ABSTRACT
This research work focused on development of an online system for hostel allocation management, a case study of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Hostel, Ikot Osurua. This study was necessary because of the need to efficiently manage the hostel resource in the institution.For the current, manual implementation hostel allocation system, the major problems faced by the college managements are it is time consuming, cost ineffective and less productive in hostel allocation task performed by the accommodation officers, difficulty in managing the documents of the students’ accommodation records. The objectives of the study include: to design an online (web-based) database application to manage hostel allocation, to create a system that will aid easy management of hostel allocation records. The software development methodology used is Object Oriented Analysis and Design Methodology (OOADM). The programming language used for the implementation is Hypertext pre-processor (pHp) and the database used is MySql.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page – – – – – – – – i
Certification – – – – – – – – – ii
Approval Page – – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgment – – – – – – – – v
Abstract – – – – – – – – vi
Table of Contents – – – – – – – – vii-ix
List of Tables – – – – – – – – x
List of Figures – – – – – – – – xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction – – – – – – – 1
1.1 Background of the Study – – – – – – 1-2
1.2 Statement of Problem – – – – – 3
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study – – – 3
1.4 Significance of the Study – – – – – – 4
1.5 Scope of the Study – – – – – – – 4
1.6 Organization of the Research – — – – – 4-5
1.7 Definition of Terms – – – – – – 5
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction – – – – – – – – 6
2.1 Theoretical Background – – – – – – 6-10
2.2 Hostel Accommodation Challenge in Nigeria- – – 11-12
2.3 Hostels in Schools – The Rationale – – – 12-15
2.4 Automated Hostel Resource Allocation Modular
Design and Architecture- 12-14 – – – – – 15-17
2.5 Features of Automated System for Hostel Allocation – 17-19
2.6 Concept of Online Application – – – – – 19-20
CHAPTER THREE: SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
3.0 Introduction – – – – – – – – 21
3.1 Research Methodology – – – – – 21
3.2 Analysis of the Existing System – – – – – 21-22
3.2.1 Advantages of the Existing System – – – – 22
3.2.2 Disadvantages of the Existing System – – – – 22
3.3 Analysis of the Proposed System- — – – – 23
3.3.1 Advantages of the Proposed System – – – – 23
3.4 System Design – – – – – – – 23
3.4.1 Input Layout – – – – – – – 24
3.4.2 Output Layout – – – – – – – 25
3.4.3 Algorithm – – – – – – – – 26
3.4.4 Program Flowchart – – – – – – 27-31
3.4.5 Database Design – – – – – – – 32
3.4.6 System Architecture – – – – – – 32
3.4.7 Use Case Diagram/Class Diagram – – – – 33-34
CHAPTER FOUR: SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AND DOCUMENTATION
4.0 Introduction – – – – – – – 35
4.1 System Design Diagram – – – – – – 35
4.2 Choice of Programming Language – – – 35-36
4.3 Analysis of Modules – – – – – 36
4.4 Programming Environment – – – – – 36
4.4.1 Hardware Requirements – – – – – – 36-37
4.4.2 Software Requirements – – – – – – 37
4.5 Implementation – – – – – – – 37
4.6 Software Testing – – – – – – – 37
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
5.0 Introduction – – – – – – – – 38
5.1 Constraints of the Study – – – – – – 38
5.2 Summary – – – – – – 38
5.3 Conclusion – – – – – – 39
5.4 Recommendations – – – – – – 39
References – – – – – – 40
Appendix A (Source Code)- – – – – – 41-51
Appendix B (Output) – – – 52-55
LIST OF TABLES
Tables Page Number
3.1: Output Layout – – – – – – – 25
3.2: Database Design – – – – – – 32
LIST OF FIGURES
Figures Page Number
2.1: Login Screen – – – – – – 7
3.1: Student Registration Input Layout – – – 24
3.2: Hostel Allocation input layout – – – 25
3.3: Login flow chart – – – – 27
3.4: Main menu flowchart – – – – 28
3.5: Student registration flowchart – – – 29
3.6 Hostel Allocation flowchart – – – – 30
3.7 Hostel Allocation report flowchart – – – 31
3.8: System Architecture – – – – – 32
3.9: Use case model – – – – – 33
3.10: Class Diagram – – – – – 34
4.1: System Design Diagram – – – – 35
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
This chapter presents the introduction to online system for hostel allocation. It presents the following: introduction, background of the study, statement of the problem, aim and objectives of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, organization of the research and definition of terms.
1.1 Background of the Study
An online system for hostel allocation management is a web based system that processes and submits hostel allocation information to an online database. An integral part of the facilities made available in such institutions are hostel accommodation spaces for students to create an academic community which will help facilitate effective refinement and development of the students. However, most of these hostel facilities especially in institutions in developing countries are managed with conventional manual methods and this has been impacting negatively on the effective resource utilization and overall efficiency of these academic institutions (Ayanlowo et al, 2014). The manual method of managing and administering hostels in institutions is obviously not effective as it is attributed to the following challenges:
- Difficulties in record management – data redundancy, difficulty in data update; difficulty in data recovery; difficulties in generating information about those students who had left the hostel, vulnerability to manipulations/human error;
- Difficulty in tracking the history of a facility – a room or chalet or building;
- Registration for hostel allocation is done manually, thus over time, handling of the paper files becomes cumbersome and untidy as the population of student increases;
- The whole exercise is time-consuming and a waste of human and material resources.
The proposed system provides solution to the problems of traditional method of managing hostel allocation records. The system attempts to improve institutions’ hostel services for stakeholders – administrator, management and students of the hostel. It automates the administrative processes and reduces the stress associated with searching for information on a student/a facility in a bundle of registers. It is specially designed to centrally allocate and manage accommodation spaces in a typical student’s hostel. The system user can store the data of those students that are in the hostel. The students in the hostel will be recognized from the ID number allocated at the point of room allocation. This system automatically calculates all the bills and issues notifications.
The system has a unique approach to tracking information and report generation which is vital in data handling. This makes the proposed system more robust, more reliable and efficient. Entire gamut of the system comprises of several modules for room allocation, inventory management, time-tabling, transportation scheduling and other administrative activities. It can be well defined to track performance within the application of hostel accommodation system. The system uses one single central database to handle the complexity of student’s hostels management and all administrative functions (Ayanlowo et al, 2014).
The hostel facility management software is user-friendly application package specifically designed to automate, coordinate and look after all the processes of managing hostel facility. It is useful especially in large educational institutions with college hostels, school hostels, and organizations like military, large corporations and establishments with working employees’ hostels. All the functions that hostel management entails can easily be managed by hostel management software.
1.2 Statement of Problem
For the current, manual implementation hostel allocation system, the major problems faced by the college managements are defined as below:
- Time consuming, cost ineffective and less productive in hostel allocation task performed by the accommodation officers.
- Difficulty in managing the documents of the students’ accommodation records.
- No enough physical space to keep all the documents.
- The information of the students could not be updated easily and frequently.
- Difficulty in viewing the information of the students
- Many redundant works performed by different staff.
