STRANDby: A Recommender System for Incoming Senior High School Students

A Capstone Project Presented to

The Faculty of the Engineering Computing Academy of Science and Technology

Panpacific University

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Course Capstone Project

for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

Ramos, Fernalyn B.

Abel, Lester L.

Dacanay, Lionel Kyle G.

Fernandez, Leo Alexander C.

Pico, Mary Jean S.

April 2023
 APPROVAL SHEET
This capstone project entitles “STRANDby: A Recommender System for Incoming

Senior High School Students” prepared and submitted by FERNALYN B. RAMOS, LESTER

L. ABEL, LIONEL KYLE G. DACANAY, LEO ALEXANDER C. FERNANDEZ, MARY

JEAN S. PICO in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Course Capstone Project for the

Degree of Bachelor of Science and Information Technology, has been examined and

recommended for acceptance for oral-examination.

DR. JOEY S. AVILES

Adviser

JASPER G. GANAL LIKHAMOR L. QUEZON

Panel Member Panel Member

STEVE MC L. DELA PEÑA

Chairperson

PANEL OF EXAMINERS

APPROVED by the Committee in Oral Examination in April 2023 with the grade of

PASSED.

STEVE MC L. DELA PEÑA

Chairperson

JASPER G. GANAL LIKHAMOR L. QUEZON

Panel Member Panel Member

ACCEPTED AND APPROVED in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree

in Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.

DR. JOEY S. AVILES

Dean, Engineering-Computing Academy of Science and Technology

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The proponents express their deep gratitude to the individuals and groups who have been

instrumental in making this paper possible. The proponents could not have completed this

incredible journey without their assistance, encouragement, and guidance.

Firstly, the proponents express their heartfelt appreciation to Almighty God for His grace

and blessings throughout their journey. Divine guidance and protection have been their strength

and hope.

To their families, they extend their gratitude for being their source of inspiration,

motivation, and unwavering support. Their love and encouragement have sustained them through

the highs and lows of this academic endeavor.

To the adviser of the proponents, Dr. Joey S. Aviles, for his valuable guidance,

knowledge, and expertise. He has been patient in imparting his wisdom, which helped them

better understand and appreciate the study.

To the panel members, Mr. Jasper G. Ganal, Mr. Steve Mc L. Dela Peña and Mr.

Likhamor L. Quezon for their insightful comments and suggestions that contributed to the

improvement of the study. Also, to Mr. Jan Harold Angel A. Espiritu for his suggestions and

comments in order to improve the system capabilities and functionalities. Their constructive

criticisms have challenged the proponents to be better researchers and thinkers.

To the Deputy Headmaster, Mr. Jonathan M. Mensalvas, for giving them permission to

conduct the survey among the Grade 10 students. His unwavering support enabled them to carry

out their study effectively.

To Mr. Mc Allan G. Oriña for kindly volunteering his assistance and support in getting

the evaluation form out to students in Grade 10, which was essential for the success of our

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capstone project. Without his invaluable help, we would not have been able to contact our target

respondents or collect the essential data for our study.

To Ms. Rowena Fernandez, the grammarian, for generously sharing her knowledge and

expertise. Her commitment to excellence greatly improved the project's quality and

professionalism.

To Mr. Arjhuan Beil O. Gutierrez for suggesting the capstone title "STRANDby", which

significantly contributed to the project's development.

And lastly, to the Grade 10 students who participated in this project. Their collaboration

and dedication in providing the data and information needed to complete this study.

Therefore, the proponents acknowledge the contribution of all individuals and groups

who have been part of this paper. They have been greatly inspired by their help, motivation, and

direction. The proponents would like to thank everyone who helped with this capstone project

and for their contributions.

- The Proponents

iv
 DEDICATION

This study is dedicated wholeheartedly to the dearest guardians of the proponents, who

have been a constant source of motivation and encouragement. They have provided unceasing

moral, spiritual, and financial support and have been a beacon of hope during the times when the

proponents considered giving up. The proponents express their utmost gratitude and appreciation

to their guardians for their unwavering guidance and love.

The proponents also want to express their deep gratitude to their families, teachers,

friends, and fellow students who have provided them with support and words of wisdom

throughout this research. The proponents are extremely appreciative their unwavering support as

well as their big contributions.

Lastly, the proponents dedicate this study to Almighty God. They express their sincere

gratitude for the heavenly guidance and safety that have been given to them. The proponents

express their sincere gratitude to God for providing them with inspiration and direction along

their journey.

- The Proponents

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 ABSTRACT
Title: STRANDby: A Recommender System for Incoming Senior High School Students

Total No. of Pages: 25

Proponents:

1. Ramos, Fernalyn B.

2. Abel, Lester L.

3. Dacanay, Lionel Kyle G.

4. Fernandez, Leo Alexander C.

5. Pico, Mary Jean S.

Type of Document: Capstone Project

Type of Publication: Unpublished

The Panpacific University School of Basic Education, specifically the incoming senior

high school (SHS) students faced difficulties in choosing the right strand for SHS. To address

this issue, the proponents developed a system to help students choose their strand. The developed

system allows students to create their own account, log in, and take an assessment to aid in their

decision-making process. The admin has the capability to assess, edit, and delete questions, as

well as track and view the assessment results.

The proponents utilized applied research and the used Scrum software development

methodology to ensure practical application and verification and validation at every stage of

development. While the development and maintenance phases have been implemented, the

developed system's module and features were designed using Sublime, MySQL, InfinityFree,

FileZilla, Hostinger and JavaScript for the system's algorithms.

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 The difficulties encountered by the incoming SHS students in choosing strands are these

three factors: Self, Family/Friends, and Financially.

The proponents provided a satisfaction, efficiency, and effectivity evaluation form to the

incoming SHS students. To test the satisfaction, efficiency, and effectivity of the STRANDby: A

Recommender System for Incoming Senior High School Students. The developed system is

interpreted as “Acceptable” in Satisfaction, Efficiency, and Effectivity acceptability. These

results shows that the developed system has the potential to assist the undecided students of PU.

Based from the findings and conclusions, the following are further recommended for the

development of the proposed system: the system should have SMS or Email notification for

status, the system should have an attempt history on the student’s side to view their previous

recommended strands, add chatbot feature that can answer frequently asked questions and

provide guidance to students who may have additional inquiries, the system must generate report

and it can be printed, and include alumni success stories that can inspire users.

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 TABLES OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE………………………………………………………………………………………i

APPROVAL SHEET……………………………………………………………………………...ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………………………………………….iii

DEDICATION…………………………………………………………………………………....v

ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………….viii

LIST OF

TABLES………………………………………………………………………………...xi

LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………….......xii

I. INTRODUCTION

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..1

Objectives of the Study………………………………………………………………...4

Significance of the Study……………………………………………………………….4

Conceptual Framework………………………………………………………………..5

Scope and Limitation of the Study…………………………………………………….6

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II. METHOLODY

Research Design………………………………………………………………………..8

Software Development Methodology………………………………………………..9

Population and Locale of the Study………………………………………………….11

Data Gathering Procedures.…………………………………………………………12

Data Gathering Tools……...………………………………………………………….12

Sources of Data………………………………………………………………………...13

III. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Difficulties encountered by the incoming SHS students in choosing strands...14

Modules and Features of the Proposed System……………………………………17

Level of Satisfaction, Efficiency and Effectivity Acceptability…………………..21

Satisfaction Acceptability.……….…….…………………………………………….21

Efficiency Acceptability………...……………………………………………………22

Effectivity Acceptability...……………………………………………………………23

IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………24

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 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………….25

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………..26

APPENDICES

A – Request Letter……………………………………………………………………..28

B – Letter to the Respondents………………………………………………………...29

C – Interview Guide Questions for Incoming Senior High School Students..…30

D – Survey Questionnaire…………………………………………………………….31

E – Entity Relationship Diagram……………………………………………………..33

F – Use Case Diagram…………………………………………………………………34

G – System Requirement……………………………………………………………..35

H – Evaluation Questionnaire………………………………………………………..36

I – Gantt Chart………………………………………………………………………….39

CURRICULUM

VITAE………………………………………………………………………….40

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 List of Tables

Table No. Title Page

1 Population and Locale of the Study……………………………………..11

2 Difficulties encountered by the incoming SHS students in choosing

strands............................................................................................16

3 Satisfaction Evaluation…....….…………………………………….........21

4 Efficiency Evaluation…....………………………………………………..22

5 Effectivity Evaluation…....………………………………………………..23

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 List of Figures

Figure No. Title Page

1 Paradigm of the Study……………………………………………………..5

2 Scrum……………………………………………………………………......9

3 Sign up Page………………………………………………………………17

4 Log in Page....……………………………………………………………..17

5 Home Page…...……………………………………………………………18

6 Dashboard Tab...………………………………………………..............18

7 My Test Tab...……………………………………………………………..19

8 Profile Tab..……………………………………………………………….19

9 Contact Tab.……………………………………………………………….20

10 My Reviews Tab...………………………………………………………..20

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