Education technology - higher education
R. Tohand; M. Alinejad; B. Daneshmand
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The gamification approach is one of the newest and most attractive developments in recent years, which has been effective in various fields, including education. This approach attracted the attention of its audience by creating excitement and interaction. Gamification means ...
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Background and Objectives: The gamification approach is one of the newest and most attractive developments in recent years, which has been effective in various fields, including education. This approach attracted the attention of its audience by creating excitement and interaction. Gamification means the application of game elements and components in a non-game situation, which, according to an attractive and predetermined process, considers certain goals. The gamification approach with the effectiveness of the curriculum created a dynamic and interactive environment for the learners and improved their educational and learning status in a suitable context. This research was conducted with the aim of identifying the experiences of experts in connection with the application of the elements of the gamification approach in the higher education curriculum.Methods: This qualitative research was conducted using a phenomenological (descriptive) approach in the year 1401. In this study, a deep question was posed to experts to obtain their experiences, and if necessary, elements of the gamification approach were explained for the interviewees to express their experiences related to them. The participants included experts from across the country who were involved in education, research, the production of electronic content for higher education systems related to gamification. Based on targeted sampling and snowball technique, 18 participants were identified at the national level. The interviews, which lasted for one hour each, continued until theoretical saturation was reached. After conducting and recording the interviews, they were transcribed full. The transcriptions were then reviewed multiple times, comparing the text with the audio, and subsequently subjected to a coding and analysis system.Findings: Based on the experts' experiences, the elements of gamification approach that can be employed in higher education curriculum were as follows: Create excitement (presenting engaging content, using active teaching methods, behavioral cues, competitions and questionnaires, adventure and avoiding repetition), Create partnership and interaction (instructor with learners, utilizing virtual space, through content and among learners), Create competition (group competitions, time constraints, individual competitions, and lottery-based competitions), Create motivation (creative techniques, fostering intrinsic motivation, fostering extrinsic motivation, motivational statements), Provide feedback (appropriate feedback for effort, qualitative feedback, immediate feedback after the test), Scoring (opportunity for remediation, progress bar, irregular scoring, and role determination), Rewarding (giving rewards, types of incentives, designing certificates, and awarding them), Create challenge (by posing questions and using tools), Determining rules and regulations (setting multidimensional goals for the lesson and announcing them at the beginning of the term, drawing a roadmap by the teacher, and sweet penalty) and Leveling (leveling the content and progressing step by step from easy to difficult, from concrete to abstract, from known to unknown).Conclusion: The gamification approach has elements that, by implementing it in the curriculum of higher education, could lead to the attractiveness and dynamism of teaching and facilitate the learning process. Therefore, it is possible to use the experiences of the experts of the gamification approach in the educational process to change the class from a dry and boring teacher-centered atmosphere, go out and use the elements of the gamification approach to move towards inclusiveness and make the learning process attractive, enjoyable and lasting. This approach has paid special attention to the audience and their interests and considered the participation and interaction of learners to put learning in a happy, attractive, active and effective process.
Education technology - higher education
GH. Khalifeh; S. Latifi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Currently, all over the world we are witnessing a change in online learning methods and a change towards coollaborative learning methods in the online environment. Due to its collaborative and interactive nature, the online learning environment creates a unique opportunity ...
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Background and Objectives: Currently, all over the world we are witnessing a change in online learning methods and a change towards coollaborative learning methods in the online environment. Due to its collaborative and interactive nature, the online learning environment creates a unique opportunity for the development of individual and collaborative learning if appropriate design approaches are used. Accordingly, if the development of learning skills in an exploratory and collaborative community is considered, designing an online collaborative learning environment is a basic and important element. In fact, creating an exploratory and supportive community is necessary to achieve critical and argumentative thinking skills and should be viewed as an educational method. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to design an online collaborative environment based on argumentative peer feedback and to investigate its impact on the critical thinking skills and argumentation quality of educational science students.Methods: The design of this research was pretest-posttest control group design. In order to carry out the research, an online collaborative environment based on argumentative peer feedback was designed and developed. In this environment, students coollaboratively wrote their opinions about the the topic at hand, provided feedback on peer's writings, and then revised their writings based on the comments of their peers. The research population was all undergraduate students in the field of educational sciences of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in the academic year 2019-2020, and 32 of them were selected as the research sample, and randomly assigned in a pretest-posttest control design, and they were paired as learning pairs (A dyad). The research’s measurement tools were the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and a rubric of assessing of students’ argumentative writing quality. The reliability of the critical thinking test was calculated using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 reliability coefficient (KR20=0.69). Kappa test (0.82) was also used to measurethe reliability of the argumentative writing quality rubric. The Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data.Findings: The results showed that providing and recieving argumentative peer feedback in the online collaborative learning environment increased students' critical thinking skills, and also the quality of argumentation. In other words, the the experimental group outperformed the control groupin term of critical thinking andargumentative writing quality.Conclusion: The results of the research indicated the effect of the online collaborative environment based on peer feedback on the students' critical thinking skills and argumentation quality. In fact, the design of such environments strengthens the students' critical thinking and argumentative skills by taking into account the opportunity it provides for students to reason, examine the opinions of their peers, and finally provide feedback to their peers. Therefore, according to the results, it is suggested that online collaborative learning environment based on argumentative peer feedback should be considered as a suitable tool and approach to improve critical thinking skills and increase the quality of students' argumentation.
Education technology - higher education
S. Moslemi Nezhad Arani; A. A. Zarei; A. Sarani
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The essence of Problem-based Learning (PBL) is to find a prêt-à-porter solution to a problem, which is also known as scenario. Several features differentiate this teaching methodology from other typical approaches in language teaching contexts. In order to reinforce ...
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Background and Objectives: The essence of Problem-based Learning (PBL) is to find a prêt-à-porter solution to a problem, which is also known as scenario. Several features differentiate this teaching methodology from other typical approaches in language teaching contexts. In order to reinforce the association between learners’ construction of the required knowledge to solve an ill-structured problem when assessing different possible solutions and attempting to find an acceptable solution, learners need to collect necessary information mostly on their own with the help of a teacher as a facilitator. PBL can also be considered as a potentially useful approach to language teaching and learning, especially with regard to productive skills in which leaners practice more fluently if they experience more involvement in the learning process. The PBL also contributes to learners and learning psychological aspects. Despite the generally acknowledged benefits of PBL, it has not been commonly used, especially in foreign language learning contexts. One reason for this may have been concerns about how the method might affect foreign language learners’ feeling of anxiety, self-efficacy and willingness to communicate. The major objective of this study was to bridge the gap in our understanding of how the implementation of the PBL approach affects English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ psychological factors of willingness to communicate, self-efficacy, and classroom anxiety.Materials and Methods: Ninety pre-intermediate EFL students were selected according to the Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and purposeful sampling method. They were randomly assigned into 3 groups of online PBL, face-to-face PBL, and control group with 30 learners in each. Students in both online PBL and face-to-face PBL classes embarked on a 10-session speaking course according to the framework of the PBL approach. Meanwhile, the control group received speaking instruction based on a conventional method other than the PBL. Three questionnaires of Willingness to Communicate (WTC), English self-efficacy, and foreign language classroom anxiety scale were administered before and after the course to all participants. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to analyze the data.Findings: Results showed that EFL learners in the online and face-to-face PBL classes outperformed those in the control group in their WTC and self-efficacy. In addition, learners in the online and face-to-face PBL groups meaningfully experienced a lower level of classroom anxiety compared with the control group.Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggest that the PBL approach efficiently motivates learners to communicate and interact within the classroom context. In addition, learners in the online and conventional PBL groups felt more self-determining and responsible for their learning as a result of feeling more comfortable in the learning environment. Results also shed light on the idea that due to the experiential aspect of PBL, when learners explore the solutions to the problem/scenario and discuss them with others, that forms an environment with a minimized classroom speaking anxiety. Implications are also discussed at the end of the study.
Education technology - higher education
S. M.A. Ahmadi Tabatabaie; S. M. Moosavi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The rapid advancement of computer technology has revolutionized various aspects of work and life, emphasizing the need for training and proper utilization of digital tools. Architectural software has become integral to the design process, enabling architects to explore new ...
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Background and Objectives: The rapid advancement of computer technology has revolutionized various aspects of work and life, emphasizing the need for training and proper utilization of digital tools. Architectural software has become integral to the design process, enabling architects to explore new methods. However, concerns have arisen regarding the impact of software on creativity and innovation. This study aims to determine the appropriate timing and method for teaching software to architecture students while mitigating the negative effects on creativity. The findings will contribute to the development of more effective software training approaches in architecture schools and design firms. While technology offers benefits such as increased design speed and visualization, a balance between digital tools and traditional methods should be maintained in architectural education.Materials and Methods: The study adopts a qualitative approach, involving activities such as observation, interviews, and extensive participation in research activities to obtain firsthand information about the research subject. Qualitative research encompasses various data collection methods such as field research, observation or participation, and in-depth interviews. In the initial phase, the documentary method and library study were employed to establish the theoretical foundations of the research topic. In-depth interviews were conducted to gather information from experts in the field of architectural education. Data analysis involved content analysis, where the components of the collected text were categorized and counted. The independent variables of the research are the correct method and timing of teaching architectural software to students, while the dependent variable is the improvement of students' efficiency and benefit from learning the software. The findings were derived from the analysis of the interview responses and logical reasoning.Findings: The findings of the research indicate that students entering the field of architecture should first develop a solid foundation in hand drawing and design principles before delving into architectural software. Early exposure to software without a proper understanding of architecture can hinder creativity and result in the production of complex forms devoid of purpose and spatial understanding. It is recommended that students establish a strong connection between their hand, eye, and mind through freehand drawing and creative thinking before transitioning to digital software. The concept stage of design is best approached through manual sketches and modeling, while software can be utilized in later stages. Simultaneous teaching of software alongside other architectural subjects may lead to information overload and reduced focus. A progressive and integrated approach to teaching software within the curriculum is suggested to enhance students' practical application of software tools. This research provides insights for developing an effective educational method that prepares students for the job market while fostering their creativity and architectural understanding.Conclusions: The research findings suggest that students should learn architectural software after developing a foundation in hand drawing and design principles. Starting software training too early can hinder creativity and result in superficial designs. Teaching software alongside other architectural subjects in a progressive and integrated manner is recommended. Practical, project-based training helps students understand software features and promotes lasting learning. Unnecessary software components should be avoided to prevent confusion. Universities should modify their programs to meet students' needs in the job market and provide comprehensive software education.
Education technology - higher education
S. Talebi; M. R. Nili Ahmadabadi; H. Fardanesh; A. Delavar
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Educational technology, as an interdisciplinary field, is affected by the advances in science and technology and the use of their findings to facilitate the education process and improve the quality of learning. With the aim of using “Design Thinking” as a new approach ...
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Background and Objectives: Educational technology, as an interdisciplinary field, is affected by the advances in science and technology and the use of their findings to facilitate the education process and improve the quality of learning. With the aim of using “Design Thinking” as a new approach for innovation and creative problem solving and a source of effect in instructional design issues, the current research is in search of design and validation of design thinking instructional model in educational technology in order to improve instructional design, create rich experiences and innovative issues in education. The lack of formation of the designer's identity in the instructional designer and the lack of equipping the mind with creative design and design thinking can lead to superficial and low-quality instructional designs, boredom and reduced motivation, and reduced effectiveness of educational plans. In this regard, paying attention to thinking designerly and design thinking can respond to the challenges facing instructional design and solve them. The basic gap in this field is the lack of effective design thinking instructional model for educational technology students, which is the aim of this research.Methods: In conducting the research, a mixed method was used in the form of a sequential exploratory design with two main qualitative and quantitative parts. In order to identify the components of design thinking in the model of instructional design, a systematic review method was used by examining research from 1980 to 2021 in various multidisciplinary and scientific databases in Latin and Persian. 294 researches were identified and after reading the summary of articles and preliminary review and removing irrelevant articles, 21 articles were subjected to qualitative content analysis with inductive design. The components of design thinking, social constructivism, design-instructional design thinking were extracted and based on the findings of the qualitative part, the proposed model of education was designed inspired by Janasen's model and was subject to internal and external validation in the quantitative part. For the internal validation of the model, a descriptive survey method was used with the statistical community of experts in the field of educational technology. The external validation of the model was done through the quasi-experimental method (pre-test and post-test groups, experimental and reference groups) with the participation of 32 master's and doctoral students in educational technology, and the results were used to modify and finalize the model.Findings: Inductive analysis of the content of the qualitative part of the research showed that the instructional pattern of DT is a mixture of the theoretical and practical components of DT, instructional design, and social constructivism. Identification of the components, their relationship, and their combination to conform to the pattern of the instructional design of DT resulted in the presentation of a conceptual model and a proposed pattern for instructional design. In the quantitative part of the research, the internal validity of the proposed pattern was confirmed by 29 educational technology experts and university instructors. The descriptive results and the t-test of each of the groups regarding the variables and the mean and standard deviation of the results of covariance of the experimental and control groups after intervention showed that using the pattern, that is proposed for DT, was significant at the alpha level of p<0.01 with the score for students’ DT qualification. The null hypothesis was rejected in the confidence interval level of 99 percent and the research hypothesis was confirmed on the condition of validity of the proposed pattern for teaching DT and its impact on the instructional design performance of the MA and Ph.D. students of educational technology.Conclusion: Confirmation of the research's internal and external validity testifies that the proposed pattern can be suitable for teaching DT to students of educational technology while providing a safe and flexible environment for DT learning. Furthermore, it may promote qualifications for instructional design in the areas of professional foundations, planning, and analysis, compilation, assessment, instructional evaluation, and betterment of instructional design. However, there are certain challenges in the way of enforcement and some exigencies for successful DT teaching, which need to be taken into consideration. The pattern can be used in the centers for training and recruiting instructional designers, thus contributing to better performance of the instructional design.
Education technology - higher education
F. Bahrami; M. Nazarzadeh Zare
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Institutions usually bring the technologies they need from their surrounding environments into the organization. Therefore, a university as one of the important social institutions, under the influence of the electronic revolution and the emergence of new technologies in its ...
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Background and Objectives: Institutions usually bring the technologies they need from their surrounding environments into the organization. Therefore, a university as one of the important social institutions, under the influence of the electronic revolution and the emergence of new technologies in its surrounding environment, has moved towards the use of multimedia systems and electronic education; however, the use of electronic education, despite countless opportunities, has also brought major problems and challenges, some of which have been mentioned in previous studies, including the lack of face-to-face communication and interaction between the educator and the learner. Hence, the solution offered in e-learning to face this problem is the blended learning approach. Studies have shown that various factors such as educational, environmental, institutional, and organizational factors are effective in applying blended learning, and not paying attention to any of them can cause the failure of this type of teaching and learning. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of institutional factors on the use of blended learning by the faculty members of Malayer University.Methods: The present study was applied research in terms of purpose, cross-sectional in terms of time, and in terms of method of collecting the required data, it adopted a descriptive-correlation design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the present study included all the faculty members of Malayer University with the number of 153 people. Due to the limited size of the research community, all faculty members were tested, and finally, 140 faculty members participated in the study with a return rate of 92%. The tools of data collection were questionnaires of institutional factors and blended learning. For data analysis, descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean) and inferential (correlation test and path analysis) methods were used in SPSS version 22 and Smart PLS version 6 statistical software.Findings: The findings obtained from the statistical analysis of the data indicated a positive and significant impact of the normative factor with a path coefficient (0.151) on the use of blended learning by the faculty members, and the mimetic factor with a path coefficient (0.413) on the use of blended learning by faculty members, and the coercive factor with a path coefficient (0.362) had an impact on the use of blended learning by faculty members. Also, the measurement and fit indices of the model indicated its appropriateness.Conclusion: Overall, the study showed that institutional factors (normative factors, coercive factors, and mimetic factors) have a great impact on the use of blended learning by faculty members. Hence, considering the following suggestions can help to institutionalize the use of blended learning in the academic context, namely the establishment of regulations and internal laws regarding the use of blended learning in the teaching-learning process at universities, more culturalization in the use of blended learning in the teaching-learning process by faculty members, imitating successful universities and institutions in the field of implementing blended learning, training faculty members on how to apply blended learning in teaching, encouraging more faculty members to use blended learning, and finally considering more educational privileges for the use of blended learning in teaching by faculty members.
Education technology - higher education
M. Arghiani; M. Mirhashemi; M. Mahvash
Abstract
Background and Objectives: One of the effective and significant concepts that has drawn designer’s attention about human and environment is sense of belonging. In environmental design field, despite the frequent use of this word, a clear definition of this concept and its elements has not been ...
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Background and Objectives: One of the effective and significant concepts that has drawn designer’s attention about human and environment is sense of belonging. In environmental design field, despite the frequent use of this word, a clear definition of this concept and its elements has not been presented yet. In this research, for the practical use of sense of belonging in the field of design, first of all, the dimensions and components of this concept, according to the needs of the field of design, have been defined and then the impact of the physical and emotional dimensions of belonging have been evaluated in different patterns of schools; in order to determine the roles of these components in the formation of sense of belonging and finally the quality of the design of educational environments. The primary goal of this study is to create a basis for quality environment in educational spaces by reinforcing sense of belonging and the secondary one is to explain the concept of sense of belonging within the framework of environmental design.Methods: The first part of this study is theoretical type and the second one in terms of goal is applied, that forms a mixed-methods research. The first part is done by using descriptive and analytical methods and examining the theoretical and technical background, and the second part is a survey based on inferential statistics. Library instruments and a questionnaire were used to collect data. The research instrument of the survey part in this study is a researcher-made questionnaire, the final version of which has been approved after several stages of qualitative validity checkup. The statistical population of this study consists of high school students in Bojnord and the samples were randomly selected. Then, the effective components on the sense of belonging have been analyzed and prioritized based on the questionnaire indicators. Questionnaires collected from two patterns of modern and traditional schools in Bojnord were analyzed by SPSS software. In this regard, linear regression correlation test has been used to investigate the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Based on this, 16 indicators have been evaluated based on 3 dimensions of belonging; environmental, activity and emotional-psychological dimensions; then the amount and intensity of the correlation has been measured.Findings: According to the obtained results, "Environmental dimensions" with a beta coefficient of 0.243 and a significance level of zero, have the highest correlation with the sense of belonging. This finding shows that the level of belonging among the research variables has the greatest impact from the physical dimensions and related indicators and the changes in this component predict about a quarter of the changes in the independent variable; the sense of belonging. The second component affecting the sense of belonging with beta 0.208 and the significance level 0.004 is "Emotional dimensions". This finding highlights the important connection between emotion and place. Also, the variable "Activity dimensions" with a beta number of 0.206 and a significance level of 0.001 is the third component which explains the sense of belonging and the promotion of belonging in the studied high-schools.Conclusion: The "environmental dimension" component; which is arising from the physical characteristics of an environment is the most decisive factor in explaining the sense of belonging, because environmental dimensions are the source of the main features of the environment. Human is directly related to the body of an environment, and human perceptions are the result of initial interaction with the physical environment. Therefore, it is necessary to address the quality of educational environments within its physical structure. Another conclusion that the research findings show is that the traditional schools can create higher level of belonging to the environment in individuals, so the characteristics of these schools can be represented in the new experiences.
Education technology - higher education
Kh. Mirzaei; M. Sepahpanah
Abstract
Background and Objectives: In recent decades, the development of agriculture and rural areas has been very important and in some cases it has been mentioned as the axis of development. Since the development of countries is impossible without efficient specialists, education is considered as one of the ...
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Background and Objectives: In recent decades, the development of agriculture and rural areas has been very important and in some cases it has been mentioned as the axis of development. Since the development of countries is impossible without efficient specialists, education is considered as one of the priorities of any country, including Iran. E-learning with modern communication methods is one of the educational systems that has been focused on due to the growth and expansion of Internet networks and has been proposed as a new idea and the key to the transition of human resources to the information society. Today, to increase the motivation of learners and improve the productivity of education, attention to digital technologies is increasingly important. With the beginning of the age of information technology, educational systems were one of the first areas that underwent changes and the use of new and active learning methods by educational administrators in various fields such as agricultural sciences, engineering, medicine, etc. have been felt. The current study of the effectiveness New educational communication tools in Comparison with Traditional Methods in Increasing water resources usersKnowledge. Method and Materials: In a quasi-experimental study, 60 gardeners were randomly selected as the samples. They were divided into two peer groups with respect to age, education, economic status, amount of land, being a member of social network (30 for experiments and 30 for control). The main tool for research was the researcher-made questionnaire which was formed on the basis of existing theoretical comments. Findings: The results showed that the strategies that gardeners apply for climate change are intercropping strategy, using integrated farming systems, changing the time farming operation, drought-tolerant crops. According to Levene test and equality of variances, there is a significant difference (Telegram and What Sapp) between the pre-test scores and post-test scores in the group receiving mobile learning. So that education through social networks and electronics had a significant impact in adopting coping strategies relating the effects of climate change. Conclusion: The results indicate that the component of the hope for recovery has had the greatest impact on adaptation to climate change. And the component of fidelity has the least effect. Also, demographic and psychological components explain 61% of changes in farmers' adaptation. According to the research results and in order to increase the learning efficiency and improve the level of knowledge and skills of gardeners and farmers, it is suggested to use new methods of hybrid instruction education. It is also suggested that training courses on the use of modern equipment and tools for gardeners be considered by those involved in the field of agricultural education and the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture. Since e-learning as well as mobile learning are not limited to a specific time and place and have a very wide scope of practice and are known as ‘teaching at any time and place’, therefore, it is recommended to make maximum use of this potential capacity to create growth and development among gardeners.
Education technology - higher education
A. Jadidi Mohammadabadi; M.R. Sarmadi; M. Farajolahi; H. Zare
Abstract
Background and Objectives: One of the forms of knowledge acquisition in the current era is the distance education system, which has changed the traditional teaching methods, made it possible for everyone to learn everywhere and at any time, and has established social justice in the distribution of resources ...
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Background and Objectives: One of the forms of knowledge acquisition in the current era is the distance education system, which has changed the traditional teaching methods, made it possible for everyone to learn everywhere and at any time, and has established social justice in the distribution of resources and facilities. It has created the necessary conditions for standardized education and in accordance with the needs of individuals and society, as well as the significant help that this system can easily and timely modernize education, save time, money and energy consumption, create opportunities for continuing education for employed people, strengthen specializations and creates calmness and reduces anxiety. And given that in addition to classroom teaching at the university, distance learning is now a valid method worldwide and UNESCO and other educational organizations around the world emphasize the expansion of distance learning, it is necessary to seriously develop it and the foundations of epistemology; and make it known to policymakers, planners and learners.The present study was conducted with the aim of identification and assessing the epistemological characteristics of MOOC (massive and courses). Methods: For this purpose, two methods of exploratory search (qualitative) and a questionnaire (quantitative) method were used. In the qualitative part of the research environment, the relevant electronic sources related to the subject matter of the research including 20 related articles were selected. In the quantitative section from the statistical population of 60 specialists in planning distance education in 2018 in the country a sample of 36 people was selected through voluntary sampling. To analyze the qualitative data, content analysis method and content validity index were used for analyzing quantitative data from mean weight and Friedman test. Findings: The results of content analysis indicated that four episodes of the learner, the content, teaching organization and educational environment can be investigated in MOOC epistemology (massive and courses). A total of 35 criteria were identified and confirmed. Quantitative results show that improving the level of information and digital literacy of professors, and knowledge with previous cognitive structures are the most important criterions of the epistemological characteristics of the courses of MOOC; and the criteria of ease of usedigital content, the recruitment of information technology professionals, for knowledge courses and the provision of Internet-based learning group environment, are the most important criterion for epistemology of massive MOOC. Conclusion: The results showed that in the epistemology of massive courses the dim
Education technology - higher education
B. Abadi
Abstract
Background and Objectives:One of the main challenges in Iranian higher education system is the fact that students are not entitled to the skills of thinking and reasoning. In particular, this issue manifests itself in situations where learners are expected to critique and redesign old ideas and thoughts ...
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Background and Objectives:One of the main challenges in Iranian higher education system is the fact that students are not entitled to the skills of thinking and reasoning. In particular, this issue manifests itself in situations where learners are expected to critique and redesign old ideas and thoughts with the power of creativity and innovation, and even creating new and innovative ideas and theories. The lack of attention paid by universities and higher education institutions to training and transferring of thinking skills, creative thinking, and problem-solving ability to challenge decision-making situations has made students rely solely on memorization and pre-prepared results. One of the fields of application of thinking is the issue of entrepreneurship, the close connection of which with creativity has clearly been confirmed in the literature. By institutionalizing entrepreneurship education through the transfer of thinking skills to students to create ideas, they are acquainted with the concept of entrepreneurship, by which they are inspired to create innovative ideas and thoughts. In this regard, entrepreneurial universities develop entrepreneurial skills and help students to start new businesses and network with economic agents in order to support university entrepreneurs. If universities and higher education institutions are not able to step towards entrepreneurial development and do not give thought to this issue, there would be no justification for their survival and continued work in long run, as macro-development frameworks will be implemented based on objective economic indicators and criteria. Hence, the six-hat method of thinking relies on students' thinking power to design career topics. This approach, in essence, will help students have the necessary efficiency and skills in thinking about different aspects of a business issue, especially in designing a business plan. For this reason, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of six thinking hats (STHs) of De Bono on improving the cognitive abilities and skills of agricultural students in the entrepreneurship course. Methods: In this study, 80 undergraduate agricultural students in the University of Maragheh (the academic year 2016-2017) were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups according to a quasi-experimental design of Solomon's four stages. To assess the cognitive ability of the cases, a business questionnaire for the construction of a fish farming unit was used. SPSS software was used to analyze the data and calculate the effect size of the results. Findings: The results unveil that the approach of STHs makes a significant difference in the knowledge of the cases in four experimental groups on the development of business plan (F = 40.89, df = 79, p < /em> < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of the participants in different groups (SΔ = 8.16, df = 22, p < /em> < 0.0010) with the effect size of 0.75 ( = 0.75), indicating a significant effect for the STHs on learning. Additionally, the qualitative results of the research manifest that the participants were able to design a standard business plan. Conclusion: It is recommended to use the STHs method in entrepreneurship centers of universities and higher education institutions.
Education technology - higher education
A.M. Ahmadvand; H. Nasiri; F. NasrollahiNia; A. Mahjoubian
Abstract
Background and Objective:Nowadays, information technology, has affected the production, distribution, and use of knowledge-based processes. Among other things, the Internet of Things as a network of objects connected to each other can bring new capacities in all fields. The aim of the present research ...
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Background and Objective:Nowadays, information technology, has affected the production, distribution, and use of knowledge-based processes. Among other things, the Internet of Things as a network of objects connected to each other can bring new capacities in all fields. The aim of the present research is to examine the opportunities and challenges that the Internet of Things can have in relation to the higher education system. The concept of connecting devices and objects to each other is a new development on the Internet; anything anywhere can connect to the Internet and be "smart". Connected devices can communicate with each other and share information, then this information can be processed and lead to making decisions. This concept is called the "Internet of Things (IOT)." The wide range of applications of IOT has enabled educational environments at all levels to benefit from it. In terms of the role of IoT in higher education, this domain includes energy storage, monitoring the health and safety of students, optimizing the physical envriornment of the campus and classrooms, as well as enabling students to attend remotely. The main point that seems to differentiate IOT from other past technologies is that older methods cover a limited range of areas of higher education. With the use of various IOT tools, all these tools and facilities can be made intelligent and use for educational, research and service providing purposes. The aim of this study is to investigate the role and function of the IOT in the processes of knowledge production, transmission and application in higher education system. Methods: For this purpose, the systematic approach and the Chelkland SSM method were used. By refer to several internal and external scientific information databases, 25 related articles were identified. Then, without any sampling, all of these articles were studied by the researchers and their contents are divided into four categories: the introduction of the internet of things, the role of the internet of things in educational functions, the opportunities of the internet of things for higher education and the challenges of the internet of things in higher education, and they were organized in the dimensions of the input, process and output of the higher education system. Findings: The findings of the research indicate that the internet of things, by providing advanced information services, provides a flexible and measurable system for academic community that can be used to personalize training and reinforcement of learning, better management of educational processes, and more effective logistic management etc. The use of the internet of things will also challenge higher education, which violation of privacy, security issues, and rising costs are some of these challenges. Conclusion: In the present study, an attempt was made to introduce IOT and its opportunities and challenges for higher education system by reviewing the related literature. IOT is a technology that covers a wide range of applications in the university, from classrooms to laboratories, colleges and parking lots, and more. Within the system, IOT can be used to support the higher education chain and facilitate communication between input, output, and the process, and facilitate monitoring, control, and management of the university's system. In other words, the IOT operates communication center for the university system. In the dimension of higher education and university process, the IOT can be effective in student interaction and participation, evaluation, mental and physical health, classroom management, satisfaction, attendance, time saving as well as faculty management, energy saving, information searching, improving security in the university environment, providing real learning, personal growth and development for both the university instructors and the students, and so on. Of course, as mentioned, the use of this technology has cetain challenges. These challenges include security and privacy risks, high costs, connection to the Internet, scalability, self-organization and acceptance, etce. But despite this, experts generally see the future of this technology as more practical and important than it is now.
Education technology - higher education
A. Zamani; M. Pouratashi; S. Ghajarbeigi
Abstract
Background and Objective:One of the activities in the field of branding is brand management, which tries to create value for the brand with accurate and principled policy and timely planning, and then, in order to lead changes for striving to develop and improve it. The university brand succeeds when ...
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Background and Objective:One of the activities in the field of branding is brand management, which tries to create value for the brand with accurate and principled policy and timely planning, and then, in order to lead changes for striving to develop and improve it. The university brand succeeds when higher education administrators and policymakers in the higher education sector have an understanding of the intangible assets of the university and the higher education system and the university brand. In this regard, it is necessary to have strategic planning for brand management of the university, which means that first by defining the mission statement and vision of the university, the goals are well and accurately and clearly defined. Then, based on the evaluation of the internal and external environment of the university, it adopted strategies to achieve the desired university brand. And by using careful monitoring at each stage, the necessary feedback should be given to the university administrators regarding the extent to which the goal has been achieved. In other words, an accurate brand must be chosen for each university, and when it is managed in a comprehensive and integrated manner, it is a valuable asset. Brand identity of university and a positive image is an important part of what is now considered by many universities around the world. Therefore, this research aimed to study brand management in higher education and to study brand equity to attract scientific talent. Methods: The population of this study included all faculty members at public universities in Tehran and random sampling method was used for data collection. To collect data, a questionnaire was used whose validity and reliability were confirmed by professors’ views and calculating Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used by SPSS; and structural equation modeling was used by LISREL. Findings: The results indicated that the university brand identity and brand equity affects attracting scientific talents and the highest path coefficient among the research variables is "brand identity" (0.88). Conclusion: Now that universities in our country are gradually moving towards competing with each other to attract scientific talents and attract the best people, they should try to increase their brand and mental image in the society and among the elites and develop the strategic university brand identity in prospective document of the university. As the credible identity of the university stems from its perceived success and credibility, which can include the overall brand of the university or its various sub-brands, such as the brand of campuses, faculties, associations and scientific groups, and sports teams. In fact the role of brand identity is effective in the marketing and success of the university as well as the public policy perspective of the university.
Electronic learning- virtual
H. Saadi; kh. Mirzaei
Abstract
E-learning is an artistic educational system and a comprehensive solution for those institutions that want to move in the path of technology of the day and change their teaching methods and environments. The purpose of this study is looking for identification and awareness of the current status of e-learning ...
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E-learning is an artistic educational system and a comprehensive solution for those institutions that want to move in the path of technology of the day and change their teaching methods and environments. The purpose of this study is looking for identification and awareness of the current status of e-learning in universities and higher education institutions to draw the desired situation in this field, and at the same time, review the reasons for the lack of development of e-learning in that area. In this article, the maturity six-level model of Misra and Dingra were used (Levels: Closed, Preliminary, Initial presence, Perceived, Institutionalized, Optimized). This research is a survey. The statistical population of the study includes faculty members and postgraduate students in higher education in agriculture in Iran. The sample size is calculated using the Cochran formula and the sample population of the study was selected by random sampling in several steps which is 517 people. In this study, the questionnaire was used in order to collect the required information. The precision of indices and items cited in the questionnaire, or face validity, was confirmed by the specialists and professors. To investigate the reliability and internal consistency of the study instrument, Cronbach's alpha was used. Cronbach's alpha value was 0.86. In order to analyze the collected data Weka software and artificial neural networks were used. In this paper, based on Misra and Dhingra models, the 6 above levels were data analyzed. After analysis by artificial neural networks and communicating between electronic maturity levels, the fourth level or "realized level", with 82.37% accuracy of information, and with the fewest amount of errors (7 %) was more desirable compared to other levels.
Education technology - higher education
M. Jafarigohar; M. Karami
Abstract
All over the world, many IELTS candidates still experience difficulty in mastering skills needed for academic writing. Collaborative writing in a wiki might be a good way to address this difficulty. Thus, the current study has investigated and compared the effectiveness of the single-author peer-editing ...
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All over the world, many IELTS candidates still experience difficulty in mastering skills needed for academic writing. Collaborative writing in a wiki might be a good way to address this difficulty. Thus, the current study has investigated and compared the effectiveness of the single-author peer-editing strategy and the multiple-author co-authoring strategy in wiki. The participants were 20 male graduate and postgraduate students who had enrolled in an IELTS academic module preparation class. The study had an equivalent time series design in which the intervention period had six times: At odd times of intervention peer-editing was the strategy and at even times it was co-authoring. When peer-editing was the chosen intervention strategy for wiki writing, each participant created their own IELTS academic writing essay and at the same time edited the essays of their peers. For co-authoring tasks, all participants were required to co-write a coherent essay. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was applied to compare the time series in terms of the effectiveness of interventions. The results revealed that the wiki group achieved greater improvement in their writing performance while co-authoring their essays. It should be remarked that the present study is one the first studies on identifying the most effective collaborative writing strategies in social networking systems, while most of the previous studies have addressed a comparison between collaborative writing instruments. The findings of this study might be a very crucial step toward the candidates’ success in international foreign language tests.
Education technology - higher education
M. Kameli; H.R. Azemati; F. Ramazi
Abstract
Undoubtedly Planners any organization and especially the elite university courses and inform policy, goals and methods are chosen. It is because of this application is any application within the specified period. The purpose of this paper is to compare the effectiveness and near the architectural design ...
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Undoubtedly Planners any organization and especially the elite university courses and inform policy, goals and methods are chosen. It is because of this application is any application within the specified period. The purpose of this paper is to compare the effectiveness and near the architectural design courses 2 and 4 in the activities of professional architects and important factors affecting the activity and be professional architects. An applied research and analytical method is described. Quantitative methods and techniques as well as to evaluate the information from the survey (see the questionnaire) is used. The results show that proximity and relationship issues with professional design 2, 4 more than the architectural design 2 and 4 with an architectural design that graduates in their professional work experience is a huge gap. Also, due to administrative issues, performance issues in a professional and effective idea are considered to be less attention to this subject in universities.
Education technology - higher education
N. Bakhtiari; M. Mosa Khany
Abstract
Attention to staff performance and use of intellectual capital to achieve organizations’ objectives optimum use of available facilities, in institutes and universities, which are themselves the center of intellectual production, makes managers to use intellectual capital to achieve optimal ...
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Attention to staff performance and use of intellectual capital to achieve organizations’ objectives optimum use of available facilities, in institutes and universities, which are themselves the center of intellectual production, makes managers to use intellectual capital to achieve optimal performance this is a correlational study. The samples are all faculty members (180) of Shahid Ragaie Teacher Training university. The data were analyzed by the Pearson correlation coefficient step by step and the researcher used SPSS software. The results showed that there is a positive relationship between the respondents, intellectual capital and their research performance. Regression analysis results show that among human capital, structural capital and relation capital, structural capital have the strongest relationship with research performance and better predicts the respondent’s performance. The relation capital follows next in predicting research performance. Moreover, there is a significant relationship between intellectual capital and research performance.
Education technology - higher education
A.H. Monajemi; S. Masoudian; A. Estaki; N. Nematbakhsh
Abstract
Designing timetables, for example course timetables in an institute, is one of the most complicated and time-consuming challenges for personnel. Automating it, not only can help the personnel to manage their work better, but also can be considered as a desired sample to assess the ways of planning and ...
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Designing timetables, for example course timetables in an institute, is one of the most complicated and time-consuming challenges for personnel. Automating it, not only can help the personnel to manage their work better, but also can be considered as a desired sample to assess the ways of planning and to tackle the constraint satisfaction in artificial intelligence. In this paper, genetic algorithms are primarily studied and then it is applied for optimization of an imaginary faculty course timetable. The new designed algorithm is based on keeping the better chromosomes of the population and employing genetic operators on the others in order to improve the overall quality of genes. Some other amendments are also carried out to develop a more capable genetic algorithm for TT applications, compared to the standard one. According to the tests, the new GA algorithm will be more successful in generating high fidelity TTs which do not break any hard constraint. The proposed ideas, in this approach are applicable in other similar situations.
Education technology - higher education
N. Shabakhti; S. Ghafarpour Jahromi; H. Gholamali
Abstract
Today, the use of numerical methods in solving different problems is widely used. The application of these methods has been accompanied by the development and presentation of new and innovative methods in order to meet the different needs of numerical problems. Although numerical methods such as finite ...
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Today, the use of numerical methods in solving different problems is widely used. The application of these methods has been accompanied by the development and presentation of new and innovative methods in order to meet the different needs of numerical problems. Although numerical methods such as finite element are very time-consuming and costly in solving three-dimensional problems with multifaceted elements, the finite point method as one of the non-network methods has been able to attract many researchers with its unique capabilities. To provoke. In this paper, while introducing the finite point method, the numerical solution of numerical problems is explained using this method. In the following, this method is used as one of the fast and convenient methods in determining the distribution of stress under the feet. The results of the finite point method are analyzed using different shape and distribution functions of the points and compared with other common methods such as traditional and experimental methods as well as the finite element method. Comparison of results shows that the finite point method has a more acceptable speed and accuracy compared to other methods, especially the finite execution method.
Education technology - higher education
M, Feizi; M. Bagheri; H.R. Azemati
Abstract
The main purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze different approaches in landscape architecture design and to propose a holistic human-environmental approach in relation to current issues of landscape architecture in Iran. For this purpose, first, the common goals and approaches of partialism ...
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The main purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze different approaches in landscape architecture design and to propose a holistic human-environmental approach in relation to current issues of landscape architecture in Iran. For this purpose, first, the common goals and approaches of partialism in landscape architecture are introduced and analyzed. Then, the holistic model, based on the human-environmental approach to landscape design, is proposed in three areas of aesthetics, ecology and local community, and the role of each area in meeting the needs and flourishing human capabilities is explained. In the proposed approach, the perception of landscape architecture, products is the interaction between human (experimental) and environmental (spatial) dimensions. The human (experimental) dimensions of the landscape include strengthening the sense of place and belonging, spatial and mental reconstruction of man, defining public, semi-public and private realms, facilitating orientation and navigation in space, and inducing local identity, security, and desirableness. The environmental (spatial) dimensions of the landscape include the definition of places, routes, and domains, and the landscape designer must organize places (centers of origin and destination), routes (routes), and physical realms (ranges). At the end of the article, landscape design of Iranian city is considered as a case study and it is concluded that, considering the vastness of Iranian cities with diverse human-environmental landscapes, recognizing the perspective of Iranian city is essential as a prerequisite for landscaping.
Education technology - higher education
M. Sheikhan; M. Kalantari
Abstract
In this article, with the aim of estimating the number of personal and organizational users of the country's data network, followed by estimating the market for the required equipment for the next few years, first the statistics of different groups of these users according to the latest census information ...
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In this article, with the aim of estimating the number of personal and organizational users of the country's data network, followed by estimating the market for the required equipment for the next few years, first the statistics of different groups of these users according to the latest census information in The country has been surveyed and, taking into account the annual growth rate, their number is estimated to be until the end of 2008. Then, the required bandwidth is estimated in the cities and provinces of the country according to the determination of the target services for the mentioned users and the capacity of the output ports of each router is estimated. Then, the data network topology in the said development plan at the level of "core" and "distribution" layers of the proposal and the capacity of intercity links in the country, in the form of eleven different areas, has been met. Finally, we have estimated the volume and market of hardware equipment and software requirements of the data network in the mentioned development plan.
