By Shahabuddin Amerudin
The development of the Student Absence Submission System focuses on streamlining and improving the efficiency of student absence reporting. This system is designed to provide students a simple, intuitive, and accessible platform to report their absences to the university, while offering administrative staff an organized system to manage and monitor these reports. This article provides an in-depth overview of the system, detailing its requirements, functionality, and future plans for enhancement.
1. System Overview
The Student Absence Submission System (https://absence.kstutm.com) allows students to submit their absence reports through an online form, attaching any supporting documentation such as a medical certificate or other relevant documents. The system is designed with a user-friendly interface for students, and a comprehensive admin dashboard for university staff to monitor and review submissions.
2. Features of the System
2.1 Student Absence Form
The core feature of the system is an online form where students can provide detailed information about their absence. This form includes fields such as:
- Matrix Number: A unique identification number for students.
- Course Code: The code of the course the student is attending.
- Session and Semester: Details regarding the academic session and semester.
- Type of Absence: Personal, Medical, or other specified reasons.
- Duration: Number of days the student is absent.
- Supporting Document Upload: Students can upload PDF or image files, such as medical certificates or formal letters.
Upon submission, the form ensures that all necessary fields are completed and allows students to upload their documents. Additionally, a confirmation message is displayed to the student once the submission is successful.
2.2 Document Management
The system stores uploaded files in a designated folder and prevents file overwriting by renaming files if they have the same name as an existing file. For example, if two students submit files named “medical_note.pdf”, the system will automatically rename the second file to avoid overwriting, ensuring that all submissions are saved correctly.
2.3 Admin Dashboard
The system includes an admin panel for university staff to view and manage student submissions. The dashboard presents the following key statistics:
- Total Submissions: The number of absence reports submitted.
- Submissions by Course: A breakdown of reports based on course codes.
- Submissions by Session: The number of reports categorized by session.
- Type of Absence: Visualization of absences categorized by their type (personal, medical, etc.).
These statistics are presented in both numerical and graphical formats for better data visualization and analysis. The admin panel also includes a sorting function, allowing staff to filter and view submissions by fields such as name, course, and session.
2.4 Data Storage
Student submissions are stored in a JSON file, which includes detailed information such as the student’s matrix number, course, reason for absence, duration, file path for supporting documents, and the exact submission time (in the format DD-MM-YYYY HH:MM).
3. Technology Stack
The system is built using a combination of web technologies that ensure responsiveness, reliability, and accessibility:
- Frontend: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are used to create an intuitive and responsive user interface.
- Backend: PHP handles form submissions, file management, and the display of data in the admin panel.
- Database: JSON format is used for data storage, which simplifies the system and allows for easy management of student submissions.
- Responsive Design: The system is designed to be responsive, ensuring compatibility with both desktop and mobile devices, enhancing accessibility for students and staff alike.
4. Planned Future Enhancements
The system currently operates with basic features to manage student submissions. However, several improvements are planned for future iterations, including:
- Matrix Number Validation: One significant enhancement will be the integration of matrix number validation. In this future version, the system will check the matrix number entered by the student against a pre-defined list of valid students. This feature will prevent submissions from unauthorized users and ensure that only students registered in the university system can report their absence.
- Notification System: Future updates may also include a notification system where students, admin staff and parents receive emails upon submission or approval of absence reports.
- Advanced Filtering Options: The admin dashboard could be enhanced with advanced filtering and search capabilities, allowing staff to quickly find specific reports based on various criteria.
5. Security and Data Integrity
To ensure the security of student information, the system incorporates several key features:
- File Renaming: As mentioned, the system automatically renames files if a similar file name already exists in the database. This prevents overwriting and ensures that each submission is preserved uniquely.
- Required Fields: All form fields are mandatory, ensuring that incomplete submissions cannot be made. This helps ensure that students provide all necessary information for their absence report.
- Data Backup: The JSON file containing submission data can be easily backed up or migrated to other formats such as a relational database if the system scales in the future.
6. Conclusion
The Student Absence Submission System offers a streamlined and efficient solution for managing student absence reports at the university. With its user-friendly interface, robust admin panel, and the ability to track and store all data securely, the system is an essential tool for both students and administrators. Although the system is fully functional, future updates such as matrix number validation and enhanced filtering will improve its robustness and scalability. This system demonstrates how modern web technologies can address the administrative challenges faced by educational institutions, making processes more efficient and accessible.