An online feedback system.

Abstract

Until recently, creating and conducting an online survey was a time-consuming task requiring familiarity with web authoring programs, HTML code, and scripting programs (Wright, 2005). Today, survey authoring software packages and online survey services make online survey research much easier and faster. (Mertler, 2002) observes that while online data collection is currently little used to get feedback, it is an efficient and convenient alternative to the more traditional method of gathering information from students, teachers and parents. (Schleyer & Forrest, 2000) reports that researchers across disciplines were realizing the benefits of data collection using the internet. As a natural progression of that trend they observed that journals were also widely publishing research papers based on data that had been collected online. According to my research, studies have shown that most students suffer from miss communication during verbal communication, high costs while printing, communication not being effective since it involves physical reach out of students, a lot of time spent during communication, and communication can be altered in some cases. I have developed an online feedback system that will enable staff to post information, students to view information, and students to give feedback in comments in an easy and effective way. I used RAD and prototype methods of development because the system was developed in modules and reviews were made per module with respective stake holders hence favors modular development. MySQL is the database that I used, the core IDE for development was VScode, server side scripting language was PHP 7.2 and client scripting was JQuery 3. The system can be accessed via web browser by the secure URI. This report uncovers the details relating to the development and implementation of an online feedback system applied at Busitema University. The online feedback system uses an online data collection format to return data that is analyzed to provide information about the evaluation of courses, teaching, results, and security, among others that take place at the University. This OFS will deliver the university administration from the arduous work of physically reaching out to students in order to retrieve their views.