International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies - Designing an integrated counseling service through WhatsApp bot and physical space

Aug 29, 2026

This study targets the persistent underutilization of counseling and academic guidance among university students in the Faculty of Public Health (FKM), Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara (UINSU), Indonesia. It systematically designs, develops, demonstrates, and evaluates an integrated service artifact combining a physical counseling space (MIKA Corner) with a WhatsApp-based chatbot (MIKA Care) to improve accessibility and reduce stigma barriers. A Design Science Research (DSR) approach following Peffers’ five-stage process and Hevner’s three-cycle framework uses stakeholder consultation, student feedback surveys, and usage analytics over 30 days. Mixed-method evaluation guided by FEDS supports improved accessibility and reduced stigma, with 64 students served and high satisfaction scores. The integrated model is presented as a transferable, low-cost gateway to professional support and student well-being.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and problem context

Design Science Research Methodology

DSR process and evaluation cycles

Integrated Counseling Service Artifact

MIKA Corner and MIKA Care

Data Collection and Evaluation

Stakeholder consultation, surveys, analytics

Results and Discussion

Service reach and student satisfaction

Design Principles and Transferability

International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 9(6) 2026, pages: 1-9 ISSN: 2617-6548 [URL:](URL: www.ijirss.com)[ ](URL: www.ijirss.com)[www.ijirss.com](URL: www.ijirss.com) Designing an integrated counseling service through WhatsApp bot and physical space: A design science research approach at Islamic State University of Sumatera Utara Ummi Khairun Niswah 1*, Taufiq Sitompul2, Richard Holman Matanta3, Yona May Rahayu4 1Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. 2Computer Science Department, BINUS Graduate Program-Doctor of Computer Science, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta, Indonesia. 3Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia. 4School of Humanities, Faculty of Digital Technology, Communication, and Education, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. Corresponding author: Ummi Khairun Niswah (Email: [ummikhairun.niswah@uinsu.ac.id](ummikhairun.niswah@uinsu.ac.id)) Abstract This study addresses the persistent underutilization of counseling and academic guidance services among university students at the Faculty of Public Health (FKM), Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara (UINSU), Indonesia. It aims to systematically design, develop, demonstrate, and evaluate an integrated counseling service artifact—combining a physical counseling space (MIKA Corner) with a WhatsApp-based chatbot (MIKA Care)—to improve service accessibility and reduce stigma barriers to ultimately enhance student well-being. The study employs Design Science Research (DSR) methodology following the process model by Peffers, et al. [1] operationalized through five iterative stages: (1) problem identification and motivation, (2) definition of solution objectives,(3) design and development, (4) demonstration, and (5) evaluation. The research is further grounded in Hevner, et al. [2] three-cycle framework (relevance, design, and rigor cycles) . Data were gathered through stakeholder consultations, observational analysis, student feedback surveys (Likertscale and open-ended), and platform usage analytics over a 30-day implementation period. The evaluation employed a mixed-methods approach guided by the Framework for Evaluation in Design Science Research (FEDS) by Venable, et al. [3] . The MIKA artifact successfully served 64 students (3 via face-to-face counseling at MIKA Corner; 61 via MIKA Care WhatsApp Bot) . Student satisfaction ratings averaged 4.83/5.0 for ease of use, 4.83/5.0 for information relevance, and 4.60/5.0 for helpfulness. Qualitative feedback confirmed stigma reduction and improved accessibility. The digital channel’s dominance (95.3% of users) demonstrates the chatbot’s effectiveness as a low-barrier gateway to professional academic counseling. The integrated physical-digital counseling artifact effectively addressed barriers to counseling utilization in an Indonesian Islamic university context. The DSR methodology provided a rigorous framework for systematic service innovation. Design principles, including dual-channel delivery, de-stigmatized environments, and familiar-platform integration, are transferable to similar higher education contexts. Universities in developing countries can adopt the MIKA model as a scalable, low-cost approach to improving student support services. The WhatsApp-based chatbot infrastructure requires minimal technical investment while achieving significant reach. The design principles and DSR framework offer areplicable methodology for similar service innovation projects. Keywords: Design science research, Higher education innovation, Indonesia, Service design artifact, Student mental health, University counseling, WhatsApp chatbot. DOI: 10.53894/ijirss.v9i6.11704 Funding: This study received no specific financial support. History: Received: 11 March 2026 / Revised: 8 May 2026 / Accepted: 13 May 2026 / Published: 25 May 2026 Copyright: © 2026 by the authors. This article is an open access article

FAQs

How was the integrated service evaluated?

Evaluation used a mixed-methods approach over a 30-day implementation, combining stakeholder consultations, student feedback surveys, and platform usage analytics, guided by FEDS.

Aug 29, 2026

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