Administering a Web-Based Course on Database Technology

This article presents a managerial experience with a web-based course on data base technology for enterprise management. The course has been developed and managed by a Department of Industrial Engineering in Brazil in a Public University. Project’s managerial experiences are described covering its conception stage where the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) was designed until the present moment with student’s enrolment and instructional activities. Managerial challenges related to carrying out the web-based course are discussed in this article and involve tasks such as advertising efforts to enroll new students, interaction with the web-environment, learning evaluation from instructional contents and customer satisfaction with the learning outcomes. Conclusions taken from managing such a course are presented regarding technology requirements, financial results and market possibilities are presented and aim at helping institutions willing to invest on similar web-based learning projects.

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