e-learning
J. Torkzadeh; M. Ahangari; M. Mohammadi; R. Marzooghi; S. Hashemi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Improving and enhancing the quality and effectiveness of e-learning in the universities require examining and recognizing the internal and external factors affecting it. To this end, certain models and frameworks have been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the e-learning ...
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Background and Objectives: Improving and enhancing the quality and effectiveness of e-learning in the universities require examining and recognizing the internal and external factors affecting it. To this end, certain models and frameworks have been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the e-learning system. However, the diversity of the dimensions of the effectiveness system in the literature and the multiplicity of the models not only implies a theoretical gap in this area but also it has challenged the operational and technical scopes of the issues. The purpose of this qualitative study is investigating and analyzing the external effectiveness components of e-learning in order to make a qualitative change in higher education system.Methods: In this study, it was attempted to thoroughly identify the components of evaluating the effectiveness of academic e-courses with a qualitative approach. The research method is qualitative, and in particular "qualitative case study”. Thus, the potential contributors to this study included all faculty members of Virtual Colleges of Shiraz Universities, Payam Noor, and Allameh Tabatabai University virtual education instructors and a number of content development specialists and educational designers (n = 25) who were selected based on purposeful sampling in terms of criteria (expertise and experience) and considering data saturation, In line with the aforementioned purpose, an interview was conducted with 25 experts in this field. Then, the obtained data were analyzed through the content analysis technique.Findings: In order to achieve this, by studying the models of blended and related exploratory learning and interviewing the experts and skillful professors of this field and analyzing the data extracted from such interviews, reviewing the documents, theoretical foundations, and research backgrounds of e-learning in the universities of the developed countries and Iran, the researcher has highlighted the influence that external effective evaluation components have on e-learning as an organizing content including twelve major themes with the following titles to be significant and necessary in the education system: economizing and increasing productivity; the dynamics and flexibility related to the new educational developments and technologies; cultivation of organizational e-learning; competitiveness of the products; training and employment of human resources specialized in e-learning; identifying and responding to environmental needs; lifelong learning; realization of patterns of competence; realizing the goals and excellence of the beneficiary organization; promotion of professional capabilities in the workplace; strengthening technical and vocational education; and success, effectiveness, and competitiveness of the learners. The results were validated using data matching method, the validity, the reliability and reliability of the research data. In the next step, the researcher used content validity index (CVI) to determine the relevance and necessity of themes and the extracted organizing theme. The validity and reliability criteria were used to validate the framework. Four criteria for adaptation, intelligibility, generalizability and control were used to determine the acceptability of the proposed framework. Certainly, knowledge of these components can be necessary and reliable in properly evaluating the overall effectiveness of the e-learning courses.Conclusion: After summing up the findings of this study, it is shown that evaluating the effectiveness of e-learning is a comprehensive cycle that is not just limited to evaluating the effectiveness of what is done within the e-learning system. Rather, it should be seen whether the e-learning system has been able to respond to the needs of the society and to fulfill the mission intended for the organization or not. In this study, 12 components were identified to evaluate the external effectiveness of the university e-learning system, and the study and evaluation of each of these components can indicate different dimensions of the external effectiveness of e-learning. Also, the interaction between external and internal levels of e-learning effectiveness and the interaction between the two levels were investigated and analyzed. The limitations of the present study were that the findings were not collected in the field and in the operational scene, and that there were no similar comprehensive samples to be further compared and studied.
Curriculum Planning
S. Zare; H. Zeinalipour; E. Zaree; M. Mohammadi
Abstract
Background and Objectives:Today, with the development of new information and communication technologies, business methods, daily activities, communication with others, access to information and in general, all elements of human life have undergone a great change. These technologies are mainly aimed at ...
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Background and Objectives:Today, with the development of new information and communication technologies, business methods, daily activities, communication with others, access to information and in general, all elements of human life have undergone a great change. These technologies are mainly aimed at improving the quality of educational services, as well as goals such as expanding the number of contacts, educators and educational institutions, and even companies and business centers to enable cost-effectiveness and in the shortest possible time to convey the desired content to students, customers and the audience in general. Education for sustainable development is an approach to education that seeks to empower people to take responsibility for building a sustainable future. In order to better achieve the goals of education for sustainable development, the e-learning approach can be used, which in this study has developed and validated the framework of the electronic curriculum for sustainable development in higher education. The main purpose of this study was designing curriculum electronic-content for sustainable development education in the higher education system. Methods: The research project was qualitative and in particular ’qualitative case study‘; The statistical population of the study consisted of three groups: 1: All members of the faculty of civil engineering, architecture, agriculture; 2: All members of faculty of educational psychology of Shiraz University And 3: all experts, scholars, and researchers in the field of electronic curriculum planning; To collect data questionnaire and interview were used. To analyze the data, a consensus-based approach and the Bowl technique were used; Also, open-ended interview was used. Findings: The data obtained were analyzed by the software Nvivo version 8 using Thematic analysis technique and content design curriculum for sustainable development education in Iran's higher education system As a comprehensive Thematic, 4 organizing themes and 73 basic themes were identified and the content network was extracted. Curriculum framework for sustainable development education at higher education level designed in the form of twelve elements: goal, content, role of instructor, learner role, teaching method-learning, evaluation, teaching materials, type of curriculum, level of education, participants in the design and implementation of curriculum, place of training, and time of training. The curriculum was compiled in five chapters, five titles and sixteen chapters. As such, this curriculum can be taught in the form of an instructional book as a two-unit course in a variety of disciplines, including civil engineering, architecture, and agriculture. Conclusion: In the higher education system, the issue of sustainable development is not specifically addressed, but as a part of the courses in civil engineering, architecture, agriculture, students are taught these contents. On the other hand, the integration of e-learning as an achievement of the new educational system in the process of teaching and learning and the curriculum of educational institutions is inevitable. According to the results of this study, it can be said that many courses in the fields of civil engineering, architecture, agriculture, directly or indirectly refer to the issue of sustainable development or professors, according to their expertise and excellence, in relation to the subject of development to provide stable information to students. In the present study, while paying attention to this issue, an attempt was made to design the electronic content of the sustainable development education curriculum in the higher education system.
Educational Technology Psychology
R. Sheikholeslami; M. Mohamadi; R. Naser Jahromi; M. Kousari
Abstract
The purpose of this study is a causal model of academic self-efficacy, self-regulated learning and students’ academic gains. This study is a descriptive- correlation research and statistical population consist of all senior students (eight semesters of undergraduate and three semesters of graduate) ...
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The purpose of this study is a causal model of academic self-efficacy, self-regulated learning and students’ academic gains. This study is a descriptive- correlation research and statistical population consist of all senior students (eight semesters of undergraduate and three semesters of graduate) of Shiraz University in the 1391-92 academic year. 235 students were selected with stage cluster sampling method that contain students of different colleges such as engineering, arts and architecture, humanities and sciences, two classes, undergraduate and graduate were selected randomly. Research tools were academic self-efficacy questionnaire (Zajacova, Lynch & Espenshade, 2005), self-regulated learning questionnaire (Pintrich & Degroot, 1990) and students’ academic gains researcher made questionnaire which was distributed and collected after calculation of validity and reliability. Data analyzed by using the path to analyze and multivariable regression. The results showed that: 1)Academic Self-Efficacy is a significant positive anticipant of students’ academic gains. 2)Academic Self-Efficacy is a significant positive anticipant of self-regulated learning. 3)Self-regulated learning is a significant positive anticipant of students’ academic gains with academic self-efficacy control. 4)Self-regulated learning is mediating role in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and students’ academic gains.
