Journal of Energy Technology and Environment Vol. 6(1) 2024 pp.

68 - 77 ISSN-2682-583x

Design and Implementation of a Mobile Application for Project Assessment

and Presentation for Tertiary Institution

Iruansi, U., Odia, O., Ehizuenlen, E.P., and Sule, A. G.O

Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State. Nigeria
*Corresponding Author Email: prudence.ehizuenlen@uniben.edu

Article information Abstract

The use of mobile applications (apps) has become popular in
Article History recent times due to its usefulness in several areas of everyday life
Received: 10 February 2024 such as communication, social media, shopping, banking, and
Revised: 20 February 2024 education. With increasing interest in making educational
Accepted: 28 February 2024 activities such as learning and communication between students
Available online: 15 March 2024 and academic staff (lecturers) as easy and convenient as possible,
software developers have designed and implemented different
mobile apps to address specific academic activities. This paper
Keywords:
focuses on designing and implementing a mobile app for tertiary
Mobile Application, Project
institution project assessment and presentation. The proposed
Assessment, Mobile App, Android
mobile app encompasses features that facilitate project
Devices, Software Development
submission, peer review, and instructor’s assessment thus
fostering a collaborative and technologically enriched learning
environment. The mobile app was developed using the iterative
waterfall model with the implementation phase leveraging
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10823185 contemporary mobile app development frameworks and
methodologies in other to realize the desired designed features.
https://nipesjournals.org.ng
© 2024 NIPES Pub. All rights reserved Preliminary results obtained from the mobile app testing and
usage by a sampled group indicated improved efficiency in project
evaluation, increased student engagement, and a positive impact
on the overall learning experience.

1. Introduction

The use of mobile applications also referred to as mobile apps has become highly pervasive in recent
times. A mobile app is an application software designed to run on a mobile handheld device such
as a smartphone, Android device, tablet [1], or computer. It is usually developed to serve as an
interface to the standard application [2]. The importance of mobile apps in mobile devices is
undeniably unending as their application spans several areas of everyday life and activities such as
communication, education, cooking, social media, shopping, business, banking, and a lot more.
Whatever its application area, mobile apps generally have some common features which include
analytics, content display, in-app messaging, location services, navigation and search, offline
access, push notifications, security, settings and preferences, social media integration, user
authentication and user profile. Regarding its application in education, it is used for tertiary teaching
and research by academic staff and undergraduate students [3]. This has become necessary
especially when students have to share their research work in the form of a thesis with an academic
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staff (supervisor). Previously, this type of communication was done using printed papers, which
has become inconvenient and exhausting. The use of mobile apps in sharing, preparing, and
assessing students by their project supervisors has proved to be time-saving, economical, and
convenient. In line with these benefits, this paper focuses on the design and implementation of a
project assessment and presentation mobile application for tertiary schools.

Several researches have been conducted in the designing and implementation of mobile apps for its
various areas of applications. An overview of the key themes, trends, and significant contributions
in the field of app development are as discussed below.
In 2022, [3] conducted a survey that was made available to staff and higher-degree students
(collectively referred to as academics) across the University to capture their perspective on mobile
app use for teaching and research. The report talked about how a survey was available to staff and
higher degree students across the university to capture their perspective on mobile application use
for teaching and research. [4] performed a comparative demonstration and Analysis of File Sharing
Applications on Android Mobile Devices. The research was focused on the file-sharing applications
running on smartphones specifically Android mobile devices. Demonstration was performed by
conducting file sharing on an Android mobile device using mobile file sharing applications by
transferring all types of files such as single small files, single big files, and multiple small and big
files to compare the file transfer rate among these file sharing applications. Different analysis was
performed focusing on ease of access and compatibility and the results obtained were presented.
[5] study focused on the application of the design science research approach in the development of
a mobile learning application called MobileEdu for computing education in the Nigeria higher
educational context. It described analysis, design, and implementation activities related to the
development of MobileEdu and also deliberated on the characteristics and scope of its adherence to
the traits and ideas of design science research. The design was evaluated in a real-life learning
setting, through an experiment conducted with 142 third-year undergraduate students in a Nigerian
university. [6] proposed an implementation of a mobile application-based P2P learning system that
was named “EachOther”. The implementation scenario is on students of an IT course at the High
School of Technology of Fez (ESTF). The study focused on the conception, development, and
implementation of a mobile application based on an Android system to support collaborative
learning, through the application of object-oriented modeling language which is Unified Modeling
Language (UML). [7] designed a seamless file-sharing application for Android devices. In this
study, it was concluded that the application could be a solution for frequent disconnection of P2P
file sharing in mobile devices. Since SFS doesn’t use the server, there were no additional
communication costs. It was said that all users need a simple operation done by themselves. This
improved the limitation of devices such as low battery or lack of capacity. [8] designed, developed,
and presented two applications to support students learning in the Greek secondary education
environment. The structure and functions of the two applications were presented under the names
“Aepp_App” and “CS_App”. The mobile applications were intended for use by teachers and
students during a lesson as well as outside the classroom setting, with the use of Android mobile
devices. [9] implemented a P2P file-sharing system which showed that a P2P file-sharing system
between mobile devices can be designed and implemented using Bluetooth as a communication
protocol. The application allows J2ME and MIDP (Mobile Information Device Profile) enabled
mobile devices to share and publish the files in the network over Bluetooth, search for specific types
of files such as (music, pictures, text, and programs) and download them onto their local memory.
It is possible to develop the system in the future, to add more features and the capacity to work on
more than one operating system for mobiles.

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[10] provided an overview of previous studies conducted on mobile learning applications and
investigated the challenges and difficulties of the design and development of mobile learning
applications. To have a better understanding of implementing a mobile learning application, a
prototype of one mobile learning application was developed to educate and enhance motivation
among adults to donate specific necessities for underprivileged students. [11] designed and
implemented a mobile application to disseminate students’ results of their examinations using Java
programming language, Phased model as Software Development methodology, and Android
technology. The study obtained it’s through documentation, interview, and observation techniques.
[12] developed a mobile application to simplify the learning process in secondary and high schools.
The mobile application was developed on the Andriod operating system given the extensive use of
mobile devices and a convenient application development toolkit. The mobile application is meant
to simplify the acquisition of information required for an effective educational process. A
pedagogical experiment was conducted as part of the study at the S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State
University.

The review of the literature shows that several mobile applications have been developed to address
many educational activities such as learning, disseminating student results, and file sharing.
However, none addressed the assessment and presentation of the documents that are been shared
between students and the academic staff (supervisor). Hence, this study will address that gap.

2. Materials and Methods

The mobile app developed in this study is called Project Assessment and Presentation Application
(PAPA). As the name suggests, it is useful in sending, receiving, assessing, presenting, and
reviewing project works. This study employed the use of several materials listed in the sub-section
below that were interfaced together to develop the mobile app.

2.1 Materials Used for the Design

The materials required for the design include both hardware and software. The hardware materials
included the following:

a. smartphone (android)
b. laptop computer (Intel x86 CPU, 2 GB RAM, Core i5)
c. router
The software required are:
a. C++
b. Java
c. Kotlin
d. React Native
e. Java Script
f. Redox
g. XML
h. SDK
i. Node JS
j. Firebase
k. Typescript

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2.2 Method for the Design
The method employed in implementing this design followed the Iterative Waterfall method as
shown in Figure 1.

Survey

Software
Design

Implementation

Testing

Suitable
Method

Operation &
Maintenance

Figure 1: Iterative Waterfall Method

The two key approaches are survey and experimental (software design, implementation, testing,
suitable method, operation and maintenance). For the survey approach, a total number of 22
questionnaires were distributed among 19 students and 3 academic staff to obtain insights on the
expected design and operational requirements for the implementation of the proposed mobile app.
The questionnaire as presented in the Appendix was divided into four sections namely; to obtain
user information, user’s experience, presentation of results, and overall satisfaction and
recommendations. The analysis of the different responses from all the respondents then formed the
basis on which the decision of the design and operational requirements for the proposed mobile app
was made.

The experimental approach involves the development of the mobile app which began with putting
together designs and ideas. A rough sketch of the design architecture was made to assist in the
implementation of the mobile app. Next, was the implementation of the design which involved the
interfacing of various materials such as a laptop, a smartphone (android), and a router. The laptop
was used to design and write codes necessary for the smooth operation of the app. The router
provided active internet connectivity during the app development. The implementation stage was
followed by testing which is necessary to identify and rectify any errors made during the building
of the mobile app. This is to ensure glitch-free operation and to promote the quality of the mobile
app. A suitable method was then selected for the development of the mobile app. This process was
followed from planning to creating, to testing, and then picking the best method for designing the
mobile app. Lastly, there is the operation and maintenance stage which makes sure that the mobile
app is ready for use and is in good condition for it to be released to the public.

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2.3 Framework for the Developed Mobile App
The developed mobile app has a framework that describes how the mobile app works as shown in
Figure 2.

MOBILE APP
LAUNCH
SCREEN

SIGN UP /
SIGN UP SIGN IN
SIGN IN

UPLOAD USER HOME

PROJECT PAGE / INBOX

RECEIVER’S SIGN OUT

EMAIL

TITLE OF
PROJECT

RECORD
VOICE NOTE

NOTES

Figure 2: Framework of the Mobile App (PAPA)

The mobile app allows users to perform several functionalities such as uploading/sending a project
by inputting the required email to which the project would be sent. The user can also receive projects
from other users by checking the inbox located on the first page of the mobile app. The mobile app
also allows the user to send notes or comments about the project for assessment, corrections, and
feedback, as well as sending voice notes which is achieved via clicking or tapping on the voice
recorder.

The flowchart for the algorithm operating in the mobile app is presented in Figure 3.

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Start

Login

No Yes
Dashboard
Add PDF?

Receiver’s Email

Project Title

Add PDF

No
Add Note?

Yes
Add Note

No
Add Voice
Note?

Yes
Add Voice Note

End

Figure 3: Flowchart for the Algorithm Operating in the Mobile App (PAPA)

The sequence of the developed algorithm for the PAPA mobile app is as presented:
1. Start the mobile app by clicking on the app icon
2. Login via Google
3. Dashboard
4. Click on the “Add” icon
5. Enter the receiver’s email address
6. Enter the title of the project to be sent
7. Add a PDF file from your device by clicking the “Add PDF” button

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8. Add notes, this is especially necessary when corrections are to be made to the PDF
report.
9. Or add a voice note, for ease of communication
10. Click the submit button

3. Results and Discussion

The result obtained from the design and implementation of the developed PAPA mobile app was
achieved mainly through testing. All the individual features of the mobile app which included
project creation, project editing, voice note recording, and sending and receiving of PDF files were
tested and all passed the functional tests without any major issues as shown in Figure 4 and Figure
5.

Figure 4: User / Inbox Page for the Mobile App (PAPA)

Figure 5: Upload Page for the Mobile App (PAPA)

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Next, a sample group of students and academic staff (project supervisors) were allowed access to
the developed mobile app. The feedback obtained from the sampled users proved that the developed
mobile app is intuitive and easy to navigate. However, minor usability improvements were
suggested and implemented, including a simplified login process and clearer guidance for creating,
sending, and assessing project reports. Overall, the sampled users expressed satisfaction with the
developed PAPA mobile app performance and features.

4. Conclusion

This paper focused on the design and implementation of a project presentation and assessment
mobile app. This mobile app which was called PAPA has been analyzed and tested on multiple
Android devices and Android operating systems to ensure it provides the most reliable and efficient
way of sharing, presenting, and reviewing school project work. The result obtained from the testing
phase confirmed the functionality and usability of the mobile app, with minor issues identified
during testing and user acceptance testing addressed promptly, resulting in an improved user
experience. The mobile app is ready for deployment in educational institutions, where it will
streamline the process of project assessment and presentation and enhance the learning experience
for students.

Acknowledgment
The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance and contributions of the co-authors, and academic
staff of the Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Benin,
Benin City toward the success of this work.

References
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[3] Hinze, A., Vanderschantz, N., Timpany, C., Cunningham, S. J., Saravani, S, and Wilkinson, C. (2022). A
Study of Mobile App Use for Teaching and Research in Higher Education. Technology, Knowledge and
Learning, Vol. 28, pp. 1271 – 1299.
[4] Irfan, A, and Khalique, A. (2016). A Comparative Demonstration and Analysis of File Sharing Applications
on Andriod Mobile Devices. International Journal of Computer Applications, Vol.156, No.12, pp. 52 – 56.
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Mobile Learning Application for Computing Education. pp. 1- 20.
[6] Blilat, A., and Ibriz, A., (2020). Design and Implementation of P2P Based Mobile App for Collaborative
Learning in Higher Education. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), Vol. 14, No.
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[7] Jeon, M., Kim, S. K., Yoon, J. H., Jo, J., and Yang, S. B (2014). Seamless File Sharing for Android Devices.
2014 IEEE World Forum on Internet of Things, WF-IoT, pp. 189 – 190.
[8] Seralidou, E., Valiantos, N., Tsolakou, D., and Douligeris, C. (2020). Design, Development, and
Implementation of Mobile Applications to Support the Educational Process in the Greek Secondary Education
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[10] Khanghah, M. F., and Halili, S. H. B. (2015). Design and Development of Mobile Learning Application. The
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Appendix

QUESTIONNAIRE
Introduction:
Thank you for participating in this survey. Your feedback is valuable to us as we strive to improve our project assessment
and presentation mobile application. Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions honestly and
thoughtfully.
Section 1: User Information
Name [Optional]: …………………………………………………………………………………………..
Age: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….....
Gender: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Occupation: …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Section 2: User Experience
Q. How often do you use project assessment and presentation tools?
1. Daily
2. Weekly
3. Occasionally
4. Never
Q. Which features of a project assessment and presentation mobile application are most important to you? (Select all
that apply)
1. User-friendly interface
2. Navigation
3. Simplicity
4. Offline access
5. Security features
6. Others (please specify): ………………………………………………………………………………
Q. On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with the current project assessment and presentation mobile applications
you have?
1 - Very Dissatisfied
2 – Dissatisfied
3 – Neural
4 – Satisfied
5 - Very Satisfied
Q. What improvements or additional features would you like to see in a project assessment and presentation mobile
application?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Section 3: Presentation of Results
Q. On a scale of 1 to 5, how important is it for you to be able to share and present your project assessments and results
to others?
1. Extremely important
2. Very important
3. Moderately important
4. Slightly important
5. Not important.
Q. Have you encountered any challenges when presenting project assessment results using mobile applications? Yes [
], No [ ]
If yes, please specify.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Section 4: Overall Satisfaction and Recommendations
Q. On a scale of 1 to 4, how likely are you to recommend our project assessment and presentation mobile application
to others?
1 - Not Likely
2 – Neutral
3 – Likely
4 - Very Likely
Q. What improvements do you suggest to make our project assessment and presentation mobile application better?

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…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Q. Any additional comments or feedback you would like to provide:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Your input is highly appreciated.
.

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