A PROPOSAL REPORT

ON

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A

STUDENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

BY

NAME MATRIC NUMBER

OKUH CHIJIOKE RICHARD P/ND/20/3210291

YABA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, YABA, LAGOS

SCHOOL OF TGECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

SUPERVISED BY

MRS. (DR) ADETOBA

APRIL 2023.
One.0 INTRODUCTION

An Information System (IS) is a formal sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect,

process, store, and distribute information.

In an educational institution, there is a need to record information as pertains to members of the

institutions, especially students, so ease is achieved when retrieval of said information is needed.

A Student Information System (SIS), student management system, school administration

software or student information management system is a management information system for

education establishments to manage student data easily and without stress. Student Information

Systems provide capabilities for enrolling students; registering students in courses; documenting

grades and transcripts, computing results of student tests and other assessment scores; building

student schedules; tracking student attendance; and managing many other student related data

needs in a school.

2 .BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In Yaba College of Technology, information used for capturing student details are recorded

every semester, and a summary of this information is carried out at the end of the session. This

recording is carried out by the Registrar’s office.

Hence, a Student Information Management System is a necessity that will reduce the stress of

using paper forms to obtain student bio-data, as well as going to and fro the polytechnic

Management to register processes.

While many universities and polytechnics in Nigeria (both private and public) manage their

records with current trending technologies, some institutions, while having the said current

trending technology still use paper-based methods to capture student’s information (student

registration, student’s course registration, etc.), and then attempt to manually enter this

information on paper into their systems with Microsoft Office Excel® (built mainly for

visualizing data, with low processing power for managing data), and usually even this is not up-

to-date. Students are counted by consulting the registered students on paper or manually counting

them; the system is characterized by manual form-filling to get bio-data of students, which is

later conveyed to computerized datasheets.

This all leads to an excessive number of mistakes and errors, even up to displacing some of these

forms, hence leading to confusion when entering the obtained information.

The only advantage of paper-based systems is that computer viruses cannot affect them; but the

disadvantages far outweigh this advantage.

3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Some educational institutions do not have a computerized Student Information System that

facilitates the capturing, storage and retrieval of relevant information as relates to students of that

institution.
 This problem is not exclusive to the polytechnic, which has been using the paper-based

system of capturing and storing information. Students, in order to register courses for a semester,

have to obtain a form from the Registry, meet their lecturers one-on-one to get their registered

courses signed; meet with their Head of Department and Dean of College to get this form

approved with their signature, obtain the Registrar’s signature on the form, then make copies of

the original copy in some business centre, before returning to finally submit this at the Registry,

giving the photocopies to the Head of department, and the Dean of the college; making stressful

round trips all the time.

This streak was only broken when the some schools introduced an online student portal, but

even this was problematic and non-functional: it’s only function was the printing of registered

courses, which meant students had to obtain their Head of department and Dean of college’s

signatures, as well as the Registrar’s signature, making copies of this original and going back to

the Registry to submit it, and again submitting these copies to the Head of department and Dean

of college. This was also a stressful process: the only activity eliminated was going to meet

lecturers one-on-one.

Problems encountered with this method are:

1. A fire outbreak could destroy some or all of the records, sabotaging the polytechnic’s

efforts in managing vital information.

2. Unauthorized personnel access could be made to these records, whereby records could be

altered or missing, and jeopardizing information security.

3. Difficulty in auditing records: as information grows the files become too many to start

following up or keep track of; this results in a lot of redundant data.

 4. Difficulty and delay in locating/obtaining records: human beings are not perfect, and so

can mistakenly store a file out of the usual order.

5. Difficulty in capturing needed information: Students would be too stressed carrying out

the aforementioned activities in order to register their courses.

6. Computation and compilation of students’ results are always delayed and even when

available, posted publicly on notice boards for everyone to see.

4. AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

i. AIM

The aim of this project is to develop a web-based student information management

system that is secure and robust, which provides an efficient alternative to the current paper-

based information system.

ii. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this project in achieving this aim are:

i. Design and implement a web-based student information management system.

ii. Secure the web application using Laravel PHP Framework.

iii. Create a Student Portal using Laravel PHP Framework. 3

iv. Design an interface for lecturers to upload results and course materials.

5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

A computerized Student Information Management System would aid in capturing data, as well as

providing accurate and on-timely information on students, unlike the current paper-based system
which would waste time in sorting and crosschecking papers and files. The following are the

significances of this proposal:

1. Timely and quick retrieval of requested information.

2. Elimination of go-round trips made by students in registration of courses.

3. It enables assignments to be done and submitted electronically over the system instead of

spending money on obtaining paper.

4. Computation of grades and scores assigned by lecturers to tests and assignments over the

system.

5. It will allow students to view their respective semester results and cumulative grade point

average scores.

6. As the school is having difficulty managing website hosting processes, the system will be

built over an intranet reaching every section of the school and be accessible anywhere

within the polytechnic. Once confidence is shown in managing the intranet, expansion

into the internet is possible and could be implemented. The intranet would then be a fall-

back for whenever the polytechnic is opting out of internet access.

7. The system will efficiently aid the polytechnic in monitoring student activity, and hence

cut losses i.e. students who have not paid their fees are not able to write exams, students

cannot register for a course if a prerequisite is not passed, etc.

6. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This project proposal is aimed at building a Management System that will make life and

other educational processes easier and more productive, with limited focus to Yaba College of
Technology. The system will be accessible to everyone in the polytechnic campus: lecturers,

students and other non-academic staff.

It will make information available to the appropriate personnel: a student should not have

access to personal information about employees, results should be made available to the

respective student, not seen by anyone else, etc. Thus proper management of information is a

primary feature of the proposed system.

The proposed system will also aim at eliminating the difficulties encountered by students in

registering courses, as well as clearance to sit for examinations; compiling of results as well as

computation will be made easier too, as well as other services that will aid learning and the

academic process.

7 METHODOLOGY OVERVIEW

Incremental development is a method of building software products in which a system is

built piece-by-piece. The final requirement specification is clear from the beginning, and

everyone knows the end result already. The system is broken into small sub-systems which are

designed, built and tested independently. This allows partial utilization of the product, but the

full system is not usable unless the development is entirely done

To make this project a success, I would use the following software components

 JDK 19.0 or later

 IntelliJ 16.0 or later

 JavaScript (for programing)

 HTML

 MySQL server.
 8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The proposed research project will be limited due to the following reasons:

1. The university’s inherent incompetence with hosting services on the internet discourages

placing the system online; hence the proposed system will be on the university’s local

network (intranet).

2. Because the proposed service won’t be online, access to the system is limited to the

campus; hence, you can only check your results once you’re on the school’s campus and

connected to the intranet.

3. The target platform for deploying the proposed system is the Windows® Desktop OS, so

without a desktop computer or laptop running the Windows® OS, the system would be

inaccessible; however, the university has laptop computers that can be used to access the

system in her E-Library, which can be exclusively used by students and employees alike.

9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Program: A program is a set of instructions which perform a specific task. They are usually

written in codes using computer programming languages and translated into machine language,

which the computer understands and executes.

Programming: Programming is the process of writing codes into programs through the use of

computer programming languages.

Programming Language: This is a set of vocabulary and grammatical rules for instructing a

computer or computing device to perform specific tasks. (Beal, n.d.)

Internet: This is the global connection of networks of computers and computing devices,

ranging from private to public, to government and organizational networks.

Intranet: This is a network that is local to an organization – It provides access to organizational

data for authorized users belonging to the organization.

VBA: An acronym for Visual Basic for Applications, it is an implementation of Microsoft’s

event-driven programming language Visual Basic 6, and its associated integrated development

environment (IDE) (Microsoft Corporation, 2015)

IDE: An acronym for Integrated Development Environment, it is an application software that

facilitates application development.

Database: This is an organized collection of stored data, usually organized in tables or files in a

computer system.

DBMS: An acronym for Database Management System, it is a system software for creating and

managing databases, as well as querying to obtain specific information from the database.

RDBMS: An acronym for Relational Database Management System, it is a database

management system based on a relational database, i.e. a database containing related data.

Query: This is a formal database request that either seeks to retrieve data (select query), or carry

out actions such as updating, inserting, deleting, etc. on data (action query)

Macro: This is a single instruction given to a computer that produces a set of instructions for the

computer to perform a particular task, and is sometimes automated.

Form: This allows users to enter data, which is stored to a related table or processed by the

application on which the form is written into.

Runtime: Also called a run-time environment, this is a provided infrastructure that enables the

implementation of portions of an execution model.

 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

Two.0 INTRODUCTION
Student Information Systems have been around for a greater part of this century. Managing

records kept by educational institutions is a complex procedure; manually processing these

records induces difficulties and unease, especially as records, information and data, on their own

grow and expand – records dating years could be requested for processing, and manually

locating these records, even as human beings are prone to errors in arrangement, can only be

done strenuously.

Thus, Student Information Systems, a type of Information Systems, were introduced to make

managing the same records easier. The same records that could take hours or even days to

retrieve now take minutes, if not seconds (depending on the system’s processing power). Even

educational processes could be effectively carried out through the same system, thus reducing the

cost and need to build or implement a separate management system for it.

Two.1 REVIEW OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Information Systems, as defined in the previous chapter, are an integrated set of components for

collecting, storing, and processing data and for providing information, knowledge, and digital

products whenever required. Business firms and other organizations rely on information systems

to carry out and manage their operations, interact with their customers and suppliers, and

compete in the marketplace. Information systems are used to run inter-organizational supply

chains and electronic markets. For instance, corporations use information systems to process

financial accounts, to manage their human resources, and to reach their potential customers with

online promotions.
Many major companies are built entirely around information systems. These include eBay, a

largely auction marketplace; Amazon, an expanding electronic mall and provider of cloud

computing services; Alibaba, a business-to-business e-marketplace; and Google, a search engine

company that derives most of its revenue from keyword advertising on internet searches.

Individuals rely on information systems, generally Internet-based, for conducting much of their

personal lives: for socializing, study, shopping, banking, and entertainment.

As major new technologies for recording and processing information were invented over the

millennia, new capabilities appeared, and people became empowered. These inventions led to a

profound revolution in the ability to record, process, disseminate, and reach for information and

knowledge. (Zwass, 2011)

Two.1.1 FUNCTIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

There are various functions of information systems, like the collection of input data, storage,

processing, and producing the output information. The functions also control the information

flow as well as the feedback loop. The following are the typical functions of an information

system (Sean, 2015):

1. Input: The input in an information system has two types:

i. Output is created with detailed data which is stored and processed.

ii. The specification of what type of analysis is done must be specified by the user.

2. Storage: the storage of data should be done at the most detailed level possible. Regular

back-ups and various summaries should be completed to avoid losing any important data

due to errors. The backups should also be stored in a geographically different location to

avoid losing any important data due to errors. The backups should also be stored in a

geographically different location to avoid any major disasters such as flooding or fires

etc. which could impact on both the original data storage and the backup data storage.
 3. Processing: a process is a function which transforms data into information. A simple

process would be adding up a number of items sold by a business by a variable such as

the location of a store or the product or the time and date. More complex processes are

the functions that perform calculations and can make assumptions about missing data in

order to create information from the data available.

4. Feedback/Control Loops: A feedback/control loop is what happens to output when it is

processed and produced. The system continuously repeats the same processes depending

on the output of the last loop which can then impact on the input of the next data into the

loop.

5. Output: There are two types of output in this context, graphical and textual:

i. Graphical output is usually used to look at information on a larger scale which is

then presented as charts, graphs, diagrams and pictures.

ii. Textual output is information on a smaller scale which is presented as charters,

text or numbers.

Two.1.2 COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Information systems support operations, knowledge work, and management in organizations.

The basic components of computer-based information systems are:

1. Hardware: These are the devices like the monitor, processor, printer and keyboard, all

of which work together to accept, process, and show data and information.

2. Software: These are the programs that allow/enable the hardware to process the data;

instructions that the system follows to accomplish a given task.

3. Databases: These are a collection of associated/related files or tables containing

related data, consisting of rows (records) and columns (fields).

 4. Networks: These are a connecting system that allows diverse computers and

computing devices to distribute resources between each other, including information,

printers and processing power.

5. Procedures: These are the commands for combining the components above to process

information and produce the preferred output.

The first four components (hardware, software, databases and networks) make up what is known

as the Information Technology (IT) platform. Information technology workers could then use

these components to create information systems that watch over safety measures, risk and the

management of data. These actions are known as information technology services (procedures)

(Rainer & Casey, 2012).

Two.2 REVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH WORK

Two.2.1 CASE STUDY 1: Student Information Management System
The Student Information Management System (SIMS) was developed for Joseph Ayo Babalola

University. It was implemented with the use of an object-oriented programming language, Visual

Basic 6.0, and a database application, Microsoft Access. These development tools are what make

up the student information management system.

It was placed on a local intranet, local to the educational institution making use of it, and was

built as a desktop application for Windows® Desktop OS only. With student information

management system, a user-friendly interface was introduced to make it easy for students’

records to be stored in a database, and easily retrieved from the database. A username and

password is used to login in order to gain access to the full application.

Two.2.1.1 FEATURES
The system provided the following features:

1. Easy storage of students’ records.

 2. Easy editing of students’ records.

3. Easy deletion of students’ records whenever necessary and minimal loss of information

due to the backup dialog contained in the application.

Two.2.1.2 SHORTCOMINGS
1. It only provided access to an administrator to manage the records.

2. It was only used to manage student records. Other educational processes such as course

registration and results provision were not feasible using the system.

Figure 2.1 below depicts the Student Information System (SIMS):

Figure 2.1: Student Information Management System

Two.2.2 CASE STUDY 2: Online Registration Portal

The Online Registration Portal was developed for National Open University of Nigeria,

Damaturu Study Centre. It was implemented using an object-oriented programming language,

PHP, a recursive initialism for Hypertext Pre-Processor, in conjunction with other web

development tools, namely: HTML (Hypertext Mark-up Language), CSS (Cascading Style
Sheets) and JavaScript. Hence, the Online Registration Portal is a web-based system. As such,

access to its features and services is via the internet, with the aid of a browser installed on an

internet-enabled device, such as a notebook PC, desktop PC or mobile phone with internet

access.

Two.2.2.1 FEATURES
1. The Online Registration Portal enables students to register courses.

2. It also enables students to register for examinations and print out course reports. Each

student’s record is added to the students’ database and updated.

3. Access to students’ grades is provided to each individual student, as well as contact with

the course’s advisor and communication with members over the portal.

Two.2.2.2 SHORTCOMINGS
1. Users require internet access to access the System, in the process incurring additional

costs.

2. Information other than textual data e.g. images, cannot be uploaded to the System.

3. Users need to be educated in IT to efficiently use the System

The Online Registration Portal is depicted in Figure 2.2 below:

Figure 2.2: Online Registration Portal

Two.3 WHY THE USE OF A STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM?

Having defined a student information system in the previous chapter, reasons behind its use are

stated here. There are a variety of benefits associated with using student information systems for

students, educational institutions and their staff. Solutions in this category provide channels for

communication between school officials and students, act as a singular source of student-related

information, streamline billing processes, and more. The following are the reasons behind the use

of student information systems, among others (G2 Crowd, 2017):

1. Information storage

2. Facilitate communication between students and faculty

3. Facilitate interdepartmental communication

4. Handle student admissions

5. Reporting
Two.3.1 INFORMATION STORAGE
System information system software houses many types of student information, consolidating all

records in one place so they can be easily accessed by school officials and the students

themselves. In a single system, a school official can view student attendance, class rosters,

student enrolment, and more. On the other side, students can see unofficial transcripts, enrol in

classes, and access a schedule builder. Keeping all student information in a singular system

allows users to make and track changes, as well as maintain a holistic view of both individual

students and the student body as a whole. Information in a student information system is not

siloed in disparate systems, which makes its organization easier overall.

Two.3.2 FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STUDENTS AND

FACULTY
The student portal is a vital part of a quality student information system, particularly at the

university level. As college classes tend to be larger and professors are typically less accessible,

giving students a direct line of communication to their professor is of increased importance.

Students can communicate with both their teachers and the administration in one place, as well

as maintain records of those conversations. If a student is reluctant to ask a question about a topic

or assignment in class, they can ask it via the portal and receive clarification.

Two.3.3 FACILITATE INTERDEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATION

Departments within an educational institution can be extremely siloed and uncommunicative

with each other. Student information systems have the ability to break down the barriers to

communication and allow departments to work as a singular unit, as opposed to disparate forces.

Unifying access to information and giving everyone equal access is the key to bring together

departments and potentially an entire institution.

Two.3.4 HANDLE STUDENT ADMISSIONS
The admissions process is complex and multifaceted, making it difficult to manage as an

administrator. Student information systems can help by allowing the responsible officer to track

prospective students during the admissions process; the system also updates students’ profiles

with changes as they happen. Student information systems can often handle the entirety of the

admissions process, from initial inquiry to acceptance and enrolment. The result is a seamless

transition of the individual from a prospective student to an enrolled member of the university.

All of the relevant information is in one system as opposed to multiple distinct pieces of software

that may prove difficult to integrate.

Two.3.5 REPORTING
School officials can use data gathered by student information systems to create data-driven

reports on student progress for individuals as well as the whole student body. From the

perspective of a designated school official, student information systems provide an easy way to

handle student information management. Officials can use the software to create reports on

everything from how many students have non-immigrant status to what the average GPA in a

given class is; and students can print out their academic records using the reporting feature of the

student information system.

 CHAPTER THREE
SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

Three.0 INTRODUCTION
As with all complex systems, an Information System cannot be started from, or based on

nothing. An intensive planning is required to properly build a typical Information System,

including obtaining all requirements (analysis, design and user) else the system crashes, probably

before it even starts. This chapter analyses the performance of the current system with the

outlook\intention of designing a new system; as an Information System is partly evolved from a

growing necessity for better management of information and having a user-friendly system

propose a better experience. It also endeavours to provide a thorough description of the phases

and approaches in the development of the research project.

Three.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM

Yaba College of Technology, an educational institution like others in the country, offer

educational services to students, granting knowledge and thus equipping the students for the

outside world. The polytechnic currently uses a manual system for managing students’

information. A manual database system may include a bundle/heap of binders, file folders and

filing cabinets. Files here are traditionally arranged either in an alphabetical, chronological, or

hierarchical order. Once these files have compiled to an enormous state, searching for a record

can take much longer than an electronic database. Records have been known to be misplaced

here, and only found often long after it is no longer needed, hence its purpose is lost. Sometimes

these misplacements are permanent, requiring the administrator to create a new file record for the

entity, be it student or employee.

At present, capturing data for processing is done manually, using paper for entering related data;

students in registering their courses are required to obtain the registration form from the registry,

fill it manually, as well as obtain signatures from various personnel, before photocopying and

submitting copies to the relevant offices; as for the process involved in sorting and calculating

results, even that is done manually, scores are entered on paper or stored in a spreadsheet

package meant for data visualisation and presentation, not management – Microsoft Excel,

before being printed out and placed on noticeboards.

Three.2 SOURCES OF DATA

To efficiently determine the functions of the proposed system, and even properly analyse the

current system for strengths and faults, data ought to be collected and gathered, hence its

importance cannot be overemphasized.

In order to decide adopting a new system, and designing the proposed system, information and

other necessary data was captured using two main sources:

1. Primary Sources: The term primary source is used broadly to embody all sources that

are original. Hence, a primary source of data is an original data source, one in which the

data are collected first-hand by the researcher for a specific research purpose or project. It

is quite expensive and time-consuming compared to secondary data collection.

Notwithstanding, primary data collection may be the only suitable method for some types

of research (Salkind, 2012). The following data collection methods were utilized in

generating data for this research proposal:

a) Related Original Research Documents: Related research documents focused on

the general area of this research proposal were reviewed to obtain comprehension
 and knowledge on the procedures for the project. These included research focused

on the use of different technologies other than the one employed here.

b) Interviews: Physical interaction was employed in the course of this research

proposal; this included interaction with users within the case study: students and

lecturers within the polythenic campus; thus gaining more insight into the

workings of the current system and desired outcomes of the proposed system.

2. Secondary Sources: Secondary sources build upon primary resources by analysing,

interpreting, synthesizing or discussing them. These sources are one or more steps

removed from the original event and therefore sometimes lack the immediacy of the

original content (Streefkerk, 2018). The secondary sources of data used for this research

project were Journals, Library books and websites on the Internet.

Three.3 PROBLEMS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM

The current system, which is a traditional filing system has the following disadvantages (Keith,

2017):

1. Data Redundancy: Since each entity (student or employee) has its own data file, the

same data may have to be recorded and stored in many files. This redundancy requires

additional or higher storage space, costs extra time and money, and requires additional

efforts to keep all files up-to-data.

2. Data Inconsistency: Data redundancy leads to data inconsistency especially when data is

to be updated. Data inconsistency occurs due to the same data items that appear in more

than one file do not get updated simultaneously in each and every file. Over the period of

time, such discrepancies degrade the quality of information contained in the data file that

affects the accuracy of reports.

 3. Lack of Data Integration: Since independent data files exist, users face difficulty in

getting information on any ad hoc query that requires accessing the data stored in many

files. In such a case, complicated programs have to be developed to retrieve data from

every file or the users have to manually collect the required information.

4. Poor Data Control: There is no centralized control at the data element level, hence a

traditional file system is decentralized in nature.

5. Problem of Security: It is very difficult to enforce security checks and access rights in a

traditional file system, since records are added in an ad hoc manner.

In addition to the above and as mentioned before, students in the process of course registration

complain about wondering about meeting their respective lecturers for their signatures, as well as

the Head of Department and the Registrar, making copies before finally submitting; here energy

and resources are spent in carrying out a simple process.

Students have to wait several weeks into the next semester before seeing the results of the

previous semester, posted on noticeboards for everyone to see, thus wasting time and excluding

privacy/security of records.

Three.4 EXPECTATIONS OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM

The aim of the proposed system is to introduce effectiveness, efficiency and quality in the

management of student information. The unique features of the system achieve the above aim in

the following means:

1. Accuracy: Records are not mistakenly saved or retrieved but the exact one requested for,

thus ensuring quick processing

 2. Speed: Processing of student information is done quickly, thus optimizing the time

required to process, save or retrieve a needed record. Once a student is added to the

system, his/her login details are automatically provided.

3. Reduced Space Requirement: The proposed system takes even less storage space than a

traditional file system which makes use of file cabinets that take up whole buildings. In

an electronic database system, record storage is done on storage devices not larger than

the palm of a person’s hand.

4. Information Dissemination: Students will not have to travel to the registry to obtain or

submit course registration forms, rather, they could sit in their hostel rooms, select the

courses they are required to offer and send the information to the relevant offices via the

system.

5. Storage Capability: Because digitalization aims to reduce physical size, while increasing

logical capabilities, lots of records could be stored to the system, without any bother to if

there’s free storage or not.

6. Convenience: Because students don’t have to wonder about as regards course

registration, ease is introduced to everyday processes. Both students and employees are

no longer stressed in their daily work routines.

Three.5 SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE (SDLC)

The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a term used in systems engineering,

information systems and software engineering to describe a process for planning, creating,

testing, and deploying an information system. (Department of Health & Human Services - USA,

2005). The systems development life cycle concept applies to a range of hardware and software
configurations, as a system can be composed of hardware only, software only, or a combination

of both. (Pendharkara, Rodgerb, & Subramanian, 2008).

In summary, the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) explains the phases of creating a

software component that integrates with other software components to create the whole system

(Alwan, 2015).

Three.5.1 PHASES (STAGES) OF SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE

The system development life cycle framework provides a sequence of activities for system

designers and developers to follow. It consists of a set of steps or phases in which each phase of

the system development life cycle uses the results of the previous one. (Everatt & McLeod Jr.,

2007). There are usually six stages in this cycle: system planning, analysis, design,

implementation, testing and integration, and system maintenance; with different projects

emphasizing on different stages of the cycle.

Three.5.1.1 SYSTEM PLANNING

The planning phase is the most crucial step in creating a successful system, during which this

phase you decide exactly what you want to do and the problems you’re trying to solve, by:

1. Defining the problems, the objectives and the resources such as personnel and costs.

2. Studying the ability of proposing alternative solutions after meeting with clients,

suppliers, consultants and employees, essentially the people going to be using the system.

3. Studying how to make your product better than your competitors’.

After analysing this data, you will have three choices depending on the result: develop a new

system, improve the current system or leave the system as it is (Alwan, 2015).

Three.5.1.2 SYSTEM ANALYSIS

The end-user’s requirements should be determined and documented, what their expectations are

for the proposed system, and how it will perform. A feasibility study will be made for the

research project as well, involving determining whether it is organizationally, economically,

socially, or technologically feasible. It’s very important to maintain a strong communication

level with the clients to make sure you have a clear vision of the finished product and its

functions (Alwan, 2015).

Three.5.1.3 SYSTEM DESIGN

The design phase comes after a good understanding of customer’s requirements, this phase

defines the elements of a system, the components, the security level, modules, architecture and

the different interfaces and type of data that goes through the system.

A general system design can be done with a pen and a piece of paper to determine how the

system will look like and how it will function, and then a detailed and expanded system design is

produced, and it will meet all functional and technical requirements, logically and physically

(Alwan, 2015)

Three.5.1.4 IMPLEMENTATION AND DEPLOYMENT

This phase comes after a complete understanding of system requirements and specifications, it’s

the actual construction process after having a complete and illustrated design for the requested

system.

In the Software Development Life Cycle, the actual programming code is written here, and if the

system contains hardware, then the implementation phase will contain configuration and fine-

tuning for the hardware to meet certain requirements and functions as stated during system

analysis.

In this phase, the system is ready to be deployed and installed in the client’s premises, ready to

become running, live and productive, and training may be required for end-users to make sure

they know how to use the system and to get familiar with it. The implementation phase may take

a long time and that depends on the complexity of the system and the solution it presents (Alwan,

2015).
Three.5.1.5 SYSTEM TESTING AND INTEGRATION
Bringing different components and subsystems together to create the whole integrated system,

and then introducing the system to different inputs to obtain and analyse its outputs and

behaviour and the way it functions. Testing is becoming more and more important to ensure

client’s satisfaction, and it requires no knowledge in coding, hardware configuration or design.

Testing can be performed by real users, or by a team of specialized personnel, it can also be

systematic and automated to ensure that the actual outcomes are compared and equal to the

predicted and desired outcomes (Alwan, 2015).

Three.5.1.6 SYSTEM MAINTENANCE

In this phase, periodic maintenance for the system will be carried out to make sure that the

system won’t become obsolete, this will include replacing the old hardware and continuously

evaluating the system’s performance, it also includes providing latest updates for certain

components to make sure it meets the right standards and the latest technologies to face current

security threats (Alwan, 2015).

Three.6 CHOICE OF TECHNOLOGY

The following development tools have been carefully chosen for this research project:

1. Integrated Development Environment: Microsoft Office Access

2. Programming Language: Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)

3. Database Engine: Microsoft Jet Database Engine

Three.6.1 MICROSOFT OFFICE ACCESS

Microsoft Access is a database management system (DBMS) from Microsoft that combines the

relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-

development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, included in the

Professional and higher editions or sold separately. Microsoft Access stores data in its own
format based on the Access Jet Database Engine. It can also import or link directly to data stored

in other applications and databases. (Microsoft Corporation, 2015)

Software developers, data architects and power users can use Microsoft Access to develop

application software. Like other Microsoft Office applications, Access is supported by visual

Basic for applications (VBA), an object-based programming language that can reference a

variety of objects including DAO (Data Access Objects), ActiveX Data Objects, and many other

ActiveX components. Visual objects used in forms and reports expose their methods and

properties in the VBA programming environment, and VBA code modules may declare and call

Windows operating system operations.

Three.6.2 VISUAL BASIC FOR APPLICATIONS (VBA)

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is an implementation of Microsoft’s event-driven

programming language Visual Basic 6, which was discontinued in 2008, and its associated

integrated development environment (IDE). It is hence, object-oriented Although Visual Basic is

no longer supported or updated by Microsoft, the VBA programming language was upgraded in

2010 with the introduction of Visual Basic for Applications 7 in Microsoft Office applications.

(Microsoft Corporation, 2010)

Visual Basic for Applications enables building user-defined functions (UDFs), automating

processes and accessing Windows API and other low-level functionality through dynamic-link

libraries (DLLs). It can be used to control many aspects of the host application, including

manipulating user interface features, such as menus and toolbars, and working with custom user

forms or dialog boxes.

Three.6.3 MICROSOFT JET DATABASE ENGINE

The Microsoft Jet Database Engine is a database engine on which several Microsoft products

have been built. JET stands for Joint Engine Technology. Jet, being part of a relational database
management system (RDBMS), allows the manipulation of relational databases. It offers a single

interface that other software can use to access Microsoft databases and provides support for

security, referential integrity, transaction processing, indexing, record and page locking, and data

replication. In later versions, the engine has been extended to run SQL queries, store character

data in Unicode format, create database views and allow bi-directional replication with Microsoft

SQL Server.

There are three modules to Jet: One is the Native Jet ISAM Driver, a dynamic link library (DLL)

that can directly manipulate Microsoft Access database files (MDB) using Indexed Sequential

Access Method (ISAM). Another one of the modules contains the ISAM Drivers, DLLs that

allow access to a variety of ISAM databases, among them xBase, Paradox and FoxPro,

depending on the version of Jet. The final module is the Data Access Objects (DAO) DLL. DAO

provides an API that allows programmers to access JET databases using any programming

language.

Three.7 DESIGN METHOD OF SYSTEM

The controlled design method used in this research project is the bottom-up approach. The

bottom-up approach is the piecing together of systems to provide more intricate systems, thus the

base systems are made out to be subsystems of the emergent system. In a bottom-up approach

the discrete base elements of the system are first identified in great detail. These elements are

then connected together to form larger subsystems, which then in turn are linked, sometimes in

many levels, until a widespread and final top-level system is formed. Some of the design steps of

the information system include:

1. Structure a database table to hold students’ information with an accompanying form to

capture (input) student data.

 2. Design a form to enable registering of courses (processing) by students, storing

information in database table.

3. Design a login form based on students’ information already in database table.

4. Design an efficient report generator to output student’s registration form, and academic

results whenever necessary.

Three.8 FUNCTIONAL BLOCK DIAGRAM

A functional block diagram is a diagram that describes the functions and interrelationships of a

system (Perozzo, 1994). They are a necessity in complex systems’ design to understand

thoroughly from exterior design the operation of the present system and the relationship of each

of the parts to the whole (Goode & Machol, 1957). According to (Perozzo, 1994), the functional

block diagram can picture:

1. Functions of a system pictured by blocks

2. Input and output elements of a block pictured with lines

3. The relationships between the functions, and

4. The functional sequences and paths for matter and/or signals (Von Alven, 1964).

A functional block diagram, hence, shows what the system does (functions), and not specifically

how they are done, as depicted in Figure 3.3 below:

Figure 3.3: SIS’s Functional Block Diagram

Three.9 SEQUENCE DIAGRAM

A sequence diagram indicates entity interactions arranged in the order in which they occur. It

portrays the entities and classes involved in the process and the sequence of messages sent and

received between the entities required to carry out the functionality of the scenario. Sequence

diagrams are usually concomitant with use case realizations in the Logical View of the system

being developed.

A sequence diagram shows, as parallel vertical lines (lifelines), different processes or entities that

live concurrently, and as horizontal arrows, the messages sent and received between them, in the

order in which they occur. Figure 3.4 below depicts the entity interactions between the objects

and classes in the system:

Figure 3.4: SIS’s Sequence Diagram

Three.10 USE CASE DIAGRAMS

A use case diagram at its simplest is a depiction of a user’s interaction with the system and

shows the relationship between the user and the different use cases in which the user is involved

in. Hence, use case diagrams prototype the functionality of a system using actors and use cases.

A use case diagram (or a set of use case diagrams) can categorise the different types of users of a

system and the different use cases and will often be complemented by other types of diagrams as

well. The use cases are represented by either circles or ellipses. Figure 3.5, Figure 3.6 and Figure

3.7 below depict the use case scenarios of the proposed Student Information System:
Figure 3.5: Use Case Diagram Showing Student's Functionality in the System

Figure 3.6: Use Case Diagram showing Employee's Functionality in the System
Figure 3.7: Use Case Diagram showing System Admin's Functionality in the System

Three.11 DATABASE SCHEMA

While a database is a collection of interrelated data, a Database Management System (DBMS) s

required to ensure proper organization of the contained data, as well as to carry out data

operations on the database, such as querying, updating, and deleting specific data; as well as

minimizing redundancies, thus serving several users of the database efficiently. The DBMS also

establishes relationships between the tables, queries and other data items in the database, as well

as carrying out normalization across the database to ensure consistency in data.

The Database Management System that will be used for this design is Microsoft Access. It is a

lightweight desktop DBMS, embedded with the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine,

providing procedures for storing user defined data in tables. Many in-built functions and features

are contained in this engine, enabling constructing, formatting, editing and viewing of the data in

the database. The following are several tables in the database, consisting of the field names, data

type and field size.

Three.11.1 Student Table
The table stores only basic information about each student once captured into the database by the

Registry. The information once entered cannot be altered by the student or anyone else; only by

the database administrator. The schema for the students’ table in the database is shown in Table

3.1 below:

Table 3.1: Table Design for Student Details in SIS Database

Field Name Data Type Field Size Description

StudentID AutoNumber Long Integer Primary Key. Incremented.

Indexed, no duplicates
FirstName Short Text 30 Not Indexed

MiddleName Short Text 30 Not Indexed

LastName Short Text 30 Not Indexed

Gender Short Text 15 Not Indexed

MatriculationNumber Short Text 30 Indexed, no duplicates.

Required
LevelID Number Long Integer Foreign Key, Not Indexed

ProgrammeID Number Long Integer Foreign Key, Not Indexed

DepartmentID Number Long Integer Foreign Key, Not Indexed

CollegeID Number Long Integer Foreign Key, Not Indexed

YearofEntry Number Long Integer Not Indexed

Passport Short Text 255 Not Indexed

Field Name Data Type Field Size Description

Signature Short Text 255 Not Indexed

Three.11.2 Employee Details

This table stores basic information about personnel in the university, including academic and

non-academic staff. This information is however captured by the database administrator and is

modelled after Table 3.2 below:

Table 3.2: Table Design for Employee Details in SIS Database

Field Name Data Type Field Size Description

EmployeeID AutoNumber Long Integer Primary Key. Incremented.

Indexed, no duplicates
Title Short Text 30 Not Indexed

FirstName Short Text 30 Not Indexed

MiddleName Short Text 30 Not Indexed

LastName Short Text 30 Not Indexed

Gender Short Text 15 Not Indexed

Position Short Text 255 Not Indexed

StaffNumber Short Text 30 Indexed, no duplicates.

Required
Passport Short Text 255 Not Indexed

Signature Short Text 255 Not Indexed

Three.11.3 User Details
In this table is stored the access information required to grant a user access to the System,

namely one’s UserID and Password, for either student or employee. This information is

generated by the DBMS automatically, once basic information about student or employee has

been captured. The schema for the Users’ Details table is shown in Table 3.3 below

Table 3.3: Table Design for Users’ Details in SIS Database

Field Name Data Type Field Size Description

UserID Number Long Integer Indexed, duplicates ok

PersonnelID Short Text 30 Indexed, no duplicates

Password Short Text 255 Not Indexed.

Default value = “password”
PWReset Yes/No Default = True

Three.11.4 Course Registration Details

This table stores information about all courses registered by students for each semester in each

session registration is done. Its schema is shown in Table 3.4 below:

Table 3.4: Table Design for Course Registration Details in SIS Database

Field Name Data Type Field Size Description

ID AutoNumber Long Integer Primary Key. Incremented.

Indexed, no duplicates
StudentID Number Long Integer Indexed, duplicates ok

SessionID Number Long Integer Indexed, duplicates ok

SemesterID Number Long Integer Indexed, duplicates ok

CourseID Number Long Integer Indexed, duplicates ok

Field Name Data Type Field Size Description

CourseCode Short Text 30 Not Indexed

CourseTitle Short Text 255 Not Indexed

CreditUnits Number Long Integer Not Indexed

Lecturer Short Text 255 Not Indexed

CourseInfo Long Text Not Indexed, Rich Text

 CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

Four.0 INTRODUCTION
This chapter describes the steps involved in the implementation of the proposed system, in line

with the analysis and methodology provided in the previous chapter. It also provides the system

requirements for successfully implementing the proposed system; the basic requirements for

running the system on a client’s computer, the design features used in implementing the system,

as well as the various functionalities provided by each module of the proposed system.

Four.1 SOFTWARE DESIGN

Software design is the process by which a computer or software engineer creates a specification

of a software artefact, intended to accomplish goals, using a set of primitive components and

subject to constraints (Ralph & Wand, 2009). Software design usually involves problem solving

and planning a software solution. This includes both a low-level component and algorithm

design and a high-level, architecture design.

Four.1.1 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

The architecture of a software system is a metaphor, analogous to the architecture of a building

(Perry & Wolf, 1992). It functions as a blueprint for the system and the developing project,

laying out the tasks necessary to be executed by the design teams (Carnegie Mellon University,

2017). The proposed system is a Microsoft Access application with intranet capabilities i.e. it can

allow several users access the system concurrently with efficient record-locking in place.

Microsoft Access has the Microsoft Jet Database Engine embedded in it to store local files:

textual information, images, etc. Microsoft Access itself, equipped with Visual Basic for

Applications (VBA), processes all requests to the system, directly interacting with the database;
and provides the user interface used by the users to interact with the information system. The

architectural layout of the Student Information System is depicted in Figure 4.8:

Figure 4.8: Architectural Layout of desktop application

Four.2 SYSTEM COMPONENTS’ DESIGN

Models are most often used to design most software architectures used to instructing a computer

hardware to perform a task. These models are often represented using diagrams displaying their

components, thus graphically guiding the system programmer in building the system efficiently.

One such model used in designing the proposed Student Information System is described below.

Four.2.1 CLASS DIAGRAM

In software engineering, a class diagram, in the Unified Modelling Language (UML), is a type of

static structure diagram that describes the structure of a system by showing the system’s classes,

their operations (or methods), and the relationships among objects (Sparks, 2011). In the

diagram, classes are represented with boxes that contain three compartments: the top

compartment contains the name of the class; the middle compartment contains the attributes of

the class; and the bottom compartment contains the operations the class can execute.
Figure 4.9: Class Diagram of Student Information System

Four.2.2 CLASS DESCRIPTION

The classes in the diagram above are described in brief detail in Table 4.5 below listing them out.

Each class is a UI form displayed within the application, containing the various controls

mentioned in the class diagram.

Table 4.5: Table of System's Classes

Class Name Description

Login This class displays input controls, in which the user enters their user
identification. If correct, the class authenticates and gives the user
access.

DashBoard This class displays the main switchboard from which the user enters
other parts of the system: view results, register courses, and view their
profile (student); assign scores, approve courses and also view their
profile (employee).

User Details This class displays basic information about the user (information
Class Name Description

entered on adding him/her to the database); and enables the user add a
passport photograph and signature.

Edit User Details This class allows the user to edit and save information about
themselves.

Student Records This class enables the user to view their results, as well as print them.

Select Semester This class enables the user to select the semester they are registering
courses in.

Register Courses This class allows the user to select the courses they wish to offer and
registers them.

Program Adviser This class allows the user (program adviser) to approve (sign) courses
Course Approval submitted by students within the system.

Registrar Course This class allows the user (registrar) append their signature to courses
Approval approved by the level adviser.

Add Student This class enables employees to add new students to the system.

Add Courses This class enables the system administrator add new courses to the
system.

Add Employee This class enables the system administrator add new employees to the
system.

Change Session This class enables the system administrator to advance the university’s
session within the system.
Four.3 SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
Implementation is simply the process of moving an idea from concept to reality, thus resulting in

a finished product, system or device. This is carried out by utilizing the right methodology

suiting the defined algorithm to solving the problems at hand.

As re-iterated before, the system was developed using Microsoft Access, a desktop RDBMS

providing interface design tools to build applications used to manipulate and query databases, as

well as a database engine that manages the database. This aids a Just-In-Time compilation of the

application, designing and running to ensure it works without flaws.

Four.3.1 SPECIFICATION
This describes the computer system and technologies used in developing the information system.

They include hardware and software specifications.

Four.3.1.1 HARDWARE SPECIFICATION

The information system was developed using the following hardware configurations:

i. Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-540M CPU @ 2.50GHz

ii. Memory: 6.00GB DDR3 RAM @ 1600MHz

iii. HDD Storage: 1.00GB

iv. Network Card: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

v. Screen Resolution: 1366 x 768

Four.3.1.2 SOFTWARE SPECIFICATION

The information system is a Microsoft Access application and was built using the following

software configurations:

i. Operating System: Windows 10 – Build 1807

ii. IDE: Microsoft Office Access 2013

iii. Language: Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)

iv. Database Engine: Access Connectivity Engine (ACE) 15

Four.3.2 REQUIREMENTS
Before a user can install and run the application on their workstation or computer system, there

are hardware and software requirements for the workstations that must first be met.

Four.3.2.1 HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

The following are the hardware requirements that the user’s computer system or workstation

should meet before one can attempt installing and running the application, so efficiency is

achieved:

i. Processor: Intel® or AMD® Dual Core processors

ii. Memory: 2.00GB DDR3 RAM

iii. HDD Storage: 1.00GB

iv. Network Card: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

v. Screen Resolution: 1366 x 768

Four.3.2.2 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

The following are also requirements that should be met by the workstation before running the

application, albeit software:

i. Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 8.1 or 10

ii. Runtime: Microsoft Access 2013 or higher; or Microsoft Access 2013

Runtime or higher

Four.3.3 INPUT INTERFACES AND PROCEDURES

The implemented system follows a UI/UX (User Interface/User eXperience) model, aiming not

just to impress the user with its user interface, but to familiarize with and solve the user’s

problems. To use the system, the user will have to enter their identification data: User ID

(Matriculation number for students, and Staff number for employees) and Password. Once this

verifies against the data stored in the system’s database, the user is granted access into the

system.
Four.3.3.1 Login Form
This is the form first displayed by the system, in which the user enters their ID within controls

contained on the form. Figure 4.10 below is the login form of the application:

Figure 4.10: Login Page of Student Information System

Four.3.3.2 Dash Board

This is the main switchboard from which the user browses through the features of the

application, as shown in Figure 4.11 and Figure 4.12

Figure 4.11: Student Dashboard form

Figure 4.12: Employee Dashboard form

Four.3.3.3 Edit User Profile Form
This form enables the user edit their basic information, including contact addresses, next of kin

information, personal information etc. Figure 4.13 below depicts this:

Figure 4.13: Edit User Profile form

Four.3.3.4 My Courses Form

Within this form, the semester in which the student wishes to register his/her courses is selected,

leading to a form in which the registration is done. This is shown in Figure 4.14 below:
Figure 4.14: My Courses form within the System

Four.3.3.5 Course Registration Form

This form enables students using the system to select and register their preferred courses, as well

as submit the registered courses to the Program Adviser and the Registrar, as depicted in Figure

4.15:
Figure 4.15: Course Registration form

Four.3.3.6 Program Adviser Course Approval

Figure 4.16, accessible only to designated program advisers, enables the users to approve entries

made by students registering courses for a semester.

Figure 4.16: Program Adviser Course Approval form

Four.3.3.7 Registrar Course Approval Form
This form, also accessible only to the Registrar of the university, enables him/her approve course

registration entries made by the students of the university in a semester. This is depicted in

Figure 4.17:

Figure 4.17: Registrar Course Approval form

Four.3.3.8 Lecturer List of Courses Form

This form list out the number of courses taught by the lecturer, ordered by the current semester,

so the first seen courses are the ones for that semester. The form also opens a list of students

offering a particular course, with a method to grade them, as shown in Figure 4.18:
Figure 4.18: Lecturer List of Courses form

Four.3.3.9 Student Course Assessment Form

This form enables employees (lecturers) to grade students on the courses they are offering,

enabling the system to automatically compute the students’ Cumulative Grade Point Average

(C.G.P.A.). This form is displayed in Figure 4.19:

Figure 4.19: Student Course Assessment form

Four.3.3.10 Add Students Form

This form enables employees of the Registry to add students to the system’s database with ease.

This is depicted in Figure 4.20:

Figure 4.20: Add Students form

Four.3.3.11 Add Courses Form
This form enables the system administrator add courses modules to the system’s database, as

shown in Figure 4.21:

Figure 4.21: Add Courses form

Four.3.3.12 Add Employee Form

This form enables the employee add new employees to the system’s database, as depicted in

Figure 4.22:
Figure 4.22: Add Employee form

Four.3.3.13 Change Session Form

This form enables the system administrator to change/advance the current session, as shown in

Figure 4.23.

Figure 4.23: Change Session form

Four.3.3.14 Student Records Form
This form enables students view their results (their Cumulative Grade Point Average (C.G.P.A),

as well as their entire course sheet comprising of their offered courses and scores obtained in

those courses). This is depicted in Figure 4.24.

Figure 4.24: Students’ Records form

Four.4 FUNCTIONS AND UTILITIES OFFERED BY SYSTEM

To enable multi-user access, i.e. several users accessing the system simultaneously without time

lapses and lags, the application is split into two, the frontend, and the backend. The frontend

(forms, reports and queries) is distributed to the users to run on their respective hardware

systems, and the backend (table data) is stored on a physical server connected to the network on

which the system is to be accessed, preferably the polytecnic’s intranet.

Some utilities offered by the system include the following:

1. Report Generation and Printing: this is especially useful for viewing registered course

forms by students, both electronically and in hard copies (printed format). Students’

results can also be printed out, as well as basic information generated by employees.

2. Automated Results Computation: the system automatically computes and stores the

cumulative grade point average (CGPA) for every student; all that needs be done is the

entry of each student’s grade for each course.

 Chapter Five
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Five.0INTRODUCTION
Here in this chapter, the reports, descriptions and findings made in the preceding chapters are

summarized here, along with recommendations for effectiveness and efficiency, and limitations

faced in implementing the research project.

Five.1SUMMARY
A student information system is aside from being feasible, more advantageous than the

traditional method of storing records. Because it can be run on the polytecnic intranet, one does

not have to be at the storage servers to access stored records.

The developed Student Information System supports multi-user access, securely stores records,

and performs automatic computations, thus addressing several issues encountered in using the

traditional filing system: security issues, slow record retrieval, manual computation, etc. among

others.

The aforementioned features of the system makes it robust, flexible and can be integrated with

another Database Management System, if the need arises. Various software development

methodologies were also reviewed, and the desired one implemented.

Five.2CONCLUSION
From this research proposal, the introduction of Information Technology has made basic

educational activities easier, faster and more secure. A Student Information System, as opposed

to the traditional method of storing records, will facilitate ease and orderliness in the polytechnic

system.
Students will be more wont to carry out the course registration process because it’ll be made

easier by the developed Student Information System. Results will not be made available for

public consumption, but rather seen only by the particular student to whom it belongs to; this

also applies to information intended only for authorized access, thus implementing

confidentiality, availability and data integrity on records.

Five.3LIMITATIONS
The following limitations prevent the Student Information System from reaching its full

potential:

1. The System only functions on the Windows® desktop platform, hence users of the

mobile platform (Android and iOS) and other Operating Systems (Mac OS and Linux

flavours) would not be able to access the System.

2. The System was not implemented as a web application, so it can only be accessed on the

polythecnic’s intranet within the campus, not on the internet. Users not within the campus

premises cannot hence have access to the System.

3. Due to financial restrictions, a physical server was unavailable for use for testing the

application before presentation. For this purpose, a localized network between PCs was

used.

Five.4RECOMMENDATION
Based on findings of the study, the following recommendations are suggested for consideration:

1. The polythecnic should replace the traditional filing system with the developed

computerised Student Information System.

2. The polythenic should set up a wider range intra-network than the one in place now, one

accessible from anywhere within the campus with which the System can be accessed. Wi-
 Fi repeaters, in conjunction with the installed network routers and switches, may be used

to enable this function.

3. A unique team of staff with the necessary skillset should be employed by the polythecnic

to manage the Student Information System, among which is the System Administrator.

4. Since the Student Information System is built on the Windows® desktop platform, the E-

Library at the school and the computer systems in it should be made available for

students without their own PCs to access the System.

5. 24/7 power should be made available to power up the servers, as well as the network

devices in use. This can be implemented with the provision of a backup generator that

starts up in the event of a power failure.

6. The Student Information System should be studied more to improve it, maintain and

debug the system in the event of issues coming up.

Five.5SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

The developed Student Information System can be further studied and researched to either

integrate it with other applications, such as a Hospital/Clinic Management System, or a System

for managing school fees paid by students; or to develop the aforementioned as subsystems to

the Student Information System, thus broadening the scope of the project.

It can also be upgraded to a different platform, making use of only the stored data in the

database, as well as its structure, in order to improve security, ease of use, or functionality.
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