Design And Implementation Of An Online Students Complaint System

Computer science project material with source code included

Abstract

Students’ complaint system is a software that can generally collect complaints, store them and these records are collected by the appropriate authority and then decide on the next step to be taken in solving the issues. The aim of the study is to develop a computerized complaint system to enable students submit complains or any wrong doing on the campus, to be handled by a professional administrator who will send the complaints to the appropriate body. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out to design web based complaint registration and appeal management system and provide quick responds to students complains on campus. The motivation that led to the implementation of the proposed system is that the process of daily task and activities are done manually which is quite unfortunate, manual procedural for complains execution delays and reduces result output quality. Also, manual complain record keeping has resulted in many setbacks to the expected standard. The methodology adopted in this study is the structured system analysis and design methodology (SSADM) which is a technical approach for analyzing and designing an application or system by applying object throughout the software development process. The programming language used is HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT, PHP, SQL and JQUERY. The reason why web programming languages was used is because, it is platform independent and it is a web based application. The new system will save time, reduce improper handling of complaint system and also improve relationship between student, lecturer and management. The system is expected to be easy as student can login their complaint anytime, staff and management also can equally response to student complaint in a more easy way. The expected result is a computer based students complaint system that will provide quick responds to students complains on campus and replaces some extent of human role in cases of unavailability of job.

Table of Content

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Background of Study
1.3 Statement of Problem
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
1.5 Significance of Study
1.6 Scope of the Study
1.7 Limitations of the study
1.8 Definition of Terms

Chapter Two

Literature Review

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Theoretical Review
2.3 Overview of Student Complaints Management (SCM)
2.3.2 Process of Dealing with Student Complaints
2.4 The Concept Of Registration
2.4.1 Online Registration
2.4.2 Usage of Online Registration Forms
2.5 Web Portal
2.5.1 Types of Web Portals
2.6 Database for Student Web Portals
2.6.1 Merits of Integrating Databases in Web Applications

Chapter Three

System Analysis and Design

3.1 Methodology Adopted
3.1.1 Problem Identification Using SSADM
3.2 Analysis of the Existing System
3.2.1 Dataflow of the Existing System
3.2.2 Disadvantages of the Existing System
3.2.3 Weakness of the existing System
3.3 Feasibility Study
3.3.1 Economic Feasibility
3.3.2 Technical Feasibility
3.3.3 Operational Feasibility
3.4 Analysis of the Proposed System
3.4.1 Data Flow Diagram of the Proposed System
3.4.2 Advantages of the Proposed System
3.4.3 Justification of the Proposed System
3.5 Functional Requirements
3.5.1 Use Case Diagram of the Admin / User Privileges
3.6 Data Requirements
3.7 High Level Model of the Proposed System

Chapter Four

System Design and Implementation

4.1 Objectives of the Design
4.2 Cohesion and Decomposition High Level Model
4.3 Control Center / Overall Dataflow Diagram
4.3.1 Proposed System Operation Flowchart
4.4 System Specification and Design
4.4.1 Input and Output Specification
4.4.2 Database Specification and Design
4.4.3 Data Dictionary
4.5 Choice and Justification of Programming Language
4.6 Program Documentation
4.7 Implementation Techniques
4.8 Programming Module Specification
4.8.1 Installation
4.9 Computer Hardware Minimum Requirement
4.10 Software Requirement
4.11 Personnel / User Training
4.12 File Maintenance Module

Chapter Five

Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendation
References
Appendix A – “Source Code”
Appendix B – “Object Program”

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Introduction

The computer has become widely accepted as an assistant that is exceptionally competent and well defined. It should come as no surprise, then, that almost all the task that could be solved manually, can now be solved with just a click of the computer keyboard. At this point one can say that a complain system is a software that uses modern day web tools to collect students’ complaints and store it in the same way a human expert will save a complain about no light at the hostel or how a lecturer plans to extort money from them to pass a course. This software will be designed in such a way that it can listen to students’ medical problems. A computerized complaint system can generally collect complaints, store them and these records are collected by the appropriate authority and then decide on the next step to be taken in solving the issues. Traditionally, computer software uses an algorithmic or procedural approach to problem solving; in other words’ it uses a rigid step-by-step approach. Thus, its system has been developed with the best tools to be able to hold the students’ data and this said data can be retrieved anytime.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

An academic growth can be of various concerns in academic environment to promote social and functioning educational system. For an effective educational system to take place there are some issues in academic environment that should properly address to, take for instance issue of complaints management system in the university. This issue had created a lot of problems for an academic growth in the various aspects of the educational system. To support this approach, this project identifies a range of options that can be used to manage and resolve Academic complaints. This includes, where the opportunity presents itself, the need for administrator to make every effort to resolve potential or actual academic complaints as informally as possible in the first instance.

Marchington and Wilkinson (2005) defined method of handling complaint as a product of labor relations environment in the 60s and 70s when there was a more explicit struggle for control in the workplace. This had two main effects. Firstly, it created the requirement for clear techniques so that all specialists knew and decides that oversee implicit rules, and moves that may be made against them if these guidelines were charged. Besides, it prompted more prominent clarity and consistency of executive activities to determination the protests. Design and implementation of complaint management system is to maintain an effective, timely, and equitable complaint handling system which is easily accessible and offered to complainants (students) at no charge. This project defines the policy and steps for handling and resolving complaints and also to appeal for an un-favored situation and for this process to take place there must be an automation of the system that will be handle the complaints process and appeal method of registration. Automation can be defined as the aspects involved in using a computer system for the tasks or process such as circulation, implementation etc. In relation to the above preposition by Marcus, it is possible for the design and implementation of an online complaint management system to yield substantial benefits for the users (Marcus, 2000).

The challenges encountered that led to the execution of the research work is that, the Poor performance of the manual system may lead into the missing or exploitative of the complaint by the staff or any member of the management, this is a circumstance where there is no avenue made for survey of the complaint. This obstructs satisfactory upkeep of the system, and there is no system or database set up to screen transfer of complaint submitted on paper or as verbal representation.

1.3 Statement of Problem

During the analysis and data collection of this project, it was discovered that there existed a manual form of collecting and storing students complains in other for them to be attended to, and for future purpose by the Students Affairs Department of the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri. That is to say that the process of daily task and activities are done manually which is quite unfortunate; manual procedural for complains execution delays and reduces result output quality. Manual complain record keeping has resulted in many setbacks to the expected standard. The setback encountered includes:

Time wastage and long quarries.
Partial or total loss of file or documents.
Under recording of criminal analysis.
Exposures of confidential matters.
Inefficiency of some members of staff due to laziness in searching of the files.

As a result of these problems, the manual system of complains record information storage, input and retrieval is very clumsy: inefficient and unbelievable.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to develop a computerized complaint system to enable students submit complains or any wrong doing on the campus, to be handled by a professional administrator who will send the complaints to the appropriate body. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

To design web based complaint registration and appeal management system;
To design a web based complaint system record and information system to replace some extent of human role in cases of unavailability of job;
To provide quick responds to students complains on campus; and
To implement a new system called complaint management system for student Affair Division of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri in Imo State using HTML, JavaScript and MYSQL.

1.5 Significance of Study

The significance of this study is to serve better than the existing system which is highly manual and therefore difficult in terms of monitoring the complaint in the University, improve database and enhance effectiveness, efficiency and security of the system. It is also intended that the study will help in the development of a new and hopefully and standard better computer aided system.

The new system will save time, reduce improper handling of complaint system and also improve relationship between student, lecturer and management. The system is expected to be easy as student can login their complaint anytime, staff and management also can equally response to student complaint in a more easy way.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the Design and Implementation of a Web-based Student Complaint System using Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri in Imo State as a case study. The system is designed to be web-based, which will aid student login their complaint and request for management helps concern any complaints.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
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).

1.8 Definition of Terms

Lecturer:

A person who gives lectures, especially (British) as an occupation at a university or college of higher education. (dictionary.com)

College:

A school or a division of a university that usually has its own dean and other administrators and whose faculty teaches and confers degrees in specific academic fields reserved (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Academic:

Designed for students who intend to study at a college after high school, or attending a school with such courses (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Registration:

The process of enrolling at a college or university, choosing courses, and paying fees at the beginning of an academic term (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Staff:

A particular group of employees within a company, institution, or organization (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Complaint:

The act of expressing discontent or unhappiness about a situation (Microsoft Encarta2009)

Appeal:

Request by a complainant to have a matter heard and/or re-considered after receiving an unfavourable decision (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Procedure:

An established or correct method of doing something (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Tedious:

Boring because of being long, monotonous, or repetitive (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Monitoring:

A school student who helps a teacher by being given a responsibility or special duty (Microsoft Encarta 2009).

Complaint:

A problem or issue which has not been resolved through discussion and progresses to a written complaint (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Discrimination:

Unfair treatment of one person or group, usually because of prejudice about race, ethnicity, age, religion, or gender (Microsoft Encarta 2009)

Chapter Five

Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation

5.1 Introduction

It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was on the Design and Implementation of Online Students Complaint System. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the Online Students Complaint System.

5.2 Summary

A computerized complaint system is a software that can generally collect complaints, store them and these records are collected by the appropriate authority and then decide on the next step to be taken in solving the issues. Student Complaint is important information reflecting Students sound and is a primary measure of Student dissatisfaction. As the complexity and degree of complains among students on campuses grow, a well-structured software with a good database will have to be utilized to aid lecturers and school authorities fight this trend, a computerized complaint system will offer a solution on this issue. This software is set up in order to meet the complaints submitted by students, which is handled by the appropriate body. The software is divided into three different sections: Student Login, Student Register, and The Administrator Session.

The motivation that led to the implementation of the proposed system is that the process of daily task and activities are done manually which is quite unfortunate, manual procedural for complains execution delays and reduces result output quality. Also, manual complain record keeping has resulted in many setbacks to the expected standard.

The methodology adopted in this study is the structured system analysis and design methodology (SSADM) which is a technical approach for analyzing and designing an application or system by applying object throughout the software development process. The programming language used is HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT, PHP, SQL and JQUERY. The reason why web programming languages was used is because, it is platform independent and it is a web based application. The new system will save time, reduce improper handling of complaint system and also improve relationship between student, lecturer and management. The system is expected to be easy as student can login their complaint anytime, staff and management also can equally response to student complaint in a more easy way. The expected result is a computer based students complaint system that will provide quick responds to students complains on campus and replaces some extent of human role in cases of unavailability of job.

5.3 Conclusion

In essence, the research work was successfully researched to meet the objectives set at the beginning of the project work. While one cannot completely rule out one form of limitation or the other, it was a success to a greater extent. On the whole, the research has been a worthwhile exercise. It has afforded the researcher the opportunity to really appraise the situation on the ground and allow one to bring out areas that might need attention for the improvement of the research work.

5.4 Recommendation

The following are recommendations for further study on this research work;

Only few across the counter information were provided for in the research work, it is strongly recommended for subsequent researcher to expand the scope of the research work.

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