StudyBuddy

Project Overview

StudyBuddy is a group software engineering project designed to support university students in organising their study activities, connecting with peers, and improving collaboration and wellbeing.

Project Status

This project is currently in Sprint 1, focusing on planning, analysis, and development environment setup.

Technologies

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MySQL
• Docker
• PhpMyAdmin

Development Environment

The project uses Docker to provide a consistent cross-platform development environment. All group members are able to run the application locally using Docker.

Repository

This repository is used for group collaboration, version control, and sprint-based development.

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Sprint 1 – Ethical Considerations (Individual Contribution)

During Sprint 1, my individual responsibility was to identify and analyse the key ethical issues relevant to the StudyBuddy project.

The ethical considerations addressed include:

• Data privacy and protection:
  Ensuring that personal and academic data is handled securely, stored responsibly, and processed in compliance with GDPR principles such as data minimisation, purpose limitation, and user rights.

• Informed consent and transparency:
  Providing clear and accessible information to users regarding what data is collected, how it is used, and how long it is retained, enabling informed decision-making.

• Accessibility and inclusivity:
  Designing the system to be usable by students with diverse needs, including consideration of accessibility standards and avoidance of exclusionary design practices.

• Fairness and bias:
  Reducing the risk of bias in system design and future algorithmic features, particularly in recommendation or prioritisation mechanisms.

• Ethical collaboration and wellbeing:
  Promoting respectful communication, shared responsibility, and support within the development team, recognising the pressures of academic workloads and personal circumstances.

This ethical analysis was informed by academic literature, professional ethical guidelines, and relevant legal frameworks.
The full ethical discussion, including IEEE-formatted references, has been shared with the team member responsible for compiling and submitting the final Sprint 1 PDF deliverable.