Chapter 1 - The Problem and Its Background

1. Chapter 1
The Problem and Its Background
Introduction
Computer technologies are changing the practice of research and business, and – very
slowly – the content and practice of education are beginning to follow suit. For one, most
schools in the country are adapting to these changes by gradually shifting their manual
transactions to computer-based systems allowing a smoother flow of operations. The hallmark
of computer-aided systems in education is that they attempt to revolutionize conventional
school routines such as enrolments into an efficient and seamless process that saves time, cost,
and accuracy of work.
Lesser human intervention in tasks involving numerous transactions and distributed
work has proven increased competency in Information Technology and other communications-
related industries. We see this as growing evidence on IT industries leading to substantial
improvements in productivity by automating their routine activities. If this capability will be
incorporated to school works such as grading procedures, the arduous task of records-keeping
might be delegated to machines or tools which can handle various automated and computing
jobs and thus improve work outcomes.
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2. The aim of this study is to address concerns of instructors over the management of
grades computation and file handling of student profiles. A good feedback mechanism relating
to the learning progress of students in terms of their performance in each subject ensures a
good development assessment. This will give both the teacher and the student the idea about
their growth and may promote a good teacher-to-student relationship. A fast and accurate
grading system can give a clearer perspective on the standing of the students in the class as
individuals and in the learning environment as a whole.
The grading process is the practice of evaluating the academic performance of students
by assigning them ratings based on standard grading scales programmed in the education
curriculum. Different interrelated procedures such as student information listing, academic
grading, and class standing assessment build up grading processes called Academic Grading
System or AGS. AGS is used particularly in keeping and retrieving information on a student’s
grades profile and academic status. Tracking their progress in subject courses and providing
them responses on the form of points-based, letter-oriented, or ratings measurements are the
features of AGS.
An automated grading system is a good example of computer-generated process. This
can significantly reduced the workload and provide accurate report of grades needed by the
students and the institution in the assessment of learning. In the case of San Isidro Elementary
School, manual computation and recording of grades are still exploited by teachers rendering
disputed and mishandled results. Computerization is a control system that can manage these
tasks and give accountability to the outputs.
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3. In this study the proponents focused on addressing problems posed by the existing
grading system through seeking alternatives to the manual routines and developing a software-
based tool that will facilitate transition of grading procedures from subsisting operations to
computerized transactions.
1.1. Project Context
This study is divided into two phases: the project feasibility and project acquisition. The
project feasibility phase is consisted by concept and design plans outlining primarily the areas
of work relating to the viability of the project and conception of strategies and systems
approaches such as systems philosophy, analysis, and management. Under the project
acquisition phase, lines of work are concerned to implementation and procurement strategies
that will materialize model plans and the development of the system itself.
1.1.2. Defining Project Attributes
The project commenced with identifying first the key elements integral to the formation
of strategies and approaches to planning and drawing of project architecture. To recognize the
persisting problems of the existing grading system in the target school, the proponents
performed site visits and continuous correspondence with project stakeholders which initiated
the concept planning. After investigations and problems outlining have been made, the
following factors have been defined:
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4. a. The Three-Sphere Model. The proponents determined the relation to the three-sphere
model of project management which identifies the business, organizational, and
technological aspect of the project. Since the tool developed for the school is a non-
commercial system and will not be used to gain profits or promote investments, the
project’s business factor dwells only on the financial sense of settling cost requisites
necessitated in the development and maintenance of the system. Stakeholders influence
the changes and advancements to the improvement of planning and designing in that they
give the foremost inputs to the specifications of the system and change requests which
adjusted requirements. People problems or the interests of the organization and key players
also concern the organizational factor. The approaches used to develop the system imposed
the technological side of the project.
b. The Needs Analysis. Documenting the requirements played a crucial role to classify what
areas of concern should be addressed and what requirements from all project stakeholders
affected the features of the system. Observations were made and questionnaires were
given to quantify requests, weigh demands, and perform analysis of the parameters which
will control the bounds of the study. This is important to avoid scope creep, project rollback,
or major overhauling of project due to rising adjustments and unattended and uncontrolled
demands.
c. The Triple Constraints. This study is confined to scope, time, and cost goals. The scope goal
lists the work breakdown to achieve specific enumerated tasks for each line of work, the
time management goal centers on schedules and deadlines to be met to complete the
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5. project, and the cost goals estimates the budget and authorized changes to costs and
expenditures of the project.
d. The Project Deliverables. Stakeholders agreed to produce product-related or process-
oriented results in the form of project charter documents, system flow analysis, work
breakdown structure and schedule plans, and minutes of the meeting on a regular basis.
1.1.3. Classifying Project Stakeholders
After the characteristics of the project have been defined, it is necessary to delineate
duties and tasks for each specific work goals per time frame to divide responsibilities and
obligations among stakeholders. The human resource management area provides description
of the division of work to every personnel involved in the procurement of the study.
Name Role in the Project Responsibility
Florida F. Sumugat, principal of Project Sponsor Approves all prerequisites and
San Isidro Elementary School changes to the plan and
development of project
Provides primary information
and consultation
Ricky S. Morales Jr. Project Manager Plans, monitors, and executes
project
Oversees development
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6. Ma. Cherus Florenlee F. Sumugat Project Moderator Serves as back-channel
negotiator and provides
feedback and communication
to project sponsor
Hanna Marie P. Atienza Implementation and Provides implementation plan
Training Manager and training schedule
contained in changeover
timetable
Gliezel V. Melchor Support Staffs Adds additional inputs and
support to revisions of
Nova Lea E. Gimeno
documents
Table 1.1 Project Stakeholders Charter
1.1.4. Conceptual Model of the Study
The core of this study centers on the designing and building of an electronic system
systematizing grades computation, recording, and managing of files and its dissemination to
concerned personnel. On the designing phase, the proponents started on knowing the specific
system requirements desired by the school. These specifications are met by determining first
the data flow of grades and adopting a framework conceptualized how these data are
introduced, generated, and handled by the system. It is imperative that the system can
transform raw data into manageable and simpler inputs and that the design can produce
proper and acknowledged outputs in terms of digital and printable files. The digital files should
be stored properly and accordingly by the database of the system.
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7. The proponents adopted the Iterative Implementation/Continuous Integration
Approach otherwise known as Design Implementation Increments made by Stephen McHenry in
planning and designing the proposal. With this approach, the overall functionality of the system
is broken down into feature sets. These feature sets conceived the structural architecture of the
program involved in the planning and analysis phase. The design is represented in a conceptual
framework that is essential in the conception and progress of the study and researchers’ frame.
This section outlines the possible courses of action needed to present the preferred
approach of the project target used in the program system. This framework best presents the
steps involve in the analysis and planning of the program design explaining how the system is
constructed.
Data Gathering Design Proposal
Data Introduction Data
Handling
System Analyzation Data Processing and
Specifications
Feedback
Data Generation
Figure 1.1 Conceptual Model of the Design of Computerized Grading System for San Isidro Elementary School, structured by
Stephen McHenry’s Iterative Implementation.
The framework of this design starts in knowing the specifications of the program desired
by the project target. These requirements include research on the target school’s background
and current standing, the existing system they employ in data processing, and the interrelation
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8. of these processes. The framework also covers the identification of common problems
encountered by the school regarding the existing systems that process their data.
1.1.4a. Parts of the Conceptual Framework
a. System Specifications. Includes identifying existing problems regarding the data
processing and generation of the grades of the school. This produces functionality that
the system provides, which describes functions the system performs, the logic that
processes that data, what data is stored and used by the system, and how user
environment works. This should result to a program that the school desires and how this
program works and is implemented.
b. Data Gathering. This involves getting relevant and related data from the school that will
undergo design proposal. Data gathering was assorted in three features, namely:
Background Research, Existing I.T. Infrastructure, and Process Interrelationship.
i. Background Research: Includes school’s profile, their current status, and the
common problems they encounter with their existing grading system, and its
effect on the proficiency and integrity of their data.
ii. Existing I.T. Infrastructure: Includes existing computer units/terminals (if any)
and the hardware and software components that can be a factor in designing
phase
iii. Process Interrelationship: Contains processes involved in the existing grading
system and their relation to each other.
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9. c. Analyzation. Covers the data flow of grades, the proposed design of the system itself,
and determination of programming language used to structure the design.
d. Design Proposal. Contains the conceptualization and structuring to form a design
proposal. In the case of San Isidro Elementary School, the proponents divided this phase
into four main features:
i. Data Introduction: The process of inputting data into the system. This is defined
in the inputs requirement.
ii. Data Processing: Involves saving/deleting data, updating of data, and editing of
the data.
iii. Data Generation: This includes the computation and evaluation of the data.
iv. Data Handling and Feedback: The process of keeping a sorted registry of files and
its management into categories. It also involves the assessment of data.
1.1.5. Profile of San Isidro Elementary School
The elementary school of San Isidro was established from the mounting pleas of
community dwellers to build a school in the area that will address their problems on the
attendance of their children especially during rainy seasons. The common problem of the
parents that time is the risk their children have to take in travelling to the nearest elementary
school of La Curva especially the danger of floods and slippery roads along the way to school.
Through the headship of Mr. Basilio Gamboa, then Sitio Leader of Barangay San Isidro (formerly
named Sitio Canwaling), the requests of the community was introduced to the late Mayor
Johnny Santos Sr. and in 1963, a primary school was built. The site of the school that time was
located at the pasture land of Mr. Gamboa. Two years later Mr. Mamerto Castillo donated a
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10. portion of his land intended for the barrio site of Sitio Canwaling including the present school
site containing an area of 8,009 square meters. Today the school has several physical and
ancillary services including 13 instructional classrooms, 14 shared comfort rooms, two non-
instructional rooms, three reading centers, and one computer unit (as of 2009).
Table 1.2 Basic School Information
Name of school: San Isidro Elementary District: San Jose North District
School Grade levels offered: Elementary Grades
Type of school: Complete Non-central Curriculum: Elementary Basic
Elementary School Education Curriculum
Year established: 1963 (BEC) as per DepEd Order
School I.D. : 110272 No. 43, series of 2002
Population: 460
A SWOT Analysis from SIP report of SIES for 2009 reports that results in NAT 6 (National
Achievement Test) and NAT 3 MPS (Mean Percentile Score) is below the national standard of
75%. Results of oral and silent reading in comprehension level are 85.34% and 89.65% below
the national standard of 100% independent reader. Fifty-eight percent of the teachers are
beginners in recognizing general learning process as well as unique processes of individual
learners. All teachers are in the level of beginner in demonstrating skill in the use of ICT in
teaching and learning process which may include competencies in modern instructional
materials like computers and quick responses to development in learning. Such response to
progress is measured through traditional rating scheme utilized by the school. If this type of
feedback is addressed by the upgrading of the grading system, the learning development of the
students will be supervised simultaneously.
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11. Part of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) for 2009-2012 of San Isidro Elementary
School is to raise the quality of education in the school by initiating new approaches and skills
to teaching and learning processes. They believe that the computerization of their grading
system will play a crucial role in promoting their standing in academic performance.
1.1.6. Statement of the Problem
The design and implementation of electronic media in school transactions have grown
exponentially in the last years, spurred by the fact that the growing rate in enrolment every
year calls for a change in the systems employed by schools to facilitate and weigh demand over
workload. Increase in student-to-teacher ratios has therefore increase the workload of the
teachers. With these emerging concerns, many schools today see the promises of
computerization to solve their problems on a task’s speedy accomplishment without
compromising the integrity and accuracy of the results. The grading process is one of the tasks
which need to be resolved in San Isidro Elementary Schools. To address this issue, the
proponents determined first each factors affecting one problem after another which
contributes to the grading system of the school. These problems are as follows:
a. Flexibility of records. An error in one entry on a manual class record affects several entries
on the list. If the teachers wish to change something on the records, they will have to make
numerous adjustments on the listings just to cater one modification. On occasions when the
criteria for subjects are modified, changing the records and adapting them to modifications
can be tricky.
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12. b. Assessment of entries. Teachers have to commit more attention to the records if they wish
to evaluate each item on the inventory. Each subject has different category items such as
quizzes and homework, and each item has multiple entries before the subject grade can be
computed. Providing a class section has many students enrolled, it would be difficult for the
teacher to appraise the grades of each student on every subject the teacher holds.
Obscurity is demonstrated on manual auditing.
c. Time management. Because the school follows a growing trend on enrolment, keeping the
files up-to-date is difficult since their workload is increased. Submitting records and other
reports to the school administration on time proves constraining for teachers holding too
many loads. Errors found on records also hamper the speedy accomplishment of the
grading process.
d. File handling. Keeping an inventory of files on papers can serve several purposes, but on
some occasions this practice can also get messy and unmanageable. Stacks of reports are
not handy and management of files according to their nature demonstrates disadvantages.
Records take time to be sorted out efficiently and accordingly.
e. Integrity of data. Human error is one of the factors contributing to compromised results.
Grades reports are undermined by miscalculations and erroneous recording. Control and
influence over the result of students’ grades are also at stake. It’s long been argued that
maintaining work as objective as possible is disputable; no amount of personal influence
can be eradicated on every man’s work and judgment since people are subjective creatures.
Impartiality is deemed as achievable only by machines.
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13. f. File Security. Manual records are prone to unauthorized access and alteration.
Unanticipated events can also undermine the safekeeping of documents; precautions and
safety measurements for records such as storing in file cabinets, performing redundant
works to secure accuracy, and keeping of physical backup are not guarantee for security and
can be labor-intensive.
Through a simpler, efficient, and practical design of grading system, the stakeholders
hope that these problems will be dealt with by the incorporation of a much improved and
advanced system. In this light, delays in processing and data submission accomplished by the
old system will be met. Time proficiency and data accountability are key indicators in
determining the success of the computerized grading system introduced to the school.
1.2. Purpose and Description
This chapter covers explanations depicting the existing grading system of the school, the
implementation of new grading scheme by the education department, the possible impact on
the system design of the program, and the system’s performance and influence on data
handling and data generation of the school.
1.2.2. Project Narrative
The introduced system is designed according to the specifications given by the target
school. This design should administer above all simpler method in the processing of raw data
into appropriate output. The design proposal is planned to cover a suitable, easy, and
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14. negotiable environment framed in a user-friendly user interface. This user interface should
incorporate (1) DIDO (data in, data out) approach where users can instantaneously produce
output as they enter inputs and (2) real-time update and date generation.
Regarding the new grading scheme of the K-12 program, the method will include new
rating method involving letters which represent “levels of proficiency as abbreviated”. In the
new grading system, letter “A” will reflect the highest grade, letter “P” as second highest, and
letter “B” as the lowest. To rate the learning outcome of students, the teachers will be giving a
grade “A” (“Advanced”) to students with 90% and above rating, “P” (“Proficient”) to students
with 85%-89% rating, “AP” (“Approaching Proficiency”) to students with 80%-84% rating, “D”
(“Developing”) to students with 75%-79% rating, and “B” (“Beginning”) to students with 74%
and below rating. This new method is presented on the Subject Grade and Final Grade
processes.
1.2.3. Project Significance
Grading system helps students figure the amount of knowledge they have gained.
Grades can also help students in making decisions about their career. Without grades, how
would students know how much they have learned? Students need to be tested and graded in
order to determine how much they have learned through their courses in school. Assigning
student grades at the end of a term can be a painless process for teachers who have a clear
grading system in place. A grading system is a breakdown of how a teacher (or a school)
categorizes and weighs student’s academic performance to determine his standing in learning.
Most of the public schools in the country today still adopt manual computation and recording
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15. of grades, which greatly consumes time, and yet errors are still encountered along the way. The
advent of information technology has made it easier to transact with almost all sorts of data
since computerization of data are effectively handled and managed.
Features of a Grading System
A good grading scale is performance-based, including categories such as quizzes, tests,
group projects, essays and homework. According to the University of Michigan's Center for
Teaching and Learning, "items as 'effort,' 'attendance,' or 'frequency of participation,' although
contributing factors to student learning, do not actually reflect the extent to which students
have learned the course materials."
Benefits of Data Computerization
Students not only take more ownership for their work and learning when a good grading
system is in place, but they also learn to trust their teachers. Additionally, the numbers make
sense. Data is valid and can be used to track student progress, pinpoint problems, and tweak
curriculum to meet student needs. The computerization of such grading schemes will practically
induce development, as this will provide immediate supervision to the status of each student.
Another way a systematized grading design can be beneficial for students is that it influences
students to exceed their previous performance and promote healthy competition among
students in a class or around the school. Because a processed data can be produced in no time
by an application system, students can see right away the amount of material they have
learned.
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16. The Future Researchers
For the future researchers, this study could be used for their reference in having an
automated and upgraded version of grading system if the future researchers would like to
formulate a system such as this.
The Proponents
Proponents would also be a beneficiary of the study since they would value the
importance of enhancing their skill and work performance while inheriting knowledge
throughout the study.
1.3. Objectives
This paper has four purposes: (1) to design an input-output form of grading system, (2)
eliminate the spreadsheet-type form of recording and computing on the input level, (3)
minimize time-consuming grading workload, (4) synchronize all data into manageable, “see-as-
you-look” type of grading system, and (5) produce a printable output for documentation.
1.4. Scope and Limitations
The purpose of this chapter is to tackle the possible courses of action and pertinent
factors that may be considered and scoped out in the development of this systems proposal. As
much of the related aspects including the target subject of this proposal, purported details
about the design of the proposed systems, and the restrictions that may be encountered in this
paper will be discussed.
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17. 1.4.1. Scope
The proposed computerized grading system of San Isidro Elementary School covers
these processes: (1) recording of student names and the sections they belong to, (2) the course
title (subject) and the units assigned to each course, (3) the course I.D. (if any) and the
schedule, (4) the measuring parameters of each course (i.e., quizzes, assignments, etc.), (5) the
percentage breakdown of grades and the formula for grades computation, and (6) the name of
the instructor. Concerning the design of the proposed system, the user environment should
incorporate a GUI comprising (1) DIDO (data in, data out) approach where users can
instantaneously produce output as they enter inputs, and (2) real-time update and data
generation. The primary subject of the proposal will be Grades 4-6 only, but changes may apply
especially with regards to the implementation of Education Department’s letter-rating method.
For the moment, the system will be concerned only with numerical data inputs. The system will
be anchored on the present grading scheme of the school.
Measure of Achievement English Filipino Science Math HEKASI E.P.P. Music Arts P.E.
Periodical Test 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
Quizzes 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% 15%
Class
20% 20% 20% 25% 30% 15% 15%
Interaction/Recitation
Homework 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 15% 15%
Projects 10% 10% 10% 15% 10% 25% 10% 5% 5%
Informal/Formal Themes
(Literary Writing)
10% 10% 20% 10%
Experiments 15%
Other Performance 15% 15% 10% 15% 15% 15% 30% 20% 30%
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Table 2 Grades Schedule of San Isidro Elementary School showing percentage breakdown for all levels
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18. 1.4.2. Delimitations
The system design will not be capable for file transference to a network, meaning that the
inputs and its outputs will be limited only to the system to which these data are entered.
Furthermore, the system does not provide the assurance that the processing of all data
including the raw data recorded and the output yielded by the system will be error-proof. The
system will not also provide a systems-restore point or data recovery in the event an unlikely
situation happened while using the system (i.e., a power-out or momentary system failure).
With regards to the implementation of the new letter-scheme program of the Department of
Education, this may affect the designing and implementation of the proposed system. Grade 1
will not be covered on this study because that level will be using the said letter-scheme. The
grades output will be limited only to the paper of the yielded printout and will not be possible
for printing on Form 137. A data overflow may also happen on the processing of data and other
technical failure may come along the way. These restrictions are open for further discussion
and improvement.
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