M. Tech. Business Administration (MBA) / Information technology (IT) services have become strategic to business. Complex IT environments are usually managed according to a service management framework of which the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is the de facto standard. Due to a lack of studies on service quality and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library in South Africa, this research was focused on how service quality is perceived by the business after the adoption of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library. The purposes of this research were: to identify which dimensions of service quality contributed most significantly to the service quality gap; to determine what the perceptions of service quality were after the implementation of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library; and how the opinions of service quality differ between the Information technology division and the business.

The main focus of the study was to find out whether tertiary institutions such as the University of North-West (now North West University- Mafikeng Campus) can handle the Help Desk effectively, with regard to IT staff workloads and skills, and students' and staff IT skills. The aim of the research was to examine the extent to which users can make use of the help desk for different sectors of the university community (administrative, academic, support personnel and students). The study looked at the structure of a user help desk appropriate for the North West University (Mafikeng Campus), and also examined the distribution and channels to be used for a user help desk. The assumption was made that a help desk at the North West University (1'v!aftkeng Campus) can provide services of high quality to its entire community. A questionnaire was used to solicit the perceptions of the university community towards the introduction of the Information System's helpdesk. The respondents' responses were then analysed with the use of spread sheet tables. The target was 150 respondents of which 120 managed to respond to the questionnaire. Most of the participants agreed that they were prepared to accept changes brought about by the use of help desk. The study also revealed that there were serious problems at the NWU (Mafikeng Campus) regarding shortage of support received from the Information Technology department of the University. The researcher therefore recommends that the automated Helpdesk be introduced as soon as possible so that the users can become familiar with it. In general the skill of staff and students are actually good and most of them will welcome the help desk. The IT staff workload is more with few members of staff, and the recommendation is that there is a need to implement the help desk. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

Observations in the information technology (IT) support environment and generalizations from the literature regarding problem resolution behavior indicate that computer support staff seldom store reusable solution information effectively for IT problems. A comprehensive model of the processes encompassing problem arrival and assessment, expertise selection, problem resolution, and solution recording has not been available to facilitate research in this domain. This investigation employed the findings from a qualitative pilot study of IT support staff information behaviors to develop and explicate a detailed model of problem trajectory. Based on a model from clinical studies, this model encompassed a trajectory scheme that included the communication media, characteristics of the problem, decision points in the problem resolution process, and knowledge creation in the form of solution storage. The research design included the administration of an extensive scenario-based online survey to a purposive sample of IT support staff at a medium-sized state-supported university, with additional respondents from online communities of IT support managers and call-tracking software developers. The investigator analyzed 109 completed surveys and conducted email interviews of a stratified nonrandom sample of survey respondents to evaluate the suitability of the model. The investigation employed mixed methods including descriptive statistics, effects size analysis, and content analysis to interpret the results and verify the sufficiency of the problem trajectory model. The study found that expertise selection relied on the factors of credibility, responsibility, and responsiveness. Respondents referred severe new problems for resolution and recorded formal solutions more often than other types of problems, whereas they retained moderate recurring problems for resolution and seldom recorded those solutions. Work experience above and below the 5-year mark affected decisions to retain, refer, or defer problems, as well as solution storage and broadcasting behaviors. The veracity of the problem trajectory model was verified and it was found to be an appropriate tool and explanatory device for research in the IT domain.

The management of online learning environments so that they are effective and efficient presents a significant challenge for institutions and lecturers due to the complexity of requirements in the learning and teaching domain. The use of 3D Multi User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) for education introduces a novel set of management challenges. MUVEs were designed to cater for entertainment and commercial needs and as such do not intrinsically support managed learning. When MUVEs are used for educational purposes, forming 3D Multi User Learning Environments (MULEs), user support for learning management becomes an important factor. This thesis highlights the importance of managed learning in MULEs. It proposes a coordinated approach which accommodates the existing education institutional infrastructure. The research has focused on two very widely used and closely compatible MUVEs, Second Life (SL) and OpenSim. The thesis presents system and user studies that have been carried out on these selected MUVEs. The findings reveal the challenges that academics and students can experience if they do not have sufficient knowhow to manage learning activities in SL/OpenSim. User guidance and training tools were then developed for supporting learning management strategies in the context of SL/OpenSim and demonstrated in exemplar use-case scenarios. The user support models and tools which were developed have been extensively evaluated for their usability and educational value using diverse participant groups. The results validate the efficacy of these contributions, defending the research thesis. These contributions can be used in future research on managing MUVE supported education.

The purpose of the project was to develop a single-semester curriculum for Citrus College. The curriculum was directed at adults returning from the workplace to update their skills, and college students that are enrolled in the information technology (IT), or computer science (CS) tracks.

The purpose of the project was to develop a single-semester curriculum for Citrus College. The curriculum was directed at adults returning from the workplace to update their skills, and college students that are enrolled in the information technology (IT), or computer science (CS) tracks.