Android-Based NONESCOST Student

Handbook with Interactive Map

A Research Proposal
Presented to:
DR. SAMSON M. LAUSA
Northern Negros State College of Science & Technology

In Partial Fulfilment of the Subject

Methods of Research
Master in Information Technology

Presented by:
Gretchen S. Castillo
October 3, 2015

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
With the commitment to serve the community with excellence, the Northern Negros State
College of Science and Technology is doing its best to be at par with their operations. In the last
years, the school adopted the advancements in information technology, such as the automation of
its library system, enrolment system, the biometrics for employees log ins and outs and the
unique voting system for its Supreme Student Council.
The distribution of the student handbook to its freshmen students, a process which is
conducted every year after enrolment for the new students to be aware of the important matters
concerning the school. The handbooks are printed on paper and are distributed to every freshmen
and transferee students.
The NONESCOST student handbook is a small book that gives useful information about
the college. It covers the grading system, rules and regulations, courses and programs being
offered, enrolment requirements and others facts relevant to the institution.
There are times when the printed handbooks got lost, stolen and sometimes got drench in
rain water. For the researcher, it will be practical if students will have the student handbook on
their Android phones not only to save printing cost but also to ensure that the handbook will be
used until the students last year in the institution. We cannot deny the fact that only a small part
of the students read the handbook from start to finish, that many will disregard it once they have
it so when the time comes that they need to consult something from it, they found that it was not
usable or worst lost. With the advancement in technology where in smartphones are very
common among students and having considered the issues and concerns, the researcher was
motivated to propose the development of the Android-Based NONESCOST Handbook to be
used in the college.
Objectives of the Study
This research aims to design and develop an Android based NONESCOST Handbook
with Interactive Map for the students of NONESCOST.
Specifically, the project aim to:
1. Make the Student Handbook accessible to student anytime anywhere.
2. Make navigation inside the main campus easier for students.
Scope and Limitation of the Study
Scope of the Study
The Android-Based NONESCOST Handbook application will be for the students of the
college. The project will cover the history of NONESCOST, the grading system, the regulations
and rules, and other important information regarding the Northern Negros State College of
Science and Technology. It is not just a Handbook, it also has a map of the NONESCOST and
also a GPS to locate where you are inside the school premises.

Limitation of the Study

The limitations are that you cannot download the Android-Based NONESCOST
Handbook application and cannot activate the GPS if you do not have an internet or data
connection.
Significance of the Study
This application will be beneficial for the old and new students of the college and even
for the personnel and visitors. This application assures fast access to the Handbook for the
students of NONESCOST anytime anywhere provided the application is installed in their
Android phones.. This app is also eco-friendly because we dont use papers like the normal or
ordinary handbook.
The system will benefit the following stakeholders:
Newly enrolled students of NONESCOST. The application will provide students information
and knowledge about the College using their smartphones/tablets. The Interactive map will be
very useful to the new students of the college to find different locations here.
Old students of NONESCOST. It is not only for the new students but also for the old students
too because most of the old students are not yet familiar with the some of the information about
the College and if they are in doubt about rules and regulations of the college they can consult
their handbook through their Android phones/tablets.
Definition of Terms
Android. An open source
(www.technopedia.com).

operating

system

primarily

used

in

mobile

devices

GPS. Global Positioning System. a radio navigation system that allows land, sea, and airborne
users to determine their exact location, velocity, and time 24 hours a day, in all weather
conditions, anywhere in the world (www.gis2gps.com).
Handbook. A concise manual or reference book providing specific information or instruction
about a subject or place (www.thefreedictionary.com).
NONESCOST. Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology. This acronym
usually belong to Organizations, Education schools etc. (acronymslang.com).
Researcher. A researcher is someone who conducts research, an organized and systematic
investigation into something (www.vocabolary.com).
Student. A learner who enrolled in an educational institution (en.wikipedia.org).

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Mobile Learning
According to UNESCO, mobile learning involves the use of mobile technology, either
alone or in combination with other information and communication technology (ICT), to enable
learning anytime and anywhere. Learning can unfold in a variety of ways: people can use mobile
devices to access educational resources, connect with others, or create content, both inside and
outside classrooms. Mobile learning also encompasses efforts to support broad educational goals
such as the effective administration of school systems and improved communication between
schools and families. (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/themes/icts/m4ed/)
Monash University Smartphone App
Monash University smartphone app has been designed so the user can locate themselves
on a campus, then track their movement using their device, towards their destination identified
on the map. The Monash University app provides convenient access to important information
and Australian campus services in the palm of your hand.
Features include (1)eMaps of Berwick, Caulfield, Clayton, Gippsland, Parkville and
Peninsula campuses with layers of points of interest including libraries, banks, seateries, faculty
offices, lecture theatres and parking locations, (2)Staff Directory, (3)Monash News, (4)Events
guide that lists all upcoming activities on all Australian campuses, (5)Searchable unit entries
from the official University Handbook for all undergraduate and postgraduate offerings and
(6)Shuttle Bus Timetables. (http://www.monash.edu.au/news/show/pet-project-turns-into-stateof-the-artsmartphone)app)/)
Trip Tracker Application on Android
Trip Tracker is an Android based application for travellers to obtain the geo-location and
tag it with multimedia features. This application allows users to create, store and view their trips,
trip related information and all the memories that bring with it. Trip Tracker combines places
visited, notes taken and the images captured, and display all this information on a map at the
exact location where it all took place.
This application is developed to provide the users a rich user experience by having all the
information in one place, easy-to-access and interactive. With the help of Google Maps, each trip
can be drawn out on the map with all the locations visited and the route taken. The user will also
be able to view the description, the location address and the image captured if any. Trip Tracker,
developed in Android, provides extensive flexibility, supports many features and can be among
the best travel friendly app.
(http://sdsudspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.10/1%0%/&reeni#asa.pd f!se'uence"1)2014

Mobile Technology
According to Baiyun Chen, Ryan Seilhamer, Luke Bennett, and Sue Bauer (2014),
mobile technology, as an integral part of students' daily lives, has changed how they
communicate, gather information, allocate time and attention, and potentially how they learn.
The mobile platform's unique capabilities including connectivity, cameras, sensors, and GPS
have great potential to enrich the academic experience. Learners are no longer limited to the
classroom's geographical boundaries, for example; they can now record raw observations and
analyse data on location. Furthermore, mobile technology platforms let individuals discuss issues
with their colleagues or classmates in the field. The ever-growing mobile landscape thus
represents new opportunities for learners both inside and outside the classroom.
(http://er.educause.edu/articles/2015/6/students-mobile-learning-practices-in-higher-education-amultiyear-study)
Incorporating Technology in College Visits
According to Ryan Ryan Lytle (2012), the use of mobile and Web applications can give
students a new perspective on schools. As prospective students narrow their college lists, campus
visits can be effective in determining whether a school is a good fit. While in-person visits may
be the most beneficial way to experience college life, there are new technology options that can
give students a deeper look at collegeswhether they're on campus or not.
"Technology can enhance the college search process and a visit, but it isn't a replacement
for being personal and getting to know the students," Jefferson Blackburn-Smith, vice president
for enrollment management at Otterbein University, said via E-mail.
Some schools are integrating technology by providing mobile apps to "either create selfguided campus tours or to enhance the existing tour by making additional information available,"
Blackburn-Smith added. While Otterbein has not incorporated mobile apps within tours, he noted
that the university currently uses social media to connect with students during visits. "We'll
always try to balance high tech with high touch."

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the system development methodology used for the development of
the software. The researcher used the Modified Waterfall Model in developing the NONESCOST
Student Handbook with Integrated Map. The Modified Waterfall Model includes the different
stages such as Requirements Gathering and Analysis, System Design, Development, Testing,
Deployment of System and Maintenance. In the Requirements Gathering and analysis, the
researcher gathered information from the clients, who were the whole studentry of
NONESCOST. After gathering data, the researcher analyse the system and design by its
functions. The next step is the development phase where the researcher considered the software
and hardware requirements for the development and improvement of the system. To prove that
the system worked properly, the researcher did the testing phase, and double checked the
function of each features of the application. The system had met the standard expectation of the
users until the system had been distributed to the users. In order to maintain longer, the users
must have the responsibility to take good care of their cellular devices.

Figure 1. Modified Waterfall Approach Model

Requirements gathering and Analysis
The researcher conducted data gathering from the students from different departments in
the NONESCOST Main Campus. The students were provided some evaluation form and were
asked for some suggestion, and opinion regarding the system.

Locale
The developed application, Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with
Interactive Map will be implemented to the whole students of NONESCOST Main Campus.
NONESCOST Main Campus is the main campus among the other campuses of NORTHERN
NEGROS STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, which is located at Brgy.
Old Sagay, Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

Figure 2. Location Map of NONESCOST Main Campus

Population of the Study
The population of this study is the whole studenty of NONESCOST Main Campus. The
total population of the Main Campus is 4159. Since the total population was not manageable, the
researcher used the Slovins formula to calculate an appropriate sample size from a population.

Where:
n
N
e

=
=
=

sample size
population size
margin of error .05

Computation for

n=

4, 159
1+4, 159 (0.05)2

= 364 sample size

The population of NONESCOST Main Campus is 4, 159, the sample size is 364.

Figure 3. The Organizational Structure Chart of NONESCOST

Requirements Specifications

Figure 4. Functional Decomposition Chart of Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook

with Interactive Map
Figure 4 showed the Functional Decomposition Chart of the Android Based
NONESCOST Student Handbook with Interactive Map. This showed the Home, Student
Handbook, Interactive Map, About the Application and the Developer.
The Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with Interactive Map had a
decomposition chart which was composed of a Home Page, where you can manage your account
to go back to the application to its proper main menu.
Student Handbook feature is one of the feature where you can find the contents of the
whole student handbook. The interactive map feature is for those who are not familiar in
navigating the NONESCOST Main Campus provided the user is connected to the internet. The
user can track his/her current location and can find different ways to reach his/her destination
inside the Main Campus.
About the App is where you can find the description and the purpose of this Android
Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with Interactive Map. Developer is the researcher of
this application or system.
Technical Feasibility
Androids compatibility and links to the current Compatibility Definition Document
which has the technical requirements.
Table 1
Androids Compatibility
Android Version
Software Version
Android 4.4
Kitkat

Android 4.3, Android 4.2 and

Android 4.1
Android 4.0
Android 3.0

Jelly Bean
Ice Cream Sandwich
Honeycomb

The developed system was not compatible to the android phones which has lower than
3.0 versions. New devices intended to be Android compatible must shift with Android 3.0 or
higher. The absolute minimum requirements for Android were originally a 200 MHz processor,
32 MB of RAM, and 32 MB of storage.
Relevance of Technologies
Android powers hundreds of millions of mobile devices in more than 190 countries
around the world. Android gave a world-class platform for creating apps and games for Android
users everywhere, as well as market-place for distributing them instantly. As the researcher has
noticed Android mobile phone is commonly used of almost all students of Northern Negros State
College of Science and Technology as the most basic tool for their education. Smart phones are
now available in all authorized stores anywhere and it cost cheaper than it was developed at the
first time. The Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with Interactive Map is
accessible through Android phones and tablet making the college information available for
everyone anytime anywhere without the hustle of leafing through pages of the manual student
handbooks.
Schedule Feasibility
Schedule Feasibility is defined as the probability of a project to be completed within its
scheduled time limits, by a planned due date (www.taskmanagementguide.com).
Figure 5. Gantt chart of the development of Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook
with Interactive Map

Pert Chart
This figure showed the Program Evaluation and review Technique (PERT) a project
management tool that provides a graphical representation of a projects timeline
(www.investopedia.com).

Figure 6. PERT chart of the development of Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook
with Interactive Map
PERT Table
The program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a project scheduling technique
to analyse and represent the task involved in completing a given project
(www.pmknowledgecenter.com).
Table 2
PERT Table of the development of Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with
Interactive Map
Task Name
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J

Documentation Chapter 1-3

Requirements Phase
Data Flow Diagram
Context Diagram
Coding
Testing
Modification of System
Final Testing
User Acceptance Testing
Documentation Chapter 4-5

Legend:
P-Predecessors
LF-Latest Finish
ES-Earliest Start

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

OC
D
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

ES

EF

LS

LF

ST

19
13
6
15
8
9
4
5
5
62

0
19
32
38
53
61
70
74
79
84

19
32
38
53
61
70
74
79
84
146

0
19
32
38
53
61
70
74
79
84

19
32
38
53
61
70
74
79
84
146

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

D-Duration
EF-Earliest Finish
LS-latest Start
ST-Slack Time
OCP-On Critical Path

System Budget
A budget is a quantitative expression of a plan for a defined period of time. It may
include planned sales volumes and revenues (www.google.com.ph).
Table 3
System Budget of Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with Interactive Map
Design and Implementation Cost
Hardware Cost
Programmer
Implementation

Amount
15,000.00
10,000.00
5,000.00

Total
Operation and Maintenance Cost
Maintenance

30,000.00
Amount
700.00

Total

700.00

Benefits of the System

Reduce printing cost
Total

Amount
25,000.00
25,000.00

Cost and Benefit Analysis

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) estimates and totals up the equivalent money value of the
benefits and cost to the community of projects to establish whether they are worthwhile
(www.google.com.ph).
Table 4
Cost and Benefit Analysis
CASH FLOW
DESCRIPTION

Design & Implementation

Cost
Operation & Maintenance
Cost
Discount Factor @ 12%

YEAR 0

YEAR
1

YEAR
2

YEAR 3

YEAR
4

YEAR 5

700

735

770

805

840

0.893

0.797

0.712

0.646

0.567

625

586

548

512

476

30,000

Time Adjusted Cost

(adjusted cost to present
value)
Cumulative Time-Adjusted
Cost Over Lifetime

30,000

30,625

31,211

31,759

32,271

32,747

Benefits from the Operation

of the New System

25,000

26,250

27,500

28,750

30,000

Discount Factor @ 12%

0.893

0.797

0.712

0.646

0.567

Time Adjusted Benefits

(Present value)

22, 325

20,921

19,580

18,572

17,010

Cumulative Time-Adjusted
Lifetime Benefits

22, 325

43,246

62,826

81,398

98,408

Cumulative LifetimeAdjusted Cost+Benefits

-30,000

-19909

12,035

31,076

49,127

65,661

Time Adjustment Payback Period -----------------1.46 years

Return-On-Investment is a performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of a number of

different investments (www.investopedia.com). To calculate the ROI, the formula is:
ROI

ROI
NPV
NPV
NPV

ELB ELC * 100%

ELC

65,661 * 100%
32,747
200.51%
CALB CALC
98,408 65,661
32,747

=
=
=
=

Where:
ROI =
ELB =
ELC =
NPV =
CLAB =
CALC =

Return-on-Investment
Estimated Lifetime Benefits
Estimated Lifetime Cost
Net Present Value
Cumulative Adjustment Lifetime Benefits
Cumulative Adjustment Lifetime Cost

Context Diagram
A Context Diagram is a component of Functional Modelling that stands on its own as a
valuable tool (www.burgehugheswalsh.co.uk). The following is the context diagram of the
application, Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with Interactive Map.

Figure 7. Context-level Data Flow Diagram

Data Flow Diagram

A Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation of the flow of data through
an information system, modelling its process aspects (www.google.com.ph).

Figure 8. Exploded Data Flow Diagram

System Design
System design is the process of defining the architecture, components, modules,
interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specified requirements. System design could be seen
as the application of systems theory to product development (en.wikipedia.org).
In this phase the system had undergone several testing and thoroughly examined until the
system design is prepared. The Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with Interactive
Map has a system design that the students can be able to familiarize with navigating the system.
The application has a home page, where you can start to select. The interactive map feature to
track your current position and to locate your destination.
Development
The following are the system requirements of the Android Based NONESCOST Student
Handbook with Interactive Map. The developed system used the following software and
hardware requirements for the development and for the improvement of the system/application.
Software Requirements:
HTML, CSS and JavaScript: For the design and lay-out of the application
Apache Cordova: is a platform for building native mobile applications using HTML, CS
and JavaScript. This allows you to build mobile applications locally.
Android SDK: The Android SDK provides you the API libraries and developer tools
necessary to build, test and debug apps for Android.
Hardware Requirements
Computer System (Laptop or Desktop) at least have the following:
Intel i3 2.5 GHz clock speed processor (higher much better)

4 GB RAM (Higher much bette)

Operating System Windows XP or Windows 7 (32/64 bit)
Smartphone device with Android OS

Programming Environment
The front end of the system was developed by using the html. A hypertext Markup
symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page. The
markup tells the Web browser how to display a Web pages words and images for the user. The
CSS, a Cascading style sheets that are used to format the layout of Web pages. They can be used
to define text styles, table sizes, and other aspects of Web pages that previously could only be
defined in a pages HTML, and the Apache Cordova, a platform used to convert the html, css,
and java script into APK to run into the Android phone.
The back end of the system was supported by the local storage using the java script files,
a client-side scripting language, which means the source code, processed by the clients web
rather than on the web server.
Test Plan
The developed system entitled Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with
Interactive Map, had undergone the initial testing, final testing, and the user acceptance testing,
to test if the system developed was appropriate to the client/users. Before conducting the study,
the researcher double checked the system if it really worked properly before presenting it to the
experts who rated the system. After the form was prepared, some IT experts selected from the IT
department who had the authority and availability to rate the system.
Test Data
After the researcher conducted the study, the evaluation form gathered from all the
experts and clients who had been asked to rate the system. The ratings were then computed based
on the format given from the evaluation result form. Each ratings signified the Very Good which
is the number 5, 4 for Good, 3 for Average, 2 for Fair, and 1 for Poor. Based on the McCall
Result Form, the ratings of the expert and client were almost the same, because it fell on the
good interpretation, and it showed the total mean of 4.15 which is good.
Initial System Testing
To evaluate the systems features, the researcher conducted initial testing of the system
using a self-made testing tool. The self-made testing tool had undergone validation based on the
criteria set forth by carter V. Goods and Douglas F. Scates to evaluate the content and format of
the software evaluation form.
Final System Testing
For the evaluation of the developed Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook
with Interactive Map, the researcher used the McCalls Software Quality Model.
In this phase, the developers personally set an appointment with the selected experts of
Information Technology to test whether the developed Android Based NONESCOST Student
Handbook with Interactive Map met the software criteria.

User Acceptance Testing

User acceptance testing (UAT) is the last phase of the software testing process. During
UAT, actual software users test the software t make sure it can handle required tasks in the ralworld scenarios, according to specifications (www.technopedia.com).
After a thorough evaluation made by an expert, finally the system was ready for the user
acceptance testing to double check and to evaluate the features and functions of the developed
system. This is to ensure that intended functions and features are working properly and that the
system is functioning according to the users expectations.
Deployment Diagram
Model the physical aspect of an object-oriented software system. It models the run-time
configuration in a static view and visualizes the distribution of components in an application
(www.visual-paradigm.com).

Development

Create the
application

Creating Android project with

source code and resource file.

Build and run

the application

Build and run the application

in debug mood.

Debug the
application

Debug the application using the

Android debugging tools.

Test the
application

Test the application using the Android

Testing instrumentation framework.

Debugging and Testing

Prepare the application

for release

Publishing

Release the
application

Configure, build, and test the

Application in release mood.

Distribute the Application to users.

Figure 11. Deployment Diagram of Android Based NONESCOST Student Handbook with
Interactive Map