Design and Implementation of a Student Grading System for Iraqi Universities

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to develop and implement a comprehensive student grade management system that improves the efficiency, accuracy, and security of the grading process in Iraqi universities. Design/Methodology/Approach: The proposed system was implemented in practice at the College of Dentistry at the academic level, where the database accommodated 512 students distributed across five stages, as well as the college's faculty members. An entry account was created for each academic stage, officially authorised by the college to manage the data and grades of students affiliated with that stage. Data was collected before and after implementing the system. Performance was measured, and a survey was conducted among the system's employees to assess satisfaction with the system and the quality of its user interfaces. Also, an integration was developed with Remark Office OMR grading software, which is widely used in Iraqi health science departments. Research Limitation: Despite the positive results achieved by the proposed system, some limitations were encountered, such as testing the system at a single college, which limited the generalisability of the results to other institutions. Findings: Testing at Al-Iraqia University College of Dentistry showed the system's effectiveness. The new system offers notable improvements over traditional methods. When the system is compared with traditional methods, its strength lies in managing data and students' grades. Starting from the correction stage in the electronic correction device to the final data storage stage. It means the process is carried out entirely digitally. Therefore, this is the most important matter that distinguishes the system of the complete digitisation of students' data in the college Practical Implication: Academic departments can improve data security, support scalable academic administration, and standardise grading procedures by implementing an integrated grading management system. Social Implication: Enhancing administrative efficiency, reducing human error, and raising the calibre and transparency of academic services in Iraqi universities are all made possible by improved use of information technology in student grading management. Originality/Value: The study provided a radical solution to address inefficiency and the slow entry and management of data from the OMR programme, specifically tailored to the administrative and academic realities of Iraqi universities rather than a general system. However, the system allows us to manage data centrally, reduces errors, and increases the speed of accessing students' information.