A Web-Based Student Feedback Management System Using MERN Stack for Higher Education

Abstract

Student feedback plays a vital role in evaluating teaching effectiveness and enhancing academic quality in higher education. Traditional feedback collection methods, such as paper-based forms or static surveys, are often time-consuming, error-prone, and lack analytical depth. To overcome these challenges, this paper presents a web-based Student Feedback Management System (SFMS) developed using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js). The system integrates role-based access control for Administrators, Heads of Departments (HODs), and Students, ensuring secure and tailored functionality for each user group. Key features include secure authentication with JWT, interactive feedback forms, real-time analytics using graphical dashboards, and automated report generation. Unlike conventional tools, the proposed system supports semester-wise and section-wise analysis, providing actionable insights into faculty performance and student satisfaction. By automating data collection and analysis, the system minimizes administrative workload, enhances student participation, and promotes data-driven decision-making. The results demonstrate that SFMS improves efficiency, accuracy, and transparency in the academic evaluation process, thereby contributing to continuous quality improvement in higher education institutions.

Introduction

???? Purpose

The system addresses the limitations of traditional and semi-digital student feedback methods in higher education by offering a modern, secure, scalable, and role-based web application. It facilitates real-time feedback collection, analytics, and decision-making to improve teaching quality and curriculum development.

????? Background and Motivation

• Student feedback is a vital tool for assessing teaching effectiveness and improving academic delivery.

• Existing systems like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or legacy ERP modules are inadequate for:

  • Role-based access

  • Secure authentication

  • Department/section-level insights

  • Scalability and automation

???? Problems with Traditional Systems

• Low participation rates

• Manual errors and delays

• No real-time analytics

• Lack of integration with academic workflows

• Insecure and non-scalable infrastructure

???? Literature Insights

• Existing tools fall short in offering:

  • Comprehensive role-based dashboards

  • Real-time visualization

  • Secure authentication (e.g., JWT)

  • End-to-end system integration for academic use

???? Proposed Solution: SFMS (Built on MERN Stack)

A modern web-based Student Feedback Management System that:

• Uses MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js

• Features secure login, dynamic subject allocation, and real-time analytics

• Includes role-specific dashboards for:

  • Students – Submit feedback

  • Heads of Departments (HODs) – View analytics

  • Admins – Manage users and subjects

????? Core Features and Methodology

???? Authentication & Access Control

• JWT-based secure login with bcrypt for password hashing

• Strict role-based access to features and data

???? Feedback Collection

• Interactive, subject-wise forms with ratings and comments

• Dynamic subject allocation based on branch, year, and section

• Data stored in MongoDB

???? Analytics and Reporting

• Graphical dashboards (using Chart.js / Recharts)

• Real-time aggregation by subject, section, and semester

• Reports exportable in PDF and Excel

?? Backend Services

• Node.js & Express.js handle API logic and routes

• Middleware ensures role verification

• Optimized for low-latency feedback processing

???? Frontend Interface

• React.js SPA for a responsive experience

• Tailored UIs for each role

• Validations ensure structured data collection

????? Database Management

• MongoDB with indexing and filtering for large-scale usage

• Stores feedback securely for analytics and compliance

????? System Design & Architecture

???? Three-Tier Architecture

1. Presentation Layer (React.js + Tailwind CSS)

   • Role-specific dashboards for Students, HODs, Admins

2. Application Layer (Node.js + Express.js)

   • API routing, business logic, authentication

3. Data Layer (MongoDB)

   • Stores feedback, user info, and subject data securely

???? Workflow Overview

• Students log in → Submit feedback → Backend validates and stores → HODs/Admins retrieve analytics → Reports generated dynamically

???? Real-Time Analytics

• Dashboards update live with visual insights:

  • Section-wise and subject-wise trends

  • Participation metrics

  • Faculty performance ratings

???? Testing & Deployment

• Frontend Testing: React Testing Library

• Backend Testing: Jest, Mocha

• End-to-End Testing: Cypress, Selenium

• Deployment:

  • Frontend on platforms like Vercel or Netlify

  • Backend on cloud servers (e.g., AWS, Azure)

  • MongoDB Atlas for managed database hosting

? Advantages of SFMS

• Scalable and secure

• Real-time insights for academic improvement

• Role-specific control ensures data confidentiality and usability

• Modern UI/UX for better engagement and feedback quality

• Integrated reporting for institutional audits and decisions

Conclusion

The Student Feedback Management System (SFMS) developed using the MERN stack addresses key limitations of traditional feedback methods such as paper-based surveys and generic digital forms. By integrating role-based dashboards, secure authentication, and real-time analytics, the system provides a structured, scalable, and user-friendly platform tailored for higher education institutions. Students benefit from intuitive feedback forms, Heads of Departments gain actionable insights through section- and subject-wise analytics, and administrators can efficiently manage users, subjects, and reports. Performance testing confirmed the system’s efficiency, low latency, and scalability, while security features like JWT and bcrypt ensure data confidentiality. Overall, SFMS enhances transparency, reduces administrative workload, and supports data-driven decision-making. By enabling continuous monitoring of faculty performance and student satisfaction, the system contributes directly to improving academic quality and institutional governance.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Masuram Uday, R K Raman. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.