Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION
PROJECT CONTEXT

Student attendance plays a big part in determining ones learning progress, whereas
attendance to every class meeting is essential for academic success. It helps in planning student
engagement, early identification, and intervention. It provides a proxy measure of ones exposure
to educational programs and the opportunities they contain, although this provides no insight into
what goes on for individual students once they are in the educational setting. It is one of the
regular basis of the grading system in most of educational institutions or universities, thats why
keeping records of regular attendance is very important. But as important as it is, difficulties of
recording it manually always arise.
On the other hand, biometrics refers to the automatic identification of a person based on
his or her physiological or behavioral characteristics. Biometric technologies are becoming the
foundation of an extensive array of highly secure identification and personal verification
solutions. Today, biometric is being spotlighted because of the need for reliable security. Many
applications in everyday life also require user authentication, including physical access control to
offices or buildings, e-commerce, healthcare, immigration and border control, etc. It also
involves analyzing the human fingerprint characteristics has been widely used in various aspects
of life for different purposes, most of it is the issue of managing an attendance which will be the
main focus of the researchers system. Meanwhile, a grading computation plays a key role in the
management system of any school. It is designed to provide incentives for achievement and
assists in identifying problem areas of a student. It is the most commonly used means of

analyzing student performance. Students grades are vital information needed in advancing to the
next grade/year level and its accuracy is also very important.
A series of problems arises due to manual processing of both student attendance and
grading computation. First, managing student attendance during lecture periods. It is a challenge
to prove attendance of each individual using signatures of the students. It can easily be forged by
other people without the knowledge of the teacher in charge. Second, many teachers also feel
that the time they take in recording and computing for the grade of their students is the time that
could be better spent elsewhere, like preparing lessons, researching or meeting with their student.
In sight of these problems, the researchers proposed a Student Attendance using Biometrics with
Automated Class Record System for School of Computer Studies in which both students and
teachers alike will benefit. This system will provide checking of student attendance using
biometrics, this will make forging of student attendance record impossible. It will also have a
class record system provided for SCS faculties in order to expedite their needs of more efficient
and faster recording/computing of grades. The teachers will be given the authority to create an
interface where their students will be able to see their grades and any reading material theyll be
uploaded. However, the copy of grades wont be printable when viewed by students. The
respondents who will be evaluating this system are 5 IT experts including IT managers,
programmers, developers and consultants, 5 faculties under School of Computer Studies at
Arellano University and 20 CS/IT/IS students.

1.1 Purpose and Description

The purpose of the study is to provide a student attendance using biometrics that will
manage the attendance of the student by using a biometrics device.
The agenda of the study for the school of computer studies is to provide a system that
will help the professors in checking the attendance of the student using biometrics. In addition,
the system also has the built-in computation of the grade for the professor. They just need to
input the score of the student and it will automatically compute for the rating.
Listed below are the specific purpose of the study:

The student can view their grades per period (prelims, midterm, semi-finals, and

finals) by logging-in with the system.

The student can download files that will be posted by their professors.

1.2 Objectives of the Study

General Objectives
The main objective of our study is to develop an accurate and reliable student attendance
using biometrics with automated class record system for the school of computer studies.
Specifically, the study aims to:
1. Design a student attendance for the SCS Faculty with the following features;
a. Student attendance using biometrics
b.
Automated class record system for Prelims, Midterm, Semi-finals,
and Finals.
c. Grades viewing
d. Downloading and uploading files.
e. User privilege; admin, student, and professors
2. Develop and Create a student attendance using biometrics with an automated class
record system for the School of Computer Studies using the following tools:

a.
b.
c.
d.

Microsoft Visual Studio 2010

SQL Server Management Studio Express
Adobe Photoshop CS6
Biometric Device

3. Test the effectiveness, clarity and feasibility of the system to the users and the
environment and;
4. Evaluate the student attendance using biometrics with automated class record system
for the School of Computer Studies in terms of functionality, efficiency, reliability,
portability, and usability as per to ease of maintainability for its future user.
1.3 Scope and Delimitation
1.3.1 Scope of the Study
The proposed system is focused on checking of student attendance using biometrics. In
relation to the student attendance using biometrics, it also provides automated class record
system for the faculty of the school of computer studies. The student attendance using
biometrics will only operate when their professor is present in the class. The students will
enter their student ID number and change the current password for their privacy. The page of
the professor, when they log-in is different to the page of the student. On the system, the
admin has the sole user privilege to manage and create accounts for professors and students.
The registering of student details in the student attendance database is also the admins
function.
The system can also provide the viewing of average score grades for a student per period
(prelims, midterm, semi-finals, and finals), but this file is not printable. Another thing the
system can provide uploaded files that can be downloaded by the students. The system can
be used in desktop type computers, laptop, smart phones or tablet as long as your device has

a connection to the internet. The system has three users; the admin, the professor, and the
students.
1.3.1.1

System Users

Admin
The function of the admin, mainly focuses on creating an account for professors and
students. Another thing admin is the one who has the ability in the registration of biometrics for
the student attendance.

Faculty
The faculty is the main user of the system. They are one who checks the attendance of the
students using biometrics. Another thing only the faculty has the ability to input the grades of the
student in the system. And also has the ability to post a file in the system that the student can
view.

Student
The student is one of the users of the system. They can view their grades per period
(prelims, midterm, semi-finals, and finals) by logging-in with the system. They can also
download the files that are posted by their professors. And also, the student is the one who will
use the biometrics to be recorded as their attendance.
1.3.2

Delimitation

The proposed system delimitation, the format for grade viewing is not printable. It is only
viewable on the web page. Also, only the average scores of quiz and assignments should be
inserted as part of the computation of grades. And beside of that, the grade of the student in the
system serves as the record for the professors only.

Significance of the Study

For the Students. This proposed system will help the student to have an easy access to
their respective subject. And to know their grades and also the other files that will be posted by
their professor.

For the Professors. This proposed system aims to be a reliable and efficient tool that can
help them to make their tasks easier. Especially in checking the student attendance and the
automated class record system that has the built-in computation of grades.

For the Future Researcher.This study and information will be very beneficial for
aspiring researchers in utilizing ideas in collaboration with their raw studies.

For the administrator.This proposed system will serve as the latest tool that will help in
the improvement in monitoring the student attendance and the automated grading computation.