Contrast and discuss the enrolment input form (PRF) with the enrolment university interface. (At least 1000words, not to include illustrations/figures/diagrams)
The pre registration form that I have seen since I first enrolled in this university. The pre registration form contains the name of the student, the home address, contact number, course, the subject code, subject description, schedule, id number, gender and other related information. When I first encountered or used the pre registration form I was a bit confused with its format or should I say interface. I honestly tell you that it is a bit confusing when you happen to use it the first time. I happened to have mistakenly written information in the pre registration form. However, on the second time I have already got used to what to put in the fields.
Going on to the side of the enrolment system interface, it contains fields the same as what could be found in the pre registration form. However, the fields that could be found in the system interface are not the same as what could be found in the pre registration form. To put it simply, the interface of the pre registration form is not the same as the interface of the enrolment system. I mean it is completely different. I have a sample or a screen shot of the enrolment system interface below however I do not have a sample of the pre registration form but I think any student of the University of Southeastern Philippines is completely aware of what could be found in the pre registration form.
As for me, there is an issue of inconsistency of the interfaces used in both the pre registration form and the enrolment system interface. If the pre registration form serves as the input form for or to the enrolment system then the format of the pre registration form should be a mirror image of the system interface so as to minimize or eliminate confusion to the user of the system. Why did I point out confusion? It is because that sometimes problems occur during the registration of the student and the encoding of the subjects. The problem could either be wrong information input, wrong subject code input, missing subject, wrong gender input, typo error and the like. These errors could be thought of as minor problems but honestly it is a major problem especially to the part of the student. It is because the student has to go through the encoding again, considering that he or she should be in line again or that he or she should go through adding and dropping of subjects also not to mention the possibility that the information could not be edited right away because there are no personnel around to edit the data.
I have personally encountered having to have been encoded and then found out that the subjects in my COR (certificate of registration) are not complete. I returned to the personnel in charge at that time but unfortunately the system is locked and the personnel in charge cannot edit the data at the time. Obviously I had to go through the process of adding and dropping. I went to the cashier to pay the adding fee and then went to the registrar to finalize the adding of the subject only to find out that the subject, Arts, I enrolled is not purely the essence of art. It was all merely history of the artists and no art at all. I was expecting drawing and sadly there was none.
This problems stress the importance that the interfaces of both the pre registration form and the enrolment system interface should be consistent. This way, the users of the system can minimize problems such as those stated above. I am not an expert on how interfaces should be done but I think the interface of the enrolment system is not well made. I mean the format is not conducive for the eyes to easily see and trace information. They could have placed each data in rows. That way it can be easily seen. I am not stressing that is not a good interface. I am suggesting that it is not conducive for the eyes. I do not know what programming language or application was used to develop the enrolment system but basing from its interface I first thought that it is developed using foxpro. I think that the icons used in interface are too big although it is good because it does not add up to factor of confusion because the icons suggest or implies its function. Anyway it is just a suggestion.
Going back to the fields that are present in the system interface and the pre registration form, I have seen that there are fields like religion, desired career, parents, etc. If these fields are not present in the pre registration form then how can the users get the information from the students to be able to input it in the system? What is its use in the system if these fields are empty? Then again this implies that there should be a change in the interface.
Consistency or coherence, from the definition in Encarta, means reasonable or logical harmony between parts. If there is harmony between parts then there is no problem between them. Consistency has been one of the issues being tackled upon in our system analysis and design subject especially in our system projects. It has been always stressed that consistency in the design of the system and the design of the interfaces should be consistent. Consistent in a way that what could be seen in one of the sub system should reflect what could be seen in the other sub systems. I there is no consistency then what is the point of integrating the systems? The sub systems must be consistent so that they would look and act as one.
Going back to the discussion of the interfaces of the pre registration form and the enrolment system, the pre registration form serves as the input to the enrolment system then it suggests that the two entities are interrelated. Thus, it suggests that the entities are integrated. Then and then what is the use of integration if there is no consistency?
