Mobile application development for university students management system: the case of Pwani University in Kenya

Abstract

Universities in Kenya have demonstrated a great increase of mobile gadget users to access university-related information. In Pwani University, the Information Management System is currently accessible through a local area network connection on laptops and desktop computers, which are fixed in offices. In addition, the working hours of the office between Monday to Friday limit access to services to many students especially those who are out of the main campus. The objective of this project is to develop a mobile application and integrate it with the existing university Information Management System for improving access and user experience for services to be accessed anytime, anywhere through connected smartphones. An online survey, interviews, and observations to collect the system requirements were gathered and analyzed essential requirements for the design and development of the mobile application. Agile software methodology was used because of its flexibility to accommodate changes. The integration architecture was based on Representational state transfer (RESTful) Application Programming Interface. The System Usability Scale methodology assessed the user's perception and usefulness of the mobile application. The developed mobile app successfully connected with the current system. Unit, integration, and system testing were performed to ensure the intended specifications were met. The key findings from the survey show that smartphones, are the most owned and used mobile devices among students and staff. The majority of students 97% agreed that the justification for developing the app was valid. The study indicated that 68% of students want access to course information, fees balance, and their profile via their mobile gadgets. The usability and acceptance testing were successful with 90% of users liking the app and 80% did not need any assistance to use the app and did not find it cumbersome. Universities can provide seamless services by integrating their current management systems with mobile apps and this research contributes to the knowledge on mobile app design, usability, and acceptance testing.