Analysis of and Development Recommendations for Virtual Campus Services in Lapland UAS
Ivanics, Péter (2015)
Lapin ammattikorkeakoulu
2015
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201505045774
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201505045774
Tiivistelmä
The word campus is often used by universities to refer to the space where physical facilities are situated. In the present time, higher educational institutions utilize many computer-based tools to enhance study processes, which are often referred to as Virtual Campus services. Despite the fact that almost every university applies virtual tools beyond regular practices, there is no common understanding about the meaning of and the tools used in a Virtual Campus.
The objective of this study is to define the concept, explain the popularity and analyse the characteristics of Virtual Campus services. An exploratory research of relevant literature is conducted to discover the concept, the typical users and the faced challenges of Virtual Campuses. The study connects the principles of the emerging worldview of Service-Dominant Logic to Virtual Campus services.
The research specifically analyses Virtual Campus services utilized at Lapland University of Applied Sciences as a single case study. The qualitative and quantitative data was collected through in-depth interviews and a questionnaire survey. Additional insight into the case organization was drawn from the researcher’s experience as a student of the institution. The quantitative data was analysed using the SERVQUAL methodology. The study includes user satisfaction measurement and service quality gap analysis. This study makes recommendations for development possibilities for the institution.
The results indicate that Lapland University of Applied Sciences utilizes too many different third-party tools amongst Virtual Campus services. The separate environments cause confusion and dissatisfaction among the users. The improvement of overall service quality could be possible by involving users in a unique service design. By following principles of Service-Dominant Logic and using the proposed framework, the users and the organization could cooperatively improve the service quality and fill the gaps between users’ expectations and perceptions.
The objective of this study is to define the concept, explain the popularity and analyse the characteristics of Virtual Campus services. An exploratory research of relevant literature is conducted to discover the concept, the typical users and the faced challenges of Virtual Campuses. The study connects the principles of the emerging worldview of Service-Dominant Logic to Virtual Campus services.
The research specifically analyses Virtual Campus services utilized at Lapland University of Applied Sciences as a single case study. The qualitative and quantitative data was collected through in-depth interviews and a questionnaire survey. Additional insight into the case organization was drawn from the researcher’s experience as a student of the institution. The quantitative data was analysed using the SERVQUAL methodology. The study includes user satisfaction measurement and service quality gap analysis. This study makes recommendations for development possibilities for the institution.
The results indicate that Lapland University of Applied Sciences utilizes too many different third-party tools amongst Virtual Campus services. The separate environments cause confusion and dissatisfaction among the users. The improvement of overall service quality could be possible by involving users in a unique service design. By following principles of Service-Dominant Logic and using the proposed framework, the users and the organization could cooperatively improve the service quality and fill the gaps between users’ expectations and perceptions.