The Service Science to Improve the Distance Education in a Public Organization of Higher Education
Wagner Oliveira, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do RN (Brazil)
Luís Alfredo Martins do Amaral, Universidade do Minho (Portugal)
Abstract
This article shows preliminary results of a in development method that uses concepts, theories and techniques of the academic field of Service Science to improve processes involved in offering distance education courses related in a public Organization of Higher Education. In this research, distance education is defined as a service system that is available to many customers (students, teachers and organizations) through the interaction of people, organizations and technological resources, which need to work together to add value in the teaching-learning relationship that is established in distance courses. The Service Science can explore the operations and the laws of service systems, through the synthesis of management, engineering technology and social sciences, to solve complex real problems by providing a scientific methodology to improve the efficiency of the service systems, involving their entire life cycle. In this context of distance education as a service system, several studies in the academic field of Service Science, which are applied to the service sector, can also be used in improving distance education. Regarding this context, the research focuses on answering the question: How the academic field of Service Science can be used to create a method to be applied in the improvement of the processes involved in offering distance courses in a public organization higher education, in order to make the most efficient and effective distance education?. To address this question, it has been done a literature review to evaluate, explore and verify the potential of the academic field of Service Science, in the context of distance education. It is expected that this research develops a method that can be used by organizations as an effective resource in the decision making, problem solving and quality of services related to the context of distance education.