Abstract:

The paper focuses on IT– information technology – and e-learning implementations analysis, with the view to improve implementations’ quality and impact. Such analyses are important in order to evaluate the efficiency and appropriateness of various information systems implementations, especially in the field of e-learning.
We give a general framework and specific guidelines for various organization types from the IT management point of view, by proposing the following analysis levels: infrastructure, basic software and information systems. We overview main IT characteristics in organizational evolution, from small companies towards medium size and large companies. We also propose analysis guidelines for evaluating information systems implementations. We analyze, from these points of view, Babes-Bolyai University’s global learning portal and information systems for academic, research and administrative management. The global UBBonline portal provides both e-learning facilities and facilities for integrating the dedicated information systems.
We also focus on the impact of using advanced e-learning facilities in teaching by evaluating student feed-back in respect with these facilities. We present students’ feed-back regarding educational facilities available within UBBonline portal. UBBOnline e-learning portal and its learning facilities has been presented in previous INTED editions. The present case study pursues the evolution of student perception regarding the portal use for various IT courses, comparatively analyzing BA and MA perceptions.
Since UBBonline is integrated with the dedicated information systems, namely AcademicInfo for educational information, grade information is also available for teachers and students (students access disciplines from their study contracts, including grade and fee information, while teachers access disciplines they deliver, including student grade information). Discipline sites are automatically created into the portal based on information automatically provisioned from AcademicInfo system.
Teachers may use access specific reports on various sections of the disciplines sites and results of course evaluation quiz in order to improve the quality of the educational content resources; they can also correlate this information with student performance information.

The survey we present has been created by using built-in portal facilities. We comparatively analyze the perception of BA and MA student groups, along 2 academic years. Besides expressing a positive perception and appreciating the advantages of having the electronic educational resources available at any time, students appreciate the available e-learning tools and resources, as well as the communication ones, my site and the on-line evaluation facilities. MA and BA groups have similar perceptions; MA open responses are a bit more mature, as well as the importance they give to the availability of proficient on-line resources.

We notice that the use of e-learning facilities have become steadier in time and students have become more and more used and almost ‘dependant’ of these learning facilities. Our teaching experiences show that students who use e-learning tools become more autonomous in learning and working based on specific guidelines, and sometimes may averagely score better (smaller grade dispersion) in on-line evaluations than face-to-face groups

Keywords:

IT management, information system analysis, e-learning, learning portal, system integration, learning feed-back, on-line evaluation, e-learning proficiency.