A Noticeboard application using context aware services
Date
2017
Authors
Masinde, Eugene Odanga
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
The dissemination of information on campuses using noticeboards is both inefficient and ineffective due to the static, unreliable and limiting nature of the boards. This implies that people who need to post information for consumption by the public are constrained in terms of reach, poor feedback mechanisms and a general lack of security. Posts can be tampered with by malicious people or even removed by competitors. Due to their fixed nature, noticeboards also do not cater for context, meaning that a lot of posts are consumed outside of their actionable spaces, meaning that people might never get a chance to act on them. There is therefore a need for a smart noticeboard system using the power of context aware services that allows for notices to be sent directly to user’s devices only when they are in the correct context. The aim of this research is to develop a noticeboard application that uses the power of context aware services. With such a solution, students are able to receive notices through an application when they are in the correct and most effective context and be in a better position to react or act on them accordingly. They are also able to save notifications on their mobile devices for later use or sharing. The solution therefore supports the communications departments by providing an easy, paperless way to setup notices and to track interactions with each post. The proposed system is developed and tested on the Android platform coupled with an analytical backend for post manipulation and presenting summaries analytical data for the communication department. Object Oriented Analysis and Agile development methodologies were applied to develop a robust and dynamic, context aware noticeboard system. The final prototype was tested to ensure that the requirements were met by the developer and the potential users. Tests included functional testing and usability testing.
Description
Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Mobile Telecommunication and Innovation at (MSc.MTI) at Strathmore University
Keywords
Noticeboards, Context Aware Services, Information Disseminate