COMPUTERISED HOSTEL ALLOCATION SYSTEM
(A CASE STUDY OF COLLEGE OF EDUCATION EKIADOLOR-BENIN)
PREFACE
        Today’s modern computers no doubt occupy a central and strategic position in any form of education given to man at any level.
        An introduction to computerization of hostel allocation is aimed at introducing the management of college of education Ekiadolor and other educational institute with the need to computation of hostel allocation rather that the moribund (past/ancient) methods of data collation and allocation of accommodation.
        This project work indicate and gives a brief description of problems encountered using the manual approach of data collation. This study is aimed at equipping the management of the college that the computer as an electronic device can help resolve the problem of mis-allocation of hostel accommodation and also to convince the college of management that with the aid of the computer, the speed, efficiency and accuracy of hostel allocation will reduce the problem of double allocation will reduce the problem of double allocation and counting.
        A dbase iv program was used to buttress the fact that computation stands the fastest and easiest mode of data collation.
        I hereby recommend this work to be read and used not only by educators but for all managerial bodies that demands adequacy of data collation.
        Finally, it is of great delight to contribute and also write preface to this volume because I believe that it is a worthwhile effort to introduce the management of the college of education to the fundamental nature of scientific approach to problem solving.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE-INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY METHODOLOGY
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.6 ORGANIZATION OF STUDENTS
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
CHAPTER TWO-LITERATURE REVIEW          
2.1 BRIEF HISTORY OF COLLEGE OF EDUCATION EKIADOLOR BENIN
2.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF COLBEN HOSTEL ALLOCATION SYSTEM
2.3 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STUDENTS AFFAIRS DIVISION
2.4 ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
CHAPTER THREE-SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN       
3.1 THE MANUAL METHOD OF ALLOCATING HOSTEL
3.2 COMPUTERIZED HOSTEL ALLOCATION
3.3 ADVANTAGES OF THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM OF ALLOCATION OF HOSTEL   
       ACCOMODATION
3.4 LIMITATION OF COMPUTERISED SYSTEM
CHAPTER FOUR-PROGRAMMING                   
4.1 FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION
4.2 PROGRAM DESIGN
4.3 PROGRAM LOGIC
4.4 INPUT DESIGN
4.5 OUTPUT FILE DESIGN
4.6 OUTPUT DESIGN
4.7 PSUEDOCODE
CHAPTER FIVE            
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1 SUMMARY
5.2 RECOMMENDATION
5.3 CONCLUSION
REFERENCES     
APPENDIX          
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Computer as an indispensable tool in the total life of human endeavor has gained precedence in the world especially in the development growth of the Nigeria society. Computers are supper machines that convert your physical/mental effort into a mere easy life. The use of computer in our everyday life needs not to be over emphasized. This is because of the gradual increase in human population and complexity of life which has equally brought about more volumes of data being generated every day.
        The gradual increase in human population has equally affected the education sector as higher institutions in the country today are currently faced with the problem of how to allocate hostels/halls of residence to students. The fact remains that the accommodation of students usually out numbers the accommodation available. It is compounded by those accommodations to students in most institutions, this is very slow and inefficient method of allocating hostel accommodation population outnumbered the accommodation space available. Hence, there is the need for computerization of the hostel process.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This project work is geared towards a general awareness of data processing i.e. the role computer can play in the processing of data and information with the use of automated data processing methods. The following are this project aims and objectives.
To encourage a reliable and accurate allocation of hostel accommodation to students
To ease the problem of allocating more than a hostel space to a single student.
To increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the hostel allocation process.
To ensure that all hostel allocation follows laid down rules and regulations.
To ensure a timely and fast methods of allocating hostel accommodation to students.
SCOPE OF STUDY
This research work attempt to give a general appraisal of the use of computers in the allocation of hostel accommodation to students by highlighting and expanciating on certain areas that data processing produced standards, environment and other such basic information that will enhance the use of computers and its peripherals in the allocation of hostels accommodation.
        The study is carried out to enable a detail investigation of the manual methods system used in the allocation of hostel/halls of resident to students in order to justify the importance and flexibility of electronic data processing (EDP) system (use of computer) in the allocation of hostel accommodation by the students affairs division of the college of education Ekiadolor Benin city.
METHODOLOGY OF STUDY
For the purpose of this project, detail information was collected from the student’s affairs division and halls of residence of the college of education Ekiadolor Benin City. The data collection was done through personal interview with different staff caliber.
        The data items in the research work are organized and presented in related table in file in which each row is record and each column a field name.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The use of computers in the hostel allocation system is an extremely important function in any educational institution with the gradual increase in the student’s population in the college of education system today.
        The use of manual methods in allocating hostel accommodation to students is becoming an impossible task as a result of the huge amount of detail information that is needed to be processed. More so, manual methods can physically be cumbersome and demanding. Thus speed, accuracy, and efficiency are not guaranteed by the of manual method of data processing.
        However, the use of computers guaranteed efficiency, speed, accuracy and the ability to perform receptive tasks; all these are implemented in this project work. So it is the hope of the researcher of this project work that the project will provide the students affairs division and the college of education Ekiadolor in general, an efficiency very fast and reliable hostel allocation system and it will go a long way to reduce greatly and to the bearest minimum the problems associated with manual methods of allocating hostel accommodation to students.
ORGANIZATION OF HOSTELS OCCUPANT
This research work is geared towards the provision of a fast, accurate and reliable ways of allocating hostel accommodation (computerized hostel allocation system) to students. Hence, this work is presented in such a way that readers can grasp significant concepts in an orderly and cumulative manner. The various chapters that make up this project work are orderly and sufficiently enriched with necessary information needed to enhance a better understanding of what the project work is all about.
        Chapter one introduces the study, look at the aim and objectives of the study, the scope, significant, methodology, organization of study and limitations.
        Chapter two looks at the literature review and brief history of the college of education Ekiadolor-Benin, halls of residence as well as that of the student’s affairs division of the college. It also went ahead to look at the administration or organization structure of the college, the problem of using manual method in allocating hostel accommodation, the computerized allocation system, its advantages and limitations.
        Chapter three examines the design specification, input designs, output designs, files designs and some tool of programming with the computer.
        Chapter four looks at program documentation, program coding, software environment and program testing.
        Chapter five talks about the summary, recommendation and conclusion of the research work.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
The terms of that have a unique use as regard the study and which are subject to several interpretations by the different readers of the project or that are technical in nature such as technical jargon used in the body of the project are clearly and technically defined explicitly under the following sub headings:
DATA: This is a representation of facts concepts or instruction in a formalized manner suitable for communication, interpretation or processing by humans or by automated means.
ACCOMODATION: This is the same thing as hostel, it is a building in which lodging are provided for students and certain group of worker e.t.c.
DATA PROCESSING (DP): These are a sequence of actions which are carried out regularly in order to maintain a steady flow of work. According to Mike steels, data processing is a representation of facts or concepts in an organized manner in order that it may be stored, communicated, interpreted or processed by automated means. It is a systematic performance of operation upon data such as handling, merging, sorting and counting.
HOSTEL: This is a building in which cheap food and lodgings are provided for students, certain group of workers, people without homes, traders, e.t.c.
COMPUTER: This is an electronic machine or device which is under the concept of stored program which has the ability to accept data in a prescribed form (input), carryout some arithmetic and logical operation on the data (processing) and supply the result as information in a specified format (output).
POPULATION: These are the total number of people living in a geographical area in a given time. The students make up the populaces of the hostel/ halls of residence.