ABSTRACT
In Nigerian Universities a lot of time is spent by
students, faculty and lecturers in effecting result processes.
This project focuses on solving the problem by
developing an application to solve the problem inherent to the delivery of
examination information services in Nigerian universities using the University
of Calabar as a case study. The MyResult Application is a web-based application
intended to be accessible from the internet. This allows the application to be
available to both mobile phone users and PC users who can access the internet
from their devices. The MyResult system was developed using open source web
technologies notably HTML, PHP and MySQL.
The MyResult system produced in this research work
has functions that will enable students to check course results, view computed
GPAs and log complaints with maximum ease.
The
developed application was tested using the XAMP application suite and the test
results show that the application works as expected.
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
It seems quite a safe bet to
assert that the Internet and mobile Communication have had a preponderant
influence on the way the world relates today. On the other hand, education
remains a sine qua non fact of life for the overwhelming majority of
human society In Nigeria; the educational sector has experienced marked changes
as a result of the introduction of internet-based services. In one case,
results for the UTME (Universities Tertiary Matriculation Examination) are now
processed and released within days of the examination being written, an
ever-increasing number of universities are employing the Internet to deliver a
widening range of information and support services, covering such areas as
admissions, student registration, examination records, and distance learning.
This work is an attempt at delivering an online system capable of
delivering examination results on demand, using the University of Calabar as
case study. This application will also provide capability to assist students, lecturers and administrative personnel
interact in resolving any result-related complaints.
This chapter introduces the work as an entity, discussing the
issues which are fundamental to the work ab initio:
a. The problem scenarios which, prima facie, lend necessity
to the work;
b. The modalities pertaining to the realization of the solution
system;
c. The content and extent to which the work will be carried out;
d. Definitions of key terms relevant to the central theme of the
work.
1.2 Problem Definition
The major problems regarding
the delivery of examination information services in Nigerian universities
include:
a. Delays in the release of results;
b. Errors inherent in handling and assessment of answer scripts;
c. Delays in marking answer scripts; and
d. Cumbersome response systems – where they exist – for handling
result-related complaints.
1.3 Objective Of Study
From the foregoing, the
objectives of the study become quite clear – as a result, the study aims to
achieve the following:
a. Conceptual design for a secure, accessible and user-friendly
online examination results system for a university, using the University of
Calabar, UNICAL, as case study;
b. Development of such a system to demonstrate its functionality,
using the XAMP (cross-browser Apache/MySQL/PHP) web server framework;
c. Perform tests on the said system to assure functionality,
accessibility and usability of the system.
1.4 Research Justification
Justification for engaging
in this study can be drawn from the following reasons:
a. The need to demonstrate the effectiveness of employing
mobiledriven information systems as a
viable complement to systems based on the regular Web, within the university
information framework; and
b. The need to achieve a greater degree of responsiveness among
stakeholders in the results system – students, lecturers and system
administrators – enabling them collaborate effectively to resolve
result-related complaints.
1.5 Research Methodology
In order to realize the
objectives of this study, it is pertinent that, as in all matters of substance,
strategy be employed in achieving set goals. The methodology employed in the
course of this study is outlined thus:
a. Outline a set of requirements to be met by the system proposed;
b. Conceive and implement the design of the said system as a
webbased application, largely using UML, the Unified Modelling Language,
along the lines of an object-oriented approach;
c. Development of the solution system using Adobe Dreamweaver CS5,
a RAD (Rapid Application Development) IDE for creating Websites
and applications.
d. Deployment of the solution system for testing: after the
solution is developed, it will be uploaded onto a free web server for the
purposes of demonstrating its functionality.
e. Beta testing on the hosted solution to confirm its conformity
to the system requirement specifications earlier outlined;
f. Detailed reporting of the findings stated above, with deduced
inferences, and noted grounds for future innovation.
1.6 Scope And Limitations Of The Study
In the course of realizing
this project, I shall take into account the consideration that all
development and analysis regarding the project will be centered on
internet standards and technology.
In full, the scope of the work is outlined thus:
a. The solution, as conceived and developed in this study, will
focus on examinations for undergraduate courses only;
b. The questions delivered by the solution will be of two formats,
viz, multiple-choice and subjective;
c. As conceived, the solution shall comprise of the following
modules:
i. A result search
application for students, based on the Internet, through which students and
lecturers can search and view results, as well as interact regarding
result-related complaints;
ii. A back-end application, to be used by lecturers and
administrators, for the management of essential information for the system,
such as course allocations, course student lists
iii. User authentication modules, which will employ unique modes
of authentication to uniquely identify users, and maintain user state within
the application.
In addition, a number of limitations exist which must be noted.
These include:
a. The proprietary nature of the school portal will make it rather
difficult to access the data schema used by it; hence, the data schemas
employed by the proposed system will for the most part be theoretical in
nature. However, this can be surmounted with adequate cooperation from relevant
agencies within the University Management;
b. The time-critical nature of the study informs my use of
prototype-based RAD to develop the proposed solution.
1.7 Definition Of Terms
a. Beta testing: Testing
carried out on software independent of its manufacturer by external users.
b. Internet application: A Web site with dynamic, i.e. data-source oriented user-specific,
content, which usually requires some form of user authentication.
c. Mobile device: Any
device with the functionality for information management and transfer free from
spatial and temporal constraints. Such devices include mobile phones, smart
phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), tablets and readers, among
Others.
d. Mobile Web: The
Internet, as accessible to mobile devices and computer system
e. RAD: rapid application development, a style of programming in which emphasis is placed on speed and
delivery, usually employing extensive use of IDE (integrated development
environment) capability.
f. UML: Unified Modeling Language, the international standard for specifying, visualizing,
constructing and documenting the artifacts of software systems.
g. User authentication: the process within the context of an Internet application wherein
eligible users are granted clearance to enter – and use – the application;
h. User state: the full
set of all user-specific program data within a program or Internet application.
i. online
result system: It is web based software, that can process course registration
and output results to the user.
j. Web application: see Internet
application.
1.8 Chapter Layout
The work contains a total of
five chapters: the first, titled “General Introduction”, true to form,
expatiates on the introductory concepts underpinning this study. Chapter 2,
“Literature Review and State of the Art”, offers an exposition into the research
which has been carried out prior to the present time. Chapter 3, “System Design
Methodology”, deals with the analysis workflow of the solution development
process, while Chapter 4, “System Implementation”, focuses on the
implementation workflow, discussing details of the implemented system, in relation to the processes
employed in its realization. In conclusion, the final chapter, “Recommendations
& Conclusion”, I
reprise a brief synopsis of the work in its entirety as sequel to
my inferences from the system implementation phase, in relation to those areas where innovations in this
field can be made.