DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ONLINE STUDENT CLEARANCE SYSTEM (A CASE STUDY OF CARITAS UNIVERSITY)
ABSTRACT
Computer Software Based online clearance system is an internet base research work that will help build an effective information management for schools. It is aimed at developing a computer software system that replaces the manual method of clearance for graduating students. The designed software will serve as a more reliable and effective means of undertaking students clearance, remove all forms of delay and stress as well as enable you to understand the procedure involved, as well as how to do your clearance online. This project work makes use of data collection from the university, materials and journals from various authors and the software was developed to effectively achieve the aim of the project. In this project, the implementation of the computer based system was carried out using JOOMLA for the program; in conclusion, this project work is likely going to meet some of the objectives.
THE EXISTING SYSTEM
Objective of the existing system is to unable student to pay all their fees before leaving the school. Some Levis are charged for processing student files and others for departmental dues or otherwise. The clearance system is design to help student pay all their dues and obtain a clearance certificate.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Approval Page…………………………………………………………………………..i
Dedication………………………………………………………………………………..ii
Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………..iii
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………iv
Table of Content………………………………………………………………………v
CHAPTER ONE
1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………..1
1 Background of the Study…………………………………………………..2
1 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………..3
1 Objective of the Study……………………………………………………..3
1 Significant of the Study……………………………………………………4
1 scope of the Study………………………………………………………….4
1 Limitations…………………………………………………………………….5
Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………….5
CHAPTER TWO
2.1 Literature Review…………………………………………………….8
2.2 Roles of Information Technology in the Academic
System………………………………………………………………………….8
2.3 Data and Information……………………………………..........10
2.4 Technology Ehancing Computer Software Base Online Clearance
System………………………………………………………………………..11
2.5 Computer Base Online Information System…………..13
2.6 Data Bases…………………………………………………………….15
2.7 Communication Used in Online Clearance System…18
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Methodology…………………………………………………………20
3.1 General Analysis of Existing System……………………….20
3.2 Method of Data Collection……………………………………20
3.3 Objective of the Existing System…………………………..22
3.4 Problem of the Current System………………………………22
3.5 Justification for the New System…………………………..22
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 System Design……………………………………………………….24
4.1 Design Standard………….…………………………………………24
4.2 Output Specification………………………………………………24
4.3 Input Specification…………………………………………………25
4.4 Field Design………………………………………………………….25
4.5 Procedure……………………………………………………………27
4.6 System Requirement…………………………………………..27
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation……….30
5.1 Summary……………………………………………………………..30
5.2 Conclusion…………………….……………………………………31
5.3 Recommendation………………………………………………..31
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………….32
APPENDIX I
Program source code………………………………………………45
Appendix ii………………………………………………………………41
Appendix iii……………………………………………………………42
Appendix v………………………………………………….44
CHAPTER ONE
1 INTRODUCTION
Clearance is a status granted individuals, typically members of Military, University graduates and Employees of Government and their contractors, allowing them access to classified information, a clearance by itself is normally not sufficient to gain access. The organization must determine that the clearance individual has a “need to know” the information.
Clearance is the process of determining and negotiating any permission that are needed to melu de use of someone else’s intellectual property in creative project. Part of that process include
Image Determining the owner(s) of the intellectual property.
Image Contacting the owners and negotiating on agreement.
Image Administering written contracts
Image Handling other issue related to the use and licensing of intellectual property.
No one is supposed to be granted access to classified information solely because of rank of position, but once a clearance is obtained access to certain information or gain of freedom will be granted.
The advantage of e-learning are many, as people of all ages and backgrounds become increasingly reliant on the internet for information, online learning become more convenient and efficient here, the need for an online clearance system. The skills needed to access and comprehend information online are becoming common place, and the flexibility of wireless computing means that any coffee shop, airport or bedroom can
become a classroom online courses, registration, clearance have few, if any scheduling restrictions, well-integrated learning resources and competitive degree option, with an online clearance system. The changing online college landscape now includes online clearance system, traditional undergraduate and general studies programs. However career learning is still the most popular online training option.
1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Caritas University, Amorji-Nike Enugu is a private university approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria on Dec. 16 2004. It was officially opened on Jan. 21 2005 by the Federal Ministry of Education, Pro. Fabian Osuji. It is the second catholic university founded by Rev. Fr. Prof. EMP Edeh Cssp. The school is managed by the congregation of sisters of Jesus the savior, a religious congregation of nuns founded by him. The school operates the faculty system and presently has four faculties: Natural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Management and Social Sciences.
In university like Caritas, there is need for automated method of keeping data, more so a greater need for an online clearance system. This would a long way in alleviating the various problems and stress involved in the manual method of clearance. Moreover, the issue of delayed youth service as a result of mobility to complete the tedious manual process of clearance would be curtailed.
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The process of clearing students of a named institution CARITAS UNIVERSITY after graduation requires that the students must be cleared in their various departments and information units. Among which are:
Image Sister’s Clearance
Image Bursary Clearance
Image Male Dean clearance
Image Security Clearance
Image Student Union Fee
Image Departmental Due
Furthermore, for a graduating student to carry out his/her clearance from all these departments it normally takes a lot of time and a lot of processes and delay in clearing the student for youth service as well as collection of statement of results. Hence, it became imperative for computer software based online clearance system to eliminate the shortcoming of the manual system in place.
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objective of this computer software based online clearance system for the graduating student includes the following:
Image To effectively and efficiently process students clearance.
Image To provide a reliable and transparent system devoid of personal
inclination and interest.
Image To provide borderless access.
Image To ensure prompt clearance.
Image To alleviate the problems and stress of travelling and queuing up of
student during clearance.
1.5 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY
The project work will help in a good number of ways to ease the queuing system in the university as the online clearance system will help student to achieve whatever they want to achieve without coming to the various offices for clearance.
Clear advantages of internet information processing over those of traditional manual system are higher yields. Online clearance system allows the users to check their clearance status as whether they are in any way indebted to the school, fill and submit their clearance form, and obtain their clearance letter. There are many other advantages of online clearance system and some of them are listed below
Image It save a lot of time.
Image It is very convenient to use it right from the bedroom, office or anywhere in the world.
Image Information processing is very fast and delays can be avoided.
Image It is inexpensive to student and school management.
Image It is also help the school in reducing cost such as labor and stationary.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This project work is to develop a computer software based online
clearance system for doing clearance for graduating students of Caritas
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University. The software development will be carried out using JOOMLA Ms Access to manage both the database and at the same time make the software online.
1.7 LIMITATIONS
This project covers some of the aspect of a computer software based online clearance system using Caritas University as case study.
However the following are the constraints:
Image TIME CONSTRAINTS: Due to time constrain the web-page covers only clearance for various departments by the graduating student.
Image FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: Due financial constraints people cannot afford this kind of process online especially towards the cost of accessing the internet. Therefore, it would cost a lot to develop a full web-based clearance system.
Some documents were considered confidential and were not made available.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Image Computer Network: Computer network is a system that connects two or more computers together using a communication link.
Image World Wide Web: World Wide Web simply called “www” is the most important tool of the internet, it was created in the late
1980’s in Europe and was limitedly use in academics cycle.
Image Clearances: official certification of blamelessness trustworthiness or suitability for graduation and issue of certificate in degree course.
Image File Transfer: Any kind of computer file can be sent via the internet from one internet user to another. Table of account in a spreadsheet, design by a graphic artist, music and sound files etc can all be exchanged in this way.
Image Web Browser: this is special kind of software that processes hypertext mark-up language (HTML) document. In other words, a web browser is a computer program that interprets HTML command to collect, arranged and display the parts of a web page.
Image Web Site: A web site is a collection of many interconnected web page organized by a specific college, organization company etc, containing web page (goods and commodities) on the internet. Web site is stored on web servers. There are many web sites and thousand of HTML pages on each web site. A web is a treasure of information and entertainment.
Image Hyperlinks: Hyperlinks are highlighted words and phrase you find on a web document that you can click on as to jump to some other document or internet services.
Image Online: connected via a computer attached to or available via a central computer network
Image Offline: Disconnected from computer network, describe a computer terminal or peripheral devices disconnected from a computer network.
Image System: Set of computer components that is, an assembling of
hardware, software and peripheral functioning together.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE ACADEMIC
SYSTEM
The introduction of computer into information technology has massively improved the information need of organization; the success of this machine is dependent on the knowledge base. Therefore, one can be prompted to ask aloud “what is a computer” Funk (1980) defined a computer as an electronic device that can perform automatically at a high speed of a sequence of logical operations according to instructions giving to it inform of pre-arranged program.
Anigbogu (2000) define a computer as an electronic device capable of accepting data and instruction; process the data base on the instruction to generate result or output in such a manner that is yet to be equaled by any other known machine to mankind.
Chimezie (1990) define computer by saying that computers are looked upon as obedient servants who are ever ready to free man from tedious procedures and produce result as compared with human computing time.
Obilikwu (1995) define a computer as a machine that is capable of accepting input data, store and process the data base on the instructions giving by the computer users and in this way produce expected result, generally called output.
World net describes an information system (I.S) as systems consisting of all communication channels used within an organization and include software and hardware. It may also be define as a system that collect and
process data (information) and provide it to manager of all levels that use it for decision making, planning, program implementation and control.
The aim of information system to admission, registration, result processing and clearance in universities using computer software based online clearance system is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all involved as well as assisting universities in compiling and reporting information, making work lesser for the management.
Information technology has been an integral part of academic system since almost four decades. According to Hewlet (1993) the world is entering an era in which technology will literally transform every aspect of business, every aspect of life and every aspect of society.
Since the arrival of internet technology, school system has taken a new shape style with a blend of convenience and satisfaction. Taylor (1980) says that computer base education includes both computer-assisted instruction programs that interact with students in a dialogue and a broader array of educational computer applications such as simulations or instructions in computer programming. Learning from a student bedroom, office or anywhere in the world has made its way into university system with the advent of internet technology. Information technology has always helped the university system to educate student in better way. To explain few examples. Student online clearance is a method where the student obtains his/her clearance letter without carrying files around. This is safe, fast and has no hazels. Filling out the documents and comparing options and writing for approval is a time consuming process. Through the internet, this process is made much easier and sometimes the approval is made within minutes. This explains an efficient way of obtaining clearance and saves time and money for students.
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