1.1 Introduction
Students’ academic records form a vital part of the education system though progress throughout life continues to be hinged on availability of accurate data on graduates of various institutions. Students’ records in most institutions have been held in low esteem, especially in the third world where most archival records on students are held in physical systems, giving rise to complications in recovering vital information and reduced access time (Desai, 2009; Arekete et al., 2009). Student record achievement is profoundly influenced by the evaluation practice used by teachers in the classroom. Research in education has consistently shown achievement monitoring and feedback to be extremely important factors in the teaching learning process. Automated Matriculation Number Generation and Allocation System for Tertiary Institutions is a web based application that provide platform for the colleague to conduct student’s evaluation online. Student will fill online feedback using a standard form.
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, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Students’ academic and personal records form a vital part of the education system. Progress throughout life continues to be hinged on availability of accurate data on graduates of various institutions. From time to time, individual records are sought during processing of admissions for further studies, engagement in voluntary or military service and entry into the world of works and the job market. However, students’ records in most institutions have been held in low esteem, especially in the third world. Most archival records on students are held in manual systems, giving rise to difficulties in retrieving vital information and poor access time. Where such information is available in electronic form, they are not available in friendly format. Some cumbersome transformation processes are therefore needed to generate the necessary reports (Desai, 1990; Arekete and Osinowo, 2009).
Since time is of essence in the digital age, we need to develop systems that are flexible, reliable and accurate for the purpose of delivering accurate information anytime such is needed. Moreover, availability of such information must not necessitate physical presence except in rare cases when physical authentication is required.
The admission process in every higher Tertiary institution of learning involves giving the students their matriculation number. This number is used to identify them in all manner of activities done in the school. It most especially important during examination and test assessment results recording. However there have been several known cases of students sharing the same matriculation number within the same department leading to unfortunate confusing circumstances. In this project an automated system would be designed that generate unique matriculation number to all registered student.
It is against the background that the development of this software to enable Student matriculation number record information storage and retrieval, so the software users should not give false information that is out of the software deeds. This research work is based on providing adequate information about students’ records. At the end of this project, the research work, the software will able school officials to evaluate students’ course in learning and teaching and concise students’ records from the database using their matriculation number as a query criteria.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that these are the problems that are being encountered in the manual system of assigning a student registration number to newly admitted student in the department. The limited factors listed below have slowed realization of the good intention:
- Wrong matriculation number: The officer in-charge is bound to make mistake by giving wrong matriculation number to student, which may be as a result of under-assessment or over assessment of student. This could be with motive to commit fraud or as a result of mistake on the part of the officer at work.
- Allocation of same matriculation number: Staff under the allocation of matriculation number to student may indulge in registering two student with the same matriculation number in one department, which result to confusion if not quickly rectify.
- Improper Accounting: There is the tendency of the registrar involved in the handling of student matriculation generated to make mistake during this process, thus having some measures of inaccuracy in the work.
- Mental/Manual Labor: This involves the use of strength and Brain and the body. The officer in-charge goes through mental labor because he has to sort the records of the entire student in his domain of jurisdiction. He suffers from Manual labor because he has to write all the way.
- Excess Time Consumption: There is excessive time consumption because the school registrar officer has to write and enter the information of the student individually, after the person matriculation number is to be registered accordingly. When put together, the time spent on all of these is much.
1.4 Aims and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to design and implement an Automated Matriculation Number Generation and Allocation System for Tertiary Institutions. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to develop an application software that will:
- Generate students’ non-duplicate matriculation number for accurate decision making by the school management;
- Enhance easy retrieval and access to students’ records using their allocated matriculation number;
- Provide efficient and safe storage of students’ information; and
- Facilitate proper accounting, students’ file storage and quick response to any adhoc enquires with reference to their assigned matriculation number.
1.5 Significance of Study
This proposed system will reduce the stress and effort spent on generating student matriculation number. It will automate the process and makes the matriculation number unique. Staff do not have to generate the number by one after the other, the system will assign matriculation number to all registered student automatically.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.6 Scope of Study
The study focuses on the Design and Implementation of an Automated Matriculation Number Generation and Allocation System for Tertiary Institutions using Computer Science Department, Federal University of Technology (FUTO) as a Case Study.
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.
- 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
Registration: This means to keep records received from the management for reference purposes.
Management: It is the co-ordination of all the resources of an Organization through the process of planning, Organization, directing and controlling
Computer: An electronic machine capable of accepting data in the form of input, processes it under a set of complete condition, stores information or request for references and generated result in the form of output.
