Enhancing Financial Literacy in Higher Education: Leveraging Mobile Data Visualization Techniques for Computer Science Student

Abstract

University students frequently encounter difficulties in successfully managing their funds, leading to financial stress, debt, and poor financial decisions. This project employs data visualisation techniques to educate university students on effective financial management, addressing common challenges such as financial stress and poor decision-making resulting from limited resources and the absence of personalised planning tools. The application simplifies intricate financial data through intuitive visualisations, enabling students to make well-informed choices. The project adheres to the Waterfall Model, progressing through distinct phases of planning, design, development, testing, and deployment. The importance of this rests in promoting healthy financial behaviours, alleviating anxiety, and enhancing students’ abilities in managing their finances. The research aims to enhance students’ understanding of financial planning by leveraging visualisation techniques. The apps were validated via usability testing and quantitatively analysed a sample of 30 Computer Science students at UiTM Tapah. Respondents confirm that the application is capable of assisting them in comprehending and managing their financial circumstances. However, the application is currently only available to university students and is dependent on Android and internet connectivity. Possible future improvements could include integrating artificial intelligence for expense prediction and expanding to iOS for improved accessibility, with the goal of reaching a wider range of user demographics.