DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ONLINE STUDENT ADMISSION SYSTEM

ABSTRACT

The difficulties students and staff of admission office usually face in any higher institution made us to realize that computer assisted admission system is the best in processing students record in Lagos State University Ojo. This will save our school the embarrassment caused by students complaints at the end of working day.

Our basic objective of designing and implementing an online students admission system is the development of data Base, computer program that will enable the Register and admission officers to efficiently, accurately and effectively process and co-ordinate the various students activities in the institution without much difficulties with little time.

In view of this, admission officers must prepare for successful working relationship with an online information processing and in addition get their members of staff familiarized with the system for easy and effortless exercise that produce reliable output (result).

This project describes how much an students admission system is developed and how in particular it can be effectively used for the day to day running of the set-up.

For the purpose of this research we shall use data base programming language version iv. This is because Dbase iv handles a large volume of data. It is database management package, which is good for students record keeping activities.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

1.1              Introduction                           

1.2       Aim and Objectives of Study

1.3       Research Methodology

1.4       Scope of Study

CHAPTER TWO

2.1       Background Information

2.2       Education in Nigeria

2.2.1    Primary Education     

2.2.2    Secondary Education

2.2.3    Promotional Education

2.2.4    Higher School Education

2.2.5    First Generation Universities

2.2.6    Second Generation Universities        

2:2.7    Third Generation Universities

2.2.8    State Universities

2.2.9    Private Universities    

2.3       Existing Operation of the Current System

2.3.1    Mode of Operation of the Current System

2.3.2    Problems with Current Admission Process

2.3.3    Advantage of Online Admission Application System 

2.4       Software Methodology

2.4.1    Attributes of a Well-Engineered Software

2.5       Extreme Programming

2.6       Object Oriented Technology

2.6.1    OOP 1N ASP.NET

2.6.2    Web Based Application

2.6.3    Web Database Application

CHAPTER THREE

3.1       Analysis of Research Technique used

3.2       Functional Requirement

3.3       Non Functional Requirement

3.4       Unified Modeling Language  

3.5       Use of Case Diagram 

3.5.1    Class Diagram

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1       Choice of Programming Language

4.2       Choice of Database    

4.3       Description of Undergraduate Admission Processing System

4.4       System Testing           

4.4.1    Continuous Integration          

4.5       Hardware and Software Specification

4.6       Sample Screen Shots  

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1       Summary

5.2       Limitation of the Study

5.3       Recommendation and Future Work

5.4       Conclusion      

REFERENCES

APPENDIX: Program                                                                                                   

LIST OF FIGURE

Table 3.1        -           Admission processing actors                                   30

Table 3.2        -           Actions of admission actors                                    31

Fig 3.1 -           Action's of admission diagram                                            32

Fig 3.2 -           Class diagram for the admission process                          33

Fig 3.3 -           Sequence diagram for the admission process                   34

Table 3.3        -           Course table                                                              35

Table 3.4        -           Department table                                                     35

Table 3.5        -           Faculty table                                                              35

Table 3.6        -           Post jamb criteria table                                            35

Table 3.7        -           Post jamb score table                                               36

Table 3.8        -           Candidate information table                                   36

Table 3.9        -           Session table                                                             36

Fig 4.1 -           Home page                                                                            42

Fig 4.2 -           Candidate's home page                                                        43

Fig 4.3 -           Admin panel                                                                          43

Fig 4.4 -           Add/edit faculty page                                                           44

Fig 4.5 -           Post UME score entry page                                                 44

Fig 4.6 -           Output of final batch of admitted candidates                   45

Fig 4.7 -           Output of final list of admitted candidates                       46

CHAPTER ONE

BASIC CONCEPTS

1.1      INTRODUCTION                     

Information processing has become an especially important activity in recent years because most jobs depend heavily on the wise use of information. The need for information given rise to efficient data processing and depending on the organization, the type of data to be processed varied widely from organization to organization.

Processing admissions applications from prospective undergraduate students presents institutions with interesting challenges. As more universities and colleges desire to take advantage of information technology, most of the technology-based innovations involve administrative tasks that are relatively centralized. However, at most institutions, undergraduate student admission is a highly decentralized process, with each department or program establishing its own admissions committee.

Clearly, such highly decentralized processing requires that whatever system is designed and implemented be easy to learn and use, have adequate security, and be customizable for specific situations.

This article reports the successful design and implementation of a new process for handling graduate applications at Lagos State University using a Web-based application in conjunction with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) system.

The University has 52 departments offering graduate programs, and the admission decision is made separately in each department. Undergraduate applications are received centrally in the Admission Office. Until the development of online undergraduate admissions application, the applications, paper copies of O’Level exam scores, and decision sheets were sent using campus mail services to the department for each applicant.

To further the University's goal to recruit the best possible graduate students, and as a way to evaluate the existing method of processing applications, a full review of Central Admission Committee processes was done in June 2005. The study revealed numerous problems, including too many "touches" of the application materials by Admission Office and departmental staff, long delays in campus mail, and processing delays in collating departmental decisions (which delayed the notification to students).

In addition, departments were keeping their own lists of applicants and maintaining duplicate databases to keep information current. Data were being entered multiple times by different staff. Each of these problems alone caused difficulties in the timely admission of high-quality applicants; cumulatively their effects were preventing many departments from competing effectively in a very competitive market. Additionally, many applicants received duplicate letters concerning admissions decisions due to problems in recordkeeping using paper forms; such duplication reflected poorly on the institution.

The goals for improving the graduate admission process were:

·        Reduce the time it takes for information to flow between the Central Admission Committee and departments;

·        Eliminate the duplicate keying of data;

·        Provide current information about applicants, with real- time updating;

·        Provide key data with sorting capabilities in one easy- to-read screen;

·        Create specialized rankings of applicants for departments with especially high volumes; and

·        Create electronic forms for admissions decisions that are sensitive to specific admission codes and department needs.

This project work uses Software approach to solve numerous problems associated with undergraduate Admission processing in Lagos State University.  UML and other tools were used to analyze the requirements. The proposed system will generate Admission List automatically according to the criteria set.

Undergraduate Admission Processing in Lagos State University is done manually and with so much stress, errors and delays. The proposed system will assist to generate Admission List (Merits) automatically to reduce errors associated with the processing

1.2      AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The aims of the proposed system is to design and implements a web-based students administrative system that will allow the Lagos State University generate Admission List on time for a particular academic session and publish same on its web site. Similarly, candidate will be able to visit the Web Site on the Internet to know whether or not they have been admitted into the University.

In addition, the main objectives of the system amongst others are to automate the complete admission system starting from the notification to admission process.  These can be achieved through effective implementation of the following:

·        Minimize errors i.e. making sure that a candidate’s name does not appear more than once on the list.

·        Adequately keep admission records

·        Update the database of students with new intakes

·        Make sure the names of only qualified candidates appear on the list

·        Avoid the stress of congestion on campus to check result

·        Extend their reach to geographically scattered students

·        Reducing time in activities

·        Centralized data handling and paperless admission with reduced manpower.

·        Cost cutting

·        Operational efficiency, consist view of data and integration with other institutions are other factors.

1.3      RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Successful automation of the processes in the University is complex, so considerable amount of research and planning has to be carried out. Various steps are taken which includes identifying the existing problems; studying and analyzing the current system, conceptualizing a new system and designing it. It also includes program specification.

Recommendations are made on how the system can be improved. Planning not only saves a bit of development time, it also helps to make reasonable and efficient decisions.

The quality of data collection is very important in any research project. It is often regarded as yardstick for measuring reliability of the research itself. The quantity is helpful due it does not always determine the quality but rather to give the researcher a wider view and knowledge about the problem under study. It requires that some step be taken in sequence to locate the various sources of data and actually how to collect them. The techniques that are commonly used are:-

1.     Interview

2.     Questionnaire

3.     Observation

4.     Document Examination

Of the above listed methods of data collection, Interviewing and Document examination will be use for the purpose of this study.

Interviews

In Quantitative research (survey research), interviews are more structured than in Qualitative research

Face -to -face interviews have a distinct advantage of enabling the researcher to establish rapport with potential participants and there for gain their cooperation. These interviews yield highest response rates in survey research. They also allow the researcher to clarify ambiguous answers and when appropriate, seek follow-up information. Disadvantages include impractical when large samples are involved time consuming and expensive. (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001)

Telephone interviews are less time consuming and less expensive and the researcher has ready access to anyone on the planet that has a telephone. Disadvantages are that the response rate is not as high as the face-to- face interview, but considerably higher than the mailed questionnaire. The sample may be biased to the extent that people without phones are part of the population about whom the researcher wants to draw inferences.[11]

1.4      SCOPE OF STUDY

Although this topic is very wide, the scope of study will entail the Lagos State University Admission Processing for undergraduate commencing from the time candidates’ List is released by Joint Admission and Matriculation Board to the time candidate’s name appear on the Admission List of the University. 

·        Create different system users and assign different roles with related permissions.

·        The Notification will be released through online and manually.

·        Students can apply online.

·        Verification of marks/details done by interacting with different agencies like school boards or college management systems.

·        Ranks will be generated depending upon the marks obtained for qualified candidates and call letters will be sent to short listed candidates.

·        Admissions will be done online, saving the time of students.

·        Centralized data maintained.

·        The seats management will be done by the convener online and availability of seats announced.

·        Statistical reports on daily activities in the admission process will be generated.

·        The system provides security through password authentication. The Administrative staff and system administrators have their own login ids and these ids help in maintain the integrity of the system.

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