Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems www.iiste.

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ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

Management Information System for E-learning: A Case Study of

Federal Polytechnic Bali

Abdulrahman Saidu
Department of Computer Science, Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State
[email protected]

Abstract
This research is aims at designing and implementing Management Information System for E-learning that will be
dynamic and functional for any academic institution. The methodology used in developing the Website was
Extreme Programming (XP) and the adopted approach is object oriented design. The design features of the
website consist of some functionality that includes: First of all, the system will allow administrator to add new
user (student/lecturer), view and edit record. Secondly, user will able to login after successful system validation.
Thirdly, the system will allow lecturer to upload, download and update learning resources. Fourthly, students
will have access to all learning materials and they will able to perform self-evaluation after reading available
learning resources. This self-evaluation is one of the major contributions of the system towards teaching and
learning activities. Furthermore, the new system will allow students to search different uploaded learning
materials on the websites. In addition to that, only the administrator has the privilege to delete and edit user.
Keywords: learning material/resources, e-learning, Management Information System (MIS), Website, coding,
programming and script.

1. Introduction
The world has turn into a global village due to rapid development in technology. Teaching and learning is the
back bone of any development and therefore it needs a special attention. An E-learning refers to the use
of electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. The important of E-
learning in any academic institution cannot be overemphasis because it facilitates both teaching and learning
activities. Hence, E-learning needs to manage very well in order to achieve its objectives. For this reason,
developing Management Information System (MIS) for E-learning becomes necessary. Management Information
System is an organised integration of hardware and hardware technologies, data, process and human elements
designed to provide timely, integrated, relevant, accurate and useful information for decision making purposes.
Bidigoli (2010). In practice, the management of any of these entities is quite different, and as such requires the
development of distinct technical skills and management strategies depending on the project which is being
taken into consideration for building a management information system (Nfor, 2012), quoted (Lucey, 2004).

Effective data management is one of the biggest problems of academic institution. These data include student
records, result, staff records, and library and laboratory equipments. Due to huge records and data redundancy a
lot of time and energy resources are wasted in managing them. The Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State
Nigeria, is a newly established academic institution and the management wants to take the advantage adopting
el-learning system for managing academic activities in order to facilitate teaching and learning effectively. For
this purpose, I have taken the intuition as case study for developing Management Information System for E-
learning.

1. Aims and Objectives

The aim and objective of the research is to design and implement management information system for an e-
learning that will able to achieve the following:

· To facilitate teaching learning activities, eliminate data redundancy, minimize energy and time
consumption.

· Large storage, ease retrieval and secure of data.

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Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

2. Review of Related Work

Nfor, (2012), analysed that the present system enable users to read and download the current list of solutions and
to keep log of learners’ hits and attendance (IP addresses used). However, he outlined that the system limited to
database storage capacity, search functions and mobile application (such as to allow students to review remotely
some concepts even when they are travelling.

Furthermore, Raithore (2012), found that the system he developed was very useful for the users to carry out their
everyday task like their timetable and other additional task like viewing feedback which was not present in the
existing system. He also noted that, some future will be added such as exam timetable as well as improving the
design for the software to look more professional.

Lack of face-to-face contact in virtual learning provides a range of problems for both students and teachers
Sanchez et al (2012) quoted Zorrilla et al (2011). Students feel isolated and confused at the hyperspace of course,
rapidly losing their motivation in the course and on the other hand, instructors do not have suitable monitoring
and tracking tools that help them to know the evolution of students and identify the difficulties they find. E-
learning Web Miner (ElWM) Sanchez et al (2012) quoted Zorrilla et al (2011) aims to assist instructors involved
in virtual education by extracting and providing useful information that these instructors can use to improve the
learning-teaching process. It will also provide a simple and user-friendly interface that hides all the details about
data mining techniques to the end user and present the computed results in a user-friendly easily comprehensible
way.

Likewise Acimovic et al (2011), mentioned that original web-based e-learning software has been develop and it
simulates iterative-incremental process which is carried out during optical design. Yet, an additional task of
software is needed to assist the teachers in evaluating student projects. Thus, developers are already working on
another prototype that will include the automatic evaluation of student. They suggested that student and teachers
will certainly formulate many requirements to expand or improve the software during exploitations.

Due to the weakness of fund shortage and technical difficulties, Management Information System of Universities
are affected by different factors, for instance, the form of internal management of universities (all management
departments worked independent of each other; the construction process only care about their needs; the lack of
unified planning) and many other factors. For the new system, full use of existing unified information platform
between heterogeneous business systems was established. Also, unified information platform should be based on
the school's overall planning of information resources. Nevertheless, improvement of the traditional management
information platform should be in the framework of web services. Liang et al (2010).

Moreover, Forsyth et al (2009), outlined that Virtual worlds are offering increasingly exciting opportunities in
terms of potential solutions for many of the issues faced by institutions seeking to implement effective online e-
Learning. He added that the virtual world control centre in Second Life has been developed and is currently
being evaluated and refined in response to early results. He suggested that an autonomic approach to managing
these systems may allow for an improved and more robust performance levels to be maintained which will
improve the user experience and therefore adoption of such technologies to a broader learning audience.

Equally, according to Li et al (2008), in a certain period of time, the traditional resource management system met
the requirements of the learners and the resource system administrators, however, when the demands change, it
is necessary to expand the existing systems’ operational function, the traditional resource management system
cannot make this quick response, so we can only rely on the systems development staff to update the original
application, or evenly the whole system should be redone. And the same pattern of resource management
systems repetitive developments will inevitably cause human and material waste. They provided solution in the
new system whereby users can search the registered information about the educational resources; the system can
response quickly to request from users, the administrators and users can manage system and search about their
need sources on the internet. The system also, allows administrators to finish the educational resource
registration, system’s daily management and final it can help users rapidly escalate and still in the hand-
drawn stage, we need for the further improvements.

Additionally, Management Information System must be effectively developed and use of communication system
to encourage relationship between information system staff users, customers and suppliers. Keown (2008).

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Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems www.iiste.org
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Vol.5, No.4, 2014

3.1 Selected Technologies

Base on the above review and critiques of the existing systems, there are lot of vacuum left and need to be
bridged up in order to achieve successful design and implementation of management information system for e-
learning platforms. In order to achieve successful dynamic and functional E-learning website, object oriented
programming design approach will be adopted. The web architecture will be based on JSP (Java Serer Pages)
model because it can be implemented on any platform. (Advantage and Disadvantage of JSP, 2013)

Also, PHP script, and HTML will be used for coding and designing the website respectively because they are
free source code, easy, simple to learn and implement. Furthermore, MYSQL database will be used in
connecting the WebPages and is cost effective, cross platform operability and secure.
3. Use Case
According to Whitten, J. L. Et al. (2001), use case is a behavioural related sequence of steps (scenario), both
automated and manual, for the purpose of completing a single task. Similarly, use case refers to a collection of
related sources and failure scenarios that describe an actor using system to support a goal. Larman, (2005). Use
cases are defined to satisfy the goals of the primary actors. He further outlined the guideline on how to find use
cases:

S/N Actors Possible Use case Goal Description

1 System Administrator i. Update i. Update

ii. Delete Updating learning materials

ii. Delete
iii. Add
Deleting learning materials
iii. Add

Adding learning materials

2 Students i. Read/View i. Read/View

ii. Search Enable students viewing any relevant learning materials

ii. Searching
iii. Download
Enable student to search for learning materials
iv. Evaluation iii. Download

Enable students to download available learning materials

iv. Evaluation

Enable learners to evaluate themselves after self-study

3 Lecturer i. Upload i. Upload

ii. Delete Uploading learning resources to the website.

ii. Delete
iii. Update
Deleting learning resources from the website.
iii. Update

Updating learning resources from the website.

Table 1: Actors/Users of the Website

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Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

4. Use Case Diagram

Use case diagram refers to a graph that graphically depicts the interactions between the systems and users. In
other words, it graphically describes who will use the system and in what ways the user expect to interact with
the system. Whitten, J. L. Et al. (2001). The figure bellow shows the use case diagram of the new system.

Serach Learning Materials

<<extend>>

<<extend>>

Manage Self Evaluation

<<extend>>

Student Browse
View/Download Learning
Materials

Update user
<<extend>>
<<include>>
<<extend>>
Delete user

Manage users <<extend>>

Add user

<<extend>> <<extend>>
System Login/logout
Administrator add web page

<<extend>>
Manage system content
Delete web page
<<extend>>

<<include>> update web page

<<extend>>
Upload learning materails

<<extend>>

Update learning materials

Accademic Manage learning Materials
Staff <<extend>>

Delete Learning Materials

Figure 1: Use Case Diagram for the New System

5. Class Diagram

Class diagram is structural diagram that shows the static structure of an object oriented model i.e. the object
class, their internal structure, and the relationship in which they participate. Hoffer et al (2002). The purpose of a
class diagram is to depict the classes within a model. In an object oriented application, classes have attributes
(member variables), operations (member functions) and relationship with other classes.

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Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

Figure 2: Class Diagram for the New System

6. Sequence Diagram

Sequence diagram illustrates the interaction among objects during a certain period of time. Hoffer et al (2002).
During this design the functionality of sequence diagram were maximally explored and applied for effective and
successful system development.

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Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

Web GUI System

Admin Database
: System
Administrator

input user id and pswd

Validation

valdated input user id and pswd

valdated input user id and pswd

Validation Message

Successfull login

Figure 3 Sequence Diagram for Login

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Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

Web GUI Search

: Student Database

Input Keyword/Title/file name

Validation

Input Keyword/Title/file name

Input Keyword/Title/file name

Validation Message

List of search result

Select require result

Select require result

Validation message

Display file content

Figure 4 Sequence Diagram for Search

Web GUI Learning

materials DBM
: Academic

Select fiel/title
Validation

Select File/Title

Select File/Title

Validation Message

Start Download

Select Download Button

Select Download Button

Download successfull

Figure 5 Sequence Diagram for Download

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ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

Web GUI Learning

: Academic DBM
Material

Input File Name

Validation

Input file name

Input file name

Validatiom message

Successfull addition

Figure 6 Sequence Diagram for Adding Learning Materials

Web GUI Self DBM

evaluation

: Student

Input evaluation question

Validation

Input evaluation question

Input evaluation question

Validation Message

Evaluation result

Figure 7 Sequence Diagram for Self Evaluation

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Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

7. Conclusion

During the process of design and implementation of Management Information System for E-learning, features
such as user registration and Login, edit and delete records, upload/download files and student self-evaluation
were successfully achieve in the design stage. The design was tested at the stage of implementation and user can
login, register, view records and perform self-evaluation successfully.

8. Further work

Research is a continue process and human being always need a simplify life for day to day activities therefore,
there is a need to in-cooperate features like edit records, upload/download files and search functionalities as
earlier outlined in the design in order to make the website complete. Other features can be added such as:
v Result processing

v Transcript processing
v SMS
v Video conference
v Access to journals
v Access to library etc.

9. Acknowledgement

On behalf of me and family, we thank Allah (God) for given me strength and good condition to hold out the
undertaking successful. Secondly, my profound gratitude goes to my beloved parent for their steady prayers
across my studies. Thirdly, my deep appreciation goes to my supervisor Dr. Keshav Dahal for his inspirational,
divine, guide and counsel from commencement to conclusion of the dissertation. Also, I should like to thank all
my brothers, sisters, friends and well-wishers for their contribution in one way or the other. Furthermore, my
sincere and humble appreciation goes to the management of the Federal Polytechnic Bali, for allowing me to
undertake the study. Finally, my remarkable gratefulness goes to the Tertiary Education Tax Fund (TETFund)
for awarding me scholarship and I wish the Nigerian government to continue supporting the scheme.

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ISSN 2222-1719 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2863 (Online)
Vol.5, No.4, 2014

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