Exploring the Perceptions and Experiences of Some Freshmen Using Online Registration System in Niger

Web-based services offer users convenient access to and the ability to manipulate information that is of concern to such services. Not only does online registration address the manageability issue of a growing student population, but it also ensures greater constancy and reusability of information. These advantages in turn lead to better productivity and hence better quality of the overall registration system. Furthermore, online system can be used not only for registration, but also for making payments, accessing school record, and updating information. Using a descriptive sequential qualitative-quantitative method, this paper investigated the perceptions and experiences of some freshmen concerning online registration system as opposed to traditional paper-based central registration system. Data were collected from 28 participants at a medium size public university in Niger via online questionnaires and online group discussions. The study found that participants are in general very receptive to online registration system and that Computer Skills positively correlated with Perceptions. These results have implications for Niger’s public institutions of higher education wishing to innovate or revolutionize their registration system to better manage the growing number of incoming freshmen each year.