1.1 Introduction
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person’s personality. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card (IC). Countries which do not have formal identity documents may require informal documents. In the absence of formal identity document, driving licenses can be used in many countries as a method of proof of identity, although some countries do not accept driving licenses for identification, often because in those countries they do not expire as documents and can be old easily forged. Most countries accept passports as a form of identification.
Most countries have the rule that foreign citizens need to have their passport or occasionally a national identity card from their country, available at anytime if they do not have residence permit in the country. A student identification card can only be issued to genuine bonafide students. Card holders can use the card to identify themselves as a student around the campus or outside the campus. The identity card is managed and administered by the (Student Identity Card Association (SICA) of the school.
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
Today, it is believed that the application of computer technology in any activity would go a long way in making that activity much easier. To the research, this statement remains a theory until proven otherwise by the implementation of a computerized student ID Card System. It is also believed that benefits and advantage of using computers outweighs that of manual methods. This also wants to be proven beyond doubts by the researcher through the implementation of the new system.
In recent times, systems design is the process of defining the architecture, components, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specified requirements. It could be seen as the application of systems theory to product development. The design and implementation of World Wide Web has become an environment for distributed applications of all kinds. The originally intended use of the Web as distributed system for knowledge-interchange seems to disappear, compared to the increasing number of Electronic Commerce Web applications. Organizations offer products and services in the Web, and use the Web as a means to integrate their (heterogeneous) business application systems. Offering Web-based products requires combining services of different application systems, which were build on the coarse-grained Web implementation model. Reusing the respective fine-grained services and application systems respectively integrating these cross-platform application systems increases quality and reduces costs of the new product.
Students Identity card issued by the school administrators to a citizen intending to travel abroad from the definition, identity card can also be called a true image of an individual, because it tells well about a person coming into a country. Citizens in a country have the right to apply for issuance of an inter-students passport. There is a need for the maintenance and processing of students records in order to maintain current data concerning an individual in the institute of management and technology Enugu, the unit, which takes the responsibility of producing an identity card for student, has many sections. A system, with numerous definitions can be literally seen in a computer way as a collection of the hardware and software components of a computer.
According to Chiemeke & Franca (2006), a system is set of components that interact to achieve a common goal. In another sense, a system is a group of interrelated or intersecting elements forming a unified whole. A verification system as in this project is an application program used to verify that someone or something rightly and legally belongs to a collection, an organization or an individual. There are different verification system, notably address verification system, adult verification system and card verification system to mention but a few. Student verification system is used to know whether or not a student is or was a legal and rightly registered student. In this context, it is used to verify that a student belongs/belonged to an institution and to confirm that he/she is properly registered in a particular department running any of the institutions programme. This student verification system (SVS), also known as DELSU e-Verify is a window based system. It is an electronic and computerized means of verifying someone’s claim of studentship to an institution by means of their matriculation number (Mat No) being input, hence using an output clearly showing the truth or false of his/her claim.
According to Chiemeke and Franca (2006), a system is set of components that interact to achieve a common goal. In another sense, a system is a group of interrelated or intersecting elements forming a unified whole. A computerized system as in this project is an application program used to verify that someone or something rightly and legally belongs to a collection, an organization or an individual.
In this modern age, computers have verified the cause of their existence. The advent of computers in our society caused a lot of criticism on the danger it poses on the society. Critics of computer and new techniques express their fear on how computers will displace and replace all human skills thus resulting to mass unemployment. The presence of computer on virtually every field of today’s fast life has proved the critic wrong as the invention of computers and new technologies continues to create additional jobs for those who identify themselves with computers and new technologies. This make computes partner to human beings in any fields of human endeavour.
Over the past decades, students identification and verification has been a major problem in large institutions as documents, certificate and studentship can be forged at a great rate and easy way, using the computer negatively. Forgers fail to know that in this fast moving world, the computer has equally served as an aid to decision making, verification and authentication. This is because of computers efficiency in terms of speed, accuracy, reliability, cost and security among others. In recent years, awareness has existed and created in people as it concerned the use of computer in verifying, authenticating and security activities either through web-based (internet) or window-based. Decision support system (DSS) and others system like management information system (MIS) and information system (IS) are used in organization.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation revealed the major problems that gave rise to this research project is faced by Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic and they include late registration of student’s, corrupt students that know diverse ways of producing fake identity cards, corrupt and tactical student’s who have a way of sneaking into the examination hall with fake identity cards.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to design and develop a Computerized Students ID Card System. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To establish efficient means of tracking students with fake ID-Card.
- To reduce examination malpractice in Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, at least in the area of impersonation.
- To create a reliable database of students in Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, with unique features like passport photographs and registration numbers.
- To improve on the already existing system by designing a successful, secured privacy and reliable ID Card System that will help in providing complementary help to ID-card processing personnel through the availability of computerized information.
1.5 Significance of the Study
This research work would be unnecessary if it has no significance to humanity.
- Firstly, the newly designed system would make other-higher institutions to see the need for creating a computerized student ID-card processing system to use in production of student ID-card.
- Secondly, the knowledge that the new system has designed would make students and invigilators contemplating on impersonation and have a change of mind for fear of being caught.
- Thirdly, the designer of the system would provide jobs for system analysts and programmers contacted to build the system for other institutions.
- Fourthly, student identity card is used to check out books from the library, register to vote on student union matters, and get student discount.
- Finally, the research projects would serve as reference material to other scholars interested to further research on the topic.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This research work restricted to implementation of computerized student ID-card processing system; using Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic as a case study. Data used for the study were gathered from this source.
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 Operational Definition of Terms
In order to do away with ambiguity, some terms and keywords in the context of this research are hereby defined.
Identity Card: It is a proof of the holder’s identity that includes a photograph.
Impersonation: The act of pretending to be avoid candidate in order to write examination for someone else using that person identity card.
