Development Hi2-CounseLink as Online Counseling Software Based

on Android Platform

Product Inspections

Hafit Riansyah

, Itsar Bolo Rangka

and Ifdil Ifdil

Universitas Indraprasta PGRI, Jakarta, Indonesia

Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia

itsarbolo.rangka@unindra.ac.id

Keywords: Online counseling, hi2-counselink, android platform, product inspection.

Abstract: The development of online counseling services encouraged the need for adequate and user-friendly

infrastructure and software. This study aims to evaluate the functional product to avoid the most common

source of problems in the Hi2-CounseLink software development process. This software is developed for

individual counselling services by adapting the development model of The Rapid Prototyping Model. The

product analysis involves application developer’s android based, counselling expert and counselling

practitioners as customers. The research findings show that Hi2-CounseLink rated quite well by software and

counseling experts and the customers. However, modifying of this software is needed, especially with regard

to broadcast receivers, data credentials, font selection, and software security systems. For the next stage,

author decided to refine and revision the prototype of Hi2-CounseLink.

1 INTRODUCTION

The high number of people who use smart phone

(based on android) connected by the Internet network

(Kirwan et al., 2012) is also followed by the

development of the software has been increasing

dramatically over the last several years (Wei and Lo,

2006; Gandhewar and Sheikh, 2010). The high use of

the Internet in a country reflects a climate of

information disclosure and public acceptance of

technological developments and changes to the

information society throughout the country(Singh

and Hill, 2003; Posey et al., 2010).

The increasing of android software mentioned

above for Indonesians as development country also

provides opportunities for the develop of similar

software in other public services sectors(Ndou,

2004). It is also the answer to the challenges of

changing times that are increasingly putting the use

of digital technology in every aspect of community

life, including working life and also increasingly used

for targeting mental health issues(Lehr et al., 2016).

Unfortunately, mental health practitioners,

especially counselors, are not prepared and

"impressed" slow to deal with the possibility of

change (Aubrey, 1980; Alleman, 2002); including

adaptation to the use of online technology in the

practice of counseling services (Elleven and Allen,

2004).

Most counselors are still concerned with the issue

of "comparing" whichever is more effective between

face-to-face counseling with online counseling

(Mallen and Vogel, 2005). On the other hand, the

provision of counseling services should not be broken

to fill the needs of clients (Bedi, 2006).

However, this does not mean the development of

counseling services in 21st Centuries, especially

using technology information is "becoming impaired

nowhere" (Paisley and McMahon, 2001). Counselors

or therapists have recently begun to utilize the various

online media services that have been available such

as Facebook, twitter, MySpace, e-mail, and some

software programs for chatting (instant messaging)

such as skype, messenger, google talk, window live

messenger; even the use of open virtual discussion

groups (e.g., newsgroups), telephone and mobile

phones and other special teleconference media

(Barak, 1999; Ardi and Yendi, 2013; Ifdil, 2013).

The term online counseling refers to counseling

processes that do not depend upon the presence of

counselors and clients in one place or office, but apart

by distance(Elleven and Allen, 2004). In online

Riansyah, H., Rangka, I. and Ifdil, I.

Development Hi2-CounseLink as Online Counseling Software Based on Android Platform - Product Inspections.

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 2, pages 13-19

ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8

counseling practice, treatment is provided without the

physical presence of counselors with clients in one

place(Collie, Mitchell and Murphy, 2000).

Online-based counseling gives value to the

advancement within the counseling profession. One

of on-line counseling's greatest features is that it may

be provided worldwide; on-line counseling knows no

geographic boundaries and suppresses the financing

incurred by clients and accommodates the varying

needs of clients (Mallen and Vogel, 2005). It is

important to note that the use of software in the

counseling process is only a tool for successful

counseling process (Elleven and Allen, 2004).

The previous study conducted mobile phone

software applications (apps) are available for a

variety of useful tasks to include symptom

assessment, psycho education, resource location, and

tracking of treatment progress (Ndou, 2004). Mobile

phones also seem to have many other benefits, such

as increasing adherence to medication, allowing

therapists to monitor clients’ progress, improving the

therapeutic relationship, and providing information to

both clients and therapists (Norris, Swartz and

Tomlinson, 2013).

Based on the conditions, the author released a

prototype of the android-based software that is

specifically intended for on-line counseling services,

namely Hi2-CounseLink. The naming of Hi2-

CounseLink, taken from the developer of this

software, "Hi2" which stands for Hafit (H), Itsar (I),

and Ifdil (I); Which is connected with "CounseLink"

which means Counseling is done in the on-line

network.

The development based on The Rapid Prototyping

Model as Software-Development Life-Cycle Models.

By using a prototyping approach similar to that

shown in Figure 1, the customer can assess the

prototype and provide feedback as to its suitability for

a particular application. The prototype can range from

a paper schematic all the way to a working system that

includes both hardware and software(Rakitin, 2001).

The development of Hi2-CounseLink in this study

aims to evaluated software for online counseling

tools. More specifically, the purpose of Hi2-

CounseLink development is to describe the

functionality of important components of Hi2-

CounseLink software that integrates live chat, voice

call, and video call in one application on a smart

phone which is connected to the Internet.

The use of an android platform in this software is

based upon the consideration that most of the

Indonesian people using smart phones with android

based.

2 METHODS

Hi2-CounseLink software development in this

research is done by adapting The Rapid Prototyping

Model as a life-cycle model in creating a software-

development process. The Rapid Prototyping Model

was chosen because it can range from a paper

schematic to the working system that includes both

hardware and software (Rakitin, 2001).

The Rapid Prototyping Model allows researchers

to build software based on user ratings and needs. In

this case, researchers, program developers, and users

in small groups are fully engaged in software

refinement step by step.

Figure 1: Rapid prototyping life-cycle model.

At the product functional inspections stage, the

Hi2-CounseLink software component is evaluated by

three counseling experts, three software developers

and three users as client using a Focus Group

Discussion (FGD) method.

ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Product Functional Inspections

3.1.1 Product Evaluation from Software

Developers

There are six components that provide the building

blocks for android applications, are (1) activities, (2)

services, (3) content providers, (4) intents, (5)

broadcast receivers, and (6) notifications (Meier,

2011).

Assessment by the developers found the need for

improvements in the component broadcast receivers,

mainly on the accuracy of the Global Positioning

System (GPS). Location based Services offer many

advantages to the mobile users to retrieve the

information about their current location and process

that data to get more useful information near to their

location(Singhal and Shukla, 2012).

This resulted in the software not being able to run

properly and spend quite a lot of power. At the time

of software testing by using a temporary server, the

program can connect to the server and can work

properly. Meanwhile, other components have no

significant problems.

3.1.2 Product Evaluation from Counseling

Experts

The main idea behind this software development is to

provide a tool to help counselors or clients to carry

out counseling without relying on physical presence

(face-to-face) in one place. To that end, the

counseling experts are involved to provide input on

the perfection of software and ensure the counseling

process can run properly in accordance with the

ethical code of the counseling profession.

Assessment from expert counseling of this

software is quite good. Settling content that enough

attention to the experts of counseling is on the

guarantee of data credentials that exist in the

Software. Counseling experts assess the governance

and information on the use of client data should be

presented on separate pages in the software

developed.

Guarantee of the data provided by the client is

very important to foster trust in counseling

services(Layne and Hohenshil, 2005; Affairs, 2006).

Besides that, the credentials can make the struggle for

public acceptance of the profession and an increasing

emphasis an accreditation and credential factors

(Forster, 1978; Myers, 1992; Myers, Sweeney and

White, 2002).

3.1.3 Product Evaluation from Customers

The last stage of the software assessment is provided

by the client as a customer. Assessment at this stage

is focused at the software interface being developed

and their attitude towards the use of online

counseling.

Customers rate the interface for the program quite

well. Customers can understand rightly the use of

available panels and buttons along with their

usability. However, revisions to the software

interface are required in the font selection section.

The typeface used is not very good; especially letters

of the navigation key.

Related attitude towards online counseling, the

customers are concerned about the level of security of

personal data and conversations provided. The lack of

perceived privacy and security during online chat

sessions and the fear of being caught while

conducting online sessions were the main concerns

reported by e-clients(Young, 2005).

3.2 Manual Guidelines: A Brief

Overview for Prototype Software

3.2.1 System and Device Requirement

Hi2-CounseLink can be operated maximally on

android smartphone with the following minimum

system and device requirement:

Table 1: System and device requirement for Hi2-

CounseLink software.

Component Minimum System and or Device

uirement

Supported

Network

HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 – 3G

LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800),

4(1700/2100)

–

Operating

ste

Android 5.0.1 (Lollipop) or above

CPU Qua

-core 1.25 GHz or above

Memory 16 GB, 2 GB RAM or 32 GB, 3 GB

RAM

Camera

Resolution

8 MP or above

The system and device requirement as shown in

Table 1 is a minimum standard of Hi2-CounseLink

operation. However, it does not mean Hi2-

CounseLink cannot run on specifications under the

minimum requirement, but can also run but until less

smooth due to found many bugs to crash.

Development Hi2-CounseLink as Online Counseling Software Based on Android Platform - Product Inspections

3.2.2 Start Menu

Figure 2: View of start menu.

The Hi2-CounseLink start menu component, as

shown in Figure 2 that is: (1) registration; (2) e-mail

or mobile phone number; (3) passwords, as well as

(4). terms & conditions of counseling online.

In general, the function of the keys, including: (1)

registration as a registration button for new clients.

Clients are asked to fill self-biographical, and self-

image; (2) e-mail or mobile phone number serves as

a confirmation button from the registration menu; (3)

password, and; (4) terms and conditions.

Identity filling is aimed for app users who do not

have an account in this app yet. Users are asked to fill

out the identity of the client and address, phone

number, email and click the List button. It is

necessary to verify client's self-data as a requirement

to enter the login menu.

3.2.3 Meet Your Counsellor Using the

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Hi2-CounseLink comes with GPS functionality to

track users and counselors in one particular place. The

GPS menu view automatically finds the client's

location and the location of the nearest practice with

the client's position at the provincial, city and sub-

district levels (See Figure 3).

A tracking system employing global positioning

system (GPS) satellites provides extremely accurate

position, velocity, and time information for vehicles

or any other animate or inanimate object within any

mobile radio communication system or information

system, including those operating in high rise urban

areas(Brown and Sturza, 1993).

Hi2-CounseLink software is connected to the

Counselor list listed on the Indonesian Counselor

Association server.

Figure 3: GPS menu view and list of counselors available

online by location.

GPS test was conducted in Cimanggis, Depok -

Indonesia area at latitude -6.364456, and longitude

106.859139, Hi2-CounseLink software run properly.

3.2.4 How is Counseling Done? And How

Much Does It Cost?

Basically, the user who has chosen who will counsel

with will be faced the select of type of counseling

situation that suits his needs. On the menu of the

counseling process, clients can choose to counsel via

phone, video call, chat/instant message, or meet

directly in the counselor's office.

Figure 4: Types of counselling and administration fee.

The client selects the duration of time required for

counseling. It becomes very important to adjust the

condition between counselor and client. In Figure 4,

the system settings in the Hi2-CounseLink software

ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences

automatically align the configuration according to the

client's choice. Each duration of counseling has an

administrative fee so that the client can see clearly

how much he or she is issuing for each type of

counseling.

The client or application user who has approved

the administration fee can make a payment and

confirm the payment by uploading the transfer

receipt.

3.2.5 The Value of User Feedback for

Counselors and App Managers

One of the biggest benefits in the development of this

software is the availability of the feedback menu

provided by customers of the quality of services

obtained from the counselor.

Figure 5: Counsellor’s rating based on client counselling

experience.

In Figure 5, the client can directly assess the

counselor based on the counseling experience

obtains. Furthermore, the assessment of the counselor

is sent to the Indonesian Counselor Association server

database. The scale of assessment of client

satisfaction level on the quality of counseling service

as shown in Table 2 is indicated by an asterisk,

namely:

Table 2: Scale of counselor service quality assessment.

Number of Stars Interpretation



Counseling service is



Counselin

service is fai



Counselin

service is



Counselin

service is ver



Counseling service is excellent

Counselors can also evaluate themselves based on

clients’ ratings. Neither for software developers and

Indonesian Counselor Association.

3.3 Software Limitations

Until the Product Functional Inspections stage, Hi2-

CounseLink software can only be used to conduct

individual online counseling. This software is also not

available for public in the Play Store service on

Google Play.

On the availability side of the counselor in the

software is still categorized slightly. This is because

the process of transferring the database of counselors

to the application for a wider field test has not been

completed yet. On the operating system side, Hi2-

CounseLink is intended for android smart phone users

and has not been developed for iOS users, and

Windows Phone. Finally, at this stage the program is

available in Bahasa only.

3.4 The Future Development of Hi2-

CounseLink

It was realized by the researcher that actually clients

could just choose software or other application with

more complete features compared to Hi2-

CounseLink. However, the organization of

counseling services through one database and online

software directly help the professional counseling

organization to be able to map the quality of

counselors in Indonesia in performing its role as a

professional counselor.

Based on the accumulated assessment of clients

on counselor services recorded through Hi2-

CounseLink, the professional organization of

counseling can monitor the performance of its

counselors and design the counselor counseling

program in the future.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Based on the description that has been proposed, it

can be concluded that the development of Hi2-

CounseLink has rated quite well by software and

counseling experts and the customers. However,

modifying of this software is needed, especially with

regard to broadcast receivers, data credentials, font

selection, and software security systems.

Some primary obstacles that have not been solved

in Hi2-CounseLink development are the application

can’t import the database of counselor to Hi2-

CounseLink application server, and Hi2-CounseLink

software only aimed at individual counseling only

Development Hi2-CounseLink as Online Counseling Software Based on Android Platform - Product Inspections

and yet to touch other counseling services such as

group counseling. For the next stage, author decided

to refine the prototype of Hi2-CounseLink.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We give the highest appreciation to the volunteers

who are willing to help the development of this

software. Particularly for Mr. Dwi Fajar for setting up

the application system and Ms. Nosmalasari for

technical help in this manuscript.

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Development Hi2-CounseLink as Online Counseling Software Based on Android Platform - Product Inspections