Abstract:

The paper focuses on comparing BA and MA student feed-back in blended learning educational environments. MA student experience is obviously more extensive; they express a positive perception on course content and e-learning facilities that are used, while the perception of the BA students, very positive as well, is more oriented towards the novelty of the e-learning facilities and the resource content.

The educational group of MA students consists of three specializations: Advanced management, European business and project management, European governance (first MA year), while the BA group comprises the following specializations: International Relations and European Studies (in Romanian, English and German), Management (In Romanian), European Administration (In Romanian) and American Studies (in English) – first BA year. The BA specializations attend an IT management course and the BA specializations attend a basic Applied IT course. All specializations unfold within the Faculty of European Studies, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

As e-learning platform, we use UBBonline e-learning portal. The e-learning facilities that we have developed therefore use UBBonline e-learning facilities: modular e-learning resources with educational goals and resources for each educational topic, resource libraries, discussions, tasks and communication facilities: e-mail, chat.

In order to evaluate student perception on the courses, we have designed, within the e-learning portal, a course evaluation quiz mainly regarding the e-learning facilities that were used and we have administered it to the enrolled students in both groups. The subject group contains students from the above mentioned specializations in the academic years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.

As results, students state in a high proportion, that IT e-learning resources and facilities are very useful. The majority of students also sustain that the content of the courses and their practical applications are very useful and relevant. The majority of students say that they would recommend the course and appreciate the resources and facilities developed on the e-learning portal. We discuss the results obtained within the BA and MA student groups on the above mentioned specializations that have attended the courses, comparing the results within the two groups. We note that MA students, with a higher learning experience, strongly appreciate the e-learning facilities and resources that are provided, while first year BA students display a high implication based on the novelty of the provided resources and facilities.

We conclude that students express a positive feed-back regarding the provided IT e-learning resources and facilities in both BA and MA groups and state that they represent useful tools in increasing learning efficiency

Keywords:

e-learning, blended learning, IT training, educational tools, BA and MA student feed-back, UBB online e-learning portal, interactive educational resources.