procedure of applying for scholarship,

managing scholarship, evaluating applicant form and update about the scholarship

grantees and other requirement for the scholarship can be misplaced. Finding records is

also time consuming using the manual filing especially when there is a bulk of

compilations. Due to this difficulty and problems, we created a system entitled

“Implementation of Scholarship News Update and Application System in Leyte Normal

University with Decision Support Algorithm” to help the scholarship office in performing

their work easily as well as the applicants they can easily view the news and update

about the status and availability of scholarship.

 The main focus of the system is to eliminate the paper works or the manual

method of processing used by Leyte Normal University scholarship office. Thus, the

result will be a rapid processing of transactions. Furthermore, having an application and

record management system may lessen manpower and will result to more secured,

reliable, and more organized storage of data. The scholarship system office should

have an internet connection to access the said developed system. It has features that

suits to the need of scholarship office in managing and profiling of their scholar’s

information such as approval and disapproval of scholarship. It has function that can

filter records using the search options and manage the schedules of examination,

interview and orientation of scholarship applicants.

In the system development proper, suitable software tools are used to attain the

desired design and functions of the developed system. Hypertext Pre-processor was

used as the programming language a server-side scripting language designed for web

development.

The system was also able to generate and print report and can also download

applicants form. The developed system can be a great assistance for the scholarship

head because it can lessen paperwork’s in the office. It can also help the productivity of

the scholarship office in terms of storing data in the database.

 Framework of the Study

The researchers applied the following theories to help easily understand the

proposed study. These theories can help the researchers by guiding them in developing

the proposed system and to have a successful “Implementation of Scholarship News

Update and Application System in Leyte Normal University with Decision Support

Algorithm”.

Theoretical Framework

Activity Theory

Examination is a core activity of any educational institution. As the

university examinations arrives, there exists a lot of work like consolidating the

time table of each departments of the college and the seating arrangement to all

the students in the college is a critical task. At present in existing system faculty

allotment for exam duty as supervisor is done manually and also it does not keep

the track record about the supervisors who have been allocated for previous

exam. Allocation of faculty will be done in the excel sheet. And also allocation of

thousands of student to particular block is a hectic work and that will be done
manually thus it may take lot of time and require man power. Thus, an automated

system would solve the above stated problem in just few click work. An

automated system can be used through cloud computing technology that

facilitates every college to provide their student and staff information and get the

results of allotment. (DG Savakar, R Hosur, 2013).

In this observation, activity theory is used as a foundation to create this

system. This explains the transformation of a process from manual to electronic

or automated which is the main purpose of the proposed system.

Office Automation

The user interface of a system is unquestionably one of its most important

components. It manifests itself at a number of levels of contact between the user

and the system: physical, conceptual, and perceptual. Physically, it determines

how the user interacts with the system. Conceptually, it determines how the user

thinks about and explains the behavior of the system. As such, the user interface

is a component that cannot be considered apart from the rest of the system. It

cannot be designed haphazardly, added in hindsight, or just made to happen.

Rather, it should be considered early in the design process and design in

conjunction with the rest of the system (Tsichritzis, 2012). In relation to the study,

one factor that can affect the usability and performance of the system is the UI

which should be consider in developing a system.

Relational Theory for Computer Professional

 State that a database can be thought of as a kind of electronic filing

cabinet, it contains digitized information (“data”), which is kept in persistent

storage of some kind, typically on magnetic disks. Users can insert new

information into the database, and delete, change, or retrieve existing information

in the database, by issuing requests or commands to the software that manages

the database---which is to say, the database management system (DBMS for

short) (Date, 2013). Important documents should be filed and manage efficiently

in a database which is one of the most important aspects of the proposed

system.

Work System Theory: overview of core concepts, extensions, and challenges of

the future

This paper presents a current, accessible, and overarching view of work

system theory. WST is the core of an integrated body of theory that emerged

from a long term research project to develop a systems analysis and design

method for business professionals called the work system method (WSM), (Alter,

2013).

The scholarship system office will need the profile or information of the

students in Leyte Normal University to guarantee the reliability of their

scholarship records. They can easily view the news and update about the status

and availability of scholarship. This system also has the ability in managing and

profiling the student’s scholarship information. This system consists of registered

student ID number and password as basis for security purposes and for their

intact records in the system. This proposed system will be helpful and usable for
the scholar students and those students who are willing to apply for scholarship

in Leyte Normal University.

This theory could help the researchers in developing the proposed system

that will work efficiently to support the need of the user experience in terms of

quality, quantity and other characteristic needed. It could also give the

researchers more ideas to be able to come up with a systematic design that will

suit the system end-user.

Database Theory

This study anchors on Database Theory is the concept of using databases

to find specific information (Database Theory 2017). This theory is relevant in this

study in such reason that the student’s information for applying in scholarship

system is saved in the database to determine and identify their personal

information. This theory will help the system to eliminate the paper works or the

manual method of processing used by Leyte Normal University scholarship

office. Having a record management system will result to more secured, reliable

and more organized storage of data. It can also help the productivity of the

scholarship office in terms of storing data in database.

Document Theory

Writing, printing, telecommunications, and copying enabled the rise of the

“information society” (more accurately “document society”) characterized by the

division of labor. Document (verb) means to make evident. A document (noun) is

something from which you learn, especially a text. Documents have a

 phenomenological aspect, employ cultural codes; from media types; and use

physical media. The management of documents led to a more inclusive

definition. Documents have technical social, and mental aspects. Factual

assertions require context. Documents are used to shape our lives and culture.

Conventionally documents are made as documents; but objects can also be

made into documents; or simply regarded as documents. New forms of

document require new forms of bibliography. Current trends lead to the

recording, the representation, and the analysis of everything, simultaneously

(Buckland, 2015).

Conceptual Framework

The proponents gathered theories and methodology in order to develop the

“Implementation of Scholarship News Update and Application System in Leyte Normal

University with Decision Support Algorithm”. To give a clearer picture of the study, a

conceptual diagram is presented below which shows how the gathered theories will

guide the researchers to come up with the proposed subject.

ACTIVITY THEORY

“Automation” DOCUMENT
OFFICE THEORY
AUTOMATION “Important
“User Interface” Documents”

“IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIP
NEWS UPDATE AND APPLICATION
SYSTEM IN LEYTE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
WITH DECISION SUPPORT ALGORITHM”
 DATABASE THEORY WORK SYSTEM THEORY

“Design, Performance, “Design, Performance,

RELATIONAL Reliability, Usability,
Reliability, Usability,
THEORY FOR Functionality
Functionality
COMPUTER

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of “Implementation of Scholarship News Update and Application

System in Leyte Normal University with Decision Support Algorithm.”

The diagram shows how the researchers will use the gathered theories in order

to develop the proposed study which is entitled “Implementation of Scholarship News

Update and Application System in Leyte Normal University with Decision Support

Algorithm.” Activity Theory, discuss the automation of human operations, which is the

implementation of scholarship system office. Document Theory, Relational Theory for

Computer Professional, Office Automation, Database Theory and Work System Theory

explain the important components that should be considered for the automation.
 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to develop a system that will automate the

current Leyte Normal University’s Scholarship Information System that manually: views

the scholarship’s list that are offered, provides informative news and updates of

requirements for particular scholarship grantees and for scholarship inquiries, lists

LNU’s eligible scholars of every particular scholarship available, manual passing and

distributing of documents and application forms, and managing scholar’s information

data. The purpose of the study in system analysis phase, is to comprehend exactly how

the current system operates and manage the scholarship schemes. The basic objective

of the study is to manage the entire system in a laborsaving way.

Specifically, this study would like to:

1. Design a user-friendly website interface that will provide the following;

 1.1. Provide an accessible information page that will determine

scholarship grantees in the website,

1.2. Submit credentials and other documents,

1.3. View status of scholarship application,

1.4. Manages all the scholar’s information data in every scholarship

program,

1.5. Maintains a record for current scholars and new applicants of a

scholarship program,

1.6. Provides a comment section for an interactive information for

scholarship program concerns,

1.7. Provides an informative list of scholarships available in Leyte Normal

University.

2. Develop a system that aims to automate the process of manually managing

information data of Leyte Normal University’s Scholarship Program.

3. Develop a system that will reduce the time consumption process of managing

information data and inquiring.

4. Test and validate the proposed system using ISO 25010:2011 in terms of:

4.1 Functionality

4.2 Reliability

4.3 Usability

4.4 Efficiency

4.5 Maintainability; and

4.6 Portability
 Scope and Limitations

This study is developed to help the scholarship office in performing their work

easily and eliminate the paper works/manual method of processing. The system

provides news and updates about scholarship, list of scholarship programs and their

availability and the list of scholar students. Users can upload and download various

documents and supporting materials of the scholarship. Once the user applies for a

scholarship the system will be the one to decide whether or not you are qualified and

fitted in the particular scholarship, based on the data that has been inputted by the user

on the application form. The system notifies the applicants on their deadlines and

needed requirements for their application. The study also focuses on developing a

system that may lessen man power that will result to more secured, reliable, and more

organized storage of data.

 This study is delimited for the college students of Leyte Normal University. Only

the scholarship coordinator has the access to manipulate the data and other information

in the system. The students can only access the system if they have internet

connection.

Chapter II

Review of Related Literature and System

This chapter primarily presents the different researches and literatures from both

foreign and local researchers, which are significant on the variables included in the

research. The literatures of this study come from books, journals, articles, softcopy’s

such as PDF and E-books. Foreign and local researches are believed to be useful in the

advancement of awareness concerning the study.

 Related Literatures

The term “Scholarship” is sometimes used to describe any financial aid given to a

student that does not have to be repaid. A scholarship is given to a student because of

a reason: the student has qualified for or won it by academic, artistic or athletic ability,

or by agreeing to follow a particular career, or has some special ethic. [ CITATION Abh17 \l

1033 ] Scholarships are provided by various organizations such as Government, Trusts,

College, etc. So, students start searching for appropriate provider as per their

requirements from various available options.

Kissel (2013) said that Paper-based processes involve the handling of physical

document(s), photocopying, archiving, and retrieving physical document(s) from a file

cabinet. Paper based processes are inefficient, cost valuable office space, and pose

security risks [CITATION Sel11 \p 39 \l 1033 ] notes that filing systems require a large amount

of physical space and spawn inefficiencies in searching for previously filed papers.

[ CITATION JKi13 \l 1033 ]

Organizations that use paper-based processes also face security risks due to

paper documents that have been lost, been damaged, been misfiled, or fallen into the

wrong hands [ CITATION Cha16 \l 1033 ] . [ CITATION Bru11 \l 1033 ] finds that “more and more

companies and organizations are making the shift toward electronic filing, saving space

and increasing security. Large computer servers have the ability to store mass

quantities of information in a secure state and location”.

Organizations that have replaced paper-based processes with paperless

processes performed on a computer or other device enjoy greater flexibility with digital
documents. “Digital documents are easier to search, share, and backup than paper

documents, and they take up essentially no space” [ CITATION JKi13 \l 1033 ]. Stratton

(2013) notes that “electronic files allow better SMBS PAPERLESS IMPLEMENTATION

8 access and information sharing, cost less in terms of physical space and personnel,

and can increase productivity—all of which add to the bottom line”.

Traditional file organization has security advantages over electronic filing, but it

also has its disadvantages. Electronic files are usually accessible on a network, which

means it's possible for an unauthorized person to gain access to electronic data over

the Internet through hacking methods. Electronic data can also be damaged by software

security problems like computer viruses. On the other hand, paper files can be lost in

fires and floods, but electronic data is easy to back up in multiple locations, reducing the

potential for permanent data loss (Gregory Hamel; 2018). So, creating a system that will

replace that traditional file organization will lead to more safe and secure files of data.

Although interactive features, such as comment sections, used to be rare on

news websites, they are now the norm. Based on theoretical concepts of interactivity

and convergence, we analyze whether diverse sites are similar in the provision and use

of interactive features online. [ CITATION Str15 \l 1033 ]

In the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has initiated

programs to secure academic records. CHED and the National Printing Office (NPO)

have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the Securitization of Academic

Records for college and university graduates beginning school year 2007. The move is

part of CHED’s drive to stop the use of fake diplomas and school records. CHED former

chairman, Carlito Puno said, “The MOA aims to secure authenticity of academic records
such as diplomas, transcript of records and special orders from all colleges and

universities in the Philippines. Thus, protect the image and integrity of Filipino College

students to potential employers both locally and internationally.” Puno emphasized

further that the MOA would boost the competitive edge of the graduates in the labor

market for it will ensure the integrity of credentials of the graduates while protecting the

reputation of higher institutions of learning.

New ontology-supported and hybrid recommending information system for

scholars was proposed. Not only can it fast integrate specific domain documents, but

also it can extract important information from them through the hybrid filtering

technology to take information integration and recommendation ranking. The

experiment outcomes proved that the reliability and validity measurements of the whole

system performance can achieve the high-level outcomes of information

recommendation. Furthermore, this paper also discussed and investigated the

advantages and shortcomings of the construction of a recommendation system with

different approaches and accordingly provided the design philosophy of customized

services for recommendation systems. (Sheng-Yuan Yang, Chun-Liang Hsu, 2010)

The Matrix Institute of Information Technology (Pvt.) Ltd is an academic institute

which conducts classes for Information Technology, English and Management. The

management of Matrix gives a large number of scholarships for students each

academic year. At present most of the scholarship processing is handled manually. For

example, conducting selection test and correcting papers. There is a traditional file

handling system to keep records of students. The existing system is time consuming

and difficult to correct errors as the processing is done. (AMP Rathnasekara, 2015)
 The scholarship assessment is one of the regular work of the counselors, which

is related to the vital interests of the most students. The traditional method is that the

counselors manually add points and re-rank the students who meet the conditions

according to the ranking in the student education system. This kind of work is time-

consuming and error-prone. This paper presented an automated method to evaluate the

college student scholarships, which uses computer programming technology to add and

sort the students’ scores. A lot of experiments had implemented to test the accuracy of

the algorithm and the experimental results proved that it could improve the work

efficiency and the accuracy and greatly reduce the work pressure of counselors. Most of

the experimental data come from the students in our college, whose performance data

come from the educational management system, and the winning information come

from the student work management system. In summary, the work has important

theoretical and practical significance for the daily work of the counselors and the

administrative departments. (Qiao Zhang, Zhen Kang, Junlei Yang, 2019)

The Foundation Office at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse deals with a

large number of scholarship applications typically in the range of five to eight thousands

every academic year. Nevertheless, processing these applications is time-consuming

due to their current paper-based processing. At present, applicants have to fill out their

application forms and submit them manually to the office. If there is any problem with

their applications while they are processed, it will also take extra time for both the

reviewing committee as well as the applicant to communicate and correct the errors. As

a result, additional paperwork for review may cause a delay in the entire procedure.

Some basic criteria such as GPA are now examined tediously by committee members
but it can be checked by a computerized system automatically. Furthermore,

maintaining and keeping relevant information and updates on the status of an

application for each applicant are strenuous without computerized manipulation. In

order to solve these problems, a pilot project was done to automate many of the tasks

performed by all the parties including the applicant and the scholarship committees.

This manuscript describes the development of a new software system for scholarship

application and processing by re-engineering the pilot project. Some of the important

features of this new system include efficient processing and interactivity between

multiple users under a highly secure networking environment. The document also

describes some of the challenges encountered during each phase of the development

life cycle, while adding more functionalities and techniques introduced for solving the

issues mentioned earlier. (Wen-Kai Shen, 2011)

Scholarship is a critical tool to facilitate education for eligible students, especially

those who are socially and economically challenged in the state, and bring them on to

the mainstream development track. Niger State Scholarship Board processes large

amount of scholarship applications every year. Processing these applications is always

time consuming and prone to errors due to their current paper based system of

processing. In this paper, an e-Scholarship System was designed and implemented in

order to allow students of Niger state indigene across the country apply for scholarship

online with the Niger State Scholarship Board. The system was designed Using Object

Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) methodology. The application was developed

using Hypertext pre-processor (PHP), AJAX, JavaScript, Hyper Text Mark-up Language

(HTML) as the front end and MySQL database as the backend. The E-scholarship
system provides online application solutions that save time, and sends notifications

using SMS alerts and emails on the progress of application in a timely and transparent

manner. (Mohammed Abdullahi Jibrin, Muhammad Ndagie Musa, Shittu Tahir, 2016)

Related Systems

A study entitled “Student Information System for the University of the Cordilleras”

stressed that the concept of Information Systems (IS) emerged in the early 1960s. More

often, when information system is defined, the field Information Science is always

associated, IS is an academic field that deals with the generation, collection,

organization, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of recorded knowledge. Furthermore,

it is a collection of related components designed to support operations, management,

and decision making in an organization. Generally, IS is supposed to inform people.

Information System supports people or users in making intelligent decisions based upon

the information derived from reliable data.

“Decision Support System Of Scholarship Grantee Selection Using Data Mining”,

according to this study the problems faced to get scholarships are some of the criteria

that have been set in this study program such as majors, parent income, parental

dependents, academic achievement, non-academic achievement etc., therefore not all

who enroll as a potential scholarship grantee may be accepted, only those who meet

these criteria and conditions may receive scholarships, it is necessary to have a

decision support system to assist in determining who is eligible to receive the

scholarship. Benefits and Purposes of DSS using data mining can be used with

databases to facilitate the selection of scholarship grantee for the eligibility of

scholarship grantee to obtain students for scholarships especially emphasized to

underprivileged students and outstanding students, as with large-scale database

applications can help make a scholarship recruitment decision. (E Sugiyarti, K. A.

Jasmi, B Basiron, Ml Huda, et. Al., 2018)

The developed system by aims to improve an existing web based system used

by a non-government organization in Ghana to manage their scholarship application

process. The NGO, which sponsors High School students in Ghana, currently has a

web-based application that helps them process their scholarship application and

awarding process. The existing application keeps record of applicants, generate points

for applicants, and send letters for these awardees. Given the current focus of the

existing system, this project seeks to widen the scope of the system by adding
functionalities to track payments. Therefore, instead of being just being a Scholarship

Application System, the system will be a Scholarship Management System (or a

Scholarship Fund Management System). At the end of this project, the NGO should be

able to use less time in processing payments, get a more transparent payment system,

generate reports from the system and reduce costs of operation. (Seidu, 2017)

Dompet Dhuafa Republika is a nonprofit institute that uplift the dignity of a poor

social humanity with ZISWAF funds and other funds lawful and legal, from individuals,

groups and companies. The decision making process in the selection of the SMART EI

scholarship awardee is still to estimate by Manager and central selection committee

based on the poverty of eligible nominee only and must wait for the report from the

selection committee in the area for several months. If there is a change in the education

system of local education system, it can affect the selection and ranking system. This

leads to lack of effective process of determining scholarship awardee. The purpose of

this research is in order to design a decision support system that can simplify the

process of determining scholarship awardee. To develop Decision Support Systems

(DSS) of Scholarship, it applies Rapid Application Development (RAD) using Unified

Modeling Language (UML), programming language PHP, XAMPP as a web server and

MySQL as database. Refer to interview result with Research Manager, the system is

capable of handling and make ease to determine scholarship awardee using

PROMETHEE stage II. (Q. Aini, N. A. Hidayah and A. N. Istiqomah, 2018)

Multiple attribute decision making with simple additive weighting approach for

selecting the scholarship recipients at Syiah Kuala university. According to this

university it has extensively distributed academic achievement and Financial Aid

scholarships. Generally, students who have submitted all requirement documents and

applied to these scholarships will be selected by a scholarship committee. By using the

scholarship committee preferences, the results obtained an amount of vagueness and

subjective. The selection process is also too difficult and take so long time. In order to

solve this problem, a decision support system (DSS) using Multiple Attribute Decision

Making with Simple Additive Weighting Method was demonstrated by using a numerical

example to determine the scholarship recipients. The method is able to display a list of

the scholarship recipients by sorting the best alternative values from a number of

alternative values in descending order. In this paper, we used ten scholarship recipient

candidates as the alternatives and four scholarship requirements as the criteria or the

attributes. The results obtained with finding the weight values of each attribute, then

ranking the optimal score value of each alternative. [ CITATION Irv17 \l 1033 ]

An automated system to follow up the scholarships of faculty members is

proposed in this paper. This framework provides a simple interface for the college

coordinators to apply for scholarships in language, master and PhD training. They

can fill the information of faculty members who are working in their respective

colleges. The proposed system helps the coordinators to manage the file of

applicant and then he can follow it. This system can also be used by post graduate

college and their higher management to follow the requests of scholarships and also

it can generate reports based on the application. The proposed framework depends

on many criteria’s which can be used by the management for evaluating the requests

to decide on accept/
reject the respective request. It can increase the productivity and also reduces the time

and effort to review the file of the applicant. (Almanza, Billy June, Gozo, Eloise Marie., et.

al., 2015)

The study aims to develop a website of scholarship management information

system with the consideration of basic requirements, components, complete and

organize information and online application system of scholars for a university. The

study utilizes the design and development of the website since it focuses on online

application and detection of the scholarship granted to the scholars. The

respondents of the study are the regular users of the scholarship office. It provides

all the information that the scholarship office can give to scholars regarding the

status of scholarship grants and how they will apply online [12]. Their study helps

the users and scholars on being updated on price changes that might happen

unexpectedly and information about the scholarship grants. (Gonzales et al., 2016)

An online scholarship application and record management system for an agency

to eliminate the manual process of managing and profiling the scholars' information,

scholarship approval, and notification. The main focus of the system is to improve the

manual method that the said client uses, and for rapid processing of transactions.

Furthermore, having an application and record management system may lessen

manpower and results to more secured, reliable, and more organized storage of data.

The Developed system used Microsoft Expression Web 4 as their programming

language. They also used XAMMP for the back-end database to serve as a repository

of all records. The developed system enabled the users to update their personal

information, submit their credentials and view the current status of their scholarship.
There is also a module provided for the administrator where the administrator can easily

approve and disapprove applicant scholars and can effortlessly set schedule. The

system can also generate and print reports. (Malipol et al., 2018)

A web-based system used for recording of data, transactions and files of a

business or organization, while a mobile application is most used in daily

communication. These two can manage the task of eliminating paper works in daily

human transaction. The Sagip-Eskwela Beneficiary Program Web-Based System and

Mobile Application manages the records of students and data with their designated

locations and benefits that they receive. The system involves creating reports of

transactions of benefits given quarterly, the status of the students whether they are

active or inactive, reports of student beneficiaries in barangay or district and archive

information on the students who had finished the program. The system is expected to

facilitate the record management of the Sagip Eskwela Program of an agency, thus

providing better service and benefits to recipients of the said assistance program.

Mohammed (2015) developed an e-scholarship system that was designed and

implemented in order to allow students of Niger State indigents across the country to

apply for scholarship online with the Niger State Scholarship Board. The system was

designed using Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) methodology. The

application was developed using Hypertext pre-processor (PHP), AJAX, JavaScript,

Hyper Text Mark-Up Language (HTML) as the front end and MySQL database as the

backend. The E-scholarship system provides online application solutions that save time,

and sends notification using SMS alerts and emails on the progress of application in a

timely and transparent manner. (Plata et al., 2017)

 Similarly, conducted a study at a Canadian university to determine the effects of

aid in conjunction with academic support on retention from one year to the next. Using

an experimental design, the researcher randomly assigned a sample of 650 first-year

students to one of three groups: (a) students receiving a large scholarship in Year 2 if

they met designated academic performance outcomes; (b) students receiving extensive

academic support and tutoring services; and (c)students who were offered both. A

remaining group of first-year students who received none of the three offers served as a

control group against confounding variables. The findings showed that although the

financial incentive alone served as a better motivator for persistence than academic

support alone, students receiving both offers persisted as the highest rate. The fact that

the financial intervention in this study was merit-based and not need-based in nature

suggests that money simply served as a catalyst for students already possessing the

skills necessary to perform in college. However, the study does not contribute to the

argument that academic performance plays a key role in student persistence patterns.

(M. Brumbaugh, 2011)

It is for the Scholarship office of a city to render the best service for the clients.

Primarily, the office personnel of the said office are having their transactions using MS

Excel in keeping records of students’ profile and funds. The record, which is taken by

the scholarship head, returns the information of the qualified applicants for scholarship.

Each application will undergo strict screening and one of its major requirements is that

the scholar applicant must be a bonafide resident of the said city. In using MS Excel, the

scholarship head consumed a lot of time before they can finish recording all the

transactions per day. One thing that makes it complicated is that there are tons of data
that needs to be updated about the scholars each time. It takes a month or few for the

scholarship head to readily update the records. (Falogme et al., 2017)

CHAPTER 3

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
 The minimum software, hardware and peopleware requirements involved in the

study will be discussed in this chapter. The current method and the proposed system

will also be described.

Current Method

Nowadays, computers system applications are widely used in every office to

simply make a task easier and also for the convenience of the workers. Despite the

availability of computers, the Leyte Normal University Scholarship office still using the

traditional way of managing the scholarship program. All of the records of the said

office, from the application of scholarships, profiling of the students, records of the

scholarship program are done and saved in the Microsoft Excel file but their other

document files and requirements are still done in a manual process.

Proposed System

Technological innovation has led to easier and faster way of carrying out

and accomplishing task. In improvement to the current method implemented in Leyte

Normal University Scholarship office the proponents proposed to develop a study

entitled “Implementation of Scholarship News Update and Application System in Leyte

Normal University with Decision Support Algorithm” which will be a progression from the

traditional paper based document management to computer based. With an ease of

use, the system can view the scholarship’s list that are offered, provides informative

news and updates of various requirements for particular scholarship grantees and for
scholarship inquiries, lists Leyte Normal University’s eligible scholars of every particular

scholarship available, manual passing and distributing of documents and application

forms, and managing scholar’s information data. Store records of students file,

managing scholarship, categorize degree programs and display its subjects, and

identifies and monitors scholars.

Hardware

In developing the proposed system, the minimum hardware requirements should

be met for the system to work smoothly. The hardware requirements for the laptop or

desktop computer should have the following specification:

 Microprocessor of Intel Core i3 processor

 Random Access Memory with at least 2gb

For best performance in using the proposed system, the researchers recommend

to use the higher specifications of computer.

Software

The minimum software requirements used by the proponents in the development

of the proposed system is composed of the following:

 Sublime Text - a sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose. It includes

wide features such as Syntax Highlight, Auto Indentation, File Type Recognition,
 Sidebar, Macros, Plug-in and Packages that make it easy for working with code

base

 PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) - a server-side scripting language mainly used to

build web-based software applications.

 JavaScript - an object-oriented computer programming language and it helps to

make the system have an interactive effect.

 XAMPP - an open source software, contains Apache distributions for Apache

server, MariaDB, PHP, and Perl and is basically a local host or a local server.

 MySQL (Structured Query Language) – an open source software, is actually a

relational database management system used to organize the information,

manage, retrieve and update the data.

 Chrome Browser (64-bit or 32-bit) - the most popular browser that supports

HTML5.

 Visual Studio Code - is a lightweight but powerful source code editor which runs

on your desktop and is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. It comes with

built-in support for JavaScript, TypeScript and Node.

 NPM (Node Package Manager) – is a package manager for

the JavaScript programming language that helps with installing various packages

and resolving their various dependencies. It greatly helps with your Node

development. 

Peopleware
Below are the roles and privileges of each user of the proposed system:

Super Admin – The super admin has the privilege to utilize all the featured

function of the system for the operations such as adding, updating and deleting

information from the database and also maintains the system. The super admin

will be handled by the scholarship coordinator.

Admin – The admin holds the server-side process by which the necessary

attributes such as adding and updating information from the database. The

posting of scholarship program’s latest updates is also done by the admin. The

admin will be handled by the secretary of the scholarship coordinator.

Undergraduate Students - The undergraduate students are only limited to

client-side features such as filing application for scholarship, can view updates

about scholarship program, scholarship requirements, and announcements for

the deadlines of submitting applications.

Chapter 4
 Methodology

The methodology selected for the proposed study will be discussed here. The

planned research design, research procedures, research setting and respondents, data

collection and analysis of result will be explained.

Requirements Analysis

Performance Requirements

Requirements Discussion
Response Time
Workload The system will accommodate all students of the

university. The system is expected to support

simultaneous transactions like managing all the

scholar’s information data in every scholarship

program, provide an accessible information

page that will determine scholarship grantees in

the website and view status of scholarship

application.
Scalability The system is designed for all officially enrolled

students in Leyte Normal University.

Safety Requirements

Requirements Discussion
Software errors These refers the software defects and
 vulnerabilities appear in source code largely due

to the human mistakes and errors of the

developers throughout the development. Thus,

the system will include any error or warning

messages if any errors may occur and provide

information on the details of the encountered

error.
Hardware failures Hardware being used must be free from failure

in order to have a smooth experience in using

the system. Hardware failures are managed by

the staff of scholarship office.

Security Requirements

Name Description
Sensitive Data Access The system only can access by the authorized

user, which is an official staff of scholarship

office who is registered. The authorized user

must have a username and password to be

able to login to the system. Validation on

username and password that input is required

to deny the invalid user to the system.

Sensitive data is information that must be

protected against unauthorized access.

Access to sensitive data should be limited

 through sufficient data security and

information security practices designed to

prevent unauthorized disclosure and data

breaches.
Validation Form Required fields, correct format and

confirmation fields are the types of validation a

user can perform through the system. Its

classification will approve all information

sources that will be asked by the framework.

Clear forms and restricted characters will be

additionally checked. Therefore, causing the

framework to acknowledge and process forms

free of errors and are information right.

Systems Design

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The research procedure model that will be implemented in this study is the

Iterative Waterfall Model. This model will allow the researchers to fix the potential errors
that might reflect at some later phase. Using the Iterative waterfall model, as a research

procedure the project can be divided into small parts that will help the system to be

more accurate and obtain its main goal. This will allow the researchers to identify results

earlier in the process and will have the ability to fix errors before publishing the system.

Requirements
Analysis & Definition

System & Software

Design

Implementation and
Unit Testing

Integration and
System Testing

Operation and
Maintenance

Figure 1. Iterative Waterfall Model

Test Plan

This will ensure the quality of the system before deployment. By implementing a

dry run of the system, the developers can have access to the information regarding

system errors and system requirements as well. These will help the developers solve

the errors as early as possible.

 In doing the test plan, the proponents followed the Testing Level Specific Test

Plans which have four stages of testing that needs to be completed before a system

can be cleared for use.

 Unit Test Plan – in this first round of testing focuses on specific

components whether each one is functional.

 Integration Test Plan – this testing combines all the components and test

them as a group to find interface defects between functions. This is to

determine if units are efficiently running together.

 System Test Plan – in this level, the complete application is tested as a

whole. This is to evaluate if the system meets the requirements needed.

Test is done by independent testers, or person who are not part of the

system development.

 Acceptance Test Plan – this is the final level and is conducted if the

system is ready for release. In this phase, the user will now test if the

system meets their system requirements.

Security Plan

Security Plan is primarily implemented in an IT environment. Security should be

observed to avoid leaking of confidential data. The proponents made this security

measure to test system restrictions. To ensure system confidentiality, the proponents

includes the following security plan:

  List of authorized users that can access the system

 Access Control Methods using username and passwords

 Regular checking up of windows Firewall for security breach

 Data encryption

Maintenance Plan

Maintenance phase will focus on how will the proponents eliminate the future

errors. Software maintenance procedure consists of three steps: we need to understand

the software to be modified and identify the parts targeted for maintenance. Second, we

must then modify the appropriate components of the application system without

adversely affecting the rest of the system. Lastly, we must test and validate the modified

part of the system, as well as the entire system. Improving the system further will help

meet the expectations of the user.

GANTT Chart
Pert Chart
Context Diagram
Data Flow Diagram

Level 1: Process 1
Level 1: Process 1.1

Level 1: Process 2
Level 1: Process 3

Level 1: Process 4
Level 1: Process 5

Level 1: Process 6
Level 1: Process 7

System Flowchart

Student/User Flowchart
Scholarship Management Flowchart
Scholarship Grantees’ Management Flowchart
Post Management Flowchart
Comment Management Flowchart
Application Management Flowchart
Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
Database Normalization

Normalized Tables
Program Consideration/Issues/Tools

Skill of Users
 Teaching and training the user on how to use the system is required in the

implementation. Although, technology-oriented people will find it easy to use the

system.

Device Specification

To have a best result in using the system, the researchers recommend the users

to use device/s that meet the required specifications to avoid unnecessary interruptions

or problems during operations.

Software Requirement Specification

Computer Specification:

 Operating System – Such as Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10

 Web Browser – Such as Google Chrome (64-bit & 32-bit)

Hardware Requirement Specification

Computer Specification:

 Intel core i3 - 2.40 GHz up to latest

 RAM – minimum of 2 GB

 Hard Disk Space: HDD 500 GB

 System Evaluation Procedure

Instrument

In the preparation of the research instrument, the requirements of designing of

good data collection instrument is considered. This includes the use of communication

letter in conducting an interview. The researchers used the communication letter as a

main instrument of this study. The instrument will be used to assess the students’

perception of online instruction and to gather informative data needed. The information

obtained will help the researchers develop the system. The proponents conducted a

survey adapted from ISO 25010:2011 which is consisted of six (6) categories. Each

category has corresponding questions. This survey is used to know the functionality,

reliability, usability, efficiency, portability and maintainability of the developed system

The functionality category is the ability of the proposed system to do the work for

which it was intended. Essentially, they are what the system does or must not do, and

can be thought of in terms of how the system responds to inputs. Functional

requirements usually define if behaviors and include calculations, data input, and

business processes.

Reliability category refers to the probability that the proposed system

would perform correctly during a specific time duration and the information or data

displayed are correct and true. During this correct operation: No repair is required or

performed. The system adequately follows the defined performance specifications.

Usability refers to the quality of a user's experience when interacting with

products or systems, including websites, software, devices, or applications. Usability is

about effectiveness, efficiency and the overall satisfaction of the users in this proposed

system.

Efficiency signifies a peak level of performance that uses the least amount of

inputs to achieve the highest amount of output. Efficiency requires reducing the number

of unnecessary resources used to produce a given output including personal time and

energy. It is a measurable concept that can be determined using the ratio of useful

output to total input. It minimizes the waste of resources such as physical materials,

energy, and time while accomplishing the desired output.

The portability category is the ability of the system to run properly in a different

platform to the one it was designed for, with little or no modification. Where modification

is needed, the task of modifying the software to allow it to run in the new environment is

known as porting.

Lastly, the maintainability category is defined as the probability of performing a

successful repair action within a given time. In other words, maintainability measures

the ease and speed with which a system can be restored to operational status after a

failure occurs. This means that it is the ease with which the proposed system can be

prevented, repaired and maintained.

Using this instrument, it gives and helps the proponents gather the necessary

information needed and used to present good analysis and attain the goals and

objectives of the proposed study.

Validation
 Survey questionnaire is a practical and common way in gathering information

from large audience and allows easy analysis of results and determine the reliability of

the proposed system. Reliability and validity are concepts used to evaluate the quality of

the proposed study. These refers to how consistently and accurately a method

measures what it is intended to measure. With this, the proponents conducted a survey

with twenty (20) undergraduate students of Leyte Normal University to test the reliability

of the instrument used.

Data Gathering Procedure

The first step used for the researchers to conduct a survey was to ask a

permission from the professor. After the professor approved the questionnaire, copies

were distributed through computer online to the respondents. The researchers surveyed

150 students of Leyte Normal University scaling their knowledge on the process of

scholarship system. Copies of the approved questionnaire were distributed in order to

gather the relevant data. The researchers had allotted vigorous time, effort and

cooperation in developing their questionnaire so as to serve its intended respondents.

The survey was created using suitable questions modified from related research and

individual questions formed by the researchers.

In gathering data, the instrument used was a researcher-made questionnaire

checklist to gather the needed data for the student’s profile. The draft of the

questionnaire was drawn out based on the researcher’s readings, previous studies,

professional literature, published and unpublished thesis relevant to the study. In the
preparation of the instrument, the requirements in the designing of good data collection

instrument were considered. For instance, statement describing the situations or issues

pertaining was toned down to accommodate the knowledge preparedness of the

respondents. Open-ended types were provided to accommodate to free formatted views

related to topics or issues. In this way, the instrument is authorized to obtain valid

responses to the students. Open-ended questions asked the respondents to provide

feedback in their own words. Closed-ended types also used, it is made up of pre-

populated answer choices for the respondent to choose from. Matrix and Rating types,

the questions used to quantify qualitative data. Respondents are asked to rank behavior

or attitude. Preference for the use of the structured questionnaire is premised on several

research assumptions such as (a) cost of being a least expensive means of gathering

data, (b) avoidance of personal bias, (c) less pressure for immediate response, and

giving respondents a greater feeling of anonymity.

The data gathered from this research instrument were tallied and computed

for interpretation according to the frequency of items checked by the participants. Along

with primary data, the researchers also made use of secondary resources in the form of

published articles and literatures related to the study to support the survey results.

Statistical Tool

The researchers adapted and applied the Likert Scale as one of the techniques

for evaluating the response of the respondents about the functionality and performance
of the system. Likert scales fall within the ordinal level of measurement: the categories

of response have directionality, but the intervals between them cannot be presumed

equal. Thus, for a scale where 1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree, 3 = neutral, 4 = disagree,

and 5 = strongly disagree, a mark of 4 would be more negative than either 3, 2, or 1

(directionality). However, it cannot inferred that a response of 4 is twice as negative as a

response of 2, Jamieson (2007). Technically speaking, Likert scales are popular in

survey research because they allow you to easily operationalize personality traits or

opinions. The respondents can provide their opinion (data) about a quality of a

product /service from high to low or better to worse using two, four, five or seven levels.