IMRad
IMRad
EMMANUEL T. MENDOZA
ARMAN A. DOYOGAN
JAY S. FUEGO
Jose Rizal Memorial State University- Main Campus, Dapitan City, Zamboanga Del Norte
_______________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT
Employability of graduates is one of the indicators being assessed by higher education
institutions (HEIs) to find out whether the quality of education they provide is suitable for the
needs of the industry. This study was conducted to develop an alumni tracing system designed to
allow the university to purposely trace its alumni using the internet. The system can be used as a
tool to find out important information about them, like their employment status, and to identify
which skills are essential to their present work. This information, in turn, can help the HEI
determine the improvements that they need to make to the existing curriculum. It used
developmental research method utilizing 15 evaluators, evaluating the software output. The system
has the following features statical report for employment status of alumni, alumni messenger,
chatbot, alumni profile, registration confirmation and adding alumni coordinator. The overall
acceptability of the software project descripted as very much acceptable. Implementing an
automated alumni tracking system can help overcome these challenges and enable educational
institutions to better connect with their alumni community, leverage their expertise, and foster
stronger alumni relationships.
Keywords: Graduate Employability, Alumni Tracing System, Higher Education Institutions,
Industry Relevance, Curriculum Improvement, Developmental Research, Software Evaluation,
Alumni Engagement, Skills Assessment, Automated Tracking System
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Introduction
Websites are now so common in today's society that virtually everything can be
accessed on them, such as a research paper. Survey and alumni information are now
gathered and created. Higher learning institutions (HEIs) must maintain close supervision
among their students to ensure that they are getting adequate preparation to guarantee stable
employment and to pass national board examinations. This could also help assess the
usefulness of the academic programs offered by the HEIs.
Tracking alumni is challenged by factors such as the extensive cooperation needed
among numerous institutional units, the multi-faceted approaches needed to collect
necessary data, internal institutional policy barriers, and even a misguided notion that
alumni tracking is not the job of postsecondary institutions (Chan & Derry, 2013).
Additional challenges stem from the difficulties inherent in collecting person-level data
such as employability, employment reporting, and other contextual factors.
According to Quitevis, et al. (2019), tracer study results could help assess the
usefulness of the programs as well as their effectiveness, and eventually its success or
failure. In fact, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has been firm on its stand that
part of the moral responsibilities of HEIs is to know the whereabouts of their alumni the
kind of employment they have, their success and difficulties while seeking for jobs and
while on-the-job. They are very rich sources of information which can help improve the
HEIs’ market relevance to address the following job-related problems (cited by Garcia,
2016). The same situations prevailed in later years. An article of Bernabe published in
Philippine Daily Inquirer on October 28, 2013 reported a World Bank study in 2011 which
found that tertiary education failed to meet its potential because HEIs were operating as
disconnected individual institutions, rather than as parts of a larger ecosystem that included
employers and companies.
The unemployment rate in the Philippines was 16.6% in the second quarter of 2012;
however, this was lower than the 16.6% reported in the same period in 2011. College
graduates make up the largest category of jobless or underemployed people in the
Philippines. Graduates' struggles to get employment were frequently caused by their
incapability and lack of skills for the positions that were open. The alarming youth
unemployment rate and the demands of globalization on HEIs to produce graduates who
are business-savvy or who can find employment quickly after graduation were also
mentioned by Bernabe. This relieved the industry of the need to provide initial training for
its recruits.
In order to assist HEIs in tracking the locations of their graduates across all of their
academic program offerings, the researchers created an alumnus tracking and social
network system. As part of the academic criteria for the student researchers who
participated in this project, the researchers made the audacious choice to implement an
alumnus tracking and social networking system in August 2022. It was made possible by
the participation of all college deans and other HEI stakeholders, where the original survey
was performed.
One strategy for enhancing the relationship between alumni and educational
institutions is the development of a virtual, interactive portal that provides them with useful
information. This will make it possible for colleges and alumni to keep in touch long after
a course has ended, regardless of location or time. The least amount of manual entry and
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centralized data collection is required for the collection and maintenance of alumni records,
which is the primary research topic that this essay aims to address. Alumni who have
previously graduated and are preoccupied with their own pursuits may find it tough to
persuade and motivate them to update their profiles.
The main research contribution of this study is the development and
implementation of an alumni tracking and social network system with the following
objectives: to maintain records of all Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Main Campus
alumni, including their current academic and/or employment status, as well as their
whereabouts. To create an online alumni yearbook as a stepping stone for alumni-student
and inter-alumni relationships.
Allowing alumni to update and keep their own information will help ensure an up-
to-date alumni database while automating the process of tracking alumni and the social
network system. The possibility of having one's most recent profile appear in the yearbook
alongside his or her classmates might, in some ways, encourage alumni to update their
online profiles.
Additionally, initial information for alumni may be immediately pulled from the
university student database, negating the need for laborious human data gathering and
entry. From this work, similar system developers and researchers may be able to
comprehend the key problems associated with the digitization and integration of student
records. Other domains may also benefit from the approaches and heuristics used to deal
with inconsistent and duplicate records. This study generally aims to develop an Alumni
Tracking and Social Network System in Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Main
Campus. Despite the growing importance of alumni engagement, many educational
institutions still struggle to effectively track and connect with their alumni. This leads to a
lack of communication and disconnection between alumni and their alma mater, hindering
the development of mutually beneficial relationships. This study sought responses about
the similarities and differences between the existing Alumni Tracking and Social Network
System at Jose Rizal Memorial State University and the one being proposed in this study.
Specifically, it will seek answers to the following:
1. What is the current status of Alumni Tracking and Social Network System for
JRMSU?
2. What are the features involved on the newly developed Alumni Tracking and Social
Network System for JRMSU?
3. How the Artificial Intelligence (Chatbot) for Alumni Tracking and Social Network
System can be Implemented?
4. How the developed systems assist in terms of:
a. functionality;
b. reliability; and
c. usability
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Methods
The research methodology employs a developmental research method focusing
on designing, developing, and evaluating programs. It aims for internal reliability,
usability, and functionality criteria. The study introduces the "Alumni Tracking and Social
Network System" as a specific application of this method. The study involves IT
professionals, Alumni students, and faculty from JRMSU as respondents. The study
utilizes an evaluation sheet based on ISO/IEC 9126 standards to measure software quality
factors—functionality, reliability, and usability. Validation methods include content
validity and reliability testing using Cronbach's alpha. The study utilizes an evaluation
sheet based on ISO/IEC 9126 standards to measure software quality factors—functionality,
reliability, and usability. Validation methods include content validity and reliability testing
using Cronbach's alpha. Statistical tools such as Frequency and Percentage and Mean are
used to analyze and interpret data collected from different respondent groups. The project
development process takes a transportation improvement from concept through the
construction. It covers a range of activities extending to early planning, public outreach,
and evaluation so that project needs, goals and objectives, issues, and impacts can be
identified before the significant resources are expended. The project development process
takes a lot of improvement from concept through construction. It can be defined both with
a project life cycle and system development life cycle, in which different activities occur.
The Project Life Cycle refers to a four-step process that can be followed when moving
through stages of project completion known as Initiation (starting the project), Planning
(Organizing and Preparing), Execution (Carrying out the work), and Closure (Closing the
project). The System Development Life Cycle is a process for planning, creating, testing,
and deploying an information system also it is used to improve and maintain Information
Systems. It focuses on the software engineering phases, processes, tools and techniques for
constructing and/or implementing the IT solution. The figure in the next page presents the
Project Development Life Cycle. Each process is connected to each other sequentially by
an arrow and is numbered from 1 to 7. It starts with Data Gathering followed by
Requirements Analysis; Designing; Coding; Testing and Evaluation; Implementation; and,
Documentation. First, the researchers gathered data and information sources from the
internet. The requirements analysis sets and designs the software and hardware
requirements needed by the users. After having all the desired information requirements
gathered and analyzed, the researchers designed the system. While in the designing
process, they started the program coding using PHP Laravel programming language and
MySQL for the database. Finally, testing and evaluation of the system are done. Each step
and process were verified by the researchers for the correctness of the output and its
functionality performance by the software. When errors are found, it goes to the previous
process for another software verification procedure to be considered. It gives information
to everyone who uses this study for their proposal method and can help them verify the
good procedure and the process of the system “Alumni Tracking and Social Network
System”. The process follows a structured approach, resembling a Project Life Cycle and
System Development Life Cycle. It involves stages like Requirements Analysis, Design,
Coding, Testing, Implementation, and Documentation. Detailed architectural design
elements, including Entity Relationship Diagrams, Class Diagrams, Object Diagrams,
Sequence Diagrams, and Data Flow Diagrams, are illustrated. Sample code snippets using
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Problem 1. What is the current status of Alumni Tracking and Social Network
System for JRMSU?
platform, making it easier for them to connect and stay in touch with one another. With an
alumni messenger, alumni members can send private messages to other members, create
group chats for discussions related to specific topics or events, and receive notifications
when they receive new messages. This can be particularly helpful for alumni who may be
spread out across different locations or who have busy schedules that make it difficult to
connect in person. In addition, an alumni messenger can also be a useful tool for
networking and career development. Members can use the messaging feature to reach out
to other alumni who work in their desired industry or who have expertise in a particular
field. They can also use group chats to connect with alumni who are interested in similar
career paths or professional development opportunities.
When the user submits the registration form, we use an API to automatically send
an email to the user's Gmail address notifying them that their registration has been accepted
or declined. In the email, we include necessary details about their registration, such as a
confirmation link.
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Problem 3. How does the Artificial Intelligence (Chatbot) for Alumni Tracking and
Social Network System can be Implemented?
The chatbot can initiate a conversation by asking "How's it going?". The code also includes
a function compareSentences that computes the similarity between two sentences by
calculating the Jaccard similarity coefficient. The similarity score is returned as a
percentage.
Additionally, the code defines two more functions getLevenshteinSimilarity and
jaroWinklerDistance that compute the similarity between two strings using the Levenshtein
distance and Jaro-Winkler distance algorithms, respectively. These algorithms are
commonly used for string matching and measure the edit distance between two strings. The
similarity score is also returned as a percentage.
The code also includes a collapsible interface that allows users to expand or
collapse chatbot messages. The function getTime returns the current time and is used to
display the time of each chat message. Finally, the function firstBotMessage initiates the
conversation with the user by displaying the chatbot's first message on the screen.
Problem 4. How does the Alumni Tracking and Social Network System be measure
in terms of:
a. functionality;
b. reliability; and
c. usability
It is based on the software’s functionality, reliability and usability and it must be
subjective to an evaluator’s inquiry for the functions that correspond to the desired
outcome. The result of tabulation of the above-mentioned factors are presented on the next
page. Five (5) Alumni Students, five (5) Faculty/Instructor and three (3) IT Professionals
served as evaluators among the respondents. Each respondents rated the study according
to the criteria created by the researchers:
The means would be interpreted by the following ranges plotted below:
Numerical Rating Ranges Descriptive Rating
5 4.21 – 5.0 Very Much Functional, Reliable, Usable
4 3.41 – 4.20 Much Functional, Reliable, Usable
3 2.62 – 3.40 Functional, Reliable, Usable
2 1.81 – 2.60 Fairly Functional, Reliable, Usable
1 1.0 – 1.80 Nott Functional, Reliable, Usable
Functionality
Table 6. Perceived Rating of Respondents in terms of Functionality:
Functionality Criterion: Weighted Mean Descriptions
Intended use of a software 4.63 Very Much Functional
Data manipulation 4.57 Very Much Functional
Compliance of end-user 4.57 Very Much Functional
needs
Security of system data 4.47 Very Much Functional
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Reliability
Table 7. Perceived Rating of Respondents in terms of Reliability
Reliability Criterion: Weighted Mean Description
Process performed by the 4.50 Very Much Reliable
system
Stability of the system 4.37 Very Much Reliable
Accuracy of data capture 4.60 Very Much Reliable
Error tolerance 4.10 Very Much Reliable
Process performed by the 4.60 Very Much Reliable
system
Average weighted mean 4.34 Very Much Reliable
Usability
Table 8. Perceived Rating of Respondents in terms of Usability
Usability Criterion: Weighted Mean Description
User friendly program 4.73 Very Much Usable
Simple manipulation Very Much Usable
features
Wrong key input errors 4.23 Very Much Usable
detection
Data Storage 4.57 Very Much Usable
Production of data output 4.70 Very Much Usable
Average weighed mean 4.56 Very Much Usable
The table 9 presents the results of a weighted mean analysis of three criteria:
functionality, reliability, and usability. The analysis was conducted using a scale of 1 to 5,
with 5 being the highest score. The weighted mean for functionality is 4.59, which indicates
that the functionality of the product is very much functional. Similarly, the weighted mean
for reliability is 4.34, indicating that the product is very much reliable. The weighted mean
for usability is 4.56, which means that the product is very much usable. The overall average
weighted mean for the three criteria is 4.50, which suggests that the system is very much
functional, reliable, and usable. This is a positive assessment of the system performance
across these three important criteria.
Alumni Networks and Career Outcomes: Evidence from a Top Business School"
by Daniel Kim, Yoonseo Kang, and Lynn Wu (2019). This study investigates the
relationship between alumni networks and career outcomes for graduates of a top business
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school. The authors analyze the functionality and reliability of the alumni network
platform, as well as its usability for job-seeking and networking purposes.
These studies highlight the importance of functionality, reliability and usability in
alumni tracking and social networking platforms, as well as the potential impact of user
experience on alumni engagement. They also suggest potential areas for improvement in
the functionality, reliability and usability of these platforms, such as the incorporation of
mobile technology and social network analysis.
Conclusion
Admittedly, alumni are valuable assets for institutions of higher education. Thus,
the more alumni communication is in place, the greater the opportunities for feedback and
knowledge development. The current alumni tracking system at JRMSU-Main Campus can
be time-consuming, prone to errors, limited in scalability, challenging for data analysis,
and may result in missed opportunities for alumni engagement. Implementing an
automated alumni tracking system can help overcome these challenges and enable
educational institutions to better connect with their alumni community, leverage their
expertise, and foster stronger alumni relationships.
The developers decided to create the Alumni Tracking and Social Network System
to help the university track the alumni and gather their information through an online portal
without hassle. Alumni can use their own computers and mobile devices to register,
monitor, and update their current status. In view of the above, the developers would like to
recommend that additional verification procedures be made to ensure that only bona fide
alumni can register in the system. Main innovations encompass the inclusion of not only
alumni but also current students who can visit the website for various purposes. Therefore,
the link with the university is strengthened from the beginning, with a tendency to bolster
the bond between the students (current and alumni) and the educational institution. An
alumni tracking and social networking system can provide numerous benefits for both the
alumni and the educational institution. It allows alumni to stay connected with their former
classmates, professors, and the university, which can lead to opportunities for networking,
career development, and personal growth. For the institution, it can help with fundraising
efforts, student recruitment, and reputation management.
However, it is important to ensure that the system is user-friendly, secure, and
respects the privacy of the alumni. It should also be regularly updated and maintained to
ensure its effectiveness. Additionally, the success of such a system depends on the level of
participation and engagement from the alumni, so the institution must actively promote and
encourage alumni to use the platform.
Recommendations
The researchers would like to recommend the Alumni Tracking and Social Network
system to be able to track the Alumni conveniently. It can provide a platform for alumni to
connect with each other, share their achievements, and stay updated on events and activities
happening at their alma mater. For future researchers wish to continue exploring the topic
of alumni tracking and social network systems this can serve as a starting point for future
research and can lead to a deeper understanding of alumni tracking and social network
systems and their impact on universities and alumni engagement.
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References
Quitevis, C.Q., F.D. Lopez, I. Binay-an and R. Sanidad (2019). Tracking the Alumni of
the Graduate School in a Philippine Higher Education Institution. Asia Pacific
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2350-7756 e-ISSN 2350-8442
Bernabe, K. C., October 28, 2013 (citing the World Bank study in 2011 and UP
President’s statements regarding unemployment/underemployment). Philippine
Daily Inquirer, www.inquirer.net.
Prof. Seema Vanjire, Unmesh Kanchan, "Location Based Service on Smart Phone
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