Computer and Grades

Chapter I
Introduction
This chapter presents the background of the study, problem and its significance, and the scope and limitation of the study.

Background of the Study In this Information Age we are able to process or transmit, sort and retrieve data or information between one computer to another. With this, it makes the communication and different task done easy and less time consuming and hassle free. Like in schools, offices this brings a big help.
In schools especially in colleges/universities it is consist of different people and machine that work together to achieve one common goal. One of this goal is the transferring of data or information of computed grades of the student on how they performed academically in their different respective subject. On latter days, instructors manually computing the grades of their students then input it in computer, print it for them to have the hard copy. One is for their own then the other copy for the registrar or dean whom they passed the reports of the grades.
But with this grading system, they can compute or tabulates the grades of their students computerized, easily and efficiently, less paper works and they can pass it through computer to the registrar and dean. And most important is that the student can quickly response if he have a problem with his grades because of the system SMS notification. The student will receive a SMS notification if he is needed to comply or talk with his respective instructor about his academic performance or grades. This will help the student that always have the reason of it was too late when they know that they failed on that subject so they were not able to comply or talk with their instructor.

Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study is to minimize the task of the instructor. Through this system, the students can comply to their instructors through the system SMS Notification regarding on their academic status. And the instructor would be benefited because of the computerized and not manually computation of the grades of the student.
Specifically, this study aims to achieve the following objectives:
1. To describe the development of Grading System for ACLC College of Gapan based on System Development Life Cycle as follows:
1.1 Preliminary Study
1.2 Feasibility Study
1.3 Detailed System Study
1.4 System Analysis
1.5 System Design
1.6 Coding
1.7 Testing
1.8 Implementation
1.9 Maintenance

2. To test and evaluate Grading System for ACLC College of Gapan based on quality model of ISO 9126.
2.1 Functionality
2.2 Reliability
2.3 Usability
2.4 Efficiently
2.5 Portability
2.6 Maintainability

Conceptual Framework
INPUT
Record Grades manually
PROCESS
Manual computation using calculator
OUTPUT
Record of grades
Figure 1.1 OLD SYSTEM

INPUT
Computerized recording of grades
PROCESS
Computerized computation of grades and transmit record into Database
OUTPUT
SMS Notification
Computerized record of Grades & student records
Figure 1.2 NEW SYSTEM

Significance of the study
Students. The result of this study helps the students to monitor his/her grades whether if he/she fails or pass through SMS Notification.

Teachers. This study helps the teachers to compute the grades of the students easily, practically and accurately. And to monitor/update the student list and academic performance of the class under him.

Parents. This study will benefit and help the parents to monitor the class standing of their son/daughter and to know if their son/daughter will be pass or fail.

Registrar. This study will benefit and help the registrar to monitor the student list and information with the grades coming from their instructors.

Dean. This study will benefit and help the dean of this college to monitor the class standings and per term submission of grades of the students by the instructors.

Future Researchers. This study will serves as reference for the future researchers on their future study.

Scope and Delimitation
This study covers the ACLC College of Sto. Niño, Gapan City grading system. It also includes how these students will comply eventually on their grades problems with the use of SMS notification.
This study focuses on the problem on how the student list be monitor and update timely and how the grades of the student will compute accurately and efficiently that will help the student and instructor to communicate despite of their busy and different schedule if they have something to settle that deals with the grade or class standing of the student.
And this study focuses to suggested ways or solutions to avoid the students for being fail in different subjects. Make the student responsible for his studying and completes the requirements with his subjects as a student.

Definition of Terms
1. Information Age – Growth of information industry where information can be sorted, stored and retrieved from one computer to another.
2. Comply – To complete, perform what is due, and to be courteous.
3. System Development Life Cycle – System Life Cycle is an organizational process of developing and maintaining systems. It helps in establishing a system project plan, because it gives overall list of processes and sub-processes required for developing a system.
Chapter II
The Review of Related Literature and Studies
Foreign Literature
According to John Palmer, Robert Williams & Heinz Dreher Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA, Australia (2011) they stated that:
“Automated marking of assignments consisting of written text would doubtless be of teachers and education administrators alike. When large numbers of assignments are submitted at once, teachers find themselves bogged down in their attempt to provide consistent evaluations and high quality feedback to students within as short a timeframe as is reasonable, usually a matter of days rather than weeks. Educational administrators are also concerned with quality and timely feedback, but in addition must manage the cost of doing this work. Clearly an automated system would be a highly desirable addition to the educational tool-kit, particularly if it can provide less costly and more effective outcome. In this paper we present a description and evaluation of four automated essay grading systems. We then report on our trial of one of these systems which was undertaken at Curtin University of Technology in the first half of 2011. The purpose of the trial was to assess whether automated essay grading was feasible, economically viable and as accurate as manually grading the essays. Within the Curtin Business School we have not previously used automated grading systems but the benefit could be enormous given the very large numbers of students in some first year subjects. As we evaluate the results of our trial, a research and development direction is indicated which we believe will result in improvement over existing system. Keywords: assessment, assignment, automatic, essay, grading, marking, plagiarism”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Grading-System-For-Essay.html)
The said article/essay that the grading system will be usable when it comes in grading especially to first year students. And when that system can be implemented, they can provide to students a good evaluation, and a timely feedback. So that, the proponents’ proposed this study in order to have a good and timely feedback for the students.
In a study conducted by Evangelista (2009) she stated that:
“The Online Student Information System of Simon Fraser University of Canada is a secure, web accessible interactive computer system that allows user access to grade, reports, transcripts, schedule of classes, and remaining balance for the semester and register for classes online.”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Review-Of-Related-Foreign-Literature.html)
The said article/essay that the system of the Simon Fraser University is secured, accessible and efficient to use because all the information that they need in their university is encoded on their system. This article helps the proponents’ to make the proposed system more accurate, convenient to use, understandable and make it user friendly environment.
In a study conducted by Salem, University (2010) the school stated that:
“In today’s generation, we are engaged in highly computerized technology aiming to enhance individual lifestyle. The manual system is now considered obsolete after the birth of the computerized system. Computerized Grading System is now very common today’s generation.”
(http://wwww.studymode.com/essays/ForeignLiterature.html)
The said article/essay/ that our generation is innovated time-to-time. Nowadays, every companies or establishments is using a technology to provide fast transactions and encoding data’s much easier. This innovation helps the proponents’ proposed study to provide more usable system.
Local Literature
In a study conducted by McFariane, Migilorino and Maiden (2009) they stated that:
“A teaching and learning radically changed with advances in technology. Research shows that the computer can be an effective tool in both teaching and learning. As a part of innovation, computer and internet became a part of our need in learning. It helps us to know anything and connect us to everybody. It helps us also to learn something in a quick and easiest way by providing relevant and informative information online.”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Assessment-Of-Online-Grading-System-7655755.html)
The said article/essay that every piece of information that we need, the computer can provide it through accessing the internet. And also it would be very helpful to the students who are engaging research papers. So that, the proponents’ proposed system should be able to give information to the user.
In a study conducted by (Begg, 2010) he stated that:
“Manual also is using old method without the help of the technology or maybe less to perform certain task or work. For example using type writer to write a report or keep documents in the paper folder. While computerized system is using latest technology of ICT to carry out various tasks that is more effective compare to manual system in terms of the productivity and the time usage.”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Online-Student-Information-System-1871749.html)
The said article/essay that computer systems is easy to use rather than the manual system which is filing, using papers to store information’s etc. But when it comes to computerized system, it is timeless and doubtless to encode & retrieve information’s encoded on that system. So that, the proponents’ proposed this study to help the user make their time be manageable.
In a study conducted by National University (2011) the school stated that:
“Nowadays, technology plays a very important role to our lives. We all knew that technology grows fast and the demand for human resources increased. Life in every aspect such as business transactions when it comes to doing heavy paper works, arranging, sorting now has come to find its solution to make task easier and less time consuming. We can say that all companies adopted what the technology offers. This is through the process of computerization. With its help, all transaction inside and outside the business world can be done in an easy way.”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Grading-System.html)
The said article/essay that life made easy when using a computerized system, it is because the things that the human did manually, it can be done automatically through the help of a system, and the human efforts will be reduced. So that, the proponents’ proposed this study to lessen the human efforts.

Related Studies
Foreign Studies
In a study conducted by Al HedayaAlkhalifa (2012) he stated that:
“The first regular school be established in Bahrain, It’s was established in 1919. The education in Bahrain was limited to education in koranic schools who are studying the Koran. However, Al HedayaAlkhalifa was limited to the teaching the children of rich people and the owners of the important centers in the centers in the country and then become the public from people. It’s a doubted by the ministry of education in Bahrain. As the time go to the school has improved it teaching system and the activates to make the studying more effective for the student and now this school have been secondary school for boys in Moharraq. Now, the school is using a manual grading system in which they are using papers, files, cards and calculators to calculate the marks of each student. This type of grading is very difficult and take a long term in calculating the grade of each student, and the school spends money every year for paper files and other things, as well as there is big ability for losing or damaging the document.”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Related-About-Grading-System-1077246.html)
The said article/essay that manual computing of grades is taking too much time, and also, the school is able to pay for the papers that the students needed for storing their information’s. So that, the proponents’ proposed this study to avoid paying such papers and spending too much amount of money.

In a study conducted by Golden Valley – Newland Group of Schools (2012) the school stated that:
“The grades of each student, which is the traditional use when technology is not yet developed. Manual computation is very prompt to risk for any circumstances. It is time consuming in terms of recording grades, computation using of calculator. If some records are lost, they never retrieve it in case of unexpected calamity. Accuracy and security is not been so defined in their manual system.”
(http://studymode.com/essays/Grading-System-1232996.html)
The said article/essay that manual computation is very risky, because there is a possibility of loses and damaging the documents. And it is time-taking when recording grades into the papers. So that, the proponents’ proposed this system to avoid damaging & loses of information needed by the instructor.
In as study conducted by possible Axos (2008) he stated that:
“Upgrading the computer information system is not an option in this technology driven era: it is a requirement. Companies that use an up-to-date information system to gather, assimilate, and evaluate internal as well as external information are gaining competitive advantage over other firms. Management is quicker to cater customer’s need and complaints. With the growth of communication networks, there are almost no barriers between the firm’s management employees, customers and suppliers. Networks computing system have made new modes of work.”
(http://studymode.com/essays/Onine-Student-Information-System-1871749.html)
The said article/essay that up-to-date system is more efficient to use, because all the information needed by the customer, employees etc. is not a barrier by the system, because computerized system has a components to interact to us humans. So that, the proponents’ proposed this study to help the user easily retrieved information needed.

Local Studies
In a study conducted by San Sebastian College Recoletos (2011) the school stated that:
“Began over 4 years ago; many things in this school have gone from manual to automate. And because a typical problem in a starting school are Grading Systems. I noticed that this systems does not exist in this school. Grading System means marking the task for professors in computing and calculating grades will become easy and not only that the professors will have an advantage but the student will also get a gain, because it will also improve accuracy of calculations thus making the what we call “Hula of Grades” will become non-existent in the future of San Sebastian Recoletos.”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Computerized-Grading-System597164.html)
The said article/essay that when the instructor is using a computerized grading system, their task as an instructor will be lessen because as we all know that computing of grades is not an easy work. So the proponents’ proposed this study to help the user compute the grades of the students automatically.

In a study conducted by San Sebastian College Recoletos (2011) the school stated that:
“One of the fastest growing institutions in the City of Bisig will new opportunities rising continually in hundreds of different fields. System analyst matches the requirements of the school and set up an interview between the key people. Interviews are then conducted, and the candidates selected in the interview are one of the teachers of the basic education department. This project examines the issues related to Online Grading System that implements a web-based application composed of the Grade School and High School Department. This would create a system of reliable and accurate to compute grades in all different subjects in the Basic Education Department. A comparatively fast access of information of grades; generate reports, and information of the inputs of the teachers. This will be designed through web-based with the use of MySQL as database management with the intent to generate reports. It helps the teachers minimize the time consumed in computing grades of the student using manual method. It also focused each of the underlying technologies used to create and implement the application.”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Online-Grading-System-610544.html)
The said article/essay that when the instructor using a web-based grading system, the students will have an information regarding on the standing of their grades. And also, the instructor’s is not able to use a calculator to compute the grades of each student, because it can be done by the system. So the proponents’ proposed this study to inform both students and parents regarding on the standing of the grades by the student.
In a study conducted by the Informatics International Diliman College (2012) the school stated that:
“One of the fastest growing institutions with new opportunities rising continually in hundreds of different fields. This project examines the issues related to Online Grading System that implements a web-based application composed of the Grade School and High School Department. This would create a system of reliable and accurate to compute grades in all different subjects in the Basic Education Department. A comparatively fast access of information of grades; generate reports, and information of the input of teachers. This will be designed through web-based with the use of MySQL as database management with the intent to generate reports.”
(http://www.studymode.com/essays/Online-Grading-System-1036153.html)
The said article/essay that when the user which is the instructor use the online grading system, they will not be able to use the standard computing which is using a calculator. So that, the proponents’ proposed this study to help the user to encode & retrieved the grades of each students in easy way.
Synthesis
The proponents believe that each and every literature and studies stated in this research is related on their proposed study. The proponents relate and differentiate the research based on the flow of their system analysis from the proposed study.
And the proponents’ believed that every literature and studies has their own existing system that they are using, even if it’s manual or computerized system. The proponents’ rely on both systems to improve the proposed study.

Chapter III Materials and Methods
This chapter includes the research design, respondents of study, data gathering tools, statistical tools, system design and methods use in Developing the software used by the researcher to conduct the study.

Research Design
The researchers choose the Developmental (developing system) of materials and method. This Research design specifically designed to aid in the development of existing system and its interfaces.

Respondents
This study involves 10 students, 5 Faculty members, 1 Registrar and 1 Dean of ACLC College of Gapan, because the researchers want to know if the students will agree to the system main goal and aim to benefit for the convenience of the proposed system. Because those students are in different year level and have different course, and they taking different subjects that are consists of the different grades and instructor that they will not able to know at all if they have problems or not regards to their academic performance. So the researchers will get accurate information about their research. And those instructors know what and how the grading system procedures so that the proponents will understand the flow of the proposed system. The proponents want to learn about how and the limits of the registrar and dean of the school in viewing students and instructors records.

Data Gathering Procedure These are the instruments or tools for gathering data in research used as basis for drawing conclusions or making inferences. Some of these tools are based on observation, interview, survey, research and questionnaires used by the proponents as they conduct the proposed study.

System Design
System Flow Chart System Flowchart it is formalized graphic representation of a program logic sequence, work or manufacturing process, organizing chart, or similar formalized structure. It uses different symbols or shapes that represent the step by step procedure of the system connected by flow lines.

Data Flow Diagram A data flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation of the "flow" of data through an information system, modeling its process aspects. Often they are a preliminary step used to create an overview of the system which can later be elaborated. It represents diagram which tells the flow of the system from the start until to the last procedure on how the user will use the system proposed by the proponents.

Entity-Relationship Diagram An Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) is a logical representation of an organization's data. Entities – Major categories of data and are represented by rectangles. Attributes – Characteristics of entities and are listed within entity eclipses. And their Relationships listed and represented by diamonds.

Methods used in Developing the Software System Development Life Cycle System Life Cycle is an organizational process of developing and maintaining systems. It helps in establishing a system project plan, because it gives overall list of processes and sub-processes required for developing a system.
Chapter IV
Results and Discussion

Project Description
Grading System with SMS Notification is a LAN-Based System.
This system is composed of five aspects.
1) Accuracy - this system is accurate every time that the instructor needs to encode the grade of the student it is because this system has the capability to calculate the encoded scores correctly.
2) Time Management - this system is favorable to the instructor who wants to engaged in managing of their time, because this computerized grading system can make their time manageable, because their task will be lessen in computing the grades manually.

3) Usable - this is very useful every time that the instructor need to compute the grade of each student because this system can stored data on the database which is secured and the losses of each data will be lessen compared to the manual computation of grades.
4) Easy to Use - it is understandable to use by the user because of the separation of interfaces of who are logged on in the system, the proponents separates the interface according on the task of the user.
5) Informed - every end of the term the students will receive a notification from this system according to their status to be able for them to know about the status of their grades.
The Grading System with SMS Notification has three interfaces according to the profession of the user. The instructor, has an interface to create, update and view the grades of each student. The Registrar, has an interface to view the grades of each student every end of the semester encoded by the instructor. The Dean, has the interface to view the grades of the student every end of the term.
The Grading System with SMS Notification can send information according to the registered phone number of the student on the system whether it is a personal phone number or the phone number of their guardian. Both of them will be informed as the system notified them through the message that this system will send.
The proponents used a programming language which is Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 to make this system, and a MODEM which is the part of the system when informing the students. The requirements to use this system are Computer Set or a Laptop to execute the program, Microsoft Office Access for the storing of the data of each student and a MODEM (e.g Smart Bro or Globe Tattoo) for the notification.