Chapter I

Introduction

The Scholars Web-Based Information System represents a significant

advancement in the realm of academic support and administrative efficiency. Crafted

with precision and dedication, this system is tailored to meet the unique needs of scholars

across various educational institutions. Its primary goal is to provide scholars with a

robust digital platform to manage their academic records, scholarships, and pertinent

information seamlessly. Through this innovative tool, both scholars and administrative

personnel gain access to real-time data, facilitating swifter decision-making and

personalized assistance.

At the heart of the Scholars Web-Based Information System lies a commitment to

user-friendliness and accessibility. The interface is thoughtfully designed to be intuitive

and easy to navigate, ensuring that scholars, regardless of their technical proficiency, can

utilize it effectively. The system's responsive design ensures compatibility with a range of

devices, from desktops to mobile phones, ensuring that scholars can access critical

information anytime, anywhere.

This powerful system empowers scholars by offering them greater agency over

their academic pursuits. Through the Scholars Web-Based Information System, scholars

can update their personal information, monitor their academic progress, and receive

timely notifications about important academic events and scholarship opportunities.

Additionally, it serves as a communication platform, enabling scholars to interact with

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the scholarship office and other relevant departments, fostering a seamless exchange of

information and support.

Security and privacy are paramount concerns for the Scholars Web-Based

Information System. Rigorous security measures have been implemented to safeguard

sensitive data, guaranteeing that scholars' records are shielded from unauthorized access.

The system adheres to industry-standard security protocols, creating a secure

environment for scholars to manage their academic and scholarship-related information.

This emphasis on security instills confidence in scholars and their families, knowing that

their information is handled with the utmost care.

Scholarship organizations are dealing with loads of files and records of their

scholars from their profiles up to their submitted requirements for qualifications. Without

a centralized system to record and manage the information of the students, the

scholarship committee may encounter difficulties. If scholar profiling will be done

manually, it requires a lot of paper works and this costs the staff to spend too much time

and effort. The manual method is prone to human errors like losing the records of the

students or delays in completing the process of profiling.

Project Context

To address the concerns mentioned above, the researchers of the study proposed

an MSU-Sulu Scholars Web-Based Information System. The system will automate the

process of profiling scholars. The proposed system will make the job of the scholarship

committees easier by letting them conveniently process the information of the students.

The scholarship committees will be able to securely store and manage the records of the

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scholars. The said system will remove the manual method and lessen the errors

encountered by the staff who manage the records of the scholars.

Purpose and Description

The purpose of the MSU-Sulu Scholars Web-Based Information System is to

provide a more efficient and streamlined approach to managing scholarship information

and application processes. The system aims to make it easier for students to apply for

scholarships and for the university to manage and process these applications more

effectively. This kind of system is a web-based platform that allows students to apply for

scholarships online. The system collects and stores all of the necessary information

related to the scholarship application and allows the university to access and review this

information in real-time. The system includes features such as automated notifications to

students regarding their scholarship status, the ability to track the progress of scholarship

applications, and the ability to generate reports on scholarship applications and awards.

The system also enables the university to manage the distribution of scholarship funds

more efficiently and to monitor the performance of scholarship recipients. Overall, the

MSU Sulu Online Scholarship Information Management System aims to improve the

scholarship application and management processed by providing a more efficient and

streamlined approach for both the students and the university.

Objective of the System

General Objective

The main goal of the project is to streamline the scholarship application process

and provide efficient management of scholarship applications, recipient information, and

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disbursement of funds. The system aims to ensure transparency and accuracy in the

management of scholarship funds and information.

Specific Objective

1. To provide an online portal for applicants to submit scholarship applications

and view acceptance status.

2. To develop an automated system to process applications and award

scholarships to eligible recipients.

3. To establish real-time data analytics and reporting capabilities to monitor and

evaluate the effectiveness of the scholarship program.

4. To provide secure access to students, administrators, and donors to manage

and review pertinent information.

Scope and Limitation of the System

This MSU-Sulu Scholars Web-Based Information System is designed to provide

an efficient and reliable platform for managing scholarships offered by the institutions.

The system offers features for online application, document submission and tracking of

scholarship status. It provides easy access to information about available scholarship,

eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and award amounts. The system allows students

to apply for scholarships from anywhere with an internet connection, making process

more convenient and accessible. The system ensures transparency and accountability in

the scholarship awarding process by maintaining a centralized database if all applications

and relevant documents.

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 The system relies heavily on internet connectivity and may be inaccessible if the

connections is poor or disrupted. Not all students may have access to the technology

needed to use the system, limiting participation by some students. The online system may

not be user-friendly for some applicants who are not comfortable with technology or have

limited computer literacy. The system may also require additional resources for

maintenance, technical support and training for both staff and students. The system may

not completely eliminate human errors and biases which can affect the scholarship

awarding process.

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 Chapter II

Review of Related Systems and Studies

This chapter includes the related studies and system and also includes the

technical background of the study entitled MSU-Sulu Scholars Web-Based Information

System of Mindanao State University - Sulu

The MSU-Sulu Scholars Web-Based Information System can help the user to

have an easy access and management of student’s scholarship processes.

Technical Background

This portion of the study in which the technical background includes Data Flow

Diagram,

Data Flow Diagram (Context Diagram or Level 0)

Scholarship Status
Students

User Login, 0
Submit
Requirements, MSU-Sulu Student Login History
Add Information Scholars Web-
Based
Information
System

Monitor and Administrator

Records

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 Context Flow Diagram of the system. The applicant must fill-out first the

application form and send it to the administrator as well as all the requirements needed.

The scholar should log in first to their account to request for another scholarship for the

next semester. The scholar should pass the requirements needed for the next semester. If

the administrator approves the request, the scholar will be notified by SMS or E-mail.

Once the administrator accesses the system, the administrator will verify the applicant

before giving schedules and results. For the old scholar, the admin will also verify the

requirements given before approving the scholarship for the next semester.

The Data Flow Diagram for the Administrator for Old Scholar. The administrator

should notify them if they need to renew their scholarship by SMS/Email notification.

There must be a renewal schedule to be set by the administrator. Upon submissions of

requirements of renewal, the same user will approve this. After such, release of grants

will then follow. All transactions and will be reflected in the reports. The administrator

can generate and process such reports. Reports can be generated using different query

filters.

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Related Study

Local

The study of Gonzales et al., (2016) aims to develop a website of scholarship

management information system with the consideration of basic requirements,

components, complete and organize information and online application system of

scholars for a university. The study utilizes the design and development of the website

since it focuses on online application and detection of the scholarship granted to the

scholars. The respondents of the study are the regular users of the scholarship office. It

provides all the information that the scholarship office can give to scholars regarding the

status of scholarship grants and how they will apply online. Their study helps the users

and scholars on being updated on price changes that might happen unexpectedly and

information about the scholarship grants.

The system developed by Villanueva (2015) is a scholarship management system

for CBA Scholarship Office. The first phase made by the developer is to design and

implement the database that would store all the data relevant to the system. The database

consists of two primary sets of data: Applicants and Scholarships. Applicants are linked

to scholarships by receiving awards and scholarships are categorized into administrative

units and authorizing agents. The system can also add, edit, delete and update the

information of each applicant. After the database was designed, the developer

implemented it using Microsoft Access 2010.

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 The developed system by Seidu (2017) aims to improve an existing web based

system used by a non-government organization in Ghana to manage their scholarship

application process. The NGO, which sponsors High School students in Ghana, currently

has a web-based application that helps them process their scholarship application and

awarding process. The existing application keeps record of applicants, generate points for

applicants, and send letters for these awardees. Given the current focus of the existing

system, this project seeks to widen the scope of the system by adding functionalities to

track payments. Therefore, instead of being just being a Scholarship Application System,

the system will be a Scholarship Management System (or a Scholarship Fund

Management System).

At the end of this project, the NGO should be able to use less time in processing

payments, get a more transparent payment system, generate reports from the system and

reduce costs of operation. According to Falogme et al., (2017), it is for the Scholarship

office of a city to render the best service for the clients. Primarily, the office personnel of

the said office are having their transactions using MS Excel in keeping records of

students’ profile and funds. The record, which is taken by the scholarship head, returns

the information of the qualified applicants for scholarship. Each application will undergo

strict screening and one of its major requirements is that the scholar applicant must be a

Bonafede resident of the said city. In using MS Excel, the scholarship head consumed a

lot of time before they can finish recording all the transactions per day. One thing that

makes it complicated is that there are tons of data that needs to be updated about the

scholars each time. It takes a month or few for the scholarship head to readily update the

records. A web-based system developed by Plata et al., (2017) is used for recording of

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data, transactions and files of a business or organization, while a mobile application is

most used in daily communication. These two can manage the task of eliminating paper

works in daily human transaction.

The Sagip-Eskwela Beneficiary Program Web-Based System and Mobile

Application manages the records of students and data with their designated locations and

benefits that they receives. The system involves creating reports of transactions of

benefits given quarterly, the status of the students whether they are active or inactive,

reports of student beneficiaries in barangay or district and archive information on the

students who had finished the program. The system is expected to facilitate the record

management of the Sagip Eskwela Program of an agency, thus providing better service

and benefits to recipients of the said assistance program. Mohammed (2015) developed

an e-scholarship system that was designed and implemented in order to allow students of

Niger State indigents across the country to apply for scholarship online with the Niger

State Scholarship Board. The system was designed using Object Oriented Analysis and

Design (OOAD) methodology. The application was developed using Hypertext pre-

processor (PHP), AJAX, JavaScript, Hyper Text Mark-Up Language (HTML) as the

front end and MySQL database as the backend. The E-scholarship system provides online

application solutions that save time, and sends notification using SMS alerts and emails

on the progress of application in a timely and transparent manner. The system project of

Sauser (2015) was developed to provide a central storage to maintain all the data related

to their university scholarship awards. The primary reason for developing Scholarship

Management System for University of Northern Iowa was because the scholarship

information was stored in many individual files spread across various locations. Any

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information related to the scholarship awarding process can be located more efficiently

using the system. Wisconsin-La Crosse (2015) developed an online scholarship

application system for their foundation. The foundation deals with a large number of

scholarship applications as the foundation uses paper-based processing. In order to

automate the task performed by this foundation, a re-engineering approach named

“Evolutionary Reengineering Approach” was used to identify all critical functionalities of

the existing system.

This evolution focused on replacement in which portions of the existing system is

substituted for re-engineered system portions. The system was developed under Java

development platform using Java in the business logic layer, JSP in the presentation layer

and Oracle 10g Express Edition in the database layer. It was run under IIS application

server.

The developed system by Almanza et al., (2015) was designed to provide an

online application form for applying easily for a national certification regardless of their

location. It will store the information of each applicant which will later be used for the

various reports for every assessment batch. At the same time, the system will be able to

store history of the different assessment batches with their schedule assessment,

assessment results and certification number. In this case, applicants can easily apply for

an assessment with less trouble and inconvenience. The staffs on the other will no longer

be having a hard time of processing documents and generating reports. The previous

system plays a vital role in developing the present developed system where it serves as a

guide on how to enhance and improve the scholarship system. It gave the developer an

idea to manage the information of the applicants that are recruited by Mirof. The present

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system is also similar to the previous system for it can also store information of the

applicants. They both give services to the applicants.

The difference between the two systems is that the developed system has a wide

range of activities in record management. Furthermore, it is more efficient to use because

of different features unlike the previous system. Chavez et al., (2017) proposed a system

for an agency. The system is developed to easily check and record all the important

documents of the said agency. The system can relieve worries about the safety of the

records of a blood agency. With this developed system, problems like lost files, manual

registration, expiration of blood stocks, inconsistent data and lack of backup and recovery

can be solved. In developing the system, the developer used the Visual basic 2010 for

creating the GUI of the system and for the database, the MS SQL was used to properly

organize the data. Rizvi (2015) developed an Online Scholarship Management System for

students of minor community.

The main objective of this system is to develop and improve the transparency of

the pre-matric and post-matric scholarship. The developer aimed to develop an online

application submission system so as to facilitate submission of application form

anywhere. It also aims to develop efficient, effective, and accurate scholarship

disbursement system avoiding delays in disbursement, errors, scams, subjectivity in

awarding scholarships, and redundancy. Lastly, it aims to enable the authorities at

different levels to access the data online for verification and other purpose. Lopez (2016)

developed a system that aimed to form a system which stores details of students, courses,

year and section. It may also be used for local assessment of the college of nursing for

their college fees. The database is designed to be used by staff and other authorized user

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in the college to enable them to easily produce information required by users. The

database is organized to produce queries about students’ names, programs, year levels

and sections.

Malipol et al., (2018) developed an online scholarship application and record

management system for an agency to eliminate the manual process of managing and

profiling the scholars' information, scholarship approval, and notification. The main focus

of the system is to improve the manual method that the said client uses, and for rapid

processing of transactions. Furthermore, having an application and record management

system may lessen manpower and results to more secured, reliable, and more organized

storage of data.

The Developed system used Microsoft Expression Web 4 as their programming

language. They also used XAMMP for the back-end database to serve as a repository of

all records. The developed system enabled the users to update their personal information,

submit their credentials and view the current status of their scholarship.

There is also a module provided for the administrator where the administrator can

easily approve and disapprove applicant scholars and can effortlessly set schedule. The

system can also generate and print reports.

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 Chapter III

Methodology, Results and Discussion

This chapter presents the overall methods used in the collection and analyses of

data. The methodology focuses on the experiences of people involved and attempt to

understand the reasons behind certain behavior description.

System Methodology

The developer used the method of Web Development Life Cycle (WDLC) in

making the system. This helped them organize the development steps effectively. The

process of designing a website for World Wide Web was used in using various

programming and designing technology. It helped a lot in terms of standards and

procedures to be adopted for future project reviews and quality maximization. The life

cycle includes the following phases: planning, analysis, design and development, testing,

and implementation and maintenance. Figure 1 shows the WDLC. The principle of the

cycle is to provide the designers, the process on creating a web-based project. It will also

help the developer to certain frameworks to ensure high quality of work.

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 The figure 1: Web Development Life Cycle

The first phase is Planning. In this phase, it involves identifying the goals or

purpose of the proposed system. This phase seeks answer to the question, “What is the

purpose of this online system?”.

The developer will identify the features and requirements needed to be utilized in

the development the system. During planning stage, the developer came up with the idea

of using PHP as their programming tool and MYSQL as their database. Using SMS and

email were also integrated to the developed system.

The second phase is the Analysis. It discusses the whole analysis and the

requirements needed for the development of the system. In this phase, the developer

conducted an interview with the scholarship head. The difficulties encountered by the

scholarship head in managing the data of the scholars were analyzed.

After that, the third phase is the Development. This involves the layout and

navigation interface of the prototype. In this phase, the interfaces and the contents of the

scholarship application and record management system were determined. The interface

should be user-friendly and easy to navigate and understand. Creating interfaces may be

the hardest thing to do since it shall provide all the needs of the Scholarship office in

uplifting its services.

The fourth phase is Testing. In this phase, the developer used the black box testing

to find errors in the following categories: Incorrect or missing functions, interface errors,

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errors in data structures or external database access, behavioral or performance errors and

initialization and termination errors. If there are errors found, it shall be considered

immediately and fixed as soon as possible. The fifth phase is the Release, where the

online scholarship application and record management system is released to the client.

Proper turn-over of the system took place. Lastly is the Maintenance. After releasing the

system, the developer committed to perform periodic maintenance of the system for the

first year of implementation.

Software Development

Coding

In the development of the system, we made use Visual Studio Code with PHP

Programming Language and MySQL Database for encoding the source code of the

system, in order to be accurately and fast acquisition of data and information in the

internet.

Testing

After finishing the main parts of the transaction of the system, the proponents

gave a test sample to the end users and there is a lot of learning they encountered, it made

them know the minor and major mistakes in the system and it gave the researchers more

understanding on how to develop it.

Implementation

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 Documents were properly compiled for final output to be submitted to the users.

This includes the manual documentation and software. Giving some user orientation on

how to use the system is held at this stage.

Requirements Documentation

In order to develop said system, the researchers need to make necessary

preparation. Different procedures were made to attain the objective which includes the

interviewing the coordinator for scholarship at MSU Sulu.

The coordinator is asked by the researchers about the traditional ways of

transaction and monitoring for students.

With the assistance of early topic research and online articles, the researchers

were able to comprehend the necessity of continuing the study and its impact on dealing

with relevant current issues.

Development and Testing

The prerequisites for developing the aforementioned system are listed below.

Software, hardware, and people ware are the three parts of the computer system that

make up this package.

Software Requirements:

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  Any Windows Operating system version like Windows 7/8/10 and latest version

11

 Programming language: PHP

 Database: MYSQL Database for online

Hardware Requirements:

 Intel i3 or higher/ AMD A2 Series or higher

 3-4 GB RAM or higher

 100 GB Hard Disk/ SSD or Higher

 Router

 AVR/UPS 120volts

 15”/17” LCD/LED monitor

People ware Requirements:

People involved in the system’s development are referred to as people ware.

The developer who is capable in PHP Programming language is required on the

grounds that they will be accountable for the framework's plan and execution. He or she

should also be familiar with PHP programming in order to add, modify, delete, and

control their way through the data set. In the event that the computer fails, he or she

should also be familiar with the fundamentals of research.

Prior to fostering the system, the researcher directed a meeting to the planned

recipient in the event that there is a need in the division this sort of framework. Unit

testing, coordination testing and framework testing were directed first to test on the off

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chance that the scientists foster the right situation. Then, testing, for example, master

testing and client acknowledgment of definite testing was led.

Description of Prototype

The developed system's necessary report layouts and screen forms are presented

in this section.

Reports Layouts. In the new system, the researchers will provide sample copies of the

student’s application form digital format and hardcopy, list of students scholarship grants,

and others.

Screen Forms. The researcher will show the screen capture formats to provide readers

with a thought of how the framework looks.

Implementation Plan

The researchers tested and evaluated the Online Scholarship Information

Management System so that they could develop a dependable and efficient system. In this

way, the project could have been successful. To begin, the coordinator will log in as an

administrator to evaluate the system's administrator options. Second, the researcher

permitted the two staff to sign in to assess the other features of the system.

Implementation Results

The developed system was evaluated by three IT Experts/Programmer in the said

department using the Software Quality Model based on the criteria set forth by McCall’s.

Based from the assessment by the experts, it shows that this kind of system will

innovate and help the institutions to further improve and implement this kind of system

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 Strategies Activities Individuals involved Period

Approval from A Formal letter to the

Researchers/Developers 2 Days
Chancellor Chancellor for an interview
System’s Setting Software for the said system is
Researchers/Developers 2 to 3 Days
up installed and ready to access
Information Chancellor and Assign
User Manual 2 Days
Distribution Coordinator Scholarship
Chancellor and Assign
3 Days Training Hands-on Training 3 Days
Coordinator Scholarship
The developers will implement some strategies when this system is put into use.

Coming up next are the notice procedures:

Chapter IV

Recommendation

The implementation of the Scholars Web-Based Information System at MSU-Sulu

is a significant milestone in enhancing scholar support services. To further optimize its

effectiveness, we propose the establishment of a user-friendly interface that prioritizes

intuitive navigation. This will ensure that scholars, regardless of their technical

proficiency, can easily access and utilize the system. Additionally, incorporating tooltips

and guides within the platform can provide helpful context and instructions, further

enhancing the user experience. Regular training sessions and workshops can be organized

to familiarize both scholars and administrative staff with the system's functionalities.

To bolster engagement and foster a sense of ownership among scholars, we

recommend the integration of interactive features within the system. This may include

discussion forums, collaborative study groups, and chat functions. Such elements will

encourage scholars to actively participate in academic discussions and seek peer support.

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Additionally, the incorporation of a feedback mechanism will allow scholars to provide

suggestions and report any technical issues they encounter, contributing to the continuous

improvement of the system.

In order to strengthen security measures, it is imperative to implement multi-

factor authentication and encryption protocols. This will safeguard sensitive data and

protect scholars' records from unauthorized access. Regular security audits and

vulnerability assessments should also be conducted to identify and address potential risks.

Furthermore, a robust data backup and recovery system should be established to ensure

the integrity and availability of information in case of unforeseen events or system

failures.

Considering the diverse technological landscape, we recommend optimizing the

system for mobile devices to accommodate scholars who primarily access information

through smartphones and tablets. This mobile-friendly design will enhance accessibility

and convenience, allowing scholars to utilize the system seamlessly even while on the

move. Additionally, the development of a dedicated mobile application can further

enhance the scholar experience, providing quick and easy access to critical information.

Lastly, to ensure the sustainability and long-term success of the Scholars Web-

Based Information System, it is essential to establish a dedicated support team or

helpdesk. This team will be responsible for addressing technical queries, providing

assistance, and resolving any issues encountered by scholars and administrative staff.

Regular system updates and maintenance should be conducted to incorporate new

features, address emerging needs, and stay aligned with technological advancements.

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 By implementing these recommendations, we believe that the Scholars Web-

Based Information System at MSU-Sulu will not only meet the immediate needs of

scholars but also serve as a robust and adaptable platform that empowers scholars in their

academic pursuits.

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