Leveraging Knowledge Discovery in Databases for Enhanced Student Support: Development and Implementation of an Automated Response System

Abstract

This paper utilizes knowledge discovery in databases to improve student support, focusing on the development and implementation of an automated response system. This document outlines a web-based help desk system aimed at enhancing communication between students and academic staff within higher education institutions in Nigeria. Students frequently encounter obstacles like registration complications, absent results, and ambiguous course requirements, which can be intensified by distance and accessibility concerns. This study presents an application grounded in KDD principles that enables students to submit support tickets, which are then prioritized and automatically allocated to designated staff for timely responses. The system utilizes KDD algorithms to categories and address enquiries by leveraging historical data, leading to notable enhancements in response times. By employing Object-Oriented Design Methodology (OODM) alongside a PHP-MySQL framework and JavaScript, the system demonstrated an outstanding average ticket response time of merely 2 minutes, significantly enhancing the efficiency compared to conventional email-based support systems, which often require hours for a response.