Development Of A Course Registration Application With Cgpa Projection Mechanism

Description

ABSTRACT

A course registration application with CGPA projection mechanism for department of Computer Engineering, University of Uyo was developed in this project. The system is capable of performing course management, result management and CGPA projection. The incremental software development process was employed in the development of the system. The development of the system passed through three increments and in each increment communication, planning, modelling, construction and deployment activities were carried out. The system iterated between development and testing stages until the set objectives were met. The application was developed using XHTML (Extended Hypertext Markup Language) for the interface, MySQL (Structured Query Language) for the database, PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) for scripting and Apache (Webserver).The work also reports the results of testing done by testers, on a 5-point scale. The degree to which the system enforces registration of prerequisite failed courses recorded an average score of 4.20. The system’s ability to manage students’ results averaged 3.80 and the ability of the system to carry out CGPA projectionrecorded 3.60 on the average. The results has shown that the system is a very useful tool in helping students set academic targets.

 Keywords: Course Management, CGPA Projection, Result management and Mechanism.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of Study –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           1

1.2       Statement of the Problem                   –           –           –           –           –           –           3

1.3       Objectives of Study    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           3

1.4       Significance of the Study       –           –           –           –           –           –           –           4

1.5       Scope and Limitations            –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           4

1.6       Project Layout            –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           5

CHAPTER TWO

• LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Online Course Registration System    –           –           –           –           –           –           6

2.1.1    Typical Components of Course Registration Systems            –           –           6

2.2       Concept of Grading System   –           –           –           –           –           –           –           7

2.2.1    Grade Point Average  –           –           –           –           –           –           –           8

2.2.2    Cumulative Grade Point Average       –           –           –           –           –           10

2.3       Projection        –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           11

2.4       Review of Related Works      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           11

2.4.1    Design and Implementation of Mobile Students’ Course

Registration Platform  –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           12

2.4.2    Methodist University Online Course Registration System     –           –           16

2.4.3    Online Course Registration at University of Dataville           –           –           24

2.4.4    Automated Student Course registration using Computer

Telephony       –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           28

2.4.5    Tsinghua University Online Course Registration System       –           –           31

CHAPTER THREE

• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1       Introduction    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           39

3.2       System Description     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           39

3.2.1    Functional Decomposition      –           –           –           –           –           –           40

3.3       System Architecture   –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           42

3.4       Incremental Software Development Process Model  –           –           –           –           43

3.4.1    Increment 1     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           45

3.4.2    Increment 2     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           62

3.4.3    Increment 3     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           66

CHAPTER FOUR

• RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1       Introduction    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           73

4.2       Home Module             –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           73

4.3       Course Management Module –           –           –           –           –           –           –           76

4.4       Results Management Module –           –           –           –           –           –           –           79

4.5       CGPA Projection Module      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           80

4.6       Testing            –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           80

4.7       Test Results     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           81

4.8       Discussion of Results  –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           81

CHAPTER FIVE

• CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1       Conclusion      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           83

5.2       Recommendation        –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           83

REFERENCES        –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           84

APPENDICES

 Appendix A    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           86

Appendix B    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           87

Appendix C    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           88

Appendix D    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           89

Appendix E     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           90

Appendix F     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           91

Appendix G    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           92

Appendix H    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           93

LISTS OF TABLES

1. Table 2.1: NUC University Grading System –           –           –           –           8
2. Table 2.2: Table Showing Courses, Grades and Credit Hour –           –           9
3. Table 3.1: Course Registration Table –           –           –           –           –           55
4. Table 4.1: Average of Testing     –           –           –           –           –           –           81

LIST OF FIGURES

1. 2.1: Use Case Diagram of Mobile Course Registration Application – 13
2. 2.2: Login Page of the Mobile Course Registration Application –           14
3. 2.3: Level and Semester Registration Page of Mobile Application –         15
4. 2.4: Course Management page –           –           –           –           –           15
5. 2.5: Network Architecture of Registration System

of  Methodist University            –           –           –           –           –           –           17

6. 2.6: Context Diagram of the Developed System –           –           –           17
7. 2.7: Use Case Diagram of Online Registration System –           –           18
8. 2.8: Student Registration Sequence Diagram –           –           –           19
9. 2.9: 3-Tier Architecture Design –           –           –           –           –           21
10. 2.10: Login Page of the System       –           –           –           –           –           22
11. 2.11: Main Menu of the System       –           –           –           –           –           23
12. 2.12: Course Registration Page of the System         –           –           –           24
13. 2.13: Index Page of University of Dataville’s Course System         –           26
14. 2.14: Instructor’s Page of University of Dataville’s Course System            27
15. 2.15: Dataflow Level Diagram         –           –           –           –           –           29
16. 2.16: Add Course Process    –           –           –           –           –           –           29
17. 2.17: Delete Course Process Diagram          –           –           –           –           30
18. 2.18: Changing Password Process    –           –           –           –           –           30
19. 2.19: Stages and Sub stages of Computer Telephony Integration

Registration System    –           –           –           –           –           –           31

20. 2.20: Interfaces and Messages Between Different systems –           –           35
21. 3.1: Flowchart and Component of the proposed System     –           –           40
22. 3.2: Use Case Diagram Showing Student Interaction          –           –           41
23. 3.3: Use Case Diagram Showing Administrator Interaction            –           42
24. 3.4: Architecture of the System        –           –           –           –           –           42
25. 3.5:Incremental Process Model        –           –           –           –           –           44
26. Fig .3.6 Index page of the Course registration System –           –           –           59
27. Fig 3.7: Sign Up for New Users  –           –           –           –           –           –           59
28. 3.8: Welcome Page after Successful Sign in by Students     –           –           60
29. 3.9: Course Registration Module      –           –           –           –           –           61
30. 3.10: Add course Module     –           –           –           –           –           –           61
31. 3.11: Results Management Page       –           –           –           –           –           65
32. 3.12: Specified Semester Results Page         –           –           –           –           65
33. 3.13: Previous Semester results Page – –           –           –           66
34. 3.14: CGPA Projection Page – –           –           –           –           –           71
35. 4.1: Welcome Page of the System –           –           –           –           –           73
36. 4.2: Sign Up Page for New users –           –           –           –           –           74
37. 4.3: Filled Sign up Form by New user –           –           –           –           74
38. 4.4: Page After Successful Registration –           –           –           –           75
39. 4.5: Login Page for New/Existing Users –           –           –           –           75
40. 4.6: Course Management Page –           –           –           –           –           76
41. 4.7: Page After Successful Registration –           –           –           –           77
42. 4.8: Add Course Page –           –           –           –           –           –           77
43. 4.9: Drop Course Page –           –           –           –           –           –           78
44. 4.10: View Registered Course Page- – –           –           –           –           78
45. 4.11: Results Management Page –           –           –           –           –           79
46. 4.12: View Previous Semester Result Page –           –           –           –           79
47. 4.13: CGPA Projection Page – –           –           –           –           –           80
48. 4.14: Projected CGPA of a Registered Student –           –           –           80
49. CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The role of information and communication Technology (ICT) in tertiary education is expanding and changing (Artiken, 2007). Electronic registration or e-registration, web based registration or even online registration is a secure website that students enter to indicate that they will attend classes in the upcoming (fall or spring) rain or harmattan semester (Strauss, 2000). Online course registration system is a web based registration software that allows students through the internet to register, drop or add courses and as well print out course forms within the registration period. It is ideal for adult schools, educational camps, corporate training programs and online training programs.

Currently, based on the laid down policies in the University of Uyo, students are advised to register all their outstanding courses before their current level courses. With this current system, once a students has carried over a course the effect ripples through his entire stay in school in that he will never be able to register for all his current level courses. This affects students’ academic performance negatively in that courses will conflict on the time table and class attendance will be erratic if not non-existent. In order to curb this problem induced by the current online registration system, an improved online course registration system that compels students to register only outstanding courses that are prerequisite to the current level courses is proposed.

To further combat some other fraction of the failure rate, there is a need for a system that helps students better understand their performance level and give themselves targets. This can be accomplished with the aid of a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) projection system. The concept of academic performance is inevitable in formal educational institution. It expresses the learning achievement of an individual or a group at the end of an academic programme (Kpolovie et al, 2014). Students’ academic performance are measured through several ways like CGPA, GPA and test result (Mushtaq and Khan, 2012). The CGPA is a very important measure, as this is what determines whether a student can move to the next level, repeat a year or even withdraw from a programme. The final CGPA determines the degree certificate awarded to the student on completion of the programme.

Projection is the process of moving forward in time through imagining of future events or estimates based on certain assumptions or past trends (Business Dictionary, 2016). Such assumptions are usually based on patterns of change previously observed and performance capabilities of individuals in direct involvement with the environment or product. In baseball game, a projection is the best estimate of a player’s true talent for a given period of time. In the world of advanced statistics, projection systems are statistical models that take the players’ past statistics, age and other factors to predict how a player will perform in the next game, upcoming season or entire career (FanGraphs, 2016). Projection can be applied in variety of areas with education being inclusive. A CGPA projection system integrated with an improved online course registration system would act as a compass for the students’ work and a tool that can help students’ harness their strengths and remedy weaknesses.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The current course registration system in University of Uyo does not compel students to register their failed courses first before the current semester courses and most of these failed courses are prerequisite to the current semester courses. This leaves the student with an open opportunity to register for current semester courses neglecting failed courses. This practise increases the failure rate as the student lacks basic understanding of the current course being registered for, since it has a prerequisite which the student performed poorly in.

After the usual registration of courses in University of Uyo, there exist no system to aid students set their performance target based on the courses registered. Students start the semester without prior goals and not expecting any specific outcome. This usual culture of not setting goals greatly hampers the student’s performance for that semester and his entire school years. There is a need to curb this menace which has eaten deep into the fabric of the educational system.

1.3       OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The primary goal of this project is to implement an improved course registration application with a CGPA projection mechanism for the department of Computer Engineering, University of Uyo, Uyo. The specific objectives include:

1. To develop an improved course registration system that compels students to register failed courses that are prerequisite to the current semester courses thus curbing the rate of failure.
2. To develop a system that manages the results of the students.
3. To develop a system that gives room for students to evaluate their academic strengths and harness their weaknesses.
   • SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The benefits of the use of the proposed course registration application with CGPA projection system in the department of Computer Engineering, University of Uyo, are as follows;

It provides an effective means to improve academic performance of students.

To imbibe in the students the culture of setting goals at the beginning of a new semester which will be their fuel that drives them as they proceed in the semester.

It provides room for students to know their previous semester results before beginning a new semester.

It saves the time and energy of the student having to undertake the task of allocating grades to the courses registered and trying to compute the expected GPA.

It gives students academic alertness as they have to work to have the goal grades to produce the target CGPA.

1.5    SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This research work will concentrate on designing and developing an improved course registration application with CGPA projection mechanism using Computer Engineering department, University of Uyo as a case study. Only Computer Engineering courses will be available in the web application.The CGPA to be projected will be based on the courses registered. This limitation is posed by time and financial constraints since it is only a proof of an idea. 

1.6    PROJECT LAYOUT

Chapter two contains the concept of online course registration systems especially as it pertains to institutions of higher learning. It offers a review of works related to this project and the limitations of the work.

Chapter three presents in an encompassing manner the design and research methodology. It also explains the current and proposed online course registration Systems. Furthermore, the chapter explains in details the system architecture, requirements and specifications.

Chapter four deals with the implementation of the CGPA projection system. The results are also discussed here.

Chapter five provides the summary of the entire project report. It also gives a few recommendations on how to improve the system

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1               ONLINE COURSE REGISTRATION SYSTEM

Online course registration system is a web based registration software that allows students through the internet to register, drop or add courses and as well print out course forms within the registration period (Ajman University of Science and Technology, 2016). It is ideal for adult schools, educational camps, corporate training programs and online training programs. The big difference between registering the courses online and filling it on paper are time and technology. It takes time to fill out course forms manually. Instead of taking time, technology has made course registration easier and simpler. With internet being the driving force, online course registration has become so simplified that students can do their registration anywhere without having to queue in front of administrative blocks. Online course registration systems perform functions such as payment of school fees, printing of receipts, result management and many other functionalities to mention but a few.