The mobile operator charges for the message as if it was performed directly on a mobile phone by supporting an extended AT command set for sending and receiving SMS messages according to defined specifications.
A GSM module can be a dedicated modem device or a standard GSM mobile phone with a serial, USB or Bluetooth connection and software driver to connect to a serial port or USB port of your computer or server as a cost effective solution for sending SMS messages. The system is to function with a database which contained the result information of each student such as names, exam ID (course code), Matriculation number and telephone numbers, along with other information such as the courses, credit point, semester, grades, etc. This would be created by making use of MySQL and then installed to run on the server which would house the program. At the initiation of the program, the system is going to check the database to see which results have been updated, its forwards the constructed message to the GSM module for sending.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
This considers the channels through which students access their examination grades. I identified the communication channels used to support information delivery in CRUTECH, and the related weaknesses of interest here are:
i. Students are accessing their semester examination results through a single notice board located at the school main campus.
ii. Non-resident students have to call those within the school area to ask about published examination results if they are in areas of no internet access or pay their way to campus.
iii. It is expensive using the current school portal system as one has to have an internet bundle to gain access.
Therefore, there is need to device an alternative SMS based solution to mitigate these bottlenecks and allow only personal access to examination results, hence, strengthening administration.
1.3 Objectives of Study
The main aim of this research is the design and implementation of an SMS based result checking system for Faculty of Science.
During the course of this work, the following will be focused:
i. Create access to school result database
ii. Develop a code to check results using Registration number
iii. Develop a code to verify existing and non-existing results.
1.4 Significance of Study
The SMS based examination result system as described above will contribute to reduce the time taken for students to retrieve their results, unnecessary money spending (transportation to/from school) and disclosing of academic privacy.
This is achieved through instant SMS reply as compared to the time consumed by browsing and manual procedure.
The system does not require internet access at the client side and hence, the students may retrieve their examination results anytime and anywhere.
1.5 Scope of Study
Though there are other technologies like the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) for result delivery, this paper is restricted to SMS based result delivery. Added services could include Mobile Distant Learning, student profile Access, CGPA calculation among others, but as a result of the constraint on the topic, this work focuses on result checking only.
1.6 Limitation of Study
Despite the fact that this system provides benefits to its users, some limitations do also exist.
i. In SMS messaging, an SMS service provider is an entity responsible for sending and delivering messages from users/applications of the programs to recipient’s mobile phones, and responsible for sending messages from the mobile phones to SMS server, which will deliver them to users/applications of the program. To send and receive messages using message server, there is need to pay one or more GSM service providers for the service and the connection of SMS server to SMS center of one or more service provider. This fee is so exorbitant to be paid by most individuals, hence, the need for the Faculty of science to pay for USSD authentication.
ii. Regarding the limitation of characters per SMS imposed by the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) technology, GSM standard allows mobile devices to exchange SMS with a maximum length of 160 7-bit characters per SMS only
iii. Due to the above limitation, the examination result covered to the students via SMS must be written in condensed form, which may require information such as student names, IDs or semester to be excluded.
Additionally, some information might be too long but important to be excluded from the text such as course names. This will require the examination result information to be split into more than one SMS message. As a result, the examination result is less user-friendly
iv. The third limitation is that the SMS based result system cannot be used for official use, which normally requires a formal-looked printed slip.
In other words, the examination result received in SMS is targeted for personal uses instead of official matters. In this case, students are required to redo the requesting process of examination result for example, download or print from web portal in order to get formal printed slips.
