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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Information Communication Technology (ICTs) is making dynamic

changes in society. They are influencing all aspects of life. The influences are felt

more and more at school especially the use of internet. Because ICTs provide

both students, teacher and other stakeholders with more opportunities in

adapting learning and teaching to individual needs, society is, forcing schools

aptly respond to this technical innovation.

One of the functions of education is to provide opportunities for each

student to reach his full potential in the areas of educational, vocational,

personal, and emotional development. Guidance is an integral part of education

and is centered directly on this function. Guidance and counseling services

prepare students to assume increasing responsibility for their decisions and

grow in their ability to understand and accept the results of their choices. The

ability to make such intelligent choices is not innate but, like other abilities, must

be developed.

Like all other professions, counseling has recognized the role technology

can play in providing information and services. School counselors most often use

computer technology for retrieving information, recordkeeping, and helping

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students select colleges and universities. With many different modern

technologies available now, the Web pages can be a means for communication

with parents and students, for providing information in the three domains of

school counseling (career, academic, and personal/social development), and in

crisis situations.

With consideration for the ethical use of technology, the need to reach

diverse populations, greater demands on time, and the need for accountability,

school counselors need to use all means available to them to streamline their

workload. The proponent suggest the development of a Web-based system that

will be a time-saving tool that makes the counseling program more accessible to

students, parents, and all school stakeholders.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

General Objective:

To develop Dear Adviser: A Web based system for school guidance

counselor.

Specific Objectives:

This study has the following specific objectives:

1. Design a web based system that has the following characteristics:

a. Separate sections or pages devoted to each group

b. Provide updates regarding activities

c. Keeps track of the advisees (student) grades and activities

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d. Chat and email based conversations

2. Create the application as designed

3. Test and improve the developed system; and

4. Evaluate the performance of the developed system.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study will focus on the development of a web based system that will

serve as a repository and communication system of Guidance and Counseling

department of the school. The proposed system will enable students and their

counselors to communicate online since it will be using web browsers. The aim is

to provide data repository of students records for tracking and monitoring their

school performance. The web based system will have a page or module for the

parents on which they can access their childs record. It will also have some test

and other resources from other similar websites. This web based system will be

of help to those students who are needing guidance and counseling services.

This will be developed using PHP client server web programming and MySQL for

the database.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The Dear Adviser can increase the benefits of school counseling program for

students and their parents and also communication with faculty and school

administrators.
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Students. This will benefit them since they can ask and seek advice

online. It will have a log of their conversation and test taken.

Parents. This will help them monitor the activities and the school

performance of their child. Will also be a way of communication with the

guidance counselor.

School administrator and Guidance Counselors. Helps them promote

the counseling program document counseling services and provide information in

crisis situations.

Future researchers. Gives them ideas in how to develop and improve the

use of this system. Will also be used as reference on projects similar to this one.
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CHAPTER II

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies

underlying the framework of the study. It includes the conceptual model of the

study and the operational definition of terms.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Introduction

With the advent of industrialization and changes in socio-economic set-up,

professional guidance is needed in the present day society. Youngsters must be

guided by their families, also with the help of educational institution and society

towards their successful living.

Guidance and counselling services set intellect on the students to put on

increasing trustiness for their judgement and grow in their cognition to read and

accept the results of their choices (Gibson, 2008; Kauchak, 2011). The major

object of counselling are to attend individuals to occur the ability to understand

them, to solve their own problems and to make appropriate adjustments to their

surroundings as the situation dictates (Gibson, 2008).

A new branch of learning of counselling is school counselling. It is integral

part of the process of helping the students recognize their desired profession in

the future by integrating career counselling according to Neukrug (2003).

According to Van Horn and Myric (2001) websites can be use to

disseminate information through a Guidance Website. This website will provide

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opportunity to inform the stakeholders. The Guidance Officer can post calendars

of activities, promoting special awareness activities- such as drug awareness

programs, newsletters and supportive links. Moreover, it is suggested that the

guidance website must be equipped with guidance curriculum information, group

counselling opportunities, and activities for students and parents. School

counsellors work will transform with the use of technology. Moreover, Dagget

(2003) and Hoshenhil (2000) also agree that this technology will give school

counselors expand to their roles as change agents in school.

Definition of Guidance and Counselling

The terms guidance and counselling are used interchangeably. The

broader scope of learning is the term Guidance while Counselling is considered

as one of its services. There is a logical separation of the counselling process

(i) adjustive and (ii) distributive phase. The focus of adjustive phase is more on

individuals social, personal and emotional problems. While on distributive phase,

the emphasis is on educational, vocational and occupational problems. In

comparison, the distributive phase can be fittingly referred as Guidance while

the adjustive phase can be considered as description of counselling.

In laymans term, Guidance means to direct, to point out, or to show

the path. More experienced person tends to give assistance to a less-

experienced individual to solve certain major problems on education, vocation,

grief or other personal problems. Guidance is considered as a concept as well

as a process. The process guidance helps the individual in self-understanding

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(understanding ones strengths, limitations, and other resources) and in self-

direction (ability to solve problems, make choices and decision on ones own).

On the other hand, concept guidance focuses on the optimal development of the

person.

Aims of Guidance and Counselling

The aims of counselling may vary on every (a) situation (b) environment (c)

training. The following are the basic aims of counselling:

1. To assist students in understanding the origins and development of

their emotional difficulties, thereby creating rational decision and

control over the feelings and actions.

2. To change disturbed behaviour

3. To help students in achieving their full potential, creating direction,

and solve conflicting problems by themselves

4. To impart students with the skills, knowledge and awareness

enabling them to understand and cope with social inadequacy.

The adolescent-age group of boys and girls comprises the large part of

the population. Moreover, teenagers develop positive sexual attitudes and

practices, therefore giving them higher consideration of guidance and

counselling. At this stage, they begin to understand who they are, development

of sense of respect towards members of the opposite sex, as well as peer-

pressure among their friends. Therefore, counselling is deemed to be important

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at this age because it gives them the opportunity to explore, discover and clarify

the ways of living that is more satisfying and resourceful.

Fields of Counselling

Educational Counselling. Is a process where Counselor provides

students who are in need of assistance in making important decisions during

their stay in school. Different aspects of their education such as choice of

courses, motivation on their studies, pursuing their chosen profession and

interest, and choices of educational institution are among the topics discuss in

Educational Counselling.

Personal/Social Counselling. Emotional distress and behavioral

difficulties arise when individuals struggle to deal with developmental stages and

tasks. Personal counselling is an opportunity to resolve problems, improve

understanding and learn new skills. It provides a supportive and confidential

environment where you can talk openly about your concerns and feelings. The

following are some of the difficulty that an emotionally disturbed person may

encounter.

Poor self-esteem or lack of confidence

Depression and loneliness

Anxiety and fears

Stress and anger management

Couple/family concerns

Interpersonal conflicts
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Sexual concerns, abusive situations, assault and other forms of

violence

Body image concerns, eating problems

Problems sleeping

Gender issues

Racial issues

The relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement has

been well documented in the literature. Different studies have reached the

conclusion that academic achievement and self-esteem are positively correlated

(Bankston & Zhou, 2002; Lockett & Harrell, 2003; Schmidt & Padilla, 2003). For

example, West, Fish, and Stevens (1980) cited a correlation ranging from 0.18 to

0.50 between general self-esteem and academic achievement. Another study,

conducted by Carr, Borkowski, and Maxwell (1991) found self-esteem to be a

significant predictor of reading awareness. Purky (1970) found that self-esteem

is related to some components of success, either academic or verbal. He

concluded that there is continuous interaction between self-esteem and

academic achievement.

Reynolds (1988) found in his research that academic self-concept is

related in a positive and significant manner to grade point average in college

students. Covington (1989) reports that as level of self-esteem increases, so

does the level of academic achievement scores but as the level of self-esteem

decreases, achievement declines. He concluded that self-esteem can be

modified through direct instruments which can lead to achievement gains.

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Reasoner (2005) explained that there is a general agreement among researchers

that there is a close relationship between self-esteem and academic

achievement but that there are considerable disagreements among them as to

the nature of the relationship.

According to Martin (1999) peer interaction had a significant main effect

on the college student and their development of high-risk behaviors, such as

alcohol use and high-risk sexual behavior, thus challenging their coping

mechanisms.

Although some of the issues discussed above may be ordinary problems

for a person, however, for people with emotional imbalance this tends to be a

great deal for them. The Counseling staffs offer services for students who are

experiencing personal/social difficulties while studying.

Vocational Counselling. Vocational counseling is a career focused on

helping those who need to obtain work. When people seek out a vocational

counselor or are referred to one, they may work with that counselor to evaluate

skills, learn how to improve skills, learn how to successfully search for jobs, and

develop methods for effectively applying and interviewing for work.

Vocational counseling is needed for these situations:

Establish awareness of the many occupations to consider by the

students

Interpreting an occupational interest inventory to a student

Assisting a teenager to decide what to do after school

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Role-playing a job interview in preparation for the real thing

Helping a student apply to a college or university

Theories of Counselling

Psychoanalytical Theory (Sigmund Freud)

In this therapy, a person has to examine memories, events, and feelings

from the past to understand current feelings and behaviors. Psychoanalysis is

usually a long-term, intensive therapy that involves several sessions and may

take for years.

The client is given a sense of safety and acceptance by encouraging

developing transference. Difficult material and experience from the past are

explored by the clients. The client gains insight and work on unresolved issues.

The counselor, who is expert, interprets this for the client.

The goals of the therapy are the following (a) to assist the client to bring

the unconscious to the conscious. (b) assist the client to resolve on the

developmental stage where the client became fixated.

Individual Psychology (Alfred Adler)

Whenever people experience feelings of inferiority, they automatically

experience a compensatory need to strive for superiority. As a result, people

push themselves to overcome their weaknesses and achieve their goals, thus

developing superiority complex. However, when a person did not overcome the

inferiority, they tend to develop inferiority complex. Adolf Adler points out that
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people were mainly motivated toward this feeling of belonging. Therefore,

emphasizing that it is a personal responsibility on how to respond to the choices

to adjust to lifes events or situations. Recommended antidote to misbehavior is

more encouragement and praise to a good behavior.

Moreover, Adler states that birth order in the family influence many

aspects of personality development.

Counselors help people to explore feelings and emotions that are often

related to their experiences. This allows their clients to reflect on what is

happening to them and consider alternative ways of doing things. Working in a

confidential setting, counselors listen attentively to their clients and offer them the

time, empathy and respect they need to express their feelings and perhaps

understand themselves from a different perspective. The aim is reduce their

confusion and enable them to cope with challenges or to make positive changes

in their life where necessary. Counselors do not give advice, but help clients to

make their own choices within the framework of an agreed counseling contract.

The overall goal of Adlerian psychotherapy is helping an individual

develop from a partially functioning person into a more fully functioning one. The

therapist is working to improve the quality of life for everyone in the client's circle

of contact, as well as improving society through the client.

Person- Centered (Carl Rogers)

This is originally called client-centered therapy which emphasizes

understanding and caring rather than diagnosis, advice, and persuasion. An

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accepting therapist expresses true interest in client and is open and honest. This

therapy uses an approach called active listening, letting the client knows that he

fully understood and listened to as manifested by the therapists gesture, facial

expression and eye contact.

This therapy is based on developing the client-therapist relationship. The

therapist is to provide the conditions necessary for the client's growth:

genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathic understanding. To be

genuine the therapist must strive to be transparent, open, willing to express at

opportune times their own identity in the relationship. There is no hiding behind

expertise or degrees.

Primary goals of person-centered therapy are increased self-esteem and

greater openness to experience. Some of the related changes that this form of

therapy seeks to foster in clients include closer agreement between the client's

idealized and actual selves; better self-understanding; lower levels of

defensiveness, guilt, and insecurity; more positive and comfortable relationships

with others; and an increased capacity to experience and express feelings at the

moment they occur.

Existential Theory

Existential theory is a unique style of therapy that puts emphasis on the

human condition as a whole. It is a therapy that deals with important life themes.
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These themes include living and dying, freedom, responsibility to self and others,

finding meaning in life and dealing with a sense of meaninglessness.

The goal of existential counselling is do their best way to make their own

task for the future of their life and decisions. This kind of goal is developing the

self-awareness to promote freedom, potential and commitment in their life.

Gestalt Theory (Fritz Perls)

This therapy is based on the here and now of living. The other idea is that

we are caught in a web of relationship with all things. It is only possible to truly

know ourselves as we exist in relation to other things.

Counselor makes an atmosphere where the client can adapt easily. They

made a strong relationship to their client in order to involve with them personally.

Counselors assist the clients to face different obstacle in life, also to concentrate

to have a positive outlook.

The objective of Gestalt therapy, in addition to helping the client overcome

symptoms, is to enable him or her to become more fully and creatively alive and

to be free from the blocks and unfinished issues that may diminish optimum

satisfaction, fulfillment, and growth.

Rational Emotive Theory (RET)

Albert Ellis introduced that any individual has a maximum inventory to be

completely rational, irrational, sensible or crazy. Ellis cared about the confusion

in thinking which makes a disoriented thoughts and behaviors.

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Ellis always sees a client to be always stressed and confused. He

believes that all people can gain control over their emotions, thoughts and

actions. Self-talk can give great improvement on being a true individual thats

why it must be understood correctly.

In teaching and doing the right thing about the clients cognitions should

be directed and actively done by the counselors. Counselors must have the

requirements to be bright, knowledgeable, empathetic, persistent, scientific,

interested in assisting the clients and make use of it personally.

Agendas should have one top priority and that is to assist the clients live a

functional lives. RET are the ones that makes people enlighten themselves on

their feelings and actions. RET do an important role in making the client

understand that the dreams and goals are not entitlements to be demanded.

Transaction Theory (Eric Berne)

Transactional Analysis was developed way beyond the early theories of

his founder Eric Berne who died in 1970. This therapy view that when people

interact with each other, they function either as a parent, adult or child. During

the therapy, usually conducted in group, patients learn to recognize when they

are assuming roles. Furthermore, clients learn how to change roles in order to

behave in more desirable ways.

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Behavioral Theory (B. F. Skinner)

Refers also to behavior modification, sets up rewards and punishments to

change thinking patterns and shape behavior. It involves relaxation training,

stress management, biofeedback, and desensitization of phobias. Behavioral

therapist helps patients learn how to get more satisfaction and rewards through

their own actions and how to unlearn the behavior patterns that contribute to or

result from their problems.

Cognitive-Behavior Theory

Shortly known as CBT a person to recognize his negative thought patterns

and behaviors and replace them with positive ones. It is based on the idea that

ones thoughts not other people situations determine how he behaves. A person

may not be able to change an unwanted situation, but he can change the way he

thinks and behaves.

Dialectical behavior Theory

According to Aguirre et. al (2012) it is a type of cognitive-behavior therapy

in which primary objective is to teach behavioral skills to help a person tolerate

stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationship with others. It was designed

for people with borderline personality disorder, who often have suicidal

tendencies, with eating disorders, and substance abuse. This therapy is derived

from a philosophical process called dialectics, in which seemingly contradictory

facts or ideas are weighed against each other to come up with a resolution or

balance.
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Forms of Counseling

Counseling can be delivered in a variety of forms that share the definition

presented above. Forms of counseling differ with respect to participants, delivery

location, communication medium, and interaction process.

Face to Face Counseling. It is the traditional way to present symptoms,

problems and conflicts to a counselor/psychotherapist in order to elicit

compassionate, intelligent, supportive problem-solving responses from a

professionally trained person.

Individual Counselling. Is an opportunity to talk confidentially with a

counselor about personal concerns and to facilitate personal growth. The

counselor and client work together to define and discuss personal issues and to

reach mutually agreed upon goals.

Group Counselling. It is a technique where a group of persons is

counseled by applying group interaction method with the purpose of arriving at a

solution to the problem common to the group. All the group members were

provided with an opportunity to discuss their problem together, in a free

atmosphere. Knowledge of reality, self-knowledge and self- realization can be

achieved through group interaction process.

Techniques of Group Counseling

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There are various techniques used for group counseling. (1) Informal

discussions (2) Group reports (3) Lectures (4) Dramatics (5) Question Box and

(6) Case conference.

Technology Assisted Distance Counseling

Technology-assisted distance counseling for individuals, couples, and

groups involves the use of the telephone or the computer to enable counselors

and clients to communicate at a distance when circumstances make this

approach necessary or convenient.

Telecounselling (Telephone Based). Telecounselling refers to any type

of psychological service performed over the telephone. Telephone-based

individual counselling involves synchronous distance interaction between a

counselor and a client using what is heard via audio to communicate.

Internet Counselling. It is the provision of professional mental health

counselling services concerns via the Internet. Services are typically offered via

email, real-time chat, and video conferencing.

Email based individual internet counseling. It involves asynchronous

distance interaction between counselor and client using what is read via text to

communicate.

Chat-based individual internet counseling. It involves synchronous

distance interaction between counselor and client using what is read via text to

communicate.
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Chat-based couple internet counseling. It involves synchronous

distance interaction among a counselor or counselors and a couple using what is

read via text to communicate.

Chat-based group internet counseling. It involves synchronous

distance interaction among counselors and a client using what is read via text to

communicate.

Video-based individual internet counseling. It involves synchronous

distance interaction between counselor and client using what is seen and heard

via video to communicate. Some clients use online counselling in conjunction

with traditional psychotherapy, and a growing number of clients are using online

counselling as a complete replacement to traditional office visits.

E-therapy is a term that has been coined to describe the process of

interacting with a therapist online in an ongoing series of conversations over

time. E-therapists are very different from one-question "advice" or "information"

services. E-therapy is about forming a relationship with someone who is trained

to help. It can cover anything from simple befriending, to a much more intense

and directed way of interacting. It means deciding to explore deep thoughts and

feelings, and share them with someone who cares and who will listen and try to

help. This process doesnt happen in one e-mail exchange. It takes time, while

the therapist gets to know you, and you have a chance to tell your story in some

depth. This e-therapy process is closer to what might happen if you met with a

psychotherapist in an office.
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Telepsychology. Telehealth and Telepsychology is a mode of

psychological service being provided over a technology- assisted environment.

Presently, Telepsychology has integrated into traditional health services.

However, the evolving nature of technology which has facilitated interaction of

the client/professional relationship means that Telehealth can be viewed as

separate or alternative services to mainstream health delivery systems. The

term commonly used is Telehealth or e -health. Telehealth or e-health are

terms used to describe any health related service that is provided remotely via

technology -assisted media such as the telephone, computer, or Internet.

Telepsychology is one form of Telehealth service that is related to remote

psychological services. Other terms also commonly used are e-psychology, e -

counselling, web -counselling, telephone counselling or online counselling. All of

these terms reflect the nature of remote psychological services.

Online counseling. A number of definitions of online counselling have

been proposed, including the following. Bloom (1998) defines online counselling

as the practice of professional counselling that occurs when client and

counsellor are in separate or remote locations and utilize electronic means to

communicate with each other (p.53). Alleman (2002) refers to online

counselling as ongoing, interactive, text -based, electronic communication

between a client and a mental health professional aimed at behavioural or mental

health improvement (p. 200).

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Mallen and Vogel (2005) define online counselling as: Any delivery of

mental and behavioural health services, including but not limited to therapy,

consultation, and psychoeducation, by a licensed practitioner to a client in a non-

[face-to -face] setting through distance communication technologies such as the

telephone, asynchronous e -mail, synchronous chat , and videoconferencing (p.

764).

These definitions suggest that online counselling can take many forms.

Internet -based mental health interventions can include mental health information

websites, online mental health screening and assessment tools, online support

groups, individual therapy, group therapy and self-help programs (Ybarra and

Eaton, 2005), as well as online forums, bulletin boards and chat rooms (Fenichel

et al., 2002). Individual therapy carried out over the Internet can include

asynchronous methods, such as e-mail, or synchronous methods, such as web-

based messaging (instant messaging), chat, videoconferencing or voice -over IP

( Internet p hone) (Kanani & Regehr, 2003).

Stone and Turba(1999) suggest technology can save the counselor time

by assisting them monitor students progress, provide advising to students, import

test results and pair them with academic scores and teachers. Horn and Myrick

(2001) predicted that technology would change the way school counselors work.

Dagett (2003) saw opportunities for school counselors to use technology is their

roles as change agents in schools. Hohenshil (2000) stated that school

counselors should be skilled in using websites to help students find funding for

post secondary education and explore career options.

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According to Reynolds and Kitchens (2007) that the school counselor

educators help counselors to learn use of technology that will make counseling

programs more beneficial to students, parents, school personnel and other stake

holders. One technology with high potential is the counselor webpage. As some

school systems are requiring webpage, counselors have the opportunity to make

this requirement an asset to their programs.

Therefore, skills in using website should be provided to school counselors.

With the use of Guidance website, information will be available to wide audience

particularly to the parents, community members, business and others outside the

school environment. The Guidance website must also include online

consultation and online training in the areas of communication, studying, career

development and other topics Sabella and Booker (2003).

Web Hosting

Choosing a web host is the first step to consider when starting a website

project. In order to have the website available in the World Wide Web, it should

have a place where to host it. This place is provided by the web hosting provider.

The web hosting as a service incorporates the space where your website files

are stored, the traffic to your website, and lots of extra services such as firewall

protection, technical assistance, email services, FTP access, domain name

registration, website building tools and more.

Moreover, technical assistance is always needed from your web host, at

least from time to time. When you start working over your web site questions will
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arise: How to get started; that is why web host must provide 24x7 tech support

assistance. The most efficient companies use ticketing systems, where you

deliver all technical details needed to have your question answered within an

hour or less. The features of web hosting plans are constantly growing. In 2003,

the max disk space quota per shared hosting plan was 5MB. In 2009 few

providers offer less than unlimited of everything. However, make sure to check

the Terms of use for more details about what might be limited.

Things to Consider with an ISP

1. 24-hour support. Select an ISP that provides technical support that

meets the organization's requirements. If the organization runs critical

third shifts 24x7x365, better support is a necessity.

2. Daily Backup. ISP should provide daily back-up routine to protect loss

of valuable data.

3. Traffic Volume. When the website becomes popular, high traffic is

expected. ISPs traffic volume restriction should be taken into

considerations.

4. Bandwidth or Content Restrictions. Moreover, if you need to

publish pictures, broadcast video or upload sounds, make sure that it

is possible. Therefore, study the ISPs bandwidth and content

restrictions.

5. E-mail Capabilities. E-mail capabilities should be included as part of

the support of the ISP.

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6. Front Page Extensions. FrontPage is a web site tool in creating

website. Make sure that the ISP supports FrontPage server

extensions.

7. Database Access. Database is mandatory if you are planning to

create a dynamic website. Make sure that ISP support the database

access you need.

Domain Name. Domain Name System, or DNS, is the most recognized

system for assigning addresses to Internet web servers (aka "Internet hosts").

Somewhat like international phone numbers, the domain name system helps to

give every Internet server a memorable and easy-to-spell address.

Simultaneously, the domain names keep the really technical IP address invisible

for most viewers.

Registering a Domain. You don't actually buy a domain name, you

register it. To do this, you need to register it with a domain name registrar. You

can choose how long you'd like to register it for. Options typically include

anywhere from 1 year to 10 years.

In a sense, you can buy a domain name. You can do this if someone else

already has already registered the domain name. What you're really doing

though is buying the right to register it. You still need to keep the domain name

registered with a registrar; otherwise someone else will be able to register it once

it expires. Many web hosting providers include domain registration in their

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hosting packages. In this case, theres no need to register it through a separate

domain name registrar.

Choosing a Domain Name

Choose a domain name that truly reflects what the website is all about.

Keep the domain name concise. If it consists of multiple words consider

separating each word with a hyphen. This will largely depend on how the domain

name looks with and without a hyphen. It will also depend on the availability of

the preferred domain name.

If you find that your preferred domain name has already been registered

under all applicable suffixes, you might need to get creative and think of another

domain name. At this point, you may also need to consider the name of your

website. If this isn't an option, you could try buying a domain name off the current

owner.

Domain names can be of any length up to 67 characters. You don't have

to settle for an obscure domain name like avab.com when what you mean is

AcmeVideosAndBooks.com.

For example, "getit.com" is easier to remember and less prone to typos

than "connecttomywebsiteandobtainit.com".

False Domain Names - Directory Listings

Some providers will offer you a name under their own name, like:

www.theircompany.com/yourcompany/
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This is not a real domain name, it is a directory - and you should try to

avoid it.

Directory domains are not desirable, especially for companies. Typically,

directory domains are used for personal web sites and free web sites provided by

an ISP, you may have seen www.theircompany.com/~username as an

address.

Competition in domain name registration has resulted in a dramatic

decrease in pricing, so domain sharing is not common, since it is possible to

register a domain name for only $15 per year.

Expired Domains

Another source for domain registrations is expired domains. When

registering a domain, think of it as a rental, assuming there are no legal or

trademark issues with the domain name, you are free to use it as long as you

continue to pay the yearly fee (you can now register in advance as many as 10

years). Some people register domains as speculators, hoping that they can later

sell them, while others may have planned to use a domain and never had the

time. The result is that domains that were previously registered become available

again.

Use Your Domain Name

After you have chosen and registered your own domain name, make sure

you use it on all your web pages, and on all your correspondence, like e-mail and

traditional mail.
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It is important to let other people be aware of your domain name, and to

inform your partners and customers about your web site.

Identifying Disk Space Requirement

A small or medium web site will need between 10 and 100MB of disk

space. If you look at the size of HTML pages, you will see that the average size

is very small. But if you look at the size of the images used inside these pages,

you will often find the images larger than the page. If the website use a lot of

images or graphic elements (or sound files or movies), you might need much

more disk space.

Monthly Traffic

A small or medium web site will consume between 1GB and 5GB of data

transfer per month. Calculate the following: average page size * expected page

views per month

Example: If your average page size is 30KB and you expect 50,000 page

views per month, you will need 0.03MB * 50,000 = 1.5GB.

Larger, commercial sites often consume more than 100GB of monthly

traffic.

Connection Speed

In the early days of the Internet at T1 connection was considered a fast

connection. Today connection speeds are much faster. 1 byte equals to 8 bits

(and that's the number of bits used to transport one character). Low-speed

modems can transport from about 14 000 to 56 000 bits per second (14 to 56
 28

kilobits per second). That is somewhere between 2000 and 7000 characters per

second, or about 1 to 5 pages of written text.

One kilobit (Kb) is 1024 bits. One megabit (Mb) is 1024 kilobits. One

gigabit (Gb) is 1024 megabits. The need of speed for connection is very

important. Table 1 presents specifications used on the Internet today.

Table 1

Internet Connection Speed

Name Connection Speed per second

Modem Analog 14.4-56Kb

D0 Digital (ISDN) 64Kb

T1 Digital 1.55Mb

T3 Digital 43Mb

OC-1 Optical Carrier 52Mb

OC-3 Optical Carrier 156Mb

OC-12 Optical Carrier 622Mb

OC-24 Optical Carrier 1.244Gb

OC-48 Optical Carrier 2.488Gb

Source: Powell (2003)

Web Testing: Complete guide on testing web applications

A website must undergo the following testing:

1) Functionality Testing

2) Usability testing

3) Interface testing
 29

4) Compatibility testing

5) Performance testing

6) Security testing

1) Functionality Testing: Test for all the links in web pages, database

connection, forms used in the web pages for submitting or getting information

from user, Cookie testing.

2) Usability Testing: Web site should be easy to use. Instructions should be

provided clearly. Check if the provided instructions are correct means whether

they satisfy purpose. Main menu should be provided on each page. It should be

consistent.

3) Interface Testing: Check if all the interactions between these servers are

executed properly. Errors are handled properly. If database or web server returns

any error message for any query by application server then application server

should catch and display these error messages appropriately to users. Check

what happens if user interrupts any transaction in-between? Check what

happens if connection to web server is reset in between?

4) Compatibility Testing: Compatibility of the web site is very important testing

aspect. Some applications are very dependent on browsers. Different browsers

have different configurations and settings that your web page should be

compatible with. Your web site coding should be cross browser platform

compatible. If you are using java scripts or AJAX calls for UI functionality,

performing security checks or validations then give more stress on browser

compatibility testing of your web application.

 30

5) Performance testing: In web load testing test if many users are accessing or

requesting the same page. Can system sustain in peak load times? Site should

handle many simultaneous user requests, large input data from users,

Simultaneous connection to DB, heavy load on specific pages etc.

6) Security Testing: Test by pasting internal URL directly into browser address

bar without login. Internal pages should not open. If you are logged in using

username and password and browsing internal pages then try changing URL

options directly. I.e. If you are checking some publisher site statistics with

publisher site ID= 123. Try directly changing the URL site ID parameter to

different site ID which is not related to log in user. Access should deny for this

user to view others stats.

Web Based Application

In computing, a web-based application is any application that uses a web

browser as a client. The term may also mean a computer software application

that is coded in a browser-supported programming language (such

as JavaScript, combined with a browser-rendered markup language like HTML)

and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable.

Web applications are popular due to the ubiquity of web browsers, and the

convenience of using a web browser as a client, sometimes called a thin client.

The ability to update and maintain web applications without distributing and

installing software on potentially thousands of client computers is a key reason

for their popularity, as is the inherent support for cross-platform compatibility.

 31

Common web applications include webmail, online retail sales, online

auctions, wikis and many other functions.

Web applications are of the following categories: document-centric,

interactive, transactional, workflow-based, portal-oriented, collaborative, social

web, ubiquitous and semantic web. The web application modelling methods

(content, hypertext, presentation, customization) and architectures (layered or

data-aspect) influence the quality of a web application. Technology-aware web

application design involves presentation, interaction and functional design.

Benefits

Web applications do not require any complex "roll out" procedure to

deploy in large organizations. A compatible web browser is all that is

needed;

Browser applications typically require little or no disk space on the client;

They require no upgrade procedure since all new features are

implemented on the server and automatically delivered to the users;

Web applications integrate easily into other server-side web procedures,

such as email and searching.

They also provide cross-platform compatibility in most cases (i.e.,

Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) because they operate within a web browser

window.

With the advent of HTML5, programmers can create richly interactive

environments natively within browsers. Included in the list of new features

 32

are native audio, video and animations, as well as improved error

handling.

LifeLine Australia

It is a national telephone counselling service operating through a single

telephone number. Managed by a National Board and national staff based in

Canberra, Lifeline functions as a federation of 42 affiliated member centres. It is

self-funded and staffed mostly by volunteers.

KIDS Help Line

Kids Help Line provides a free, national telephone and online counselling

service in Australia for children and young people aged five to 18. The web

counselling service operates between 3pm and 9pm (EST) from Monday to

Friday. During 2001, Kids Help Line responded to over 6,000 online counselling

sessions from children and young people 3,244 emails and 2,905 via real-time

web counselling. The email counselling service began in September 1999, whilst

web counselling started in May 2000. All emails are responded to, whilst half the

attempts by young people to access a web counsellor get through.

Kids Help Line services aim to be child-centric, existing to assist children

and young people to develop strategies and skills which enable them to more

effectively manage their own lives. The principal values underpinning counselling

at Kids Help Line are empowerment and child-centred practice. These have a

crucial role in defining the relationship between counsellor and client, and in

providing a focus to Kids Help Line.

 33

Features which are said to distinguish the Kids Help Line service include:

No gate-keeping, meaning that clients speak directly with a counsellor first

up.

Clients can speak with the same counsellor each time they make contact.

Clients can choose the gender of the counsellor.

Feedback is encouraged at the end of each call.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

PHP

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server scripting language, and is a

powerful tool for making dynamic and interactive Web pages quickly. PHP is a

widely-used, free, and efficient alternative to competitors such as Microsoft's

ASP.

PHP Framework

PHP is able to create dynamic webpages interpreted by a webserver

(Apache, Lighttpd, nginx, etc), but also can create GUI applications.

A PHP Framework is a collection of pre-written methods and classes

that are already secured, optimized, well documented and ready to use anytime,

out of the box.

 34

MVC

MVC (Model-View-Controller) is an architectural pattern used in almost all

programming and scripting languages, including PHP as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. MVC Pattern

The Model usually is used to connect with the database, making CRUD

operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)

The View most of the time, here you will print the data received from your

controller, and other HTML markup. Basically, a view is every page you see over

the internet.

The Controller is responsible to handle the requests, manipulating models or

other controller. Try to keep the controller as simple as possible.

 35

CodeIgniter

CodeIgniter is a PHP Framework for PHP 4 and PHP 5 in the same time.

CodeIgniters main goal is to allow user to develop lightning fast applications,

without writing your code from zero. So you already have a basic package, with

everything whats needed to write best application.

CodeIgniter and other PHP Frameworks listed here are Open Source, so

you can use them for free and modify. CodeIgniter has the MVC architecture. It is

a very light PHP framework (2.1 MB including the entire documentation). There is

a bunch of libraries, helpers and other open source software built on CodeIgniter.

CodeIgniter has also a fantastic form validation library, which helps you validate

your data easily, before making database operations.

Adobe Photoshop CS4

An image editing software developed and manufactured by Adobe

Systems Inc. Photoshop is considered one of the leaders in photo editing

software. The software allows users to manipulate, crop, resize, and correct color

on digital photos. The software is particularly popular amongst professional

photographers and graphic designers. Hatter (2011).

SOFTWARE EVALUATION TOOLS

Quality is an important component when creating software. Before

software goes out in the market, its developer should assure that it is ready.

Software goes through evaluation standards before it can be launched.

 36

ISO/IEC 9126 Software Engineering Product Quality

An International Standard for the software Evaluation guided by ISO/IEC

which is the ISO 9126 use in software testing (see Table 2). It is all about the

defect in software based on the fulfillment of intended use required within the

software which is the non-fulfillment of specific requirements.

ISO 9126 that is use in software evaluation process which addresses the

quality model, external metrics, internal metrics and quality usage of metrics.

ISO 9126 are categorized based on the attributes such as follows:

1. Functionality including factors likes suitability, security,

compliance, accuracy and interoperability.

2. Reliability including maturity, recoverability and fault tolerance

3. Usability including learning ability and operability

4. Efficiency which includes quality based on resource and time.

5. Portability including instability and adaptability.

 37

Table 2

ISO 9126

IEEE/EIA 12207.0 Standard for Information Technology Software Life

Cycle Process

The software evaluation according to IEEE 12207 is the standard for

Information Technology-Software Life Cycle Processes. This standard

establishes a common framework for software life cycle processes and defines a
 38

comprehensive set of processes that cover the entire life cycle of a software

system- from the time a concept was made to the maturity of the software.

TUP Evaluation Criteria for Software Materials

This evaluation instrument was developed by the software professors at

the Technological University of the Philippines as their standard evaluation

instrument for the software being developed by their students.

The criteria or indicators in the evaluation instrument are: functionality,

content, reliability, availability, maintainability and saleability.

Data Treatment

The Likert scale is commonly used in survey research. It is often used to

measure respondents' attitudes by asking the extent to which they agree or

disagree with a particular question or statement. A typical scale might be

"strongly agree, agree, not sure/undecided, disagree, strongly disagree." On the

surface, survey data using the Likert scale may seem easy to analyze, but there

are important issues for a data analyst to consider.

 39

CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF STUDY

On the basis of the foregoing concepts, theories and findings of related

literature, studies presented and insights taken from them, a conceptual model is

developed as shown below:

Input Process Output

Knowledge Requirement
a. Guidance counseling
b. Theories of Counseling
Analysis
b. Forms of Counseling
d. Web based Application

Design Dear Adviser: A

Software Requirements
Web Base
a. PHP Guidance
b. MySQL Counseling
c. CodeIgniter System
Development
d. Adobe Photoshop

Hardware Requirements
a. Computer
Testing
b. Internet connection
c. Web Hosting
d. Network or ISP

Evaluation

Figure 2. Conceptual Model of Dear Adviser

The conceptual model as illustrated in Figure 2 shows the different stages

of the processes involved in order to achieve the objectives of the study.

The input stage consists of the knowledge requirements on guidance

counselling and web based applications. It also includes different theories on

 40

counseling and technologies used in counseling. The software requirement of the

system supports the following platform of at least PHP (MVC) and CodeIgniter.

Hardware requirements consist of computer, Internet connection, Web hosting

and other pertinent hardware.

The process block is composed of analysis, design, development and

testing of the whole system.

Accomplishing all these processes will produce the expected prototype,

Dear Adviser: A Web Based Application for School Guidance Counselors.

This application must be evaluated by the users based on its functionality,

content, reliability, availability, maintainability and portability.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Dear Adviser refers to a web-based system that uses internet connection

and it is used for implementing and addressing guidance counseling programs of

an educational institution.

Web-Based Application refers to an application that is usable only with

an active Internet connection and that uses HTTP as its primary communications

protocol.

Web-Counselling refers to act of exchanging opinions and ideas;

consultation and provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action

thru web.
 41

Guidance Counsellor refers to a person who is employed, usually in a

school, to offer advice on problems, help troubled students and assist students in

making career or college plans.

Guidance and Counseling Office refers to the office that promotes

student welfare and provides relevant and student friendly services that respond

to the various academic and nonacademic needs of the students.

Psychometric Test refers to any standardized procedure for measuring

sensitivity or memory or intelligence, aptitude or personality.

Client-Server refers to distributed application structure in computing that

partitions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service,

called clients.

Encryption refers to the process of encoding messages (or information)

in such a way that eavesdroppers or hackers cannot read it, but that authorized

parties can.

Web Host refers to business of providing server space, Web services and

file maintenance for Web sites controlled by individuals or companies that do not

have their own Web servers.

Web hosting service refers to a type of Internet hosting service that

allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the

World Wide Web.

 42

Bandwidth refers to the maximum data transfer rate of a network or

Internet connection it includes the measurement of how much data can be sent

over a specific connection in a given amount of time.

IEEE refers to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,

pronounced I-triple-E. IEEE is an organization composed of engineers,

scientists, and students that is best known for developing standards for the

computer and electronics industry.

Modelviewcontroller (MVC) refers to software architecture pattern

which separates the representation of information from the user's interaction with

it.
 43

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the project design, project development, operation

and testing procedure as well as the evaluation procedure.

PROJECT DESIGN

Dear Adviser is a web based system that helps the Guidance and

Counseling Office of an educational institution to be more productive in providing

services to the students. It provides help to the Guidance counselors by means

of monitoring students progress through the use of internet.

Advises 0 Student Info

Test Advises
Dear Adviser:
A Web Based
Counselee Guidance Counselor
Counseling
Answers System Test Data
Queries Web Info

Figure 3. Context Data Flow Diagram (Dear Adviser)

Figure 3 shows the Context-level Data Flow Diagram of the system. It

depicts the inputs and the outputs from the system coming from two different

user types. Counselor refers to the admin side of the system. As admin they are

the one in charge of putting information of students based on the initial interviews

to have more detailed information. They also checks the students progress,
 44

monitors students activities and replies. Grades will be also encoded or imported

to system by the assigned counselors. The system must provide communication

and suggestions to the counselors regarding counselees behavior both

academically and socially.

Figure 4. Diagram 0 (Dear Adviser)

Figure 4 shows the exploded version of Diagram 0 which will show the

detailed parts of the proposed system. The context data flow diagram shows the

two users of the system each with their own data inputs and outputs. For the

students as counselees they are required to be registered first to use the system.

Upon registration they should be willing to visit the Guidance office for further

verification and interview in completing their profile. Knowing their background is

the key for successful guidance program. The counselors can be the officers of

Guidance Office will be the one to enter the students profile based on the
 45

interviews assign a particular counselor for a specific student (counselee). They

will be the one to monitor and enter students grade at the entire duration of stay

at the school. So that system can make intelligent suggestions while tracking and

monitoring students progress.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

As shown in Figure 5, it illustrates the sequence of the development of the

project. Discussions of the steps used in forming the project are presented: from

collation of the related information, the development procedures and the

evaluation of the system.

Start

Data and Information Gathering

Study and Analysis of the Information

System Design

Accepted?
System Development

System Evaluation

End

Figure 5. Project Development Flowchart

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Data and Information Gathering

Data and information gathering related to the development of the study

was conducted. Several tools were used to perform this task. The tools included

were (casual) interview with potential end-users of the system, observation and

research to different school libraries. The researcher read printed and online

materials related to the study.

Study and Analysis of the Information Gathered

The pieces of information gathered were analyzed. Useful information

was comprehensively utilized. Data flow diagrams (DFDs) and conceptual

diagrams were used as tools.

System Design

In the system design, all pertinent input data and required outputs were

determined and planned. The design will made with regards to the standards of

Websites. As web based system it must adhere to the rules set by the W3C in

development and ISO standard for securing web applications. The system will be

implemented using PHP that implements MVC Framework using CodeIgniter.

Similar to the social media websites such as Facebook it will be a dynamic and

responsive system and a reliable MySQL database as backend support of the

system. Professional web page layout will be applied with consideration to color

and navigation style.

 47

System Development

This is the process of writing algorithms and coding with a specific

programming language. It implemented the users needs and requirements.

Different programming techniques and tools were used at this stage.

System Evaluation

User participation is very important. The system will be evaluated by

would-be users. Through their comments, suggestions and evaluations, the

researchers can easily identify if the application meets or pass the criteria set by

the researchers. In line with this, evaluation process helps the researchers for

the development of the study.

Usability testing is explicitly devoted to analyze in details how users

interact with the application for accomplishing well-defined tasks. This feature

determines the difference between usability testing and beta testing, largely

applied in Industry. Beta testing is conducted on the final product: after the

application release the end users are contacted and interviewed about their

satisfaction. Conversely, usability testing is conducted observing a sample of

users that perform specific tasks while interacting with the application. The test is

usually video recorded. The list of detected problems is reported together with

specific redesign suggestions.

Documentation

In this stage, the researchers documented the development of the study

for the next researchers or developers of mobile application. In addition, the

 48

preparation of the users manual to guide the end users in using this application

is also included in this phase.

OPERATION AND TESTING PROCEDURE

Operation Procedure

The following figure presents the procedure and how the web based

system works with the integration of Dear Adviser: A Web Based Guidance

Counseling System. It shows the processes and tasks done. It also indicates

the hardware or devices that are used to operate the system.

Advises
Advises
Grades
Psychometric
Student
Test
Profile
Questions
Psychometric Counselors
Test

Counselee Diary Logs

Answers Test Results
Students
Response/
Logs
Students
progress

Figure 6. Dear Adviser: A Web Based Guidance Counseling System

Conceptual Process

As shown in Figure 6, a student or counselee will be registered and

provided an initial password to access the system. Counselors and Guidance

Office Staff will input the students profile, grades and types of test that will be
 49

available for the counselees. The web based system must be able to track and

record students progress by monitoring his/her academic achievements at first

and also through the counselees initiative and might start a conversation and

discussion of problem (i.e. social, interpersonal, etc.) The system must be able to

securely keep a record of their conversation and screen the words and suggest

tendency that will lead to a bigger problem. It will serve as first line of defense

among counselees experiencing problems like depression and others.

Testing Procedure

Before the Final Evaluation will be conducted there will be series of

testing. A very early version of a web based system may not contain all of the

features that are planned for the final version. Typically, software goes through

two stages of testing before it is considered finished. The first stage, called alpha

testing, is often performed only by users within the organization developing the

software. The second stage, called beta testing, generally involves a limited

number of external users.

1. Before the system is put into production, all programs must be

desk-checked.

2. The program is checked with valid test data to check if the system

can handle normal transactions.

3. The program is check with invalid test data to ensure that the

system can properly detect errors.

 50

4. The system, as a complete entity, is tested to the intended users

and respondents of the study.

The Dear Adviser is a web based system and it requires the following

testing procedures:

1) Functionality Testing

2) Usability testing

3) Interface testing

4) Compatibility testing

5) Performance testing

6) Security testing

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

To evaluate the system, the following activities will be performed:

Preliminary Evaluation

Pilot testing will be conducted to ensure that the project will work the way

it was designed and conceptualize. Testing includes the flow of the system and

generation of required output.

Project Demonstration

The researcher will conduct project demonstration. Thirty (30)

respondents are required to evaluate the system. These respondents are

composed of ten (10) people related to guidance counseling such as School

 51

guidance counselors, ten (10) people with non-IT related professions and ten

(10) people with IT related professions.

Final Evaluation

Final evaluation will be conducted right after the Project demonstration.

Questionnaire will be used for the evaluation process. This study will adopt the

TUP Evaluation Criteria for Software Materials, see Appendix C. After the final

evaluation the proposed project will undergo statistical treatment to determine or

guarantee the quality and feasibility of the web based application on accurate

data by having the right sources and methods of collecting data.

The results of the evaluation will use the five-point scale of Likert Scale as

shown below.

Table 3

Likert Scale

Ranges Verbal Interpretation

4.51 5.00 Excellent

3.51 4.50 Very Good

2.51 3.50 Good

1.51 2.50 Fair

1.00 1.50 Poor