Identifying The Challenges and Success Factor of Using Student Information System: The Case of Dire Dawa University

In this contemporary world, ICTs and its applications such as web-based student information systems are drivers for change in academic institutions. It is certain that in the near future, the global society will start ranking universities depending on how early they adopted ICTs in the way they manage their student’s information and deliver their teaching and learning services to students. To respond to the technological demands of both students and academic staff, Dire Dawa University adopted the Student Information Management System (SIMS) in November, 2016 to leverage the use of internet technology to manage student information. A study was conducted with the aim of assessing the Dire Dawa University SIMS from the perceptive of students in the IOT. It focused on finding services accessible to students in the student information management system, the benefits that students accrue in using the Student Information Management System; and to identify challenges & success factors students’ face when using the system. The study was a social survey in nature supported by questionnaires to collect data from the sampled 80 third year students in the IOT during the data collection process. Quantitative data collected was analysed and presented using Microsoft Excel Package. The study revealed that DDU SIMS has some prime service which was student profile creation, online examination results access, online registration and admissions, with online exams results access, student profile and finance as add-ons. The system benefits students as it has cut the time spent during registration periods in every new semester. According to the study, students face the following major challenges when using the system; server loads as more students concurrently use the system especially during the time of online registration and accessing examination results, high cost of internet data bundles and charges and lack of system regular updates Finally, the study puts forward some recommendations that the university through the ICT Directorate should consider in addressing the various issues impeding the effective use of the system amongst the student community. However, specifically to deal with the problem of server loads due to user congestions, the researcher proposes that the institution should upgrade their servers and that the registration process should not have deadlines, instead it should be done in phases or else students should start registering for a new semester while they are still at home.