LPU-Laguna Journal of Multidisciplinary Research

Vol. 4 No.3 September 2015

LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY – LAGUNA

STUDENT ELECTRONIC ATTENDANCE AND
LOGGING SYSTEM (LPU-LAGUNA SEALS)

Isaac M. Morallo
College of Engineering and Computer Studies
Lyceum of the Philippines – Laguna

ABSTRACT

This study was developed to create an electronic attendance and logging

system using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Short Messaging
Service (SMS) with a Web-based management system portal that allows
user to access real time data to ensure campus security and smart
information management. The students will use RFID card system to check
in and out of the main entrance, to both track attendance and log time and
prevent unauthorized entrance therefore utilize the RFID technology. The
LPU-LAGUNA SEALS system developed in this study has six main functions:
(1) to use the student RFID chip in the ID’s as gate pass, (2) to send daily
SMS to parents about the student entry and exit time record, (3) to efficiently
manage and monitor student attendance and logs thru intranet and internet,
(4) to integrate Web-based system portal to access real time logs and
attendance, (5) to provide printed reports and electronic files of attendance
and logs, and (6) and implement the system in Lyceum of the Philippines –
Laguna. This program was designed and developed using various
programming languages and technologies such as Visual Basic 2010 (VB
.NET), Hypertext Mark-up Language 5 (HTML5), Cascading Style Sheet 3
(CSS3), Hypertext Pre-processor (PHP) scripting language, JQuery, MySQL
database engine, RFID and GSM (Global System for Mobile) module. This
system is implemented at the main gate of LPU-Laguna using client-server
technology which comprises the reader, the tag, the GSM module, a client
PC and a database server. The researcher applied Rapid Application
Development (RAD) method as the system framework model that focuses on
the system development utilizing prototypes thereby flexibly adjusting
requirements as the need arises. The system was successfully implemented
by utilizing the use of both RFID and SMS technology in the process which
resulted in an efficient monitoring and managing of attendance and logs of
the students that provides campus security and efficient information
management.

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 LPU-Laguna Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
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Keywords: Radio frequency identification, electronic attendance,

electronic logs, logging system, short messaging.

INTRODUCTION

Today, software is an essential way and innovative solution through

which most of the organizations whether private or public use in their system
processes to have an efficient and effective information management.
Furthermore, the integration of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
technology in various system processes is widely used nowadays to build a
smart system that can be used for effective identification, monitoring and
security of data. In fact, the study of Arulogun et al. (2013) affirms that RFID
is not a new technology and consequently constitutes system integration
because of its low cost and feature advances in various computing fields that
open up other application assimilation. In fact, RFID technology is the
medium used by students‘ in LPU-Laguna as identification card.
Consequently, time and attendance tracking are important factors of an
effective organizational performance and management.

The Lyceum of the Philippines – Laguna is currently using a

Student Monitoring System using the low frequency RFID technology to keep
track of the student entry and exit within the school premises. However, the
system is not fully utilized because of the current system limitations. For
example, the system does not support a client server technology and only
uses a stand-alone database that poses inefficient retrieval and
management of data. This process is time consuming, tedious and laborious
because the administrator constantly access the data using flash drive in the
stand-alone database server. Furthermore, the Short Messaging System
(SMS) functionality is not functional hence it does not provide data utilization
primarily to notify parents of the student entry and exit in the campus and
their where about. This problem is worthy of consideration because all

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Vol. 4 No.3 September 2015

parents and administrator are always concerned and worry about their
student attendance, tendency of cutting classes, safety and where about of
the students. In addition to these problems, strict implementation of the ―no
identification no entry‖ policy and riddling of unauthorized entry in the
campus concerns the administration and provide careful consideration.

By careful consideration of the above problems, the researcher

conducted this study to fully utilize the use of RFID, client-server technology
and SMS technology to efficiently and effectively manage and monitor the
attendance and logging of the students once they enter and leave the school
premises and thereby ensures student safety and where about in real time
thus give the parents information about the presence of their student in
school. Furthermore, the system has the capability of providing printed and
electronic reports of students‘ attendance for specific purposes. The system
will fully utilize client-server technology using a central database server that
will serve as the core of the system that maximizes the accessing of data
effectively. Hence, the system has an online system portal that can be
accessed by different departments to post specific announcements to
students‘ made visible at the entrance television screen once they tap their
RFID. Moreover, the online system portal provide parents, faculty and
various departments login access where they can access student real time
logs, post messages and announcements directed to a particular student to
call their attention.

Conceptual Framework

The researcher used input-process-output (IPO) model as shown in

Figure 1 as a guiding tool hence the electronic attendance and logging
system was developed. The input contains the knowledge in software
development, knowledge in hardware and Information Technology

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infrastructure, knowledge in optimizing the RFID, SMS and client-server

technology, knowledge in attendance and logging management, Web-based
application development and database design.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Knowledge in software Identify the requirements
development
Analyze and design the
Knowledge in hardware and system
IT infrastructure
Develop the software
Knowledge in utilizing RFID,
SMS and client-server LPU-Laguna – Student
Test the system
technology functionalities Electronic Attendance
and Logging System
Knowledge in attendance and Implement the system (LPUL-SEALS)
logging system

Knowledge in Web-based
application and database
design

Figure 1. Developmental framework

Objectives of the Study

The study was designed and developed to create an electronic

attendance and logging system in Lyceum of the Philippines – Laguna using
RFID and SMS with a Web-based management portal that allows user to
access real time data, ensure campus security and information
management.

The specific objective of the LPU-LAGUNA SEALS development is

to:
1. use the student RFID chip in the ID‘s as gate pass;
2. send daily SMS to parents about the student campus entry
and exit time record;
3. efficiently manage and monitor student attendance and logs
thru intranet and online;

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4. integrate online system management portal to post

messages and access real time logs and attendance;

5. provide database generated printed reports and electronic

files of attendance and logs; and,

6. implement the system in Lyceum of the Philippines –

Laguna.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The researcher has used the Rapid Application Development

(RAD) shown in Figure 2 as the method of developing the system. The RAD
method is a system process model that focuses primarily on the system
development portion thereby utilizing the use of prototypes and therefore
adjusting requirements as the need may arise.

Building from this method, the researcher takes full advantage of

this powerful and agile application development tool to develop the project
rapidly without compromising the systems inclusive quality. Furthermore,
prototyping is used to help intended users visualize and request changes to
the system as it is being built thus allowing applications to evolve
incrementally and iteratively.

BUILD
ANALYSIS AND IMPLEMENTATION
DEMONSTRATE TESTING
QUICK DESIGN

DESIGN

Figure 2. Rapid Application Development Process.

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Moreover, the RAD structure lifecycle is carefully considered and

applied to ensure that the researcher builds the system and its needed
technology to meet what the users really need and the system functions
offered. In effect, this methodology lifecycle through the four stages includes
all of the activities and tasks required to scope and define business and
necessary requirements to design, develop, and implement the application
system that supports those requirements in order to finish the system and
provide the necessary improvements.

Research Development Process

The development process step by step procedure is presented as

shown in Figure 3. The process follows the identification of the
developmental research objectives, then following the analysis of the system
requirements, constraints, features and functionalities and then followed by
the design stage. The succeeding part is the actual development of the
system after which a series of tests was conducted to ensure that the overall
system features and functionalities were met.

Identify the Analyze and Design Develop the System

Objectives the System

Deployment of the Test the Entire

System System

Figure 3. Flowchart of the project activities

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The LPU-LAGUNA-SEALS utilizes the use of RFID, SMS and

client-server technology to meet the required system functionalities.

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According to the study of Zedally et al. (2009) RFID technology is moving

rapidly from a limited number of applications to many new areas of
applications.

A. The RFID

Figure 4. The Radio Frequency Identification Flow

The RFID is an acronym for "radio-frequency identification" and

usually refers to a technology whereby digital data encoded in RFID tags
captured by a reader via radio waves as clearly shown in Figure 4.
Moreover, according to the study of Wyld (2006) the RFID is an emerging
and widely applied technology that is forecasted to grow exponentially in use
over the next decade. The RFID which uses radio waves to identify objects is
projected to rapidly supplant bar code technology as the principal means of
identifying items in the supply chain and in a wide variety of applications.
This explicit overview of the fundamentals of RFID and the technological
knowledge and skills of the researcher gives motivation and impetus to
diligently endeavor to finish this research.

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B. The Server, Client, RFID Reader and SMS

Online
Portal

TV
Monitor

Database Server
Server PC

Client PC

TV
Monitor

Figure 5. The System Architecture.

The diagram as shown in Figure 5 is the actual setup of the system

and explains how the system interacts and functions collectively in the
infrastructure. The RFID reader is connected to the client computer which
retrieves the data from the database server once the RFID taps in the
reader. The system validates the input data by checking and comparing the
student identification with the RFID code and after a match is found the
information is sent back to the client which then be displayed in the television
monitor screen. Furthermore, an SMS message will be sent automatically to
the cellphones of the parents that is registered in the system once the RFID
taps into the system. The report of attendance and logs is also available at

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the system server and in the online system portal upon validation of the user
login to the server and online portal.

CONCLUSION

The researcher created an electronic attendance and logging

system with the utilization of RFID as students‘ gate pass and SMS with an
integration of online management portal and client-server technology with a
database server that provides reliability and security of data.

The system sends daily SMS to parents about the database

generated student log-in and log-out time recorded by integrating GSM
module and hence the students‘ attendance and logs is efficiently manage
and monitored.

The system has incorporated ubiquitous online system

management portal accessed by the different departments where they can
post and view messages and announcements. Moreover, parents can readily
access attendance and logs in real time in the online system portal using
their personal login accounts.

The program provides flexible real time reports of attendance and

logs of the students in electronic copy and printed copy format which
enhances the system functionality and utilization that helps the institution in
information dissemination and management.

The system is implemented in Lyceum of the Philippines – Laguna.

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RECOMMENDATION

The researcher recommends to evaluate the effectiveness of the

system using the ISO 9126 model or the Hewlett-Packard model in terms of
system performance, functionality, usability, reliability and extensibility.

Moreover, the researcher also recommends the use and integration

of turnstile in the system. Hence, the system was developed to ensure
security and to track unauthorized entry at the gate entrance it is therefore
imperative to recommend to the future researchers to incorporate turnstile
into the system that will hold the RFID tag so that campus security will be
enhanced.

REFERENCES

Arulogun, O. T., Olatunbosun, A., Fakolujo, O. A., & Olaniyi, O. M. (2013).

RFID-Based Students Attendance Management
System. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering
Research, 4(2).
Calvet, J. C. L. (2005). The role of RFID in the mobile phone. Telektronikk,
101(3/4), 131.
Chandrashekar R., Shinde J., Dashrath M. (2013). Importance and Analysis
of RFID in Student Attendance. International Journal of Emerging
Science and Engineering (IJESE) ISSN: 2319–6378, Volume-1,
Issue-9,
Dellosa M. R. (2011). Development of Student Monitoring System with the
Use of Low Frequency Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and
Short Messaging System.

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Vol. 4 No.3 September 2015

Gragg, J. (2003). The emergence of RFID technology in modern society.

Oregon State University.
Gupta A., Jagdish L. R., Nayak S., (2009). Rfid Based Networked Gate Entry
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& Communications (IJCNC), Vol.1, No.3.
Parvathy, A., Raj, V. R., & Reddy, M. (2011). RFID based exam hall
maintenance system. IJCA Special Issue on “Artificial Intelligence
Techniques-Novel Approaches & Practical Applications” AIT.
Sheng, Q. Z., Li, X., & Zeadally, S. (2008). Enabling Next-Generation RFID
Applications: Solutions and Challenges. IEEE Computer, 41(9), 21-
28.
Wyld, D. C. (2006). RFID 101: The next big thing for management.
Management Research News, 29(4), 154-173.
Zeadally S., Li X., Sheng Q., (2008). Enabling Next-Generation RFID
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