E-Lerning
M. Iziy; Kh. Aliabadi; M.R Nili Ahmadabadi; Ali Delavar
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Today, instruction and learning in old models are not responsive for the learners of the current generation; many studies claim that this generation has different characteristics. According to the distinctive characteristics of this generation, the educational system must respond ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Today, instruction and learning in old models are not responsive for the learners of the current generation; many studies claim that this generation has different characteristics. According to the distinctive characteristics of this generation, the educational system must respond to their needs. Therefore, the current research aimed to identify the preferred teaching style of digital natives and construct and validate a scale to measure it.Methods: To achieve the goal of the research, a mixed exploratory design research of instrumental development type was used. In the first stage, 15 students with the characteristics of digital natives in Birjand University, who were identified through the Digital Native Assessment Scale, were given standardized open-ended questions and were interviewed in depth with general guide approach. Interview documents were analyzed using interpretational analysis. In the second step, the results of the first step were organized in the form of a scale to measure the preferred teaching style of digital natives. Then, the designed tool was implemented using the descriptive-survey research method and selecting a sample of 348 students with a combined method (stratified and cluster sampling) from the community of 11,368 students of Birjand University.Findings: In the first stage, fourteen categories including attention, class atmosphere, goals, prefer image over text, thriving on instant gratification, interaction, motivation, technology integration in teaching, preferred content, multitasking, presentation method, teaching time, teamwork and evaluation were discovered. Based on the results of this stage, the scale was designed and implemented. The results of exploratory factor analysis with the analysis of the main components led to the identification of 31 items with high factor load in 7 components. This questionnaire explained 60.13% of the changes in the preferred teaching style of digital natives in the present research population. The reliability of the total questionnaire was 0.92 and all seven components had the desired reliability.Conclusion: The study showed that the new generation of learners considered the informal atmosphere and moderation in behavior as part of the requirements of the classroom atmosphere. They prefer real examples and expressions of related or unrelated funny recollections to be attractive activities in attracting attention. Digital native learners prefer professors to express their standards and expectations clearly at the beginning of the semester and believe that this will regulate the student's behavior with the professor expectations and standards. They also emphasize the 70% preference of images over text in presentations. They do not like the teaching method of speech. Using music, PowerPoint, searching through mobile phone and showing movies are the preferred technologies of this generation. They prefer quick feedback, especially on social networks. They prefer face-to-face interaction with professors over other types of interaction. They are against teaching according to the syllabus of the lesson and prefer professors to emphasize on practical material by presenting examples. They are comfortable with multitasking (doing several tasks at the same time) in class, especially if these activities are mobile based. They prefer that the duration of teaching is one hour or less and its timing is adjusted according to the needs of the students. In the end, it is suggested that professors, university lecturers, and instructional designers, while paying attention to generational differences and taking into account the instructional preferences of the new generation, take steps to improve learning and increase the motivation of learners and adapt their approach to the instructional needs of the new generation.
Preparation and compilation of electronic content
H. Abbasi; M. Nili Ahmadabadi; A. Delavar; E. Zaraii Zavaraki
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Due to the growing need of learners for new digital technologies in education, especially augmented reality technology, which has significant potential, the inadequacy of common electronic content, their lack of educational principles and standards and the lack of a suitable ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Due to the growing need of learners for new digital technologies in education, especially augmented reality technology, which has significant potential, the inadequacy of common electronic content, their lack of educational principles and standards and the lack of a suitable model for producing augmented reality content in education with a constructivism approach necessitate conducting research and finding a solution. The current study aimed to design and validate the model of production of augmented reality content with an emphasis on the constructivism approach.Methods: The present study was an applied one according to the purpose and based on the method, it was a mixture or combination of consecutive exploratory type. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used to extract the template components. In reviewing texts and articles, the systematic review method was used and to determine the internal validity, the survey method was utilized. The statistical population for content analysis included scientific sources, books, articles, treatises and valid scientific documents in the field of augmented reality between 2000-2022. By selecting related keywords, the search was conducted in local and international citation databases. The statistical sample was selected via purposive method and included 232 cases. The statistical population for the interview included professors, specialists and producers of augmented reality and the statistical sample of the target population was formed via purposive sampling consisting of 21 people. Also, the statistical population for model validation included augmented reality specialists and university professors, from which a statistical sample of 33 people were selected via purposive sampling method. Data collection tools included a researcher-made questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. To check the inter-coder reliability, two methods of decoding and second coding were used. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts. In order to determine the reliability coefficient of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha test and to determine the internal validity of the model, frequency, mean, standard deviation, mean standard error and one-sample t-test were used.Findings: In the first and second method, the inter-coder reliability was 91% and 87%, respectively. And the content validity ratio index was 93% and 96%, respectively. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 96% through Cronbach's alpha test. The value of t-test was positive for all questions and according to the significance level (Sig= 0.001), the difference between the mean of the questions and the theoretical mean was significant. The results of content analysis showed that 13 main categories and 55 subcategories were extracted for the augmented reality content production model. The main categories of augmented reality content production model included management, instructional design, design of constructivism learning environments, multimedia design principles, cognitive load control, technical design, production, execution, rendering, publication, development, program evaluation and academic achievement.Conclusion: By identifying the categories and their subcategories, first a conceptual model and then a process model were designed. The innovation of the designed comprehensive model in instructional and technical design requires the simultaneous attention to instructional and technical dimensions. In the presented model, the categories related to the instructional dimensions were environmentally located and the categories related to the technical dimensions were centrally located. The results of statistical analysis showed that from the perspective of experts, the designed model had a high validity and its validity was confirmed. Therefore, it is suggested that this model be used to produce electronic augmented reality content, especially for position-based training, based on a constructivism approach and designed with augmented reality content.
E-Lerning
M. Zareei; E. Zaraii Zavaraki; Kh. Ali Abadi; A. Delavar
Abstract
Background and Objective: The opportunity to participate and interact more in the learning process on social media is a good incentive to use alternative social media tools, in addition to the usual LMS. In contrast, when using Web 2.0 tools such as social media, the learner is placed in a learning community ...
Read More
Background and Objective: The opportunity to participate and interact more in the learning process on social media is a good incentive to use alternative social media tools, in addition to the usual LMS. In contrast, when using Web 2.0 tools such as social media, the learner is placed in a learning community that can reach a high level of meaning making and knowledge/skill building through interaction with peers and content. Communication formed on social networks provides the basis for the implementation of communication and defines education in terms of interactions in a network in which students exchange their knowledge; Therefore, social media represents a good option to be used as an additional learning resource. Hence, the creation and development of a scientific and trusted social network that can cover the educational needs of the learners and teachers in a digital society and is always available to users is felt. On the other hand, the legal requirements of higher documents such as the 1/17 solution of Fundamental Document of Change of Education that states the filling of the digital divide between educational areas and schools, unveils the need to create a social network of Iranian schools as a suitable platform for key users of learning-teaching environment. Therefore, in order to design a virtual social network model in schools, it is necessary to identify the main and sub-components of this model. The purpose of this study was to compile a model for desiging a virtual social network for Iranian schools. Methods This reseach utilized a mixed– quantitative and qualitative – method, and it was carried out with an exploratory design. The study population in the qualitative phase included the accessible 45 written and electronic documents in English and Persian selected by using purposive sampling. Data collection and analysis were done using inductive content analysis method. The quantitative phase was performed using a survey. The study population included the educational technology specialists of Iran from which a sample of 30 educational technology professors and Ph.D. Candidates were selected on an accessible basis. To collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire was used, the validity and reliability of which was determined by professional assessment and by Cronbach’s alpha (0.86), respectively. To analyze the data, a single-sample t-test was employed. Findings: The findings of the study led to the identification of four main features: network learning, network facilitation, network moderation, network technology, as well as sixteen sub-features, which were functionally and semantically similar to the main features. The results also showed that the extracted model has a high internal validity. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, integrating the existing social netwroks into the present LMSs as a learning environemtn can support network learning in alignment with cultural-constructivism and communicativism. In this context, it defines the active roles in the learning environment in accordance with their functions in this era. Regarding the results of the research hypothesis, it can be concluded that, the extracted model, which includes components such as network learning, network facilitation, network management, and network technology, makes it possible to support student learning in the context of network technology. These components make it possible to implement model patterns in schools. The clear and distinct definitions of the components lead to an accurate understanding of the users and their comprehensiveness. Therefore, the model in question was valid from the point of view of experts who had practical knowledge about the use of social networks in learning.
