Information System Development Plan

for

University of the Immaculate Conception

Submitted by

Kristine Mae M. Adlaon

Graduate School

University of the Immaculate Conception

Davao City, Philippines, 8000

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

Management Information System – Practicum and Project Course

Submitted to:

Mr. Francis Rey F. Padao, MIM

Professor

November 2012

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Organizations nowadays specifically medium to large scale organizations are utilizing the

benefits that Information Systems can offer. Information System utilization is defined to be the

application of Information Technology to support the major functions and activities of an

organization. While in the past, organizations recognized the importance of managing resources

such as labor, capital, and raw materials. Nowadays, it is widely accepted that managing the

information resource is very often equally important.

University of the Immaculate Conception being one of the pioneering and one of the largest

universities here in the region embraces and supports the implementation of Information

Systems. Being known as the pioneering university in Region XI that offers Bachelor of Science

in Information Technology (BSIT) the University therefore is fully utilizing Information

Technology in almost all of its departments including the different processes of student

registration (enrolment) from beginning to end.

One of the department or program in the university is the ITE program or the Information

Technology Education program. One of the problems that the program and other programs in the

university are currently experiencing is the process of evaluating the grade of the students and

crediting the subjects every start of the semester; it is said that the evaluation alone takes time.

With this, the idea of automating the Student Grade Evaluation was conceptualized, with that the

proponent would like to propose the Student Grade Evaluation System.

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1.1 Current System Activity Diagram

Figure 1. Shows the activities involve when an evaluator

evaluates the grade of the student.

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Figure 2. The figure above shows the different data or document

that is involved in the student grade evaluation system.

1.2 Description of Operations

The steps below explain the detailed operation that a student and the evaluator undergo in the

student grade evaluation process:

Step 1: Student approaches the evaluator and gives the printed or validated copy of his or her

grades.

Step 2: Evaluator Check and Review Grades.

Step 3: Check the student probationary status.

Step 4: If status is probationary 1 maximum number of subject units to take is less than 3 units

than the maximum allowed number of units.

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Step 5: Proceed to Step 9.

Step 6: If status is probationary 2 maximum number of subject units to take is less than 6 units

than the maximum allowed number of units.

Step 7: Proceed to Step 9.

Step 8: If status is probationary 1 maximum number of subject units to take is less than 9 units

than the maximum allowed number of units.

Step 9: Evaluate Grades.

Step 10: Release the student plotting form with the allowable subjects to take.

Step 11: Student Proceed to the Enrollment Process.

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2. PURPOSE, SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF ISDP

2.1 Statement of the Problem

Although if viewed from the outside, we can say that the enrollment process or rather the student

grade evaluation process is quite in the average pace as of the moment even if it is done

manually, but in the evaluator’s side, the following problems are encountered:

1. The student could possibly get more than the maximum number of units that the student

supposed to get.

2. It takes time to trace and scan the prospectus of the student for subject crediting.

3. The evaluation process will cause delay on the enrollment process especially if there are a

lot of enrollees.

2.2 Objectives of the ISDP

In general, the objective of this study is to help the ITE program of the University of the

Immaculate Conception increase the pace of the subject evaluation of the student. Specifically

the study aims to:

1. Standardized the process of crediting the subjects of the students by providing an

automated list of subjects that the student can get upon evaluation.

2. Create a system that automatically determines what the probationary status of the student

is.

3. Develop a system that lessens the tendency of giving the students more than the

allowable subjects to take for a certain academic period.

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2.3 Scope and Delimitations

This study was materialized to fulfill the subject requirement in Management Information

System (MIS) of the researcher. Due to some consideration and constraints the researcher

identifies the following scope and delimitations of the study:

2.3.1 Scope

The research project will cover the Information Technology Program Student Grade Evaluation

of the UIC alone. The researcher will create a web-based system that will evaluate the grade of

the student. Also, no need to get a copy or printed output of the student’s grade from the ITE

secretary’s office since the system that the researcher will propose is capable of retrieving

student records. The researcher is given five months to create and finish the system.

2.3.2 Delimitation

Due to some constraints, especially time limitation only the curriculum of the BSIT specializing

Software Engineering students will be used for this study as for the time being.

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3. COMPANY BACKGROUND

The RVM Community

The religious community, called the beaterio, becomes a center for spiritual enlightment of

yndias, mestizas and even Spanish women of nobility at the time when women are denied of

education, political power and a chance to be equal to men in the hispanized society. Despite

wars, revolutions and suppression brought about by a patriarchal society, the beaterio flourishes

until the present time when the religious community takes the form of the Congregation of the

Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM).

3.1 Vision

We, as a community, envision the transformation of society in response to the signs of the times

to be in harmony with God's creation.

3.2 Mission

We, the members of the UIC family with strong faith in God inspired by Mary, the Mother of

God and our Mother and guided by the life of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo commit

ourselves to:

• Love and serve God and our neighbor in our personal and communal life;

• Respect the dignity of the human person, especially the poor;

• Work for justice, promote peace and preserve the integrity of creation;

• Promote and strengthen our Filipino culture and values in the midst of modernization and

globalization;

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• And exercise leadership in the pursuit of academic excellence in humanities, science and

technology.

3.3 Goal

In order for us to approximate and live our mission, we dedicate all our human resources to

transform the members of the UIC family to become enlightened, empowered, proactive and

liberated Christian leaders living on a humane and harmonious community for love of God and

love of country.

3.4 Institutional Direction

To keep UIC at par with other Catholic Universities of excellent / prestigious stature.

3.5 Table of Organization

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3.6 How do managers make IT decision in the organization?

Being one of the members of this organization I have observed that the organization follows

what we call as Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in making decisions. Of course the highest

decision body would be coming from the top management.

From the top management there are different directors that are assigned for the specific concern

of the member of the organization.

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4. STRATEGIC ROLE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN UIC

4.1 Relationship of IS and the organization

The proposed Information System I believe will play an important role for the organization. If

implemented according to its desired functionalities, the researcher firmly believes that it can

contribute and give an impact to one of the significant activity of the university which is the

enrollment.

4.2 Conceptual framework of the Identified IS

A conceptual framework has been defined as to be used in research to outline possible courses of

action or to present a preferred approach to an idea or thought.

Student Handbook

Repository for

student academic

Grades

Process of Crediting the

Subjects (the proposed system):

1. Check the student current

academic records

2. The system will determine

the probationary status of

the student

3. The system will check if the

pre-requisite for the

subjects to take is Passed

4. The system will evaluate

the grades then displays

the credited subjects.

List of Credited

Subjects

Evaluator

Student

List of Credited

Subjects

Figure 3: Conceptual Framework

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Database Management Strategy

4.3 Database Management Strategy

Figure 4: The figure above shows the Entity relationship diagram

of the different tables of the system.

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5. COMPANY, NETWORKS, HARDWARE, SOFTWARE AND ITS APPLICATIONS

5.1 Hardware Requirements

5.1.1 Network Layout

Figure 5: The figure above shows the proponent’s proposed network layout.

University of the Immaculate Conception is composed of three branches: Bajada branch where in

the primary and the secondary students of UIC are located. Then we have the Annex Campus

located at Bonifacio St., Bajada Davao City, courses offered in the Annex Campus are the

following: Accountancy, Engineering, Education, and etc. The main branch of UIC is the Main

Campus located at Father Selga St. Bankerohan Davao City. Courses offered in the main campus

are the following: Information Technology Courses, Pharmacy, Liberal Arts, Music, Medical

Technology and others.

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Based on the layout, the data center of the three main campuses is located in the main branch of

UIC. Users (Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administrators) can access their own data using the

Internet.

5.1.2 Communication Protocol

According to some resource, communication protocol is a system of digital message formats

and rules for exchanging those messages in or between computing systems and in

telecommunications. A protocol may have a formal description. Protocols may include

signaling, authentication, and error detection and correction.

For me as the proponent, the appropriate communication protocol to be used in this kind of

network topology proposal is the Internet Protocol Suite. The Internet Protocol Suite is the set

of communications protocols used for the internet and similar networks, and generally the most

popular sack for wide area networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP, because of its most

important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), which

were the first networking protocols defined in this standard.

According to some resource, TCP/IP provides end-to-end connectivity specifying how data

should be formatted, addressed, transmitted, routed and received at the destination. It has four

abstraction layers, each with its own protocols. From lowest to highest:

1. The link layer (commonly Ethernet) contains communication technologies for a local

network.

2. The internet layer (IP) connects local networks, thus establishing internetworking.

3. The transport layer (TCP) handles host-to-host communication.

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4. The application layer (for example HTTP) contains all protocols for specific data

communications services on a process-to-process level (for example how a web browser

communicates with a web server).

5.1.3 Media

Base on my interview with one of the in-charge in the MIS department of our school the media

that they are currently using right now is Fiber Optics. What is it? Fiber-optic has been defined

as a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses

of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that

is modulated to carry information. First developed in the 1970s, fiber-optic communication

systems have revolutionized the telecommunications industry and have played a major role in

the advent of the Information. Because of its advantages over electrical transmission, optical

fibers have largely replaced copper wire communications in core networks in the developed

world.

The process of communicating using fiber-optics involves the following basic steps:

• Creating the optical signal involving the use of a transmitter.

• Relaying the signal along the fiber, ensuring that the signal does not become too

distorted or weak, receiving the optical signal, and converting it into an electrical signal.

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5.1.4 Network Operating System

I think the most appropriate Network Operating Systems to be use in this Client/Server Network

Architecture are the following:

5.1.4.1Novell Netware Operating System

NetWare is a computer network operating system developed by Novell, Inc. It initially

used cooperative multitasking to run various services on a personal computer, with network

protocols based on the archetypal Xerox Network Systems stack.

5.1.5 Network Hardware

5.1.5.1Gateway

A device sitting a network node for interfacing with another network that uses different

protocols.

5.1.5.2 Router

A specialized network device that determines the next network point to which it can forward a

data packet towards the destination of the packet. Unlike a gateway it cannot interface different

protocols.

• Switch

o A device that allocates traffic from one network segment to certain lines

(intended destinations) which connect the segment to another network segment.

So unlike a hub a switch splits the network traffic and sends it to different

destinations rather than to all systems on the network.

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• Proxy Server

o A computer network service which allows client to make indirect network

connections to other network services.

• Firewall

o A piece of hardware or software put on the network to prevent some

communications forbidden by the network policy.

5.2 Software Requirements

5.2.1 System Software

• The system was developed using Free and Open Source Software application and is

intended to run on different platforms. The proposed application will can run on Linux

Operating System and Windows Operating System.

5.2.2 Application Software

• Programming Language

o Since the proponent would like the system to be available on the web, the

proponent prefer to use the PHP as the programming language in creating the

system since PHP is believed to be the easiest programming language to use when

creating web application based on the proponent’s perspective.

• Database Management System

o The proponent prefers to use Free and Open Source software applications so

MySQL is the preferred for Standard Query Languages.

• Server

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o WAMP is the preferred server application in creating the proposed system. Aside

from it is a free software, it has the capabilities as well to satisfy the needs of the

proposed system.

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6. IT ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL STRATEGY

6.1 Present the IT organization structure

6.2 Staffing and Manpower

6.2.1 IT Positions Proposed

• Administrator

• Subject Evaluator

• Database Administrator

• Network Administrator

• Programmer

• Encoder

6.2.2 Description of Position

• Administrator

Has the highest authority of all end users. He or she has the authority to manage

curriculum (includes: subject code, subject description, no. of units). Also the

administrator can determine and manage the pre requisites of each subject.

• Subject Evaluator

He or she is the direct user of the system. In the case of UIC, Program faculties are

the Subject Evaluator. They are granted the evaluator account of the system. They

have the following authorizations:

o View student’s academic records

o Evaluate student’s grade

• Database Administrator

This user has the authority to manage the database of the Information System.

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• Network Administrator

This user has the authority to manage the network infrastructure of the Information

System.

• Programmer

This user is of course the one who will manage the development of the Information

System.

6.3 Identify IS training needs

The proposed Information System was designed to be very user friendly that a rigid IS training

for the said system is not that much of big importance but is needed. The fact that the system was

designed not to far from the current system; the users will surely have an easy time coping up

with the proposed Information System.

For the technicalities, I used common applications and have used easy to understand

programming schemes for it to be very understandable when a new developer will take over the

task of modifying and improving the said system.

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7. IMPACT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO THE ORGANIZATION

Ethical Issues

Since the proposed information system is to be developed In-House, the information regarding

the development process, style and coding will be very accessible to user, hence partial

disclosure of information will take place. What I mean with partial disclosure is that, there might

be a slight chance where in unauthorized person might know about the source of data and some

other information reflected in the system.

Also, there might be some instances where in the administrator (super user) will not be around

during the evaluation time and could possibly grant any member of the other level of users an

access to the information. With this, privacy to information (access rights) might be violated.

Social Issues

In general when we say social issues, it reflects aspects of society, its people and institutions that

people want to, and can, do something about. These may include the cost of switching to

computer based systems. As we all know, in every organization even though how much they try

to consider them as non-profit organization they are still up to this what we call as “income”. As

they say if we want to attain something, there are certain things that we need to sacrifice. In

switching to computer based systems, it is a sure fact that there are some things that needs to

improve (means more cost allocation); such as the cost of deploying the system, developing the

system, the training needs and etc., with this the organization must be ready what to sacrifice in

order for the computer based system to be materialized.

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8. INFORMATION SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION

8.1 Over-all time frame

8.2 Investments

Of course, as the proponent of this project I could say that in order for this project to be fully

materialized it needs time and focus especially on the development and integration of the system.

Regarding with the cost, I think ample amount of money will be used during the deployment part

(integration).

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9. APPENDICES

Figure 6. Home Page

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Figure 7. List of student current grades.

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Figure 8. Sample result when the evaluate button in figure 7 is clicked.