E-Learning IT Management: Social Media Integration - Case Study

This report analyzes IT management issues in colleges and universities transitioning to e-learning platforms. It emphasizes the integration of social media into e-learning to enhance interactivity and user-generated content, contrasting this approach with traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS). The report suggests practical ways to integrate social media, such as using blogs and wikis, connecting social networking shells to LMS, and adopting social media-based LMS platforms like Drupal. It also addresses the importance of customer support for online courses, proposing solutions like dedicated mobile applications and toll-free helpline numbers. A budget plan is included, covering web design, content writing, and customer support costs. The report highlights the need for colleges to adapt to the growing demand for online education by effectively leveraging technology and social networks.

Running Header: IT Management Issues
IT Management Issues
Authors Name:
Authors ID:

IT Management Issues
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Integrating social media into E-learning..........................................................................................3
Tools and Applications required to provide customer support........................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................8

IT Management Issues
Introduction
With the emergence of globalization and innovation and technological up-gradations it has
become very much significant for any of the sector to keep them up-to-date (Laudon & Laudon,
2016). IT (information and technology) is one of the biggest requirements for any of the business
organization. The growth of personal computing mechanisms has revolutionized the personal and
working life of individuals in the 21st century. And as human being are unable to cope-up with
the rapid changes and velocity of the growth of information technology occurrence of issues and
errors keep on repeating. The below presented report is analyzed on the issues associated with
the IT management in the colleges and universities.
Integrating social media into E-learning
With the emergence and growing need of the online learning, the need and requirement of the
functionality of course management systems has also increased (Orlando 2010). The
management systems are growing and becoming more complex and also they are becoming more
fragile day by day, dictating the new organizational purpose of instructional designer to
accomplish the systems. Mechanism of distance learning steadily loosened from faculty to
administrator as instructional designers began presenting the functionality and appearance of
online.
Now faculty is beginning to fight for the authority of the administrators through the utilizing the
social media platforms such as blogs, wikis, and Voice-Thread. The mentioned mechanisms or
social media platforms are easy to establish ad can be easily set up by faculty and students to
adoptive interactivity and content generated by user that is impossible in the systems of course
management. Moreover, the best option is that a faculty member can develop a blog in minutes
and invest most of the their time interacting with the learners instead of investing time in
stocking up the course of a systems of course management.
But there are some colleges that are making use of the social media strategy. The predictions are
made that all the data or the information must be housed within the LMS. Blackboard is one of
the mechanisms that are benefiting the social networks modules such as wikis and blogs, but
shifting them into the locked-down the LMS mechanism diminishes the very openness which

IT Management Issues
offers value to these media. So a better approach that can be adopted for understanding that the
LMS is just an equipment among many options and just for offering online learning (Wilson
2016). And just like a carpenter, that is making use of the tool that suits best to the job.
The below mentioned are some of the simplified ways through which social media can be
integrated to e-learning:
Employees who need to make a hybrid course should utilize online life frameworks, for example,
web journals or wikis instead of a LMS. A LMS is useful for a completely online course, yet
requires unnecessary managerial time for a half and half course.
Numerous staff are showing completely online courses through a mix of internet based life and
LMS frameworks. For example, Michelle Pacansky-Brock utilizes Moodle to oversee
assignments and keep up her review book, and Ning to show her class. Steve Kolowich utilizes
Moodle in addition to Skype and Elluminate to add intelligent components to his online courses
(Lynch 2018). At Norwich University, I've included online journals, wikis and online classes
outside of our LMS to give understudies a chance to investigate issues inside the calling that
premiums them.
Colleges are beginning to connect web-based social networking "shells" to their LMS. GoingOn
gives web journals and different types of discourse that exist outside of the classroom to permit
coordinated effort between understudies over the organization. For example, all understudies in a
business module can bear on discourses identified with business outside of their specific courses.
Learning Objects is another framework that furnishes understudies with an "individual learning
space" where they can make a blog, share destinations, and team up in an assortment of routes
with similarly invested understudies. It additionally enables clubs and divisions to make
Facebook-like locales to share data.
Universities are changing to a LMS based via web-based networking media standards, for
example, Drupal. An open source stage, Drupal gives workforce the adaptability to make
understudy writes the landing page of their course, instead of authoritative capacities,
empowering coordinated effort. Even better, any piece of a course can be influenced open so
understudies to can participate in discussions with different understudies, staff, or experts in the
field.

IT Management Issues
Living in the era of 21st century where technology is rigorously taking over the step to enhance
the communication between people over the world. Hence, everything from conversation to
education, business to transaction is happening online which is a major concern why the colleges
have to make it easy for its students to have courses which are online and easy to access
anywhere around the globe. In regards to this a case study have been proposed on the basis of
which a report on the incorporation of technology and social networks in the educational institute
has to be implemented and developed so that there can be better outcomes and results. In other
words, there is competition present in market which is using this technical aspect to grow and
develop their study and culture (Marchewka, 2014). This has become a major concern for the
entire academic institutes to have technological development in there system as well as to make
there courses available online for students to have access and to attract more number of people
from outside. Hence, the implementation of courses at the website of college for people who
have taken an access to it is compulsory for college. It will help in saving paper, making study
easy as well as approachable for students who cannot be present physically in the institute.
Hence, there are so many ways in which the college can have better implementation of all its
courses online. E-learning is a type of online learning which is compulsory for surviving in
today’s scenario for students as well as people (Avgerou & Walsham, 2017). First, the college
has to make sure that it have appropriate people for working on it such as content developer,
website developer and maintenance team for the work which will happen online. Second,
according to the requirements budget has to be ascertaining like who will be paid what and how
much the total cost would be and what actual cost the college possess for this project of E-
learning. Third, will be searching out the ways in which this procedure would be conducted in a
proper manner. Hence, below the report constitutes some important facts through which this can
be brought to action.
Budget
The proposed budget will help the institute to have a better structuring of its finances into
implementation of total E-learning course (Laudon & Laudon, 2015). This will also help in
making the appropriate ascertainment of cost which will lead to further development of the plan.
The budget plan for every section is listed below for the engagement of developing E-leaning for
the academic institute:

IT Management Issues
Particulars Amount
Web designer $50000
Content Writer $10000
Customer support $60000
Miscellaneous $10000
Total $130000
1. Integrating Social Media into the E-Learning Platform
There are so many inventions for this particular line wherein in study can be made more helpful
and sophisticated for the students. Including social media can be the best for it as people use it
more often and utilizing it for a purpose such as study would be the best though one could ever
make (Schwalbe, 2015). Hence some ways in which it can be helpful are given below:
Collaborating with Google IN Docs
There are EBooks and data’s which has to be shared between the students of the college as notes
which they can refer to while studying for this the college can make google docs accessible for
the students so that they can share thing aiming themselves as well as the college professors can
upload important material online for learning.
Sharing messages and audio-visuals through IM’s
There is IM app through which discussions and messages can be shared to have a better
understanding of what is to be learnt and study (Popescu, 2014). There must be complete
structural access to it for the people who subscribe to a particular course which is being provided
by the company.
Using Skype for online classes
Skype is a video calling app wherein the students can have professors readily available for
classes for particular courses if they are not in campus or for distance learning facility. The
quality of the study is same just internet has to be fixed properly in the inner system of the
institute (Clark & Mayer, 2016).

IT Management Issues
Communicating via Gmail
Gmail is a best source to communicate via mail on some topics or lectures coming up or it can be
used to fix meeting and classes with students all over the world through E-learning platform.
This can be noted as very useful source and a storage platform too for everyone to have a record
of everything they have been sent and sending to other people for a long period of time (Elkaseh,
Wong & Fung, 2016). Best source to impart by means of mail on a few points or addresses
coming up or it tends to be utilized to settle meeting and classes with understudies everywhere
throughout the world through E-learning stage. This can be noted as extremely helpful source
and a capacity stage too for everybody to have a record of all that they have been sent and
sending to other individuals for a significant lot of time.
Content sharing via website and institute application
There is a website of college where the content developer will develop the courses and study
material to be primarily accessed by the course subscribed students and they have access of it
anywhere at any point of time. This will help in decreasing to the cases where student misplace
there study material and help them to regain it from website instead of reaching to the college
management at every point of time (Dron & Anderson, 2014). There are EBooks and
information's which must be shared between the understudies of the school as notes which they
can allude to while examining for this the school can make Google docs available for the
understudies with the goal that they can share thing pointing themselves and also the school
teachers can transfer vital material online for learning.
Tools and Applications required to provide customer support
When something is prepared to be accessed all over the world from anywhere at any point of
time than there has to be a particular line where students can reach if they face any issues
regarding usage of the data and access to the data which is related to their course and particularly
related to their study (Olenski 2016). In order to provide a proper customer support the academic
institute has to develop a proper stream line for this section. In other words, a department for this
particular section of function which can be Customer support department. Hence, this can be
done through various ways which are defined as follows:

IT Management Issues
Application
The institute can have a proper app for this particular section which will help the students to
reach out directly to the people who are working in the college who may guide them with the
course work and E-learning (Greenhow & Lewin, 2016). The organization can have a legitimate
application for this specific segment which will assist the understudies with reaching out
straightforwardly to the general population who are working in the school who may control them
with the course work and E-learning.
Toll free helpline number
There can be a helpline number and people who are specially appointed to help in customers in
guiding them through the path and how they can have an access to this particular section of the
website properly in an effective manner (Bailor 2004). There can be a helpline number and
individuals who are exceptionally designated to help in clients in directing them through the way
and how they can have an entrance to this specific area of the site appropriately in a compelling
way.
Email Support
Students must be able to write emails so that they can have better support from the people who
are associated in any type of courses may have better understanding of the material as well as the
online material about how to use it (Manca & Ranieri, 2016). This will help them to have
maximum utilization of resources in most appropriate manner.
This has turned into a noteworthy worry for the whole scholastic organizations to have
innovative advancement in there framework and also to make there courses accessible online for
understudies to approach and to draw in more number of individuals from outside (Gruzd,
Haythornthwaite, Paulin, Gilbert & Valle, 2018). Thus, the usage of courses at the site of school
for individuals who have taken an entrance to it is mandatory for school. It will help in sparing
paper, making study simple and receptive for understudies who can't be available physically in
the organization. Understudies must have the capacity to compose messages with the goal that
they can have better help from the general population who are related in a courses may have
better comprehension of the material and additionally the online material about how to utilize it

IT Management Issues
(McFarland & Ployhart, 2015). This will assist them with having greatest use of assets in most
proper way.
Conclusion
After summing up the above presented analysis it has been inferred that information technology
is one of the significant aspect for the business corporation in any sector. The presented analysis
is focused on the integration of social media and networks with the E-learning systems.
Moreover, the further report comprises of the tools and applications that are required for offering
customer support services in the given sector.

IT Management Issues
References
Avgerou, C., & Walsham, G. (Eds.). (2017) Information Technology in Context: Studies from the
Perspective of Developing Countries: Studies from the Perspective of Developing
Countries. New York: Routledge.
Bailor, C. (2004) 10 technologies that are reinventing the CRM industry, [Online]. Retrieved
from: https://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=47288.
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016) E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines
for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. John Wiley & Sons.
Dron, J., & Anderson, T. (2014) Teaching crowds: Learning and social media. Athabasca
University Press.
Elkaseh, A. M., Wong, K. W., & Fung, C. C. (2016) Perceived ease of use and perceived
usefulness of social media for e-learning in Libyan higher education: A structural
equation modeling analysis. International Journal of Information and Education
Technology, 6(3), 192.
Greenhow, C., & Lewin, C. (2016) Social media and education: reconceptualizing the
boundaries of formal and informal learning. Learning, media and technology, 41(1), 6-
30.
Gruzd, A., Haythornthwaite, C., Paulin, D., Gilbert, S., & del Valle, M. E. (2018) Uses and
gratifications factors for social media use in teaching: Instructors’ perspectives. New
Media & Society, 20(2), 475-494.
Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2015) Management information systems (Vol. 8). Prentice Hall.
Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2016) Management information system. Pearson Education
India.
Lynch, l. (2018) 6 social media platforms and how to use them for e-learning, [Online].
Retrieved from: https://www.learndash.com/6-social-media-platforms-and-how-to-use-
them-for-your-e-learning/.

IT Management Issues
Manca, S., & Ranieri, M. (2016) Facebook and the others. Potentials and obstacles of social
media for teaching in higher education. Computers & Education, 95, 216-230.
Marchewka, J. T. (2014) Information technology project management. John Wiley & Sons.
McFarland, L. A., & Ployhart, R. E. (2015) Social media: A contextual framework to guide
research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(6), 1653.
Olenski, S. (2016) 5 ways brands can improve customer service via technology, [Online].
Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2016/10/18/5-ways-brands-
can-improve-customer-service-via-technology/#1bdfc03315c7.
Orlando, J. (2010) Integrating social media into online education, [Online]. Retrieved from:
https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/integrating-social-media-into-
online-education/.
Popescu, E. (2014) Providing collaborative learning support with social media in an integrated
environment. World Wide Web, 17(2), 199-212.
Schwalbe, K. (2015) Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
Wilson, L. (2016) 9 ways to use social networks in e-learning, [Online]. Retrieved from:
https://elearningindustry.com/9-ways-social-networks-in-elearning.