Design and implementation of an online SMS examination timetable alert system

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The advent of computer system and other information and communication technologies have been experiencing continuous technology changes. In fact, distance is no longer the barrier to communication. This advanced age as a result of development has been christened “the information age” and soonest the space age technology will be finally established. This change is so apparent in all aspect of man’s life. Many institutions like financial institution, academic institution, health and banks are computerized. The computer system and telecommunication network are the ruling element of the contemporary global institution, the same have influenced and reshaped academic activities since the advent of internet. If students and staff of academic institutions can look up to the internet, they will find their research problems taken care of just in a twinkle of an eye. School examination time-table hosted on the internet will be the solution to the manual process of accessing an exam time-table which is so stressful and time consuming. However, the major area that has dominated the internet is the World Wide Web (WWW) which is the global interconnection of internet resources in a multimedia format.

1.1 Background Of Study

The need for automated information system for educational development cannot be over emphasized. The assertion by many professionals that information is power is continuously gaining affirmation as the countries of the world continue to witness dynamic trends in information technology. The manual system of accessing and scheduling of examination time-table in higher institutions is always very tedious. The scheduling is done by the school’s exams and record department. The number of exams hall in the school and their various capacities must be put into consideration, if not there will be a clash of exam venues. For each of the sections, levels and departments, there will be a time slot for each of the examination day. Manually scheduling of this time is confusing and takes a long period of time to produce and excellent and perfect result that is free from clashes.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

School examination time table has been the only way of informing students of higher institution about their examination days and time.

The following are some of the challenges encountered in the Manual Process of Exam Time Table Allocation;

1. The current manually prepared exam time table is always error prone and takes a lot of time to reschedule.
2. Manual system of planning and accessing this time table is stressful.
3. Actual class sizes are not captured and as such there is error in Venue Allocation.
4. Clashes in take place in cases of carryover students.

1.3 Objective Of Study

The world is changing into a global village and the quest for knowledge and information is increasing. The computing is fast dominating all the aspects of life and many academic institution activities. There is a need for an easy way for planning and scheduling the school examination time table. To achieve this purpose, the following objectives must be put into consideration:

1. Reducing clashes in time and venues for exams.
2. To develop a system that will capture the actual sizes of the class and allocate venues accordingly.
3. Develop a system that will create room for carryover to write their exams without clashes.
4. Developing a system that will create room easy amendment where there are errors.
5. Developing a systems that can automate SMS to student to remember then there exam date.

1.4 Significance Of Study

This research work is greatly hoped to eliminate the manual way of scheduling examination time table in the faculty of science, national Open University. It will more also eliminate stress in planning of the time table. It will also avail the students to go for their worship at Sundays that is no more writing exams on Sundays. Students will now write exams comfortably with good venue and much time and more also eliminate examination clash.

1.5 Scope Of Study

This project work is meant to cover examination time table scheduling for faculty of science, national Open University Nigeria.

1.6 Limitation Of Study

No research work can be carried out without certain constraints either in form of finance or logistics.

This research is not an exemption and as such as money factors serves as constraints in the process of carrying out this research. Below are little of the constraints encountered.

TIME: Given the time required for the submission of this research work, the necessary attention was not given to the study coupled with the work load of any final year student.

FINANCE: Financial resources are not readily available to carry out an extensive and thorough research and the work is a tasking exercise, which requires a lot of financial commitment. Unfortunately, the money required to carry out this thorough work is not always available. As a matter of fact, finance was a constraint in this research especially with the harsh economic condition.

POWER SUPPLY:

There has been no power for this work because in the area we are living their transformer got damage has not been restored.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Lay-men: A person who is not a member a particular profession.

End-user: A person that users a software developed by another person

Allocate: to distribute resource for a particular purpose.

SIAS: School of Industrial and Applied Science.

PHP LANGUAGE: A server side language used in web development.

PROLOG: A high level language programming language base on logical rather than mathematical relationships.

CONSTRAINT: something that limits freedom of action.

LINEAR PROGRAMMING: A method of finding maximum and minimum of a linear transformation using variables that is subject to constraints