An Extreme Programming Approach to Streamlining Thesis Writing

Abstract

Thesis writing is a significant challenge for many university students, often leading to substantial stress, confusion, and distress. Despite numerous studies to reduce academic stress, a specific solution for thesis writing has yet to be identified. This study introduces Penamasy, a thesis writing management system designed to address this issue. Penamasy was developed using the Extreme Programming (XP) methodology, effectively addressing the rapidly changing demands of university students in an academic environment. The result was a user-friendly app delivered promptly and met the needs of students. The study consisted of three research cycles, including user requirements, release planning, and acceptance tests, followed by an extended user acceptance test with students and promoters from three universities. Results indicated a positive response, with 79.6% of respondents expecting a more systematic and fuller online thesis writing experience, enabling them to complete their theses promptly. In conclusion, Penamasy provides a solution for university students facing the stress and difficulties of thesis writing. By streamlining the process and offering a systematic approach, students can focus on their research with confidence in the control of their writing process. Nevertheless, this study can be used as a guide in resolving students’ academic stress and many other pragmatic problems that occur, especially in an educational environment. Future studies should involve users choosing UI component libraries, performance evaluation, and possible workflows.