NFC-BASED MOBILE ATTENDANCE APPLICATION IN MALAYSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: EASCON DEVELOPMENT AND USABILITY EVALUATION

Abstract

Nowadays, the utilisation of cutting-edge technologies for tracking and monitoring attendance records is prevalent. Despite the availability of sophisticated systems or tools such as biometric devices, many institutions, including those in Malaysian higher education, still rely on manual attendance tracking methods, leading to numerous issues. In contrast, Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology offers a more economical alternative. This study introduces EASCON, a cost-effective NFC-based mobile attendance application designed for the Malaysian higher education ecosystem. To design and develop EASCON, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology via waterfall approach was employed. It involves six or seven stages depicting the procedures that must be taken for a successful software production. The data modelling designs of EASCON along with the system architecture and user interface are presented in this study. The functionality and usability of EASCON have been evaluated among 30 prospective users via System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaires with the final average score of 71.8. This shows the potentials of EASCON as an efficient tool for attendance tracking and monitoring in Malaysian higher education institutions, thus achieving the objective of the study. Recommendations for EASCON future enhancements are also presented in this paper.