A Computerized Students' Records Management System A Case Study of Faculty of Science and Technology Kampala International University Western Campus

ABSTRACT A computerized students' records management system (CSRMS) is a computer program designed to capture, store, manage the creation and maintenance of students' records in an organisation. Records management (RM) is the practice of controlling records of an organization from the time they are created to the time of disposal which includes indentifying, creating, classifying, using, storing, securing, retrieving, and destroying or permanently preserving records. Records management system (RMS) is a collection of elements in an organization managing records. The activities in this management include the systematic and efficient control of the creation, maintenance and destruction of the records along with the business transaction associated with them, for this case which is students' records management system. The major objective of the study was to design a Computerized Students' Records Management System that would help the Faculty of Science and Technology KIU-WC to efficiently and effectively manage Students'. The specific objectives of this study were to investigate the current system of students' record management. gather requirements for designing a computerized students' records management system, design and develop a computerized records management system, test, implement and validate the system. Data was gathered using interviews, observation and questionnaires. The collected data was sorted and analyzed using Microsoft excel software and it was found out that the current manual system is in efficient, time and space consuming in addition to being insecure hence judged not good for the management of records. After gathering the requirements, entity relation diagrams and dataflow diagrams were used to design the computerized system. Microsoft Visual basic was used to create user interface while Ms- Access was used to create the database. The Computerized system developed enables electronic capturing of students' data, storing of this data in an electronic database which eases the retrieval of the same data, any time by only authorized people. The developed computerized system also allows the backup of data on movable devices like flash disks, memory cards and external hard drives which increases the capacity of backup. The computerized system reduces a burden of over compiling of papers and the need for more shelves which reduce congestion in the Faculty of Science and Technology.

 Table of Contents 

DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................................... i 

APPROVAL ................................................................................................................................................. ii 

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................................. iii 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................................................... iv 

Ll ST 0 F Fl G URES ................................................................................................................................... viii 

Ll ST 0 F TABLES ....................................................................................................................................... ix 

ABSTRACT ............................................ ············ .... '''''" ......................................................................... ······ X 

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ..................................................................................... xi 

D EFIN ITI ON 0 F TERMS ......................................................................................................................... xi i 

CHAPTER ONE: .......................................................................................................................................... 1 

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 

I. 0: Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 

I . I : Background of the study ........................................................................................................................ 1 

1.2: Problem statement .................................................................................................................................. 2 

1.3: General o bj ecti ve of the study ............................................................................................................... 3 

I . 3. I : Specific objectives of the study .......................................................................................................... 3 

1.4: Scope of the study .................................................................................................................................. 3 

I . 5: Significance of the study ......................................................................................................................... 3 

CHAPTER TWO .......................................................................................................................................... 5 

LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................. 5 

2.0: Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5 

2.1: Investigation of the current system of students' records management. ................................................. 5 

2. I : I : A System ............................................................................................................................................. 5 

2. I :2: Records ............................................................................................................................................... 6 

2. I :3: Records management .......................................................................................................................... 6 

2.2: Requirements for a computerized students' records management system ............................................ 6 

2.2: I: Computerized students' records management system ........................................................................ 6 

2.3 Designing and developing a computerized records management system .............................................. 7 

2.3.1: Steps in Developing a Records Management System .......................................... " ............................. 7 

2.4 Testing and validating of the system designed ....................................................................................... 8 

v 

CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................... 10 

METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................... 10 

3.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 10 

3.1 Research method ................................................................................................................................... 10 

3.2 Area of the study ................................................................................................................................... 10 

3.3 Procedure of data collection .................................................................................................................. 10 

3.4 Study population ................................................................................................................................... 11 

3.5 Sample size ........................................................................................................................................... 11 

3.6 Research instruments and technique ..................................................................................................... 11 

3.8 System design ....................................................................................................................................... 12 

3.9 Implementation ..................................................................................................................................... 12 

3.10 Testing and Validation ........................................................................................................................ 12 

CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................................................... 14 

SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN ....................................................................................................... 14 

4.0: Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 14 

4.1: Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 14 

4.1.1: Results obtained by interview ........................................................................................................... 14 

4.1.2: Education level of respondents ......................................................................................................... 15 

4.1.3: Key records management functions performed in the Faculty of Science and Technology ............. 16 

4.1.4: How students" records are captured and reports generated in the Faculty ........................................ 17 

4.1 .5: How long it takes to register and retrieve a form/report of a single student.. ................................... 17 

4.1.6: How the current records management system was rated by respondents ......................................... 18 

4.2: Systems Analysis and design ............................................................................................................... 19 

4.2.1: Existing system ..................................................................................................... : ........................... 19 

4.2.2: Weakness of the current system ........................................................................................................ 20 

4.2.3: The Designed System ....................................................................................................................... 20 

4.2.4: System Users and their requirements ................................................................................................ 21 

4.3: System requirements ............................................................................................................................ 21 

4.3.1: Minimum hard ware and software requirements .............................................................................. 22 

4.3.1.1: Data Flow Diagram ........................................................................................................................ 23 

4.3.1.2: Context Diagram for the Proposed System .................................................................................... 24 

4.5: Data Modeling ..................................................................................................................................... 26 

vi 

4.5.1: System Entities and their associated attributes ................................................................................. 26 

4.5.2 Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) .................................................................................................. 27 

4.6: System Design ..................................................................................................................................... 28 

4.6.1: Architectural design .......................................................................................................................... 28 

4.6.2: Database ............................................................................................................................................ 28 

4.6.3: Graphical User Interface (GUI) ............................................................................ .-........................... 28 

4.6.4: Security ............................................................................................................................................. 29 

4.7: Database design ................................................................................................................................... 29 

4.7.1: Database Tables ................................................................................................................................ 29 

4.8: Implementation ............................................................................................................................... 30 

SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING ..................................................................................... 31 

5.0: Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 31 

5. I: System Implementation ...................................................................................................................... 31 

5. I. I: Login page ........................................................................................................................................ 31 

5.1.2: Main page ......................................................................................................................................... 32 

5.1.3: User Page .......................................................................................................................................... 33 

5.1.4: Students' registration form ............................................................................................................... 33 

5. I .5: Program Page .................................................................................................................................... 35 

5.1.6: Performance Page ............................................................................................................................. 36 

5. 1.7: Performance page of all students per class in the faculty ................................................................. 37 

5.1.8 Performance page showing results per student .................................................................................. 38 

5.2: System validation ................................................................................................................................. 38 

CHAPTER SIX ........................................................................................................................................... 40 

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ................................................................ 40 

6.0: lntroduction .......................................................................................................................................... 40 

6.1: Discussion ............................................................................................................................................ 40 

6.2: Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 40 

6.3: Recommendation ................................................................................................................................. 40 

6.3: Recommendations ................................................................................................................................ 40 

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 42 

Appendix 1: Questionnaires ........................................................................................................................ 43