SHARITY – A Spare Sharing Community App

Ezekiel P. Arceo, Joshua S. Bautista, Roice Mico M. Nieves, Jazmine Liberty J. Tumibay

ABSTRACT

In the midst of the devastating effects of COVID-19, the community pantry

movement emerged as a notable solution, exemplifying the Filipino Bayanihan
Spirit, where individuals with the means to give were able to provide for those in
need. Inspired by this concept and with the aim of further revitalizing the spirit of
bayanihan, the researchers designed and developed the SHARITY mobile-focused
web application using the Rapid Application Development methodology utilizing
ReactJS and Django REST Framework. The study aimed to create a platform that
enabled individuals within a community to share or lend their spare resources,
request food or items from others in the community through the platform, and
ensured that the web application was usable, functional, efficient, and reliable
through an evaluation process. The results showed success in the designing and
developing objective of the web application platform, and significant positive
evaluations in terms of usability, functionality, efficiency, and reliability. In
conclusion, the results including the evaluation process showcased that the
researchers had successfully achieved the aforementioned objectives and developed
a functioning web application.

KEYWORDS

Community, Spare Sharing, Rapid Application Development, Usable, Functional,

Efficient, Reliable
 INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the Philippines,

leaving millions unemployed and struggling to make ends meet.[1] Despite the difficult
years with gaps in government responses, Filipinos demonstrated the strength of a
community working together. [2] Community Pantries, which are food banks by and for
the people, is one of the notable ways that showcased the Bayanihan spirit of the
Filipinos.[3]

The community pantry movement began on April 14, 2021, when Ana Patricia
Non set up a small bamboo cart filled with groceries on Maginhawa Street in Quezon
City. Non posted about the cart on social media, and it quickly gained popularity. The
concept inspired and encouraged others to adopt it, and within a week, more than 200
community pantries had spread out across the nation.[4]

Bayanihan is the foundation of SHARITY (Spare Sharing Community), a mobile-

focused web application developed to address the lack of dedicated online platform for
community-based spare sharing in the country. Existing community-based sharing apps
in the Philippines are mostly focused on connecting people to help with tasks such as
grocery shopping, running errands, and ride-sharing. There is no existing app in the
country that specifically focuses on sharing spare items within a local community.

SHARITY primarily connects the members of the community, enabling them to

share their spare resources or lend useful items to their fellow members. Moreover,
community members can request assistance for their needs be it food or items.
Additionally, to provide ease of communication as well as user convenience, SHARITY
also includes the following features: in-app messaging, search and filter, and end-user
account and listing management.

The In-app messaging feature allows the users to communicate directly with each
other which can be used to ask questions regarding a listing, request or borrow a listing,
or to lend a hand to the member who posted a request. The search and filter feature
allows users to easily find resources by searching for specific items or filtering the
listings by category. Lastly, the user can manage their account profile and may be able to
view their own listings from all categories and manage it by updating or deleting.

This study will explore on the design and development of SHARITY, a web
application inspired by the community pantry movement that aims to address the lack of
dedicated online platform for community-based sharing in the Philippines and revitalize
the Filipino Bayanihan Spirit through the platform.

Project Description

The project design entitled “SHARITY” is a web application that focuses on a

system that links barangay community members, enabling them to share excess food or
items they no longer need in order to maximize the value of the items and possibly
minimize environmental waste. The web application will be the platform that would
rekindle the bayanihan spirit of Filipinos in the modern era, which has been adapted to
address the major blow to our fellowmen affected by the pandemic. By bridging the
exchange of goods and promoting generosity, the SHARITY platform aims to promote
social cohesion and help those in need.

In order for the application to function, the researchers have decided to implement
and revolve around these three major categories of the community sharing app: Free,
Borrow, and Request. The Free section consists of users listing their excess goods, such
as edible perishable/non-perishable goods, for everyone on the community to see. The
Borrow section contains goods that non-edible products could be requested to be used by
others in need. And lastly, the Request section page is solely for someone who is actively
requesting for something they desperately need.

The interface of SHARITY will be modernized, trendy, and functional to its core.
The researchers are making sure that the app would be user-friendly and not have any
hurdles in trying to use it. As it is an inevitable hurdle to have a generational gap on
technology introducing it to the millennials upwards, the researchers are mindful of these
for the easy use of SHARITY.

An advantage of the study in comparison to other competition is that there is no

competition whatsoever that solely focuses on the core of the bayanihan spirit of giving,
lending, and appreciating the kindness and generosity of our fellow kababayan. The user
does not have to go through the hassle of asking fellow neighbors at an unexpected time
of trouble to expect an immediate resolution for the problem.

Objectives of the Study

This study focused on developing a community-based sharing app that revitalizes

the bayanihan spirit which the pandemic has ignited in the hearts of Filipinos.

Specifically, this study aimed to achieve the following specific objectives:

1. To design a web application platform in terms of:
1.1 Rapid Application Development
1.2 React JavaScript Framework
1.3 Django Rest Framework
2. To develop a web application platform that allows the members of the local
community to:
2.1 Share their spare food or resources
2.2 Lend/Borrow useful items
2.3 Post their request for food or items that the people in the community may give
or lend
3. To evaluate the web application in terms of:
3.1 Usability
3.2 Functionality
3.3 Efficiency
3.4 Reliability

Significance of the Study:

This study will create a platform that connects community members and allows
them to share spare food or unused items, lend useful items, maximizing the good's value
and promoting sustainability.

This study would be beneficial to the following groups:

Members of the community. The platform would enable the members to be
connected, share, borrow, anything available and can be useful. This would help to
reduce waste, save money, and build a sense of community.
The University. The study would bring honor to the school if this platform would
become a pioneer in demonstrating importance of sharing communities and enabling
greater community engagements through sharing.
Future Researchers. The ideas presented can be a good reference for the future
researchers in conducting new studies.
 METHODOLOGY
A. Methodology Process

It was crucial for the researchers to have decided on the most systematic strategy to
adopt, one that was suitable for the study, when designing the design project. The
researchers would have benefited from having a guide while creating the overview of
their methodology in the study, provided they had the right methodology procedure.

Figure 1 shows the methodology process that the researchers have chosen which is
the Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology. It is a flexible way to quickly
create and deploy software applications.

The RAD approach is ideally suited to adapt to new inputs and changes, such as
features and functionalities, upgrades, etc. At every stage of the development process, it
is intended to be adaptable to modifications and to take new inputs, such as features and
functionalities. Plans for the quantity, length, and scope of each iteration are spelled out
in detail in advance.[5]

Figure 1. The Rapid Application Development Methodology Process

B. Research Locale

The evaluation process of the study was performed at Wesleyan University

Philippines, wherein the researchers have evaluated the community members on their
honest feedback and reaction on the study that the researchers are about to implement.

C. Respondents and Instrumentation

The respondents of the research were composed of 27 individuals who consists of

experts on the said field such as Computer Engineers, IT specialists and Software
developers, who would quality-tested the application, along with Wesleyan University
Philippines’ community members randomly chosen.

An evaluation form, which follows the qualities present in ISO 25010, a software
quality model [6], was presented towards the end-users and has the following criteria:
Usability, Functionality, Efficiency, and Reliability. A 5-point Likert Scale was used in
order to interpret the evaluation of the respondents as shown on the following page.[7]

Legend
4.20 – 5.00 Very Easy Always
3.40 – 4.19 Easy Usually
2.60 – 3.39 Neutral Half the time
1.80 – 2.59 Difficult Seldom
1.0 – 1.79 Very Difficult Never
D. Statistical Tools

The weighted mean of the Likert Scale was calculated using the formula below.

The reliability of SHARITY was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha (α) value.
The formula was used through IBS SPSS Statistics.

E. Web Application Prototype

SHARITY is conceptualized as a web application with consideration of its

advantages such as: it doesn’t cause space limitation; it can be accessed anywhere with a
browser, eliminating the compatibility issues; it is always up to date because the updates
are applied centrally; and it is cost efficient. [8] It was developed by the researchers with
a mobile-first approach, while being accessible on various devices including desktop
computers, laptops, and tablets.

The SHARITY web application prototype demonstrates the application's

functionalities, user interface design, and interactive elements. The following prototype
figures does not include any live data integration, but it allows users to gain an
understanding of how the application would look and function in a real-world scenario.

Figure 2. Prototype Login and Register

 Figure 2.1. Prototype Main Screens

Figure 2.2. Prototype Major Categories and Item Screen

Figure 2.3. Prototype Main Functions Screen

 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. SHARITY Web Application Design

The researchers were able to design the web application using Rapid Application
Development, while using React JS Framework as the front-end language program, and
Django REST Framework for the backend.

1.1 Rapid Application Development

The process can be breakdown into four phases. Phase 1 was the
Requirements planning phase. In this phase, the researchers conducted a survey to
determine the thoughts of the future users regarding the application. The survey
asked users to fill out what they could share or lend. The researchers then
communicated with each other to determine the goals and expectations for the
project, as well as current and potential issues that would need to be addressed
during the build.

Phase 2 is the User Design. The researchers utilized smart and logical
style choices in designing the interface of SHARITY. With the guidance of the
Material Design System by Google, the researchers maximized the user
familiarity of the app. Colors, typography, iconography dimensions, and shapes
throughout the app were provided by different resources such as Google Fonts for
the typefaces and icons. Teal (#016877) is the primary color of the app to
represent trust and friendship as it is the core moral idea of SHARITY.

Phase 3 was the rapid Construction phase. In this phase, the prototypes of
the design phase were coded into a working model. Components such the buttons
and text fields were sourced from Material-UI for React, one of the most popular
UI Libraries for React, which is follows Google's Material Design System.
SHARITY integrated CometChat, a messaging API into the web application. It is
a cloud-based platform that provides developers with the tools to build real-time
chat and messaging features into the applications.[9] The use of this messaging
API facilitates seamless communication of the users within the app. Django REST
framework was utilized for the backend processes. Alterations, changes, and even
new ideas that could solve problems as they arose were also addressed in this
phase.

Lastly, Phase 4 was the cutover phase. This is the implementation phase
where the finished product was launched.

1.2 React JavaScript Framework

The frontend of SHARITY is designed using React 18, the current latest
version of the open-source JavaScript library for building user interfaces and web
applications. React allows developers to build reusable UI components that can be
used across different pages and applications, making the development process
faster and more efficient.[10] Figure 3 shows the App.js file, the main entry point
of React that handles navigation when the app starts.

1.3 Django Rest Framework

Django Rest Framework is utilized for the backend of the web application.
Django REST framework (DRF) is a powerful and flexible toolkit for building
Web APIs. It is a third-party package that builds on Django's strengths and makes
it easy to build and customize RESTful web services.[11] Figure 4, shows a
snippet of the backend code for the urls.py file which is used to define the URL
 patterns for the application. URL patterns are used to map incoming HTTP
requests to the appropriate functionality.

Figure 3. Frontend Code Snippet: App.js

Figure 4. Backend Code Snippet: urls.py

By combining React JS and Django REST Framework, the platform benefited

from a powerful and efficient technology stack. This stack enabled the researchers to
create a responsive, scalable, and modular application with a seamless user experience.
Together allows for the development of a full-featured web application that can handle
complex logic, real-time updates, and efficient data management.

2. SHARITY Web Application Development

Development of platform was made from the abovementioned frameworks to

create the three major component of the application for users to use; share their spare
food or resources, lend/borrow useful items, post their request for food or items that the
people may give or lend.

2.1 Share their Spare

The first component enables users to share their spare food or resources. With this
functionality, individuals can easily list and offer any excess food or resources they have
available. This promotes sustainability, reduces waste, and fosters a sense of community
by allowing users to contribute to the well-being of others.
 2.2 Lend/Borrow useful items

The second component facilitates the lending and borrowing of useful items.
Users can list items they are willing to lend or browse through available items to borrow
from others. This feature encourages resource sharing, reduces unnecessary purchases,
and promotes a collaborative approach to access and utilize items that are not frequently
used.

2.3 Post request for food or items

The third component enables users to post their requests for food or items they
need. Whether it's a specific food item or a particular item for a short-term use, users can
express their requirements and connect with individuals who are willing to provide
assistance. This feature encourages community engagement, enables users to help each
other, and fosters a supportive environment where individuals can fulfill their needs.

By incorporating these three major components into the platform, users can easily
engage in sharing resources, lending/borrowing items, and connecting with others based
on their needs. This not only promotes sustainability and reduces waste but also
strengthens community bonds and creates a platform for collaborative consumption,
benefiting both individuals and the environment.

SOFTWARE

This section includes all of the procedures and processes of the developed web
application. The web application interface focuses on the user.

A. Web Application

Figure 5. SHARITY Web App: Landing Page

Upon opening the web application, users will be greeted by the SHARITY
landing page, which provides an overview of the application and invites them to either
get started or sign in. Users can choose to register for an account or log in if they already
have an account.
 Figure 5.1. Registration

When users click the "Get Started" button, they are taken to a multi-step
registration form. The form requires users to enter their Account information (username,
email, password, and confirm password), Personal information (first name, last name,
birthday, and phone number), and Address (region, province, city, barangay). Users must
also verify their account by entering the OTP code sent to their phone number to be able
to successfully register.

Figure 5.2. Login and Reset Password

When users click the "Sign In" button in Figure 5, they are taken to the Login
page where they will enter their username and password. In case the user forgot their
password they can reset it by clicking the “Forgot Password” and verify their account by
using their registered phone number. After confirming the user’s account they can easily
reset their password.
 Figure 5.3. Home Page

After logging in the SHARITY app, users are greeted with the Home page, which
displays all of the recent available listings in their community. The listings are
categorized into four major categories: Expiring Soon, Free food, Free items, and
Borrow.

Figure 5.4. Figure 5.5. Figure 5.6. Figure 5.7.

Expiring Soon Free Foods Free Items Borrow Page

When a user clicks the "See All" button of the major categories, they are able to
view all of the listings that have been posted in their community. The listings are
displayed in the most recent order.
 Figure 5.8 Figure 5.9. Figure 5.10.
Free Foods Filter Free Items Filter Borrow Page Filter

When the “Filter Button” is clicked the filter drawer will be displayed and the
user can choose a specific category they are looking for.

Figure 5.11. Figure 5.12. Figure 5.13.

Free Foods Item Free Items Item Borrow Listing Item

When the user clicks an item from the listing (Expiring Soon/Free Food, Free Items
and Borrow), they will be able to view its further details such as quantity, expiry. When the
message shared is clicked, they will be able to message the sharer using the in-app message
feature of the app.
 Figure 5.14. SHARITY Main Page Buttons

As the user lands on the main page, there is a button that shows and hides all of
the main features that SHARITY has to offer, as seen in Figure 5.14. The buttons offer
the user the following options: add a listing for free food or non-food items, add a listing
for borrowing items, and add a request post.

Figure 5.15. Add to Figure 5.16. Add to Figure 5.17. Add to

Free Listing Free Food Listing Free Non-Food Listing
 If the user picks the “Give” button from the left, they are prompt to choose a
category of listing they want to add as seen in Figure 5.15. The user will be required to
upload at least one photo of the item they want to list, and at least two photos for food
listings. They will also need to name and describe the food or item they are giving away.
If the listing is food (Figure 5.16), the user will need to provide basic information about
it, such as the expiration date and category, quantity, time availability and preferred
pickup location. If the listing is non-food (Figure 5.17), the user will be shown a similar
set of fields required to fill out except the expiration date.

Figure 5.18. Add to Borrow Listing Figure 5.19. Add to Request

If the user would pick the “Borrow” button, it would bring them at Figure 5.18. It
would make the user require to upload at least one photo of their supposed item to be
listed, naming and describing their items that would be borrowed, as well as its quantity,
max lending duration, time availability, preferred pickup location and optional
restrictions.

If the user would pick the “Request” button, it would bring them at Figure 5.19. It
would make the user require to input a name and description about the food or item they
would like to request in their community.
 Figure 5.20. Community Page Figure 5.21. Message Page

The community page is where the users can see the requests posted by the
members of their community. They can click the “Help Neighbor” and they will be
redirected to the message feature of the app. Figure 5.21 shows the Message page where
the user can see their conversations.

Figure 5.22. Figure 5.23. Figure 5.24. Figure

Message Free Message Free Item Message Borrow 5.25. .Message
Food Sharer Sharer Item Sharer Requester

The following figures show the In-app messaging feature of the app. When they
click the “Message Sharer” or “Help Neighbor” button, they will be able to message the
user along with the context of the item.
 Figure 5.26 Profile Figure 5.27. Profile Figure 5.28. Edit
Settings Profile

Users would have given their own respective profiles as seen in Figure 5.26.
Profile is the page where the listings, or requests of the user would be seen in summary
and they could also filter their listings. If the button at the top right would be pressed,
then it would have selection of editing profile, deleting account, about Sharity, support,
and logging out.

Editing profile would be a customization feature that would enable users to input
their faces in the avatar for them to be recognized as seen in Figure 5.28. And logging out
would put you back at home page shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5.29. About SHARITY Figure 5.30. Support Page

About Sharity (Figure 5.29) and Support page (Figure 5.30) can also be accessed
through the settings in the profile page of the user. The user can see further details about
the concept of the web app and reach through the team using the email in the support
page.
3. SHARITY Web Application Evaluation

The following tables represent the result of the data gathering that the researchers
have conducted through the use of an evaluation form, which was also given, arranged,
and organized with a descriptive and numerical analysis. The data are presented in a
tabular form and were given an in-depth investigation, as well as interpretation, as a basis
for this study’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

During the testing and evaluation, the researchers used qualities found in ISO
25010. ISO/IEC 25010 is an international standard for software product quality, which
provides a model for the evaluation of the quality characteristics of software products.[6]
It supersedes the previous ISO/IEC 9126 standard. The findings of the study present the
assessment of the SHARITY application in terms of its basis as well as its other features.

The weighted mean of SHARITY’s category is based on the evaluation of 20

respondents who assessed the application’s functionality, usability, while 7 experts
focused on reliability, and efficiency. Each weighted mean is based on the evaluation
done by the end-users

Table 1. Evaluation of SHARITY regarding usability

Mea Verbal
Usability
n Interpretation
OWM 4.925 VERY EASY
1. Accessing the SHARITY web application 4.9 Very Easy
2. Setting up an account in SHARITY 4.9 Very Easy
3. Identifying and understanding the user interface
and actions of SHARITY, including buttons, icons 4.9 Very Easy
and terminology.
4. Using the features of SHARITY such as viewing
5 Very Easy
and posting listings and in-app messaging.

In terms of usability, Table 1 contained usability features of SHARITY. It has

produced good results from the respondents when it came to accessing the SHARITY
web application, setting up an account in SHARITY, identifying and understanding the
user interface and actions of SHARITY, including buttons, icons and terminology with a
score of 4.9 that entails very easy on the verbal interpretation. With using the features of
SHARITY such as viewing and posting listings and in-app messaging, it got a mean
score of 5 which is the perfect score tallied implying that it has excellent scores.
Generating an overall weighted mean of 4.925, which meant that SHARITY is very easy
to use.

According to Microsoft, usability can be defined as a measure of how easy it is to

use a product to perform a specified tasks [12]. The users were asked to test the various
features of SHARITY based on standard usability testing procedures [13]. Based on the
data gathered during testing, the app was evaluated as very easy to use according to the
following: they were able to access the web application using their own devices (mobile
phone or laptops) and their preferred web browser with ease due to its responsiveness in
relation a study assessing the user experience quality of responsive web design on mobile
devices proved that responsive web design was able to maintain the user experience
quality of website on home functionality, content readability, and enjoyment using
website [14]. Setting an account was made easy as it had only 4 simple steps eliminating
the complexity of filling out all the fields at once, the steps are divided into the user’s
Account information (username, email, password, and confirm password), Personal
information (first name, last name, birthday, and phone number), Address (region,
province, city, barangay) and Phone number verification. In the research study
conducted, the primary objective was to explore and gain a comprehensive understanding
of the user interface components and interactive functionalities of SHARITY. This
encompassed a meticulous examination of various elements, such as buttons, icons, and
terminology, incorporated within the platform's user experience. Adopting a research-
oriented approach, an extensive analysis was undertaken to delve into the historical
development and implementation of these elements. By scrutinizing their design and
functionality in the past tense, the research aimed to evaluate their usability, drawing
insights from established design principles and industry best practices. This research
endeavor facilitated a deeper comprehension of the evolution of these interface
components, enabling the identification of challenges encountered and subsequent
refinements made over time [15]. As the survey suggest, it generated an overall weighted
mean of 4.785, which meant that the app is always efficient[16] based on web quality
models derived from ISO 25010.

Table 2. Evaluation of SHARITY regarding functionality

Functionality Mean Verbal Interpretation
OWM 4.94 EXCELLENT
1. Account creation, Login, Logout, and 4.85 Excellent
Password Reset.
2. Post to Free, Borrow, and Request 5 Excellent
listings.
3. Viewing, searching, and filtering 4.9 Excellent
listings by category.
4. In-app messaging feature. 5 Excellent
5. Updating user avatar and listing. 4.95 Excellent
6. Deleting a listing and/or account. 4.95 Excellent

In terms of functionality, Table 2 contains the features of SHARITY. It has

produced good results from the respondents when it came to Account creation, Login,
Logout, and Password Reset. feature, having a Mean of 4.85. Post to Free, Borrow, and
Request listings. a Mean of 5 and interpretation of excellent, which means that this
function had performed very well. The Viewing, searching, and filtering listings by
category feature received the Mean of 4.9 and interpretation of Excellent. Then the in-app
messaging feature was excellently rated by users with a 5 mean. Updating user avatar and
listing would have the mean of 4.95. Lastly, the deletion of listing/account can be easily
accessed by the end-user got the Mean of 4.95. Generating an overall weighted mean of
4.94, which meant that using the app’s functions were excellent.

Functionality is defined by an application’s ability to complete a task it is

intended to do [17]. The functionality of SHARITY was tested by users through
simulating typical user workflow in order to ensure that the results will stay relevant in
live testing scenarios [18]. Based on the data gathered from the testing, users evaluated
that SHARITY had excellent functionality, completing tasks and accomplishing
instructions seamlessly and with little difficulty. With the posting feature and in-app
messaging receiving perfect scores, it can be seen that these functions excel in
completing the tasks it is required to do [17]. The feature with the lowest evaluation
pertains to account creation, user login and logout, and password reset. These features,
while still excellent, require further testing and optimization [19] to increase its ability to
complete the intended function. Overall, the users evaluated that SHARITY’s
functionality is excellent in accordance to web quality models [16] derived from ISO
25010.
Table 3. Evaluation of SHARITY regarding Efficiency
Efficiency Mean Verbal Interpretation
OWM 4.785 ALWAYS
1. SHARITY allows the user to post, and
4.86 Always
view different listings efficiently.
2. SHARITY allows the user to easily
4.71 Always
update their avatar and listings.
3. SHARITY facilitates real-time
4.86 Always
messaging between users.
4. SHARITY displays listings neatly in the
most recent order with filter option, and is 4.71 Always
responsive.

In terms of efficiency, Table 3 contains the efficacies of SHARITY that focused

mainly on experts tried the app. It has produced 4.86 mean on the feature that the user
would be allowed to post, view, and able to message real-time, which in verbal would
interpret as it always works. While it has produced 4.71 mean on allowing the user for
customization, and responsiveness of the filter options in displaying listings. Generating
an overall weighted mean of 4.785, which meant that the app is always efficient.

According to the Analytic Quality Glossary, efficiency is best described as the

extent to which an activity achieves its goal whilst minimizing resource usage [20]. As
the researchers have kept in mind for users to feel the app as compact and efficient as it
should be. To evaluate the efficiency of SHARITY, expert testers were asked to conduct
live testing of the application [21]. During the thorough analysis conducted by experts, it
was observed that every user exhibited a seamless ability to post listings and update
them, including their avatar. Remarkably, these actions were performed with a level of
smoothness comparable to that of leading applications in the market. The findings of this
study highlight the impressive user experience and functionality of the application in
question [22]. The messaging feature, which was evaluated by the experts, received
substantial acclaim for its responsiveness and real-time relay, exhibiting minimal to no
display of delays. This noteworthy performance garnered high praise, underscoring the
effectiveness of the messaging system within the application still in touch and bounded
by the standard [23]. As the survey suggest, it generated an overall weighted mean of
4.785, which meant that the app is always efficient [16] based on web quality models
derived from ISO 25010.

Table 4. Evaluation of SHARITY regarding reliability

Reliability Mean Verbal Interpretation
OWM 4.86 ALWAYS
1. SMS OTP Verification is working. 4.71 Always
2. SHARITY features such as post, view, 5 Always
search and filter listings, and in-app
messaging are operational.
3. The system of SHARITY is capable of 4.86 Always
handling errors.

In terms of reliability, Table 4 revolves on experts assessing on how reliable the

application would be in reality. It has produced 4.71 mean on SMS OTP Verification,
which in verbal would interpret as it always works. It showed a perfect 5 on the app’s
features such as post, view, filter and messaging. And a mean of 4.86 on capability of the
app handling its errors. Generating an overall weighted mean of 4.86, which meant that
the app is always reliable.

Software Reliability is the probability of failure-free software operation for a

specified period of time in a specified environment, as stated in ANSI/IEEE Standard
Glossary of Software Engineering Terminology [24]. To evaluate the reliability of
SHARITY, expert testers were asked to conduct live testing of the application [21].
Based on the data gathered from the testing, expert testers evaluated that SHARITY was
always reliable, with basic features such as post, view, search and filter listings, and in-
app messaging being the most reliable aspect followed by the error handling of the
system and the SMS OTP Verification respectively. The expert testers found that the
basic features of SHARITY had did not have downtimes, and that while faulty
components exist, none are utilized during the working process. This evaluation is in
accordance to user-oriented software reliability model, according to IEEE [25]. The SMS
OTP Verification API utilized was evaluated as always reliable, as the service was
provided with reliability in mind, fulfilling API management and reliability configuration
standards as defined by Microsoft [26]. Overall, the expert testers evaluated that
SHARITY was always reliable during testing, in accordance to web quality models [16]
derived from ISO 25010.

IBSS SPSS Reliability Result:

Case Processing Summary Reliability Statistics

N % Cronbach's Alpha

Cases Valid 7 100.0 Based on

Standardized
Excludeda 0 .0
Cronbach's Alpha Items N of Items
Total 7 100.0
.889 1.000 2
a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the
procedure.

Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

SMS OTP Verification is 4.71 .756 7

working.
The system of SHARITY is 4.86 .378 7
capable of handling errors.

Summary Item Statistics

Maximum /
Mean Minimum Maximum Range Minimum Variance N of Items

Item Means 4.786 4.714 4.857 .143 1.030 .010 2

Inter-Item Correlations 1.000 1.000 1.000 .000 1.000 .000 2
 Item-Total Statistics

Corrected Squared Cronbach's

Scale Mean if Scale Variance Item-Total Multiple Alpha if Item
Item Deleted if Item Deleted Correlation Correlation Deleted

SMS OTP Verification is 4.86 .143 1.000 . .

working.
The system of SHARITY 4.71 .571 1.000 . .
is capable of handling
errors.

Scale Statistics

Mean Variance Std. Deviation N of Items

9.57 1.286 1.134 2

The following table describes how different values of Cronbach’s Alpha are usually
interpreted:
Cronbach’s Alpha Score Internal Consistency
0.9 ≤ α Excellent
0.8 ≤ α < 0.9 Good
0.7 ≤ α < 0.8 Acceptable
0.6 ≤ α < 0.7 Questionable
0.5 ≤ α < 0.6 Poor
α < 0.5 Unacceptable

The evaluation form for this research has been sent to 20 respondents, and 7
experts in order to test SHARITY web application. The respondents chose from a 5-point
Likert Scale to best align their experience during the reliability evaluation. Internal
consistency of data is determined by the use of Cronbach’s Alpha (α) value.

The evaluation for Reliability got the value for Cronbach’s Alpha of α = 0.889.
As referred to the table above, the Cronbach’s Alpha score of 0.889 of Reliability is
considered as excellent.

CONCLUSION

From the design, development and series of testing and data gathered from the
evaluation of the respondents of the SHARITY, the researchers have arrived at a
conclusion that: (a) the web application was developed using the Rapid Application
Development (RAD) approach, incorporating React JS Framework for the front-end and
Django REST Framework for the back-end. The adoption of RAD demonstrates a
commitment to agility, flexibility, and responsiveness to user requirements. It fostered
efficient collaboration, quick prototyping, and iterative development, ultimately leading
to a successful and impactful application.; (b) the platform was developed using the
mentioned frameworks to build three major components that allows users to share spare
food or resources, lend/borrow items, and post requests for assistance was indeed
successful; (c) with the data from the evaluation process presented in the study, the
application has been proven usable, functional, efficient and reliable.
 RECOMMENDATIONS

Upon further analysis of the provided information in the study, the researchers
recommend future researchers to further investigation and improvement in regards to the
features of the application in order to make it more innovative.

To do so, the researchers must provide better user security and transaction
handling. In reference to our conclusion that it has the ability to have an immediate
response for the prototype to be needed due to the framework’s design and the approach
of SLDC, the researchers have only implemented SMS OTP as a security feature. It must
have added security features for users to prevent their accounts from being breached and
their identities from being stolen. In order to get around the limitations imposed by the
existing program, which only allows peer-to-peer sharing of products, the researchers
have proposed a more practical approach to secure transaction monitoring and
distribution. Lastly, location grouping should be improved to further locate specific areas
in the community. It should locate up to the subdivision in the visibility and not the
general area of the barangay as it would be for the utmost convenience of future users of
SHARITY.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project design would not be possible without the help and encouragement of
many individuals, advisers, family, and friends alike. The researchers would like to
extend their sincerest gratitude and thanks to all of them.

First and foremost, the researchers would like to offer their utmost thanks to God
Almighty for the wisdom and patience that He had bestowed upon them. The time it
took for this research to develop had taken quite some time, and they would like to thank
God for providing them the strength and good health to continue moving forward in
finishing this research despite the pandemic.

The researchers would also like to express their gratitude towards their adviser, Engr.
Galilee A. Villar, for providing her guidance, as well as her intellect, throughout the
process of this project design. Her sincerity in helping the researchers, alongside her
vision for this project design, was greatly appreciated. Her words have helped the
researchers to become more motivated to pursue this project.

Their thanks and appreciations were also extended to their classmates, especially
Ronuel Joshua Reyes and Mark Ocampo, were people who were willingly helping them
according to their abilities. It is much appreciated and will not be forgotten.

Lastly, the researchers are entirely grateful towards their parents. The sacrifices that
they have made for their children in order for them to achieve this milestone is
irreplaceable. The love and understanding in the process of making this research,
alongside the financial support and encouragement, are things that the researchers are
grateful for. They have helped them in completing this thesis successfully.
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