Design And Implementation Of A Social Media Based Web Application For Prospective University Students
The design and implementation of a social media-based web application for prospective university students involves the creation of a dynamic online platform that facilitates interaction, information sharing, and community building among individuals considering higher education options. This comprehensive system integrates features such as user profiles, forums, chat functionality, and multimedia content sharing to foster engagement and provide valuable resources for students navigating the college decision process. By leveraging social media elements, including user-generated content and peer-to-peer connections, the application aims to enhance accessibility to educational information, support networks, and campus experiences. Through strategic design and efficient implementation, this platform serves as a collaborative space where aspiring students can gather insights, seek guidance, and connect with peers, ultimately empowering them to make informed decisions about their academic futures.
The internet has been a platform for individuals, groups of people and companies to interact withone another through the social media. The social media has truly aided interaction and even other business services through social networks, forums, blogs, etc. Forums are now been used as tools/platforms to create discussions, connect to people (mostly of similar interests) and assources of relevant information. This work intends to make use of forums as tools in helping prospective university students to make the right decisions about their choice of career, choice of environment, etc.
Based on an in-depth review of some relevant literatures, some key requirements have been considered in the development of a suitable web application. This online forum will be developed for students to cater for some of their needs and solve some of the issues they face with their choice of career, their course of study, the accessibility of relevant information aboutany institution, etc.
CERTIFICATION… i
DEDICATION…. ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS… iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS… iv
LIST OF FIGURES…. viii
LIST OF TABLES…. ix
ABSTRACT… x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION…. 1
BACKGROUND INFORMATION… 1
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM… 2
AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY. 2 – 3
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY… 4
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY…. 4
PROJECT ORGANIZATION… 4
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW… 5
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA CONCEPT… 5
History of the Social Media…. 5
Whatis an Online Forum? 7
Structure of an Online Forum 8
Features of an Online Forum. 10
Applicationsof Online Forums 12
REVIEWOF EXISTING SYSTEMS…. 13
The Student Room… 13
Google Groups…. 14
CHAPTER THREE
REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN… 16
INTRODUCTION… 16
Proposed System…. 16
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS AND ANALYSIS… 17
Software Architecture of Student Hub… 17
System Analysis…. 18
System Requirements…. 19
SYSTEMDESIGN…. 21
Object Oriented Analysis and Design… 21
Unified Modeling Language(UML)… 22
Use Case Diagram…. 22
Sequence Diagram…. 29
Activity Diagram…. 30
THE USER INTERFACE DESIGNS…. 32
The Student Hub Home Page 32
The Guest User Registration Interface… 32
The Login Page Interface…. 33
DATABASE DESIGN…. 34
Description of Tables… 34
CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEMIMPLEMENTATION…. 36
INTRODUCTION… 36
Platforms and Tools Used for Implementation 36
THE DIFFERENT FORUM USER INTERFACES… 37
The Guest Student’s Post Page… 37
The Guest Student’s ‘My Posts’ Page…. 37
The Student’s ‘View Posts’Page… 38
The Moderator’s Add News Page…. 39
The Administrator’s Delete Accounts Page… 40
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS… 40
THE HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS… 41
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION…. 42
SUMMARY… 42
RECOMMENDATIONS AND FURTHER WORKS… 42
CONCLUSION… 43
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGUREI: User groups of an Online Forum. 9
FIGURE II: The Student Room. 14
FIGURE III: Google Groups…. 15
FIGURE IV: Software Architecture of Student Hub… 17
FIGURE V: The Use-Case diagram for the Online Forum. 23
FIGURE VI: The Administration and Interaction Subsystems 24
FIGURE VII: Registration Subsystem…. 25
FIGURE VIII: The Sequence diagram for the System 30
FIGURE IX: The Activity diagram for the Guest Student…. 31
FIGURE X: Student Hub Home Page 32
FIGUREX I: Guest Student Registration Interface…. 33
FIGUREX II: The Log-in Interface…. 33
FIGUREX III: The Ask Questions/Posts Interface 37
FIGURE XIV: Guest Student’s View Post Interface. 38
FIGURE XV: Student’s View Posts Interface 39
FIGURE XVI: Add News Interface 39
FIGURE XVII: Delete Accounts Page… 40
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE I: Research Objectives and Methodology… 3
TABLE II: Manage Accounts Use Case… 25 – 26
TABLE III: Manage Posts Use Case… 26 – 27
TABLE IV: Register Use Case…. 28
TABLE V: Database Schema for Student Hub… 34 – 35
TABLE VI: The Software Requirements… 40 – 41
TABLE VII: The Web Client Software Requirements…. 41
TABLE VIII: The Hardware Requirements… 41
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Communication is a basic human need and for that reason, man has always found a means ofmeeting this need. The media, which is an umbrella term for various means of communication, has become an integral part of human life around the world. The earliest forms of personal media, speech and gestures, had the benefit of being easy to use and did not necessarily need complex technology (Idakwo, 2011).
Through the social media, the internet community has drastically increased over the years. Thesocial media has become a significant part of today’s modern civilization. It is a defining trait of how integrated social interactions have become. The impact of the social media have been seen in basically five different contexts; news, interactions, political landscapes, learning and marketing (Guha, 2013).
With over 80 percent of teen Internet users frequenting social media sites, it’s no wonder the real world social lives are seeing some changes. Social media is definitely changing the way people communicate, but in many ways it’s for the better as we expand our social circles and explore new horizons through our online connections (Chopra,2013).
Every age it has passed through has been based on beliefs and new technologies, responding to the needs of individuals anxious to adjust to new forms of socialization. A time of great change is a period in which society looks for meaning. Information is already a tool, the principal tool, which people use to perceive and understand their environment (Idakwo,2011).
The emergence of online forums has become hugely popular in recent times with interactions based on similar discussions, posts and threads (Xiaolin, et al., 2009) (Sumit&Prasenjit, 2010).Online forums have become powerful tools for sharing information (Bedmar, 2010). Online discussion forums have also become one of the most popular places to ask and answer questions (Falls,2012).
Online Forums, compared to the other social media sites, have various unique features like threads; where discussions and posts are made, RSS feeds, polls, etc. Online Forums, provide aunique type of social environment that enables people to share and access information freely.Users can either start new topics or leave comments in the threads of existing topics (Xiaolin, etal.,2009).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Prospective students of an institution (the University) have had issues in the past when it comes to selecting careers, choosing their course of study and indecisions about the right school to apply for (Ogu, 2008) (Orndorff& Herr, 1996). However, to solve these problems, a platform needs to be created where these students can relate with others who can answer these questions.Consequently, relevant requirements have to be taken into consideration in the development of a web application to solve these problems stated above.
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To develop a web/online platform where students can share different questions or views on various topics and majorly make information about any institution accessible.This will be achieved through the following objectives:
Gathering the right requirements for this application.
Modeling the requirements gathered using a Unified Modeling Language(UML).
Implementing the system by creating a user-friendly platform that will be easier for these students to interact with each other and ask questions using threads and topics.
1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research work will be conducted by using different sources of relevant data for research like online surveys, journals, books and reviews of relevant literature. The requirements needed forthe development of this application will be gotten by a review of existing systems. A platform where users who will reply to the questions from other users or provide any form of information will be created by some ‘question and answer’ techniques to solve the problems stated above successfully. The online forum will also be designed showing all the different functions that willbe performed by using UML diagrams like use cases, class diagrams, etc. The implementation ofthe web application can now be done by making use of the design diagrams and programming will be done with PHP and the database management will be done by MySQL database taking aclue from existing forum softwares. The system will later on be evaluated by making use of feedbacks and reports from relevant users.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study has its relevance in solving real life problems affecting students today like indecisionsabout student’s course of study, career choices and misinformation about that institution. The application will also be flexible to provide different categories where users can have specific choices to select from. Lastly, this application will be focused on one institution i.e. Covenant University rather than addressing a greater audience, in other student forums.
Information is the bane of decision-making for students and present time web applications cannot live up to providing real time information that can be accessed from anywhere by the end user. It is important to put interest into the development and usage of online forums in solving these problems.
1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The basic limitation of this project is that the right set of university students with the right information and answers to any question may not be available to make this project a success. But, this will also be taking into consideration during the implementation of the project.
1.7 PROJECT ORGANIZATION
In Chapter Two, relevant literatures will be reviewed so as to elicit requirements for the proposed system. In Chapter Three, the requirements for the proposed system using the unified modeling languages will be designed. Chapter Four will be discussing and showing the system development, deployment and evaluation. Chapter Five will summarize the work and give recommendation for future work.
SHARE PROJECT MATERIALS ON:
Designing and implementing a social media-based web application for prospective university students involves creating a platform that facilitates communication, information sharing, and interaction among students who are considering attending the same university. Here’s a high-level overview of the key aspects involved in such a project:
1. Purpose and Features: Define the main purpose of the web application. In this case, it’s to connect prospective university students and provide them with a platform to interact, ask questions, share experiences, and gather information. Identify the key features the application should have, such as user profiles, forums, messaging, event listings, and information resources.
2. User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design: Create a user-friendly and visually appealing interface that aligns with the target audience’s preferences. Focus on ease of navigation, clear information presentation, and intuitive interactions. Design responsive layouts to ensure the application works well on various devices (desktops, tablets, and smartphones).
3. User Authentication and Profiles: Implement a secure user authentication system that allows users to create accounts, log in, and manage their profiles. Users should be able to update their personal information, add profile pictures, and specify their areas of interest.
4. Discussion Forums and Groups: Set up discussion forums and groups where prospective students can initiate and participate in discussions on various topics related to the university, courses, campus life, and more. Enable users to post questions, share insights, and engage in meaningful conversations.
5. Messaging and Direct Communication: Incorporate a messaging system that enables users to send private messages to each other. This feature can be particularly useful for users who want to connect one-on-one for more personalized interactions.
6. Event Listings and Calendar: Include a calendar feature where users can list and discover events relevant to university life, such as campus tours, open houses, academic seminars, and social gatherings. Allow users to RSVP for events and receive reminders.
7. Resource Sharing: Provide a platform for users to share resources like articles, videos, and links related to the university, academic programs, scholarships, and other relevant topics.
8. User-Generated Content: Allow users to post content such as photos, videos, and written posts to showcase their experiences, campus visits, and interactions with current students or faculty members.
9. Notifications and Alerts: Implement a notification system to inform users about new messages, forum updates, event reminders, and other relevant activities on the platform.
10. Privacy and Security: Prioritize user privacy and data security. Implement measures such as encryption, secure authentication practices, and clear privacy settings that allow users to control who can access their information.
11. Backend Development: Build the backend of the application to manage user data, handle interactions, and store content. Choose appropriate technologies and frameworks based on the project’s requirements.
12. Testing and Feedback: Thoroughly test the application to identify and address any bugs, usability issues, or performance bottlenecks. Gather feedback from potential users to make improvements and refine the user experience.
13. Launch and Marketing: Once the application is polished and tested, launch it to the target audience. Use marketing strategies such as social media promotion, partnerships with educational institutions, and online advertising to attract users.
Remember that building a web application involves various technical and design considerations. It’s important to have a skilled development team, including frontend and backend developers, UI/UX designers, and possibly QA testers, to bring the project to life successfully.