Design and implementation of an examination seating arrangement application to curb examination malpractice

Abstract

This research presents a web-based application developed to address the issue of "Giraffing" during examinations. The application in addition to the automating the examination seating arrangement so as to ensure that students enrolled in the same courses are not seated next to each other during the examination, it also includes a messaging feature that sends text messages to the students a five minutes before the start of the examination. These messages serve as reminders and provide important instructions, such as the examination time, location, and any specific materials required. By proactively communicating with the students, the application aims to minimize instances of lateness and confusion, ensuring that students are well-prepared and informed before entering the examination hall. The application, built using Laravel and Vue.js, incorporates key modules to facilitate the management and execution of the seating arrangement process. The greedy graph colouring algorithm and connection matrix served as the underlying methods for generating optimal seating assignments, effectively minimizing proximity among students with shared course enrolments. The message feature was facilitated by Termii API. To evaluate the application's functionality, thorough testing was conducted within the university environment. A selected number of students participated in the testing phase, ensuring the application's effectiveness and performance in real-world scenarios. Notably, the application successfully fulfilled all requirements, including the generation of a graphical representation of the seating arrangement and the timely delivery of text messages to students. These messages provided students with essential examination details and other relevant information, sent precisely five minutes before their scheduled examinations.