An Information Technology System For a School Essay Example for Free

An Information Technology System For a School Essay ANALYSIS: To aid in investigation of the problem, two interviews were carried out. One was with the school principal, and the other with the school administrator. In preparation of the interviews a list of topics for discussion was drawn up, and included these checkpoints: * What the new system hopes to achieve, exactly. * The problems in the current system. * The methods currently employed to input data into the system. * The information that is required per file, i.e., for each student what fields will have to be input. * The format of the required output. * The volume of data expected, e.g., how many students are expected to enroll, or how many new teachers will be required. * Any hardware or software constraints, such as the new system only being able to run with a particular operating system. Interview 1: This interview was with the schools principal, Mrs. Monica Stakich. It took place in her office, on appointment, and was as follows: Q: Mrs. Stakich, your school has built up quite a reputation of excellence over the years as shown by its grades. How do you intend to maintain this? A: Well, the school has always prided itself on its academic achievements, and this is due to our students being dedicated in their studies, which shows itself in the superior grades. We will be fine if we can continue this trend. Q: You are shifting to new custom-built premises and are also expanding your range of activities offered. Why have you made this decision? A: We are changing our status to an authorized A level Center. As such, we will need the appropriate facilities to meet the requirements for this standard. Also, the school expects a significant increase in enrolments at both O and A Levels, so the space is needed to provide for these new students. Q: How many students do you currently have in your institution? And how many do you expect to enroll in the future? A: The school currently caters to a population of around 2500 students, but we expect an influx of around 1000 students next year. Q: How do you access a file of a student or a teacher? Do you find it yourself on your computer or does the secretary do it for you? A: I can access files of both students and customers from my own PC, as well as any other file, such as stationery, electricity bills, etc. But I must also focus more on the task of running the school itself, so I usually let my secretary handle all the files. She herself gets these files from the school system administrator. I only check a file myself if we need to consider carefully the person, or file in question, for example a teacher for an important position. Q: Thank you very much for your time, Mrs. Stakich. A: Youre welcome. Analysis of the Interview: The interview, on analysis, showed the school to be result-driven, as indicated by the Headmistresss comments. But more importantly, it also showed that she did not focus on the file input and retrieval system in particular herself, and on the schools information system in general. The actual file control and handling was carried out by the system administrator, who could provide us with insight of the current systems workings. Interview 2: An interview was arranged with Mr. Mark Glasse, the system administrator, in his office. It proceeded as follows: Q: How long have you been working here, Mr. Glasse? A: Its been around four years since I started wok for the school. Q: How many times has the system been updated since you started work? A: Weve updated thrice so far. Q: What changes had been made during these updates? A: Well, once we had to increase our disk space to around 10 GB to cope with increased student information on Health Cards, as was required by a new Government law. Another time we had to modify our input procedure, it being too manual, with almost unnecessary paperwork involved, so we had to purchase new input devices. And there was also the time when we had to call in a professional security company to install anti-hacking programs when our database was actually hacked into. Q: What input devices do you work with? How is output shown? A: I use a keyboard, a mouse, a web-camera and a scanner as input devices. Output is displayed on a monitor, or on a plotter as is appropriate. And, of course, I often have to print out some files using a laser printer. Q: And your system configuration? A: I use a Pentium 2, 333 MHz Processor, with 32 MB RAM, 4 GB hard disk with Windows 98 as my operating system. I also have other software such as MS Visual Studio and MS Office 2000 installed on my computer. Q: Mr. Glasse, what is the general procedure that you follow if you were asked to, for example, update a file? A: First of all, I would have to get an approved notice from someone in an authoritative position, for example the Headmistress, or the Head Administrator. This note would be attached to a Modification Form showing details of the file that needs to be updated. The authorization slip has to be filed into a drawer in my desk, and I just have to access the file using the code given on the Form and change the required fields. I have the Menu on my Desktop, Mrs. Stakich and I are the only ones who know the Password so Ive never thought about changing it, once in the records I go to the Search Command to call up the file in question, and make the changes required. On exiting the database, I go have to fill out another form, a Proof Form, as it is known as, to acknowledge my action. This form then returns to the top-level to the individual who initially authorized it. Q: How often do errors occur using this procedure? A: As you can see, the system is designed in such a way that carrying out the procedure makes it prone to errors. Were still lucky to have a few students and teachers, basically small files is what I mean to say, which do not have to be updated too often, so they arent too many mistakes. Even if there are, they can easily be located and corrected due to the small size of our database. Q: OK, now what about the plus points of this system? For example, is it easy to use? Is it efficient? Do you feel that you yourself are performing at an optimum level with this system? A: Ill have to think this question over. Yes, for sure it is easy to use. I just have to type in an identifier code for each record, and the particular record is searched for and displayed. Its that simple. I dont think its efficient though. As the number of files increases the system takes longer and longer to search the database to produce the results I was looking for. It only follows that I myself feel I am under-performing at my job, as some time will definitely be wasted in waiting for results. Q: Are you satisfied with the system performing only these functions? A: Yes, I am. I would like it to be faster though, and even up-to-date, technologically speaking. Q: Thank you, Mr. Glasse, for your cooperation. Youve been a great help. A: The pleasure was all mine. Analysis of the Interview: This interview was more enlightening than the one with Mrs. Stakich, for we were able to focus on the technical side of the schools database system. Certain glaring shortcomings of the current system came to light, such as a very limited database size, as indicated by the system being upgraded the first time. This further tells us that the system itself, with all its components, is out-of-date. In such a state, it may also be incompatible with other systems, should it be desired to connect to these for data exchange purposes. Another significant weakness is the fact that the third upgrade was for security reasons, which means that the Password Protection was initially low. Mr. Glasse also said that it takes longer to search for a required field if there are many records this is only fair, but there arent too many records right now, so we can expect the system to have some sort of linear search function in operation, unsuitable for large databases. The program, although performing just a few main functions, is slow, again pointing to its near obsoleteness. Its low productivity has an effect on the human element involved, as Mr. Glasse himself feels as if he has not fully achieved his full potential. Lack of motivation could cause further falls in productivity. The system also has standard input devices (mouse and keyboard), as well as standard output devices (printer, scanner and plotter), needed to process data and produce the desired results. The system also runs on a fairly fast processor, as given by the computers configuration. However it is unlikely that the system uses any of the other software packages (apart from the Windows 98 operating syste m) so these, as powerful as they are, arent being utilized. MAIN WEAKNESSES OF CURRENT SYSTEM: Based on the knowledge gained in these interviews, it is possible to finalize the main shortcomings of the system currently in use: * Small disk space. The disk space used for storage of data is relatively small as it needed to be upgraded beforehand. With all the new enrolments expected, as well as other related increases, such as electricity and water, teachers salaries, etc the available disk space will not be sufficient. * Poor security level. Security forms an important part of any system, and the fact that the database was hacked into shows just how weak security really is. The password used seems to be outdated and it is likely that people other than those authorized know it. Laxed security is especially important here as we are dealing with the personal records of students and teachers, not to mention important transactions such as total fees received, expenses, and so on. So security, despite being of paramount importance, isnt given the priority it should be. * Inconvenience The normal procedure to accomplish a single task is lengthy and time-consuming. It also involves unnecessary paperwork. This would exhibit itself as delays in processing, as a single instruction would have to be passed through many stages before being received by the sender once again as feedback. * Basic obsoleteness. As seen from the interview, Mr. Glasse uses a relatively fast processor. Despite this speed, we still find that the speed of running the system is slow especially when new records are added. This means that the components of the system itself are slow and outdated. This weakness especially comes into focus when we consider the fact that nowadays systems are rarely independent. One system has to be connected to at least one more system, with data exchange taking place between these. However, if their speeds are not compatible they will not be able to function at their optimum level. If the system were to exchange information over the Internet then this incompatibility could become a problem. OBJECTIVES OF THE NEW SYSTEM: 1) To provide quick access to the files in the database. Many files will now be in the system and it is necessary that they be reached quickly. 2) To maintain a higher level of security. This ensures that the database is viewed and controlled only by those who have the proper authority to do so. 3) To minimize red tape involved in making changes to the records. The previous system involved a lot of paperwork and proved to be costly in terms of time (therefore money), so this new system aims to reduce that by quickly and efficiently processing an instruction. 4) To be user-friendly. Step-by-step guidance ensures that the user can easily find his way around the database to perform the desired task. A Flowchart of how data would be passed along the new system is as follows: SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Standard input devices, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a scanner and a web-camera will be needed for this system to operate (the mouse and keyboard are the main ones, the others for inputting photos and such graphics). Output devices will be plotters and printers. Hardware: The CPU requirement for this system include at least 100 MHz Pentium processor and 16 MB RAM. Software: It is necessary to have an operating system such as Windows 98 as well as MS Visual Basic program installed, as this is the front-end program to be used for this system, with Access 7.0 being the back-end program. The user will be Mr. Glasse, and his computer already exceeds the requirements for this system to function efficiently. His IT skills will also be relevant: since he already has MS Office 97 installed he will already know the basics behind Access 7.0 and should find no problem in entering the data. It must be remembered that the system to be developed is intended to replace the outdated system in current use. The current system is slow, inefficient and incompatible. Its replacement will be better than it in all these respects, and should bring the database up to the level of technology today.

Welfare Reform: Promoting Independence and Self-Reliance Essay

Welfare Reform: Promoting Independence and Self-Reliance Mary Smith gets up every day at 6 am and begins to hustle around the house. She rouses her three children from their slumber and forces them to get ready for school. Once the kids are on the bus, she hops in her car and heads off to her job at the local fast food restaurant. After working her seven hours at the restaurant, she goes to her night course at the college in town. The course she is taking will help her get her high school diploma and possibly lead her to a successful career. These two things have been dreams of Mary's for so long, but she hasn't been able to attain them until now. She has been on welfare since the age of eighteen after having her first baby, Elijah. Most days life still seems like an endless tunnel, but now she thinks she may be starting to see a little light through the darkness. Many single mothers, like Mary Smith, and others on welfare have been given the chance to pursue happiness because of the reforms to the United States' welfare system. In August of 1996, President Bill Clinton signed legislation that changed much of the system. The bill that he signed was called the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The three goals of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 were "1) to reduce welfare dependency and increase employment, 2) to reduce child poverty and 3) to reduce illegitimacy and strengthen marriage" (Rector, par. 1). Clinton's plan also included three new rules: "1) requires most recipients to work within two years of receiving assistance; 2) limits most assistance to five years total; and 3) lets states establish 'family caps' to deny additiona... ...ec. 2001. < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- srv/politics/special/welfare/stories/welfare052799.htm. > Naughton, Keith. " From the Frying Pan to the Factory." Business Week. 1 June 1998: 106. Otto, Mary. " Sustaining Welfare-to-Work." Washingtonpost.com. 2 Dec. 2001. 6 Dec. 2001. < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43074-Dec1.html.> Pear, Robert. " Changes in Welfare Bring Improvements for Families." The New York Times on the Web. 1 June 2000. 7 Dec. 2001. ? < http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/060100mn-welfare.html.> Rector, Robert and Patrick F. Fagan. " The Good News About Welfare Reform." The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder. 5 Sept. 2001. 2 Dec. 2001. ? < http://www.heritage.org/library/backgrounder/bg1468.html>

International Data Communications Essay

Just like in end terminal / customer premise equipment (CPE) distribution, countries in European countries experience new applications and data services relatively in the same time with other regions like Asia and North America (USA and Canada). Figure 1 shows the current figure of telephone users in the world based on regions. Figure 1 Main telephone lines per 100 inhabitants (1994 -2004) Source: ITU. â€Å"The Digital Divide at a glance. † 2005. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://www.itu. int/wsis/tunis/newsroom/stats/ In terms of mobile service penetration rates, Europe is the leader since it currently composes of more than 570 million mobile subscribers and a mobile penetration of over 70%. It leaves other regions behind in mobile penetration rate in which Africa only accounts for 9%, America records 42%, and 19% in Asia Pacific. The high penetration rate has put mobile subscribers in Europe to surpass those in fixed phone lines. This situation also holds true for data communication in the region in which according to ITU (2005), the region has penetration rate above 50%, especially in Western Europe while the rest past of the region only records 20% of Internet penetration rate. However, like its Asian counterparts, some countries in Europe also experiences uneven users since in Russia, for instances, vast majority of subscribers located in large urban centers. 1. M-Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges Moreover, the advancement of telecommunications and internet technologies has created new model of commerce, the borderless commerce or e-commerce. The terminology refers to cross-nations or even cross-continents trade and commerce. This development goes further as Internet is accessible not only via desktop computers but also via mobile devices like PDAs and mobile phones. The benefit of using mobile commerce (m-commerce) is attractive. Say, a woman is shopping at a mall and decides to buy some clothes. Unfortunately, when she is at a cahier, she finds that her debit card has no enough balance to pay the clothes or her credit cards are out of limit. In this situation, she called her husband to transfer some money to her account. Although her husband is in a meeting that is far from a bank, he is still able to do the fund transfer by using his mobile phone and log into a bank’s mobile portal. Finally, in few minutes, the woman’s bank account has enough balance to pay the clothes. Similarly, mobile phones can also act as a virtual debit card when it is used as a payment method for vending machines. The method of this transaction is by sending sms (short message services) from users’ mobile phones and typing the short number that is displayed in the vending machines. When the server of the vending machines received this sms, they ask the telecommunication carrier to deduct some amount of money from the person’s prepaid balance or to add a transaction into his next billing statement.

Why Class Test Are Not Effectively Working - 937 Words

Why Standarized Test Are Not Effectively Working Since the 1800’s, standardized testing has been a part of our American Education system as a way to measure our student’s academic achievement. In 2002, the George W. Bush era, No Child Left Behind Act had mandated standardized testing be implemented in all of 50 states across the country. Since this act has been implemented, the rankings of United States for math had slipped fallen from 18th in the world, to now a ranking of a meager 31st place as of 2009. Schools use standardized tests to determine if children are ready for school, group them into classes, and decide whether to promote or retain students. Even though, I completely agree that some of these testing can help to determine potential for academic success, it should not be the only scale of measure for children to move on academically. As a student you learn more about what the teacher deems important, but are evaluated on by what the state thinks is important . Standardized tests are not a reliable way to evaluate someone’s intelligence in my opinion and families should not let this test determine the educational path our children take. Standardized Tests consists of only two subjects: English and Math. This ignores other subjects in the humanities such as music, art, and science. This gives people the idea that humanities are less important than math and English. These tests also force teachers to structure their curriculum. Since the curriculums are so narrow,Show MoreRelatedPersonal Statement For A Humanities And Social Science Career1258 Words   |  6 Pagesand the ATAR Modern History units. Working at SIDE I worked on developing new courses to align with the new ATAR units, both for Year 11 and Year 12. The way I delivered content in my Year 11 Modern History classes throughout the year was continuously evolving in response to the increasing amount of data I gathered regarding students’ performance. I recorded data on how student were performing across a range of field, such as, their results in source analysis tests. I maintained a spread sheet thatRead MoreEssay On Test Result Reflection728 Words   |  3 Pages (Purpose of the paper, what career you chose) Test Result Reflection In order to help in determine a possible career, our class took a few test. The test that we took consisted of: Multiple intelligence Test, Myer Briggs Personality Test, and the Kuder Test. The Multiple intelligence test was the first test we took; this test helped to determine some of my weaknesses and strengths when it comes to working with other people and myself. The test also gave us possible careers that matched or wouldRead MoreThe Land Of Opportunity By James W. Deming763 Words   |  4 Pagesthe common American people aren’t given equal opportunity in this day and age. Loewen effectively convinces his readers, high school teachers and history buffs that, social class and inequality is an important thing for students to learn and understand. Through convincing logical arguments he proves that American history books are giving students across the nation false information. According to Loewen, â€Å"social class is probably the single most important variable in societ y.† (Loewen para. 5) He goesRead MoreLeadership Strengths And Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities And Threats1003 Words   |  5 Pagesand challenge. Evaluate the validity of this assessment, including whether you agree or disagree with the scores. The purpose for this test is to identify strengths and weaknesses in leadership and evaluate a course of action in order to fortify the impuissance’s. It is essential as a student to possess a vigorous leadership skill especially when working on the Doctorate. The validity of this assessment could be considered â€Å"good†, because I feel if I retook the assessment I would assuredly answerRead More Philosophy of Education Essay573 Words   |  3 Pagesdisciplines. It should develop skills that will facilitate living and working in an ever-changing world; one filled with diversity. As a teacher, I would hope to illustrate to my students how vital each and every one of them is to the world as a whole. My classroom would be bright and colorful. Examples of students’ work would be displayed. The environment will be student centered. The desks would be arranged in a circle for class discussions, and be moved into separate stations for cooperativeRead MoreCttls Analyse Role of Initial Assesment Essay examples1378 Words   |  6 Pageswhich sessions plans can be adapted to the individual needs of the learners. †¢ Identify and evaluate opportunities for learners to provide feedback to inform practice. †¢ Identify and liaise with appropriate and relevant parties to effectively meet the needs of the learners. Analyze the role of initial assessment in the learning and teaching process. The role of initial, assessment in the learning environment and teaching process is to identify differentRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School1692 Words   |  7 Pagesare required to have a master’s degree and only the top 10% are chosen for the job (Moore). The quality of a child’s teacher is the single most important school-related factor for his or her success. Teachers should be chosen from the top of their class, train them extensively, create opportunities for them to collaborate with others within and across schools to enhance their practice and provide them the external supports that they need to do their work well. If the U.S. refines the expertise ofRead MoreEssay on Overview of Learning1667 Words   |  7 Pagesintellectual abilities. Two important factors come into play when discussing one’s intelligence: one that Bell Hooks talks about which is background and one that Howard Gardner studies which is intelligence. Two tests made to test o ne’s intellectual abilities are IQ tests and SAT test. These test one’s linguistic intelligence and one’s logical-mathematical intelligence. So I raise the question: is that the only kind of intelligence we as students posses? And does a person’s background influence what theyRead MoreThe Most Difficult One On One Meeting You Have Had With A Supervisor Or Professor1632 Words   |  7 Pageswith a supervisor or professor. What specific actions did you take? How did you bring the situation to successful closure? There was a time that I needed assistance from my professor on understanding some philosophical theory that was discussed in class, but my professor did not really explain the idea well enough for me to understand. I was required to write an essay that compared and contrast the different versions of Utilitarianism, but philosophical ideas were kind of hard for me to follow andRead MoreSusan Is A Woman Fresh Out Of College1462 Words   |  6 PagesSusan is a woman fresh out of college with the readiness to fulfill her duties as a receptionist. She has been working with company ITM for three months now and loves her job. During a typical day on the job, she greets guests that walk into ITM, answers the phones, books the meetings, and works with suppliers to order supplies for the office. Susan approaches her work with enthusiasm and much organization skill. She was always an outgoing person and went through all the schooling necessary. It’s