DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ONLINE PRACTICAL LAB MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM USING SCIENCE LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY [SLT]

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The field of science laboratory technology (SLT) involves the use of various tools and equipment to carry out experiments and research in scientific fields. Effective management of the laboratory resources and equipment is crucial to ensuring that experiments are conducted efficiently and safely. In recent years, the use of online practical lab management information systems has become increasingly popular in managing science laboratories.

An online practical lab management information system is a software application that enables the management of laboratory resources and equipment using web-based technologies. This system provides a centralized platform for managing laboratory inventory, scheduling experiments, and tracking equipment maintenance, among other functions.

Online practical lab management information systems can benefit both instructors and students. Instructors can easily manage lab sessions, assign experiments to students, and track the progress of experiments. Students, on the other hand, can easily access the system to view their experiment assignments, submit lab reports, and receive feedback from instructors.

Despite the benefits of using online practical lab management information systems, many science laboratories still rely on manual methods for managing laboratory resources and equipment. This manual approach can be time-consuming and error-prone, leading to inefficiencies and potential safety hazards.

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to design and develop an online practical lab management information system using science laboratory technology (SLT) to provide an efficient, safe, and user-friendly platform for managing laboratory resources and equipment. The system will be designed to meet the specific needs of science laboratories and will be developed using modern web-based technologies.

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The manual approach to managing laboratory resources and equipment in many science laboratories is prone to inefficiencies and potential safety hazards. Instructors and students often struggle with keeping track of equipment, scheduling lab sessions, and submitting and grading lab reports. This can lead to delays in experiments, reduced accuracy of results, and potential safety hazards due to mishandling of equipment.

Therefore, there is a need for an online practical lab management information system that is designed to meet the specific needs of science laboratories and provides an efficient, safe, and user-friendly platform for managing laboratory resources and equipment.

• MOTIVATION OF THE STUDY

The motivation of this study is to provide a solution to the challenges faced in managing laboratory resources and equipment in science laboratories. The traditional manual approach to managing laboratory resources and equipment is time-consuming, error-prone, and potentially hazardous. There is a need for a more efficient, safe, and user-friendly platform for managing laboratory resources and equipment that can improve the accuracy of results and reduce potential safety hazards.

The use of modern web-based technologies to design and develop an online practical lab management information system can provide a centralized platform for managing laboratory inventory, scheduling experiments, and tracking equipment maintenance, among other functions. This study is motivated by the desire to provide a solution that can benefit both instructors and students by making laboratory management more efficient and effective.

• AIM AND OBJECTIVESOF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to design and develop an online practical lab management information system using science laboratory technology (SLT) to provide an efficient, safe, and user-friendly platform for managing laboratory resources and equipment.

The specific objectives of the study are as follows:

1. To identify the specific needs and requirements of science laboratories for effective management of laboratory resources and equipment.
2. To design a user-friendly interface that enables instructors to manage lab sessions, assign experiments, and track equipment maintenance, among other functions.
3. To develop a system that allows students to easily access the system to view their experiment assignments, submit lab reports, and receive feedback from instructors.
4. To implement a centralized platform for managing laboratory inventory, scheduling experiments, and tracking equipment maintenance.
5. To evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the developed system in managing laboratory resources and equipment in science laboratories.
   • SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study is to design and develop an online practical lab management information system using science laboratory technology (SLT) to manage laboratory resources and equipment. The system will be developed using modern web-based technologies and will be designed to meet the specific needs of science laboratories.

The system will include the following features:

1. Laboratory inventory management: This feature will enable instructors to manage laboratory inventory, including equipment, chemicals, and other supplies.
2. Experiment scheduling: Instructors will be able to schedule lab sessions and assign experiments to students.
3. Equipment maintenance tracking: The system will provide a platform for tracking equipment maintenance, including calibration and repair schedules.
4. Lab report submission and grading: Students will be able to submit lab reports electronically, and instructors will be able to grade and provide feedback on these reports using the system.
5. User management: The system will provide user management features to allow administrators to manage access to the system and user permissions.
   • SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this study lies in the development of an online practical lab management information system using science laboratory technology (SLT) to provide an efficient, safe, and user-friendly platform for managing laboratory resources and equipment.

Firstly, the system can improve the accuracy and efficiency of experiments by providing a centralized platform for managing laboratory inventory, scheduling experiments, and tracking equipment maintenance. This can reduce potential safety hazards due to mishandling of equipment and improve the accuracy of results.

Secondly, the system can benefit both instructors and students. Instructors can easily manage lab sessions, assign experiments, and track the progress of experiments. Students can easily access the system to view their experiment assignments, submit lab reports, and receive feedback from instructors.

Thirdly, the system can reduce the time and effort required for manual methods of managing laboratory resources and equipment. This can lead to cost savings for science laboratories by reducing the need for additional staff to manage the laboratory resources and equipment.

Fourthly, the system can provide a standardized platform for managing laboratory resources and equipment, making it easier to share laboratory resources and equipment between different science laboratories.

Overall, the significance of this study lies in the development of a system that can benefit both science laboratory instructors and students by providing an efficient, safe, and user-friendly platform for managing laboratory resources and equipment.

• OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Science laboratory technology (SLT): the use of various tools and equipment to carry out experiments and research in scientific fields.
2. Online practical lab management information system: a software application that enables the management of laboratory resources and equipment using web-based technologies.
3. Laboratory inventory: a list of laboratory resources and equipment available for use in scientific experiments and research.
4. Experiment assignment: the process of assigning specific experiments to students for completion within a given timeframe.
5. Lab report: a document that details the results of an experiment, including observations, measurements, and conclusions.
6. Feedback: comments and suggestions provided by instructors to students on their lab reports to help them improve their work.
7. Centralized platform: a system that provides a centralized location for managing laboratory resources and equipment, allowing for easy access and sharing of resources.

1.8 OUTLINE OF METHODOLOGY

The research methodology for this study will include the following steps:

1. Requirements gathering: The requirements for the online practical lab management information system will be gathered through interviews with instructors and students in science laboratories. The requirements will be used to inform the design and development of the system.
2. System design: The system will be designed using modern web-based technologies. The design will be based on the requirements gathered from the previous step.
3. System development: The system will be developed using the design specifications. The development will include testing to ensure the system is functioning as intended.
4. System evaluation: The effectiveness of the system in meeting the specific needs of science laboratories will be evaluated through surveys and interviews with instructors and students who use the system.
5. Data analysis: The data gathered from the system evaluation will be analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the system in meeting the specific needs of science laboratories.

The implementation of this idea and project would be achieved using server-side programming language PHP and the MySQL database querying language. These languages were chosen for their server-side compatibility,

Their high level of security and for the general web compatibility. The front-end technologies used include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This will also be hosted as a web application on an online domain.

• LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The limitations of this study include the following:

1. The study will be limited to the design and development of the online practical lab management information system using science laboratory technology (SLT). The study will not evaluate other types of lab management systems.
2. The study will be limited to a specific group of science laboratories. The findings of the study may not be generalizable to other types of laboratories or educational institutions.
3. The study will be limited by the availability of resources, including time, personnel, and funding.
   • ORGANISATION OF THE PROJECT

The project is organized such that; Chapter One gives a brief introduction in form of the Background of the Study of a general overview of the concept of the maritime industry. In Chapter Two, we have a broad look at the related implementations of automated warehouse information systems. Chapter Three examines the System Architecture, the system design and analysis. Chapter Four presents the implementation of the project using necessary programming languages and development models. It also presents the result of testing carried out. Chapter Five rounds off the project work with the summary, conclusions, and recommendations for future works.

1.11 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Online practical lab management information system: A software application that enables the management of laboratory resources and equipment using web-based technologies.
2. Science laboratory technology (SLT): The use of various tools and equipment to carry out experiments and research in scientific fields.
3. Laboratory inventory management: The process of managing laboratory resources, including equipment, chemicals, and other supplies.
4. Experiment scheduling: The process of scheduling lab sessions and assigning experiments to students.
5. Equipment maintenance tracking: The process of tracking equipment maintenance, including calibration and repair schedules.
6. Lab report submission and grading: The process of submitting lab reports electronically, and grading and providing feedback on these reports using the system.
7. User management: The process of managing access to the system and user permissions.