The policy of education for all has increased students' numbers in both public and private universities. Applicants seeking admission in universities have increased, and many universities have come up to tap the large numbers. Efforts have been made to give access to applicants for university education. However, applicants still find problems for applying due to absence of online application systems. This implies that universities have to adopt online application systems to enhance their admissions to graduate programs. The purpose of the chapter is to present a developed online application system for supporting admission at Kampala University (KU). This chapter also presents the weaknesses of the existing application system at KU to applicants and developed an online application system designed using HTML, PHP, CSS, Zend Engine, MySQL, SQL, and JS. Thus, KU should implement the online application system and provide clear guidelines to applicants on how to use the system.
TopIntroduction
Education has become one of the biggest enterprises (Grimus et al., 2013) and universities are on the ground competing for the same number students. Thus, before the widespread use of computers, universities found difficulties in storing students’ information. Therefore, advancements in computer and internet have improved selection and information sharing as per applicants’ academic needs and aspiration. The information should be made available to applicants at any time it is needed. The information has to be accurate, concise, timely, complete and well stored. Interestingly, universities have adopted the use of computers, internet, and other multimedia to enable applicants to have their education using online information systems. This enhances effective delivery of education information to distant applicants. Although, such innovations are in place, some universities are still lagging behind (Nganga, 2014) to have online education services in place. This is due to admission processes being costly, inconsistency, inaccuracy and difficulties in setting admission standards and admission procedures (Mwapashua & Mussa, 2018).
Objectives of the Chapter
Background
Globally, millions of students apply for university education to get admitted for university programs through receiving admission, thus, the admission approaches differ from country to country, and university to university (Helms & Ochwa, as cited in Mwapashua & Mussa, 2018, p.407; Grimus et al., 2013). Therefore, universities receive applications online and applicants are not required to collect and fill the physical application forms but only to check university website for the eligibility criteria before they finally apply.
Interestingly, in developed countries such admission systems adopted as a means of saving resources time and money to both applicants and colleges, and harmonizes the turnaround time during the admission process (Mwapashua & Mussa, 2018). Altbach et al. (2009) reported that, online studies enhance the desires by students to meet their needs through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) which allows for real growth in numbers and types of providers, modes of delivery and pedagogical innovations.
On the other hand, developing countries, the higher numbers of applicants to university education (Altbach et al., 2009) are putting universities under pressure to meet complex and contradictory expectations of the communities served. So, universities need to consider the conditions required for successful applicants’ completion. Roberge & Gagnon (2014) add that, online education/ application has become prominent and has led to creation and revision of policies for the use of such innovations by administrators to stay in touch with the applicants.
On that note, online education has emerged necessarily to meet the challenges posed by the development of information technology and its potential for knowledge achievement. As online system is widely adopted, tackling educational challenges and systemic integration of ICT has been outlined as an opportunity for improving the quality of teaching and learning as well as expanding access to applicants’ opportunities (Alkharang and Ghinea, 2013). Online technologies are considered as key to increasing access to higher education.