The functions and operations of an institute involve several tedious tasks and handling large amounts of data. It includes tracking attendance, student performance, scores, grades, conducting exams, admission processes, fees invoices, financials, and others. It creates a lot of burden for the institutes to manage all these operations with the help of several departments and faculty members.
These management challenges create opportunities for a system that will handle data online, administer daily functions and make the institute’s activities easier. It will reduce the institute’s need to hire a large number of employees, minimize the requirement of paperwork and improve the efficiency of the existing employees. Further, help the teachers to focus solely on improving their teaching methods for better learning outcomes.
Implementation of a Student Information System has helped the institutes in upgrading their management styles especially with the introduction of NEP 2020 and rising multidisciplinary approach towards education.
What is a Student Information System?
Student Information System (SIS) is software that helps institutes to organize and access information about any aspect of education. It supports the institute to carry out daily activities like student tracking attendance, fees collection, and others with ease as compared to the traditional methods of management.
The software contains various modules such as a student tracking system, learning management system, and online assessment tool for gathering the entire student’s data in a centralized space. In this way, it becomes simpler for the institute to generate reports, analyze data and make necessary decisions.
Choosing a Student information system might not look like an easy task for the institutes, as there are a large number of options available around. But there are a few basic features without which, the student information system will remain incomplete.
Given below are the main things to expect from a student information system-
Should be User Friendly-
You can buy the most advanced and best possible student information system to make work easier for your faculty members, but it will not satisfy the cause if your staff members are not able to use it. Hence, it is necessary that the system should be user-friendly with ease of use and intuitive operations and processes.
The system will be used by various members of the institute. It is unlikely that all of them are tech-savvy. Hence implementing software that is easy for everyone will make the operations smoother.
In such issues, the institutes must make sure that they have enrolled for a demo session from the vendor for the employees to try their hands on the software to understand its ease of use.
Moreover, most of the student information systems can be accessed by web as well as mobile. Hence, the institute must check for accessibility and nature on both platforms.
Academic Management-
Academic management is an important aspect of the student information system. It plays a crucial part in administering student data in all aspects of education beginning from attendance to performance and extracurricular activities.
Student information system contains modules in itself such as the student tracking system, attendance management tool, data storage facility, and others which work together to solve major management issues of the institute.
Further, it also helps the students and institutes in conducting distance learning by managing subjects, courses, and programs opted by the students.
Admission Management-
The process of admission involves dealing with a large number of students who are yet to be a part of the administration. Hence verifying their documents, collecting them, allocating classes and teachers, for a large number of students every year is a huge task for the administration.
Integration of a student information system will help the institute to manage the admission processes with greater ease. The software will verify and store all the documents from the new students and give them information and updates regarding the further procedures of the institute.
Integration with Other Software-
Handling a large number of institute’s departments, their working, and management of data is a messy task. It requires the involvement of a large number of people carrying out their work simultaneously. To create a smoother system for the institute’s operations, it is important to bring together the functionalities of all the operations.
Creating a system that can hold the entire institute’s data and manage processes of every department can help the institute to manage all aspects of education under a centralized system. Hence, it is important to implement software that can integrate with other tools such as learning management systems, online exam software, evaluation software, and others.
- Multi Functionality-
Institutes should make sure that the student information system that they are planning to implement has all the functionalities required to store students’ data and carry out all related activities. It involves contributions from all the departments and several people.
For example, during the admission process, the admin takes care of formalities and documents, the financial department collects fees, and the faculty members assign syllabus, classrooms, and other details. Hence, it is important that a single system can be used by all the departments with separate access.
- High Security-
The software contains huge data of students, financial details, institutes resources, and other confidential information which if leaked can cause serious harm to the institute. Hence, it is important to store the data safely with high privacy.
Using a cloud platform for hosting the system reduces the risk of hackers and malicious attacks. Further, it gives a data backup option in case of any emergencies.
Conclusion-
The recent pandemic has created a need for the implementation of online systems to carry out all the institute’s tasks remotely such as student admissions, exams, classes, and other processes. This also involves the implementation of student information systems in institutes even after the pandemic.
Further, the rising automation and technological advancements in schools have led to the adoption of software solutions in institutes. A student information system is the first step towards upgrading your institute’s management with advanced and integrated technologies.
