Design And Development A Database Management System For Student Registration

Project and Seminar Material for Computer Science and Computer Engineering

Abstract

This study is examining the design and development of a database management system for student registration in faculty of science, National Open University of Nigeria. The main objective of this study is to examine the advantages and limitations of this system. This study will be a contribution to the body of literature in the area of the effect of personality trait on student’s academic performance, thereby constituting the empirical literature for future research in the subject area. The system analysis is carried out in order to properly understand the information flow, the limitations and weaknesses the current system possesses, providing solutions to these limitations. The new system is designed to solve problems affecting the manual system in use, providing of solutions to those limitations which may include the improvement of the existing system or developing a complete system from scratch. The implementation of this new system was completely feasible in the Nigeria universities, and the many advantages that will be produced from it and its great effect in all the various educational sectors in the country. The use of the student information database in carrying out any project they wish to embark on in the near future, taking advantage of the positive effects and embracing this technological innovation as it relates to their area of specialties, should be recommended for students projects.

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Database Management System for students registration deals with all kind of student details, academic related reports, college details, course details, curriculum, batch details and other resource related details too (Vecchioli, 1999). It tracks all the details of a student from the day one to the end of his course which can be used for all reporting purpose, tracking of attendance, progress in the course, completed semesters years, coming semester year curriculum details, exam details, project or any other assignment details, ﬁnal exam result etc. The design can facilitate the exploration all the activities happening in the college, even to get to know which faculty is assigned to which course, the current status of a student, attendance percentage of a student and upcoming requirements of a student. The database management system for student registration is an automated version of manual database management system for student registration. It can handle all details about a student (Wright, 1990). The details include college details, subject details, student personal details, academic details, exam details etc. In case of manual system they need a lot of time, manpower etc. Here almost all work is computerized. So the accuracy is maintained. Maintaining backup is very easy. It can do within a few minutes. The system has two type of accessing modes, administrator and user. Database management system for student registration is managed by an administrator. It is the job of the administrator to insert update and monitor the whole process. When a user log in to the system. He/she would only view details of the student. He/she can’t perform any changes (Connors & Valesky, 2006).

The data generated by organizations are usually created in files for use by different departments/units within the organization. If the data contained in these files are not carefully delineated it is very likely that the same data will appear on several of these files. That is these files would contain redundant data e.g. the University registry file and college or department file would contain the name and address of a student. This would mean that a simple change of address has to be processed in two and probably three or four places, depending on the number of other files on which these data appears. As noted in Vecchioli (1999) organizing and managing student records into a cohesive and efficient system might seem like an impossible task.

The National Open University of Nigeria is a Federal Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution, the first of its kind in the West African sub-region. It is Nigeria’s largest tertiary institution in terms of student numbers and is popularly referred to as ‘NOUN’. NOUN does not provide lectures to students in normal classrooms except some certain study centres, primarily due to constraints known to the University alone and the challenges usually faced by a developing tertiary institution. The study centre in Lagos for instance provides lectures to all its Law undergraduates and supplies necessary course materials to all students after the payment of tuition fees. All courses offered have been accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC)

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The major problems associated with database management system for student registration include improper registration, late release of students’ results, inaccuracy due to manual and tedious calculation, retrieval difficulties /inefficiency. Hence, it is importance to identify whether the organization of administrative functions in the faculty of science, national Open University of Nigeria is best suited for computerization. However, this study is examining the design and development of a database management system for student registration in faculty of science, National Open University of Nigeria.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The following are the objectives of this study:

To design and develop a database management system for student registration in faculty of science, National Open University of Nigeria.
To examine the advantages of database management system for student registration.
To identify the limitations in the development of database management system for student registration.

1.4 Research Questions

What is the process of designing and developing a database management system for student registration in faculty of science, National Open University of Nigeria?
What are the advantages of database management system for student registration?
What are the limitations in the development of database management system for student registration?

1.6 Significance of the Study

The following are the significance of this study:

The outcome of this study will educate on the design and development of a database management system for student registration in faculty of science, National Open University of Nigeria.

This research will be a contribution to the body of literature in the area of the effect of personality trait on student’s academic performance, thereby constituting the empirical literature for future research in the subject area.

1.7 Scope/Limitations of the Study

This study will cover the process of designing and developing a database management system for student registration in faculty of science, National Open University of Nigeria

Limitation of Study

Financial constraint

Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint

The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

Chapter Five

Summary, Recommendation and Conclusion

5.1 Summary

In every sector of the economy be it financial, health, education, legal, I.T e.t.c. they all carry out one project or another. Even at the lowest levels, we all carry out various projects whether in small or large scale. Proper planning and execution of these projects have brought tremendous growth developed in the world today and the advent of the information technology world has brought a lot of innovations and added advantage of which student information database is not an exception. Though the more advanced countries such as the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and other developed countries have taken advantage of such a system, it should be noted that Nigeria is still lacking in this area.

Student information database is offline based, collaborative applications that help student administration managers in carrying out their responsibilities such as scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration, student information documentation management, student information planning and management. It allows the student information administrators to collaborate with student information resources, manage student users information, analyze risks, assign tasks, coordinate schedules at anytime from anywhere in the world. During the project, we investigated the existing system and the problems associated with it, and discovered that a new system had to be developed. We also discovered that the implementation of this new system is completely feasible in the Nigeria universities, and the many advantages that will be produced from it and its great effect in all the various educational sectors in the country.

5.2 Conclusion

The manual approach of accomplishing student information management is fast becoming a thing of the past. Many developed countries such as the United States of America (USA), and many developing countries, are beginning to reach out to better, easier, less time consuming, less tedious means of achieving student information management schemes by the development of highly advanced and sophisticated software to handle the day-to-day student management processes. These sophisticated software aim at reducing cost of the operation while increasing the quality of the final output.

The rapid advancement in technology, has largely affected our way of life which include, business, entertainment, sport, education, health care e.t.c. Computer software development, forms a large part of this advancement. Student information management software will go a long way to redefine student management methods, in our ever growing 21st century economy.

5.3 Recommendation

With the constant change in the world today, which is brought about by the continuous technological enhancement that has greatly affected the economy, it should be noted that there is a need to always stay up to date with these changes as they come. Thus I would like to make the following recommendations;

Topics in such areas as student information management system should be recommended for students projects. Since student management happens to be a wide research area of which this project cannot cover all, researchers should ensure to carry out a proper and thorough research in order to produce a more advanced system that meets the need of the current time period.
Within the next ten (10) years, systems that are currently in use and considered as the latest and highly advanced, will be outdated and replaced by more highly advanced systems that would perform the job ten times faster and better. Thus researchers who would work on this sort of topic should ensure to look at the limitations of current systems in use and use them as a basis for improvement.
Schools such as universities, secondary and tertiary schools in Nigeria, should adopt the use of the student information database in carrying out any project they wish to embark on in the near future, taking advantage of the positive effects and embracing this technological innovation as it relates to their area of specialties.
The various schools that would make use of the system should ensure to stay up to date with the latest technological enhancements and improvements in the systems by making certain the system is reviewed and updated at least after every six months of use.

Project Material Download