Designing Learning Information Systems to Customer Needs

The paper presents a marketing-oriented approach to the analysis and design of learning IS. In order to explain the phenomenon of success and failure of learning IS the term “user net value” is introduced. Using this concept, recommendations for a successful design and implementation of learning IS are presented. Universities in Transition During the last decade universities around the world have been facing increasing public pressure to reduce costs and improve output. In this context information technology and especially learning IS are often seen as the remedy for an under-performing university system. Current research has shown that there should be no doubt about the educational effectiveness of online lectures (see Beller et al. 1998; Harasim et al. 1995). On the other hand, the question of success and user-acceptance of learning IS still remains. Will learning IS meet universities' expectations or will they serve as another case study for IS failure research?