Development and User Testing of an Academic Scheduling App for University Students

Abstract

This project describes the development and user testing of a mobile application designed to assist university students in managing their academic schedules. The app, built using React-Native for cross-platform compatibility and NodeJS for backend efficiency, integrates the Canvas LMS API and a web scraper for TimeEdit to retrieve essential data. User feedback was collected through a series of tests, starting with Figma prototypes and progressing to an emulator and real-time devices. The key findings highlighted the app’s clean design and intuitive interface, with the calendar feature being particularly well-received. Final user engagement scores ranged from 7/10 to 8/10, indicating strong approval of the app’s concept and design. Areas for enhancement included customizable schedule options and the ability to import personal calendars. Despite challenges such as undetected bugs and the limitations of web scraping, the project successfully created a functional, user-friendly app. This report emphasizes the importance of continuous user involvement and iterative testing in developing effective educational tools. Future research should focus on improving data integration methods, expanding the sample size for user testing, and exploring advanced algorithms for personalized study plans.