Rutgers University - Dr. Madjid Tavana, Professor of Management ...

Rutgers University Student Instructional Rating 

Fall 2008 through Spring 2013 

Madjid Tavana 

Fall 2008 Spring 2009 Fall 2009 Spring 2010 Fall 2010 Spring 2011 Fall 2011 Spring 2013 Average 

Enrollment 24 22 22 31 21 30 7 21 22.3 

Response 22 22 21 31 21 30 7 21 21.9 

Response Rate 92% 100% 95% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 98.4% 

1. The instructor was prepared for class and 

presented the material in an organized manner 4.91 4.74 4.95 4.77 4.95 4.77 4.71 4.85 4.83 

2. The instructor responded effectively to 

student comments and questions 4.86 4.52 4.86 4.71 4.76 4.80 4.86 4.85 4.78 

3. The instructor generated interest in the course material 4.82 4.48 4.67 4.71 4.71 4.60 4.57 4.65 4.65 

4. The instructor had a positive attitude toward 

assisting all students in understanding course material 4.86 4.7 4.95 4.81 4.71 4.67 4.86 4.65 4.78 

5. The instructor assigned grades fairly 4.59 4.35 4.76 4.23 4.52 4.67 4.57 4.35 4.51 

6. The instructional methods encouraged student learning 4.67 4.22 4.71 4.48 4.52 4.63 4.43 4.45 4.51 

7. I learned a great deal in this course 4.73 4.22 4.57 4.45 4.24 4.40 4.43 4.35 4.42 

8. I had a strong prior interest in the subject 

matter and wanted to take this course 3.64 3.04 3.48 3.00 3.14 3.87 2.86 3.72 3.34 

9. I rate the teaching effectiveness of the instructor as 4.77 4.61 4.81 4.61 4.48 4.83 4.71 4.65 4.68 

10. I rate the overall quality of the course as 4.68 4.35 4.67 4.48 4.38 4.63 4.71 4.55 4.56 

11. If you sought the instructor's assistance 

outside of class, the instructor was helpful 4.85 4.77 4.94 5.00 4.70 4.79 4.67 4.73 4.81 

12. The instructor treated students in this course with respect 4.86 4.96 4.89 4.84 4.80 4.87 5.00 4.80 4.88 

13. Since the beginning of this course how many 

hours a week, on average, have you spent on 

this course in addition to class time 2.86 2.09 2.19 2.32 2.05 2.47 2.43 2.68 2.39 

1=Strongly Disagree…5=Strongly Agree OR 1=Poor…5=Excellent

Rutgers University Student Instructional Rating Survey 

Spring 2013 (Online Survey) Departments: 135 198 623 711 960 

22:198:604:60 45518 Tavana MADJID 

ENROLL= 21 RESP= 21 (100%) STRONGLY STRONGLY # OF MEAN MEAN MEAN 

DISAGREE NEUTRAL AGREE NO OF OF OF 

PART A: UNIVERSITY-WIDE QUESTIONS: 1 2 3 4 5 RESPONSES SECTION DEPTS SCHOOL 


presented the material in an organized 

manner. 0 0 0 3 17 1 4.85 4.41 4.46 

StdDev: 0.37 0.82 0.91 


student comments and questions. 0 0 0 3 17 1 4.85 4.28 4.45 

StdDev: 0.37 0.97 0.93 

3. The instructor generated interest in the 

course material. 0 0 1 5 14 1 4.65 3.88 4.30 

StdDev: 0.59 1.22 1.04 


assisting all students in understanding 


StdDev: 0.49 0.93 0.88 

5. The instructor assigned grades fairly. 0 0 3 7 10 1 4.35 4.27 4.37 

StdDev: 0.75 0.93 0.92 

6. The instructional methods encouraged student 

learning. 0 0 1 9 10 1 4.45 3.74 4.17 

StdDev: 0.60 1.22 1.11 

7. I learned a great deal in this course. 0 1 2 6 11 1 4.35 3.90 4.16 

StdDev: 0.88 1.14 1.09 


matter and wanted to take this course. 1 1 6 4 6 3 3.72 3.87 4.03 

StdDev: 1.18 1.16 1.11 

POOR 

EXCELLENT 

9. I rate the teaching effectiveness of the 

instructor as: 0 0 0 7 13 1 4.65 3.70 4.16 

StdDev: 0.49 1.24 1.08 

10. I rate the overall quality of the course as: 0 0 1 7 12 1 4.55 3.79 4.14 

StdDev: 0.60 1.17 1.07 

PART B: QUESTIONS ADDED BY DEPARTMENT OR INSTRUCTOR 


outside of class, the instructor was helpful. 

(leave blank if not applicable) 0 0 0 3 8 10 4.73 4.48 4.50 

StdDev: 0.47 0.86 0.91 

12. The instructor treated students in this 

course with respect. 0 0 0 4 16 1 4.80 4.63 4.63 

StdDev: 0.41 0.78 0.80 



this course in addition to class time 2 9 4 1 3 2 2.68 2.59 2.37 

StdDev: 1.25 1.25 1.11

What do you like best about this course: 

• Solving the problems in class 

• Professor Tavana provided cutting-edge technology and knowledge and hands-on experience to solve real problems in this 

course. 

• Allows me to learn new softwares like excel, D-cide, D-code etc. 

• Assignments and Project work 

• Good teaching slides and solutions 

• The professor was funny and very informative at the same time. 

• Hands-on learning with different programs 

• some interesting techniques. I learned a few new things here. 1) how to handle lots of data via FONDA. 2) certain Excel 

operations. 3) the existence of several non-standard programs: D-code, D-Cide, B-Wise 

• Class was very hands on, solving lots of diverse business problems. 

• The simple tools for decision making 

• The Professor. 

• Professor takes the time to make sure everyone understands all the material. 

________________________________________ 

In what ways, if any, has this course or the instructor encouraged your intellectual growth and progress: 

• Professor Tavana encouraged my intellectual growth and progress through sample case demonstration, homework, and group 

project. 

• It definitely encouraged my intellectual growth as the instructor concentrated on a lot of problem solving in class and 

also provided some good tips. 

• By assigning cases every 2 weeks 

• It has taught me to think outside of the box and look at different ways to solve problems. 

• I learned a few new things here. 1) how to handle lots of data via FONDA. 2) certain Excel operations. 3) the existence of 

several non-standard programs: D-code, D-Cide, B-Wise 

• He has challenged me to apply the things I learnt in class. 

________________________________________ 

If you were teaching this course, what would you do differently: 

• Nothing. 

• I would incorporate more software's to be learnt by students. 

• Choose applications used in real world. Instead of cases every 2 weeks give weekly problems assignment to be submitted 

next week. Cover basic programming logic in first two weeks and use remaining time of course to do real life learning - 

decision making using commercially used applications. 

• Nothing 

• the professor's technique is effective in learning new software. The team project was an effective way to handle large 

quantities of data 

• Nothing 

• Nothing 

________________________________________ 

Other comments or suggestions: 

• It's a great course. I'll recommend anyone who is interested in the course related topics to take this course. 

• Enjoyed working with Dr. Tavana in this class. Very good professor! 

• Great class! Thanks, Professor! 

• D-code, D-Cide, B-Wise have their utility, but do not seem that they are going to become mainstream programs Is it needed 

for all MBA students to be aware of these programs as part of a required course 

• Don't understand why we have to inform Prof, after completing survey. Surveys are supposed to be stripped of student IDs.


Fall 2012 (Online Survey) Departments: 135 198 623 711 960 

22:198:604:40 02948 Tavana Madjid 






manner. 1 0 0 1 11 0 4.62 4.73 4.41 

StdDev: 1.12 0.72 0.96 



StdDev: 1.12 0.78 0.96 



StdDev: 1.12 0.80 1.07 




StdDev: 1.12 0.96 0.90 


StdDev: 1.49 0.79 0.96 


learning. 1 0 1 2 9 0 4.38 4.26 4.11 

StdDev: 1.19 0.93 1.15 


StdDev: 1.11 0.90 1.12 



StdDev: 1.03 1.03 1.09 

POOR 

EXCELLENT 


instructor as: 0 0 0 4 9 0 4.69 4.38 4.11 

StdDev: 0.48 0.83 1.09 


StdDev: 0.52 0.82 1.06 





StdDev: 0.00 0.72 0.90 



StdDev: 0.00 0.88 0.75 




StdDev: 0.65 1.21 1.12


What I like the most about this course is that it is a hands-on course. It covers a variety of topics each of which with several hands-on exercises which give the student the 

ability to learn the subject inside out. 

the profesor's ability to focus on what's important 

Learning practical knowledge that I will be able to apply outside the course 

Practical hands on examples help solidify learning. 

The teaching pattern of the professor is really interesting and I am always looking forward in attending the class. 

Introduction to new programs - B-Wise, D-Cide, D-Code 

i enjoy the course material 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


Due to the knowledge and experience of the instructor in both the academic and industrial world, students are more familiarized with the applicability of the course material 

outside of the class. 

Taught me to see things from a different point of view 

I would like to take further classes around Computer Information Systems 

It has helped me increase my problem solving capability using various tools 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


Have the final project be more applicable to the work done in the course 

I would make the final project more relevant to current real world examples. I would pair down the data and allows students more time to perform in depth analysis. 

I would teach it in the same manner. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Other comments or suggestions:: 

Great course, great professor


Spring 2012 (Online Survey) Departments: 135 198 623 711 960 







manner. 1 0 1 3 13 1 4.50 4.48 4.35 

StdDev: 1.04 0.94 1.01 



StdDev: 0.96 0.89 1.01 



StdDev: 0.60 1.01 1.08 




StdDev: 0.42 0.84 0.95 


StdDev: 0.50 0.86 0.99 


learning. 0 0 1 3 15 0 4.74 4.22 4.09 

StdDev: 0.56 1.04 1.15 


StdDev: 0.58 1.11 1.13 



StdDev: 1.26 1.13 1.08 

POOR 

EXCELLENT 


instructor as: 0 0 1 4 14 0 4.68 4.22 4.08 

StdDev: 0.58 1.06 1.13 


StdDev: 0.61 1.04 1.10 





StdDev: 0.44 0.86 1.00 



StdDev: 0.32 0.71 0.86 




StdDev: 1.07 1.17 1.13


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy paced nature of the course is attractive 

I'll be working in an Investment Bank after graduation. The skills learned in this course would help me get an edge over others who do not know much about decision making 

systems and excel. 

complicated concept tought in a practical manner. The professor doesn't waste a lot of time on concept, does a great job implimenting the concepts in actual problems. I had 

no strong prior interest in this course, but I feel like I learned a great deal in an efficient and effictive manner. 

Exposure to different software packages including some that may become much more popular in coming years 

I loved how we covered numerous IS systems like Access, Excel, and some proprietary ones professor himself created like D-code and D-cide. I got some good, basic exposure 

to these different systems. I liked how simple and straightforward the instruction method was, and how the weekly case reports we had to submit helped reinforce what we 

learned about each unique IS system. 

I was able to learn about new software programs that can benefit my workplace. 

learnt a great about different types of info systems and its importance 

The progress of the class step by step such that different concepts don't overlap. This helps in having a very clear idea about the topic. 

Very Practical 

________________________________________ 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By making assignments based on our imagination, the professor has made it challenging to come up with questions as well as solutions. 

The professor encourages practicality, creativity and hand-on learning. Makes any related homework/project in this course enjoyable! 

The projects required you to be creative with both left brain (analytic, quantitative, systematic) and right brain (creative, entertaining, artistic). 

I understand better some IS systems I knew about, like Access and Excel. I also now know about some I had no experience with like natural language programming and 

influence diagramming. I am going to work for a software company, and it's possible some of these systems will be relevant to my work. 

The software packages demonstrated ways in which I could simplify my work life and brought to light new opportunities/ways of looking at problems. 

N/A 

He gives a lot of practical examples where the tool can be used. It gets the students to think where they can try applying the tool for their benefit. 

________________________________________ 


 

 

 

I would probably focus a bit more on Excel. That's used a lot in industries, and having more training in excel would help 

nothing.. the professor is superb. 

Maybe slim down the final project a bit. Make it so that students can demonstrate their skills without cumbersome research. IE, 10 positive and 10 negative influence factors 

instead of 20 each. 

The only thing I would change is the final project. My team and I didn't see it fitting in really with any IS system we learned about. We're not using Access, Excel optimizer, D- 

cide, etc. to produce the final report. A more comprehensive project, such as one that requires a database, an Excel optimization, and a D-cide program to answer all the 

project's parts would be more relevant and fun to complete. 

I can't think of any at this time. 

nothing, perfectly planned and executed 

Give practice problems in addition to the assignment. 

________________________________________ 


• Course is great for MIS majors but i am not really sure how this course will benefit Finance majors. Case assignments were little challenging since the cases had to be 

imaginative and creative. Team project was interesting although the team member experience was very disappointing in my case due to lack of in class interaction. In all an 

OK experience course wise but excellent teaching skills of instructor made it seem worthwhile. 

• Dr. Tavana is a great lecturer. I'm glad I took this course. His lectures were clear and easy to understand. He thoroughly went over each IS system, and many were easy to use. 

He responded quickly and effectively to emails, and was fair and quick with his grading. I learned a lot, and am grateful Rutgers has a lecturer with such tremendous 

experience teaching us about this topic.

Rutgers University Student Instructional Rating Fall 2011 

Rutgers Business School (Online Survey) Departments: 135 198 623 711 960 







manner. 0 0 0 2 5 0 4.71 4.51 4.33 

StdDev: 0.49 0.90 0.99 



StdDev: 0.38 1.04 1.02 



StdDev: 0.53 1.09 1.12 




StdDev: 0.38 1.15 1.00 


StdDev: 0.53 1.12 1.05 


learning. 0 0 0 4 3 0 4.43 3.90 4.04 

StdDev: 0.53 1.20 1.16 


StdDev: 0.53 1.09 1.14 



StdDev: 0.90 1.14 1.12 

POOR 

EXCELLENT 


instructor as: 0 0 0 2 5 0 4.71 3.99 4.01 

StdDev: 0.49 1.17 1.14 


StdDev: 0.49 1.06 1.10 





StdDev: 0.52 1.22 0.98 



StdDev: 0.00 1.22 0.93 




StdDev: 1.13 1.33 1.17


• that it gave me a view into many different tools available 

• Web based course - no need to buy and print notes 

• Clearness of instructor's demonstration. 

• Given the opportunity to work with new programs that I have not before and that might help me in the future 

• 1-The amazing applications we have learned. 2-The subject that laying on the area of decesion support. 

________________________________________ 


• I thought data capture was much more difficult than how it was portayed in this class and i wil look for ways at work to capture more useful data 

• Every homework. 

• By presenting variant applicatons and challenging examples. 

________________________________________ 


• Nothing 

• nothing


Fall 2011 (Online Survey) Departments: 135 198 623 711 960 







manner. 0 0 0 2 5 0 4.71 4.51 4.33 

StdDev: 0.49 0.90 0.99 



StdDev: 0.38 1.04 1.02 



StdDev: 0.53 1.09 1.12 




StdDev: 0.38 1.15 1.00 


StdDev: 0.53 1.12 1.05 


learning. 0 0 0 4 3 0 4.43 3.90 4.04 

StdDev: 0.53 1.20 1.16 


StdDev: 0.53 1.09 1.14 



StdDev: 0.90 1.14 1.12 

POOR 

EXCELLENT 


instructor as: 0 0 0 2 5 0 4.71 3.99 4.01 

StdDev: 0.49 1.17 1.14 


StdDev: 0.49 1.06 1.10 





StdDev: 0.52 1.22 0.98 



StdDev: 0.00 1.22 0.93 




StdDev: 1.13 1.33 1.17


• that it gave me a view into many different tools available 

• Web based course - no need to buy and print notes 

• Clearness of instructor's demonstration. 

• Given the opportunity to work with new programs that I have not before and that might help me in the future 

• 1-The amazing applications we have learned. 2-The subject that laying on the area of decesion support. 

________________________________________ 


• I thought data capture was much more difficult than how it was portayed in this class and i wil look for ways at work to capture more useful data 

• Every homework. 

• By presenting variant applicatons and challenging examples. 

________________________________________ 


• Nothing 

• nothing

Rutgers University Student Instructional Rating Spring 2011 


22 198 604 60 46261 TAVANA Madjid 





presented the material in an organized manner 1 0 1 1 27 0 4.77 4.34 4.34 

StdDev: 0.82 1.07 1.03 


student comments and questions 1 0 0 2 27 0 4.80 4.32 4.32 

StdDev: 0.76 1.06 1.02 


course material 1 0 1 6 22 0 4.60 4.03 4.13 

StdDev: 0.86 1.12 1.14 




StdDev: 0.84 1.01 0.94 

5. The instructor assigned grades fairly 1 0 0 6 23 0 4.67 4.21 4.27 

StdDev: 0.80 1.08 0.99 


learning 1 0 2 3 24 0 4.63 3.86 4.00 

StdDev: 0.89 1.31 1.21 

7. I learned a great deal in this course 1 0 3 8 18 0 4.40 3.76 3.97 

StdDev: 0.93 1.34 1.21 


matter and wanted to take this course 1 1 10 7 11 0 3.87 3.66 3.99 

StdDev: 1.07 1.20 1.08 

POOR 

EXCELLENT 


instructor as 0 0 0 5 25 0 4.83 4.03 4.03 

StdDev: 0.38 1.17 1.15 

10. I rate the overall quality of the course as 0 0 2 7 21 0 4.63 3.89 4.00 

StdDev: 0.61 1.20 1.12 





StdDev: 0.54 0.91 0.92 


course with respect 0 1 0 1 28 0 4.87 4.55 4.61 

StdDev: 0.57 0.87 0.77 




StdDev: 0.82 1.15 1.09


• We had to come up with our own problem statement and also its solution for assignments and that was a very good learning practice 

• Good hands on course. I can see it will be helpful in future courses. 

• planning & org of lectures 

• I really like the way Professor Tavana teaches this course and makes the entire class so lively. 

• The decision support system. 

• A breath of fresh air compared to the other courses in engineering 

• The practical applications of this course, especially the interesting new technologies that are advancing programming and decision support systems. 

• Great Instructor, fun programs to learn 

• Homework assignments help me focus on real-world application on the database systems. Flexibility of turning in assignments help me juggle class around my 

extremely hectic work schedule. 

• learning about different systems 

• We can apply the learning in real life. 

• -the professors's teaching style -learning different tools and techniques 

• Professor Tavana is very much approachable and knowledgeable. 

• The mix between theory and Practice is well balanced. 

• I really like the way the Professor prepared the course material. It was easy to refer to and he was always open to any of our doubts and very much 

approachable,flexible. 

• Teaches good ways to do simple things 

• Good intro to IT. Prof. Tavana kept it interesting. 

• New software tools. 

• Professor Tavana was very supportive and I really appreciate his interest about the course. 

• The flow and method of teaching is very student friendly and hence easy to grasp. 

• The instructor is very enthusiastic and made the lessons interesting and engaging. 

• Teacher was fund, material was interesting 

• The material is something I can see myself using in future. 

• the way to teach 

• The flexibility from the professor on turning in assignments. 

________________________________________ 


• Make us think and solve problems together and increasing the difficulty with every problem we do. 

• better data mngmnt skills 

• Interactive software system and his familiarity will all. 

• Allowed to create our own problems as assignments. 

• The instructor, through his innovative ways of getting assignments done, and through a very interesting way of using students' creativity to bring the best out of 

their understanding, has made this a brilliant learning experience for me. 

• Enjoy learning new systems now 

• Reinforced that technologies like database managment and expert systems are extremely useful tools for making day-to-day and strategic business decisions. 

• N/A 

• It helped me understand the way technology can be effectively used by managers.It helped us be creative. 

• Motivated to think new applications of the techniques learned in the class 

• Created programs for the course that facilitated learning. 

• Assignments given by the professor challenge you to think differently and develop unique and original ideas.

• Working on problems in class helped a lot to grow my confidence. 

• I am more interested in the subject matter than I was before I started taking this course. I can think of many ways to apply what we learned to real life situations 

and look forward to using the skills I learned. 

• It has expanded my interest in computer information systems 

• I wouldn't have used these software programs if not for him. 

• possitive way 

• Approach managerial problems with a data systems approach. 

________________________________________ 


• I think the course is nicely setup 

• more problem solving than making cases on my own 

• No 

• norhing 

• Not much. 

• Nothing 

• Class room late is not as ideal. Aisleway are too narrow. I always sit in front of class so late comers to class always bumped into my chair. An entrance/exit way 

from the back of classroom would be ideal. 

• I would assign problems to solve instead of having students write them. 90% of homework time I had spent looking for and writing the problem for the 

assignment. 

• I would assign a textbook which student could use as a reference. 

• Nothing 

• Nothing. 

• I don't know 

• The final project (especially the written paper) seems irrelevant to the overall coursework and should not be assigned. 

• Nothing. 

• Nothing. 

• Not much except perhaps develop some of the problems instead of making the students create their own. 

• Same as the professor 

• Nothing. 

________________________________________ 


• NA 

• excellent! 

• NA 

• Great course, I got to learn a lot and enjoyed myself while learning new technologies and systems. 

• Great Class! 

• Professor Tavana is one of the top 5 professors I have had in my MBA Program. I truly enjoyed the course! 

• great class. 

• Sometimes the in-class exercises moved too fast to really grasp the material. 

• Best course for me so far. Would not suggest any change. 

• It took a while to create the problems which isn't necessarily the point of this class, I believe.









StdDev: 0.22 0.89 1.02 



StdDev: 0.44 1.07 1.07 



StdDev: 0.64 1.08 1.16 




StdDev: 0.56 1.31 1.04 


StdDev: 0.93 1.04 1.04 


learning 0 0 2 6 13 0 4.52 3.74 3.97 

StdDev: 0.68 1.22 1.22 


StdDev: 1.09 1.09 1.19 



StdDev: 1.56 1.26 1.15 


instructor as 0 0 2 7 12 0 4.48 3.78 3.99 

StdDev: 0.68 1.14 1.17 


StdDev: 0.74 0.98 1.13 





StdDev: 0.48 1.26 1.03 



StdDev: 0.52 1.37 0.93 




StdDev: 0.67 1.10 1.11


• Case analysis and hands on problem solving 

• Professor Tavana was organized, presented the discussion well and was great at helping us with any questions. The class problems had real world applications and 

allowed for our own creativity as well. He was very mindful of realizing we are part-timers and allowed us some flexibility with due dates on assignments. I wish other 

professors at RBS were as understanding in this aspect. I was able to learn a great deal about various programs that I hadn't any experience with and all at a pace that 

was appropriate for our proper understanding of the material. 

• Knowledgeable professor. 

• The assignments were open ended so it allowed students to be creative. 

• The knowledge that I learned will be very useful in real life applications and assist me in my career 

• The Professor is funny and dynamic - this is really boring material (for me) that he brings to life with his great personality and obvious skills, talent, and knowledge in 

the area of information systems. 

• Course materials are suited for students with strong interest in most recent information systems and were easy to follow. 

• I found that the cases and in class problems were a great way to learn the programs. I like the factthat we learn about programs that will be the norm in the near 

future. 

• hands on practice 

• I thought it was interesting to see the value that serveral programs could have on my current job. 

• Class size is small which is helpful for the pace. 

• I liked how we covered a variety of programs at a high level, rather than devoting a large amount of time to each program. 

• I thought examining alternative DSS software as opposed to excel and access was interesting. 

________________________________________ 


• I really enjoyed his enthusiasm as well as his willingness to help us with any questions. Professor Tavana was always reachable via email and responded promptly which 

was great for working on homework. 

• Student have to complete in-class assignment. This helps learning a great deal and get help from professor is necessary. 

• The cases he presented were informative but not boring and they were challening in that they made us think 

• It involved many applications to real life scenarios which created a lot of interest in the course. 

• The course is interesting because I wanted to learn more about software programs. 

• Professor Tavana showed me different programs that I never heard of. 

• I had no prior interest in information systems, however I really found this class to be interesting 

• He challenged students creativity in coming up with case concepts 

________________________________________ 


• I really don't think there is anything I would change about Professor Tavana's approach to the course. 

• Perfect. 

• Nothing 

• Assign a study guide and/or book for the weaker students. 

• Nothing different. 

• Possibly add in more programs that are used today. 

• waive the final exam. the in-class practice and 5 take-home cases cover it all. 

• I would assign problems for homework, rather than making students create their own problem. I would rather answer 5 assigned hw problems, than 1 problem that I 

create. Being assigned 5 hw problems would have made me focus on the programs and tools learned in class. I feel I spent too much time thinking of a creative idea 

rather than focusing on some details of the various programs learned. I understand that cheating could be a problem with assigned problems, but a few variations could 

be used to mix it up. Plus, it would be much easier and quicker to grade assignments for you. 

• I would not assign the Group Project. This is not a statement made out of "laziness", but rather as a PT student that is working FT, especially in a tough economy where 

I am extremely stretched at work , and also having to do work for my job on the weekends, a group project such as this requires a lot of time and I don't feel I am 

getting a big return on it. Especialy for the job that I am in. 

• I thought the final project should of been addressed sooner. Didn't really get enough time to focus on it. 

________________________________________ 


• I'm in my last semester at RBS and professor Tavana is definitely one of the top 3 professors I have had during my tenure at RBS. It was a great pleasure to take this 

class as I learned a great deal about various CIS programs that I will be able to apply in my finance career. 

• Overall this was a great course and the Instructor was excellent, which is a suprise compared to the other proffesors in the MBA program. I guess it makes sense that 

he is tenured at LaSalle and not here.

• If you can grab this guy full time as a professor, do it, if you don't, he'll be off to lead a department somewhere else and that will be Rutgers loss. 

• Professor greatly changed my prospect for this study area, of course to the better. I would recommend this course to all students. 

• Rutgers requires a CIS course. In this course , of all the items that we learned, the onky 2 that I could possibly apply in my career were the Excel based and Access. The 

other programs I would not need to use. Another classmate that took this same class with another Professor learned how to create a website. I feel that is a skill that I 

could use both personally and professionally. It seems that even though this course is a requirement,the curriculum varies. 

• I think Prof. Tavana is one of the best professors I have taken in my time at Rutgers. He is extremely knowledgable in this area, he takes the time to help those who fall 

behind, and his assignments encourate creativity, something I have seen in about 5% of my classes so far.


Rutgers Business School (Online Survey) 

22 198 604 60 66560 Tavana Madjid 






StdDev: 0.62 0.97 0.97 



StdDev: 0.64 1.15 1.03 



StdDev: 0.69 1.29 1.15 




StdDev: 0.40 1.03 0.95 


StdDev: 0.82 1.14 1.04 


learning 1 0 4 4 22 0 4.48 3.68 3.97 

StdDev: 0.96 1.30 1.20 


StdDev: 0.99 1.30 1.20 



StdDev: 1.44 1.27 1.13 


instructor as 0 1 2 5 23 0 4.61 3.67 3.98 

StdDev: 0.76 1.32 1.16 


StdDev: 0.96 1.23 1.14 





StdDev: 0.00 1.34 0.98 



StdDev: 0.37 0.88 0.83 




StdDev: 0.91 0.92 1.05


• The professor made sure the course was totally hands on and I got plenty if hands on experience. 

• Learned some new computer programs. 

• Practical uses of of the information. 

• It was easy, just do the work on time and you get a fair grade. I also this Tavana is a good professor and effectively 

communicates the purpose of what we're trying to do. 

• Learn about different tools. 

• The "hands on" learning aspect and the limited amount of lecturing. 

• The format - different software packages kept the class interesting. Working through the problems at your own pace reenforced 

the learning of each one. 

• The course is interactive. I liked the hands on approach to the learning as it allowed us to practice the concepts taught in 

class. 

• The homework assignments and class work. 

• Great material and introduction to new applications. 

• I learned about programs that I never knew existed! 

• Professor's positive attitude. 

• The unexpected tools that I can now use to do data analysis! Excellent course Professor Tavana. I was able to implement 

everything that I learned into my job immediately. 

• The case studies are interesting and Professor Tavana keeps it lively. 

• The material is very interesting- and you learn a great lot. 

• Way of teaching. Student - professor interaction is great.Very lively Class. 

• The teaching style was effective and kept a good flow, being a combination of hands on practice, lecture, and team 

collaboration. 

• The material is relevant to my daily work activities. I was able to use information from the class to drive efficiency at work. 

• Teacher is knowledgeable about computer programs. 

• It taught me how to use programs I never would have known existed to represent real issues I may encounter in my career. 

• i wasn't aware that there were so many ways to sort and organize data. the course introduced me to other programs that i may 

use in some of my entrepreneurial endeavors in the future. 

• teaching style 

________________________________________ 


• Professor made sure we got the concepts and experience with the different softwares covered in the class. 

• He had an interesting teaching style that was enjoyable most of the time. 

• Learned a few programs that I will never use again. 

• Making us do labs and the fact we had to do presentation for each HW seemed like a lot of work. But in hind sight it was well 

worth it. 

• The professor challenged us to broaden our thought processes by developing our own assignments and their solutions on a weekly 

basis. This really drilled down some of the concepts and helped me realize the many ways that a particular system could be 

used. 

• I like the weekly assignments. 

• Giving flexibility in homework assignments. 

• He has challenged my ability to conceptualize and solve my own problems. 

• By making our assignments open ended and having us come up with both the problem and solution. 

• The group project (although tedious) is actually a great learning tool to encompass everything taught in this course. 

• Framing our own question for the assignment and that has to compete with other students in order to get a good grade. 

• Gave me new tools that I can use in my career. I especially found DS Lab and Exsys programs very valuable. 

• I despised using computers for the most part if not necessary for a particular project. Now, I find ways to incorporate what 

the professor taught us in order to teach my co-workers about the numerous programs available to us in the business world. 

• the homework projects really encouraged creativity 

________________________________________ 


• nothing i can think of. 

• The HW could have had a little more structure to it. I'm not a big fan of proposing my own problems and solving them. 

• Less busy work. I understand we need to know how to how to use the program, but we pay a lot of money and give up a lot of time 

to pursue a part-time mba and to sit in a room and do busy work is a pain. It is my biggest complaint about the Rutgers mba as

a whole, not just this class. Also, having to create a new problem completely shows no ability to learn a program. I spent the 

most time just trying to make up a problem. Running the program for a result is/was the easy part. The paper is a ridiculous 

project. We have spent 10s of hours just trying to do the research for a project in a computer class. The point of the paper is 

using the raw data to create a recommendation and I assume we are graded based on that. But 80% of the project was spent 

looking up data online to plug into the formulas, and the calculations and recommendation part played a small percentage, yet 

that s what the grade is based on. 

• Nothing. 

• Some of the software used I'm not sure has broad applicability to the business world. Some of these programs I can't really see 

myself using in my current field (market research). 

• Choose between the final exam or the final course project. There is too much work piled on the end. 

• Although educational, there were too many assignments and they took a long time. This time consuming aspect of the course can 

be a bit overwhelming for those that are working and taking other courses within the program. The professor's flexibility in 

terms of due dates was very helpful. 

• I would make the final project a bit easier or assign the project individually with the data, its really time consuming to 

collect data, especially when you are working full time. 

• I would provide data for the final project to the teams. In a real world setting, it is unlikely that the teams would have to 

find and compile the data. 

• Hard to say. 

• I wouldl not give the end of semester project. It was a bit exhaustive and did not help me to learn anymore than the short 

assignments did. 

• I would not have a weekly assignment that comprised of a powerpoint presentation and a whole problem/solution case using the 

database (you come up with the problem and solution). 

• Nothing 

• The group project includes a lot of non-value added work. (Manual data entry). The purpose of the class is not to enter data it 

is how to use the data to get results. 

• I would look to make it relevant, the time spent on programs that will never be seen is a waste of credit hours. An MBA should 

be real world knowledge. 

• I would not assign as much outside class work. We only spent two weeks on any one subject. More time should be sent on less 

subject. Perhas one exam and one major project. 

• Nothing! He was fantastic! 

________________________________________ 


• Not sure why this class is a pre-req. Several of the programs and hypotheticals are useless because companies have their own 

proprietary software that they train their workers on. Also, I tried to test out of the class and what I was asked to study is 

180 degrees from what we did in the actual class. 

• Great course. Instructor was awesome....Lot of work but well worth it... thanks 

• Great professor - great class. 

• Overall, this was a great course. The professor was very helpful and I learnt a lot. 

• Great teacher....but teacher needs to be easy on the fianl group project. 

• The class was wonderful. I honestly was going into the class expecting to learn absolutely nothing. I learned so much and maybe 

we'll all use these systems one day. They're very helpful. 

• Thank you! 

• Your humor was refreshing! 

• This class was a lot of work in addition to class time. I believe some of the workload could be cut a little, as it is already 

difficult to manage part-time school with a full-time job. 

• "A Good Friend." 

• The time spent on the useful programs was not enough, too much material was attempted to be covered. The manner in turning in 

assignments was poor at best. 

• Maybe give more guidance as to what will get you an A in the homework problems. 

________________________________________









StdDev: 0.22 0.93 1.00 



StdDev: 0.36 1.00 1.06 



StdDev: 0.58 1.11 1.13 




StdDev: 0.22 1.24 0.99 


StdDev: 0.54 1.05 1.03 


learning 0 0 1 4 16 0 4.71 3.95 3.94 

StdDev: 0.56 1.21 1.20 


StdDev: 0.68 1.06 1.19 



StdDev: 1.36 1.24 1.17 


instructor as 0 0 0 4 17 0 4.81 4.03 3.95 

StdDev: 0.40 1.12 1.17 


StdDev: 0.58 1.04 1.13 





StdDev: 0.25 1.16 1.03 



StdDev: 0.32 1.25 0.94 




StdDev: 0.87 1.14 1.10


learning new programs 

Practical application of course material. 

Real life application in homework and end of semester project. 

exposure to different software 

the professor, he demonstrated true knowledge and commitment 

The hands-on examples. 

It's an interesting course. 

learning about various types of applications 

Introduction to diffrent software pacakges 

active computer work 

I like that fact that we are learning so many different software packages. 

________________________________________ 


Solid understanding of material and creative application. 

Encouraged incorporating complexity and creativity into homework assignments. 

made me more knowledgeable in what software can do 

I started applied the course's material at work IMMEDIATELY 

He explained some of the ways people use databases in the real world. 

The assignments the professor asked to submit are really thought provoking and challenging. 

expand analytical view 

________________________________________ 


I would make the final project more relevant to the course material. The 25-page research paper had absolutely nothing to do 

with the course material. 

I would spend much more time on the critical software packages (excel and access). While some of the other software is 

interesting I found it to be inapplicable in the workplace. 

reduce the size of the final project 

break it up into 2 classes to go into material more closely. 

Teach about shortcuts and formulas in Excel 

 

nothing 

Use slightly more updated software. 

Make the final project a little less demanding. I feel that that there was a lot of data gathering that didnt teach me much. 

________________________________________ 


The professor is clearly an expert in the field and Rutgers is extremely lucky to have Professor Tavana on its distinguished 

faculty. 

Great course and instructor. 

Offer this class at the livingston campus 

GREAT CLASS!!! 

nothing.



22 198 604 60 47076 Tavana Madjid 






StdDev: 0.86 1.22 1.04 



StdDev: 0.90 1.02 1.00 



StdDev: 0.95 1.31 1.13 




StdDev: 0.88 0.98 0.92 


StdDev: 1.07 0.97 0.95 


learning 1 0 2 10 10 0 4.22 3.55 3.90 

StdDev: 0.95 1.26 1.20 


StdDev: 1.09 1.29 1.18 



StdDev: 1.02 1.20 1.10 


instructor as 0 0 0 9 14 0 4.61 3.70 3.95 

StdDev: 0.50 1.20 1.14 


StdDev: 0.71 1.19 1.12 





StdDev: 0.44 1.09 0.93 



StdDev: 0.21 0.86 0.75 




StdDev: 0.67 1.01 1.02


I liked that it was hands on plus you could work at your own pace. The professor was always nice and helped everyone with the 

assignments. 

I liked how interactive this course was. I feel like we learned more in this environment and we could work at our own pace. 

They programs were taught effectively and efficiently. Professor Tavana broke the programs down into sequences that were easy 

to follow and allowed for faster learning. I also liked that the class was hands-on and I didn't have to do hours of outside 

reading to teach myself the material. 

New Technology and hands on- Forcing me to DO the work in class and under some (positive) pressure. 

material is very organized and well structured. assignments are clear. 

That we learned to use programs that could be of value to us rather than some unimportant technical information. 

the homepage which the course was based on is very well organized 

I liked al the example cases we did during class. It helped reinforce the concepts and prepare for the exam. 

The course was very hands on and the instructor made it fun to learn all of the software packages. 

I really like the hands-on approach to the teaching. I learned the most from being able to do the problems myself and using the 

programs on the computers 

introduction to new and different programs 

The course exposed to a few new systems and software that are coming out for managers. I like working with Planner's Lab, DS 

Lab and Exsys. 

The professor generates a strong interest in the class and is very knowledgeable of the various types of software. 

Ability to get familiar with software I have never used before. 

The hands on approach. 

The programs covered were very intersting. 

I learned different software programs which I didn't know even existed. 

Learning the various software that can be used to help make business decisions. 

The "hands-on" nature of the class. Also, Prof. Tavana didn't treat us like children. Also, the online access to course 

materials was really good. 

________________________________________ 


I learned a great deal in this course. Was interesting and fun. 

I have a broader tool set to use in analyzing data now, which will help in my current job. 

I learned about computer programs that I wouldn't have used or known about on my own. 

He has pushed us to solve difficult problems. Problems that stretched our minds and way of thinking. 

Professor Tavana is very helpful when you have questions during and outside of class. 

I always wanted to learn MS Access but never had an opportunity and this class help me out professionally. 

The software applications are programs that I'll definitely use in the workplace. 

________________________________________ 


Nothing. 

I would remove the group project from the syllabus. 

the project is too long and very demanding. in a way it is extensive work without much return. it is like doing a lot of time 

consuming work without much learning experience. 

Nothing. This was one of the best classes I've taken. 

Nothing 

I would not have a final and weigh the homeworks more. 

providing more time to start the paper would be have been helpful. 

The project was not a good one. I would assign students a project on one of the systems or a combination of the systems. For 

example, I would assign a project that asks students to build a good Access Database as well as do some analysis on Planner's 

Lab. This way, the material learned in class is used in a "real world" scenario. Such a project would be much better than the 

project we worked on. This was the opinion of many students in the entire class, and not just me or my group.

I would assign a different project than the group project we completed using one of the programs we learned in class. Our 

project consisted of a 35-page report which I did not expect would be part of this class. 

Don't grade for prettiness of slideshow. It is not relevant to the course and in my opinion is similar to my seven year old 

daughter's "cut and paste" school projects. I undersatnd the need to know how to make a nice presentation to clients for 

example, but being that it is not the focus of this course, I have a lot more productive things to do with my time. 

For those that are not as fast paced, I would detail out more the steps involved for each program. While in class its fine and 

easy to follow but afterwards its sometimes difficult to remember which steps to take when. 

pick items that help with work in the real world 

Teach more programs because learning 5 programs seemed too little. Class project should weigh higher percentage of overall 

grade considering it takes more time do it. 

Ensure the software used is compatable with all operationg systems or find a workaround. It is difficult to travel to campus to 

complete homework assignements. 

Nothing 

________________________________________ 


Great Professor! 

I wasn't looking forward to this class, but it is one of the only classes I've taken in the MBA program where I felt I would be 

missing something worthwhile if I didn't attend class every week. 

class is overall interesting. however some of the softwares are very old. it would be better if you use newer technology that 

is more relevant. 

we have to MAKE UP stories for the homeworks. we would rather solve any given problems. 

It's refreshing to have a class where the professor teaches the class like an MBA level class. To many RU professors teach 

graduate classes like undergraduate classes. To bad Prof Tavana isn't a full time RU professor. 

Great job. Excellent professor. One of the most knowledgable, approachable, and interesting professors I've had at Rutgers 

This was a very enjoyable class. Thank you! 

The professor is very knowledgeable and friendly. His teaching methods are very good and I really enjoyed interacting with him. 

I feel that the group project we had to do for this class was totally not related to the actual class and the course material. 

The only exception is the analysis done in Excel, but even that was pretty simple especially with the demo spreadsheet 

provided. We were required to turn in a 35 page paper written about a topic absolutely not related to the course material. I 

fell that we were required to write the 35 pages just so that the course would be challenging enough, because it is a graduate 

level course. 

Overall; great course! 

Assignments on each program helped alot to understand how to utilize each software more effectively.

Rutgers Business School: Graduate Programs: Management Science & Information Systems Department 


CIS 604: Computer & Information Systems

Rutgers University - Dr. Madjid Tavana, Professor of Management ...

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