Original Research Paper
Educational Technology - Augmented Reality
S. Khazaie; R. Nejati; M. Karbasi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Planning for the success of students in the world is one of the priorities of teaching English in the secondary schools in Asia. The improvement of the English reader's skills to understand the actual needs defined as the +language by representing the events of the world in ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Planning for the success of students in the world is one of the priorities of teaching English in the secondary schools in Asia. The improvement of the English reader's skills to understand the actual needs defined as the +language by representing the events of the world in language learning milieu based on educational technology is in progress. Although extending the sense in the scenes of serious games is done for easy language learning, the active visual and verbal working memory of students has not been considered as an effective factor in reading. This study endeavored to investigate the allocation of sensory weight in virtual reality games for teaching English reading to Asian students with different working memory abilities.Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted by selecting 916 male and female students from secondary schools. Using parallel-group design, students participated in the working memory tests. These Iranian (N = 612) and non-Iranian (Pakistani, N = 204; Iraqi, N= 40, and Kashmiri, N = 64) were studying in the 10th grade of the second year of high school and were enrolled in language institute to learn English in the fall semester of academic year 2022-2023. In order to ensure homogeneity of the participants according to the level of English proficiency, a junior TOEFL test was administered, and students whose English proficiency score was between one standard deviation higher and one standard deviation lower than the mean were selected to take part in the study. The scores of the participants' working memory test were converted into standard scores with a mean of zero and a standard deviation of one. Based on the working memory capacity, the participants were placed in one of the active memory quadrants. Then, they were randomly divided into intact and experimental groups to learn English reading online or through virtual reality games in 14 sessions. In each session, first, the main researcher taught English reading passages to the participants using Skyroom educational software for 30 minutes. Then, online or virtual reality-based activities were provided to students to practice reading skills for 20 minutes. Participants were assessed formatively each session and a score of 0-20 was recorded for each student. The participants expressed their experience of the senses in the course of reading in each session verbally.Findings: The results of the analysis of repeated measures ANCOVA showed that extending the sense in teaching English readers through virtual reality games significantly facilitated students' learning. Adding auditory sense to scenes of virtual reality game significantly improved the reading progress of students who had high verbal working memory capacity. Although psychological and real-life categories were emphasized in the interviews, students with high working memory underlined the sense extension as useful for learning English reading in relation to the surrounding world.Conclusion The findings of this study revealed that extending the sense in virtual reality games is beneficial for learning English reading when it is in line with students' working memory. The correct allocation of the sense in the scenes of virtual reality games results in the use of English reading in the world, namely + language.
Original Research Paper
Electronic learning- virtual
R. Shahverdi; M. RezaeiZadeh; M. Vahidi-Asl
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Student participation dropped significantly in teaching online and has become one of the challenges of virtual teaching. For this reason, having social and communication skills, among other skills, is one of the competencies needed by instructors to teach online courses in ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Student participation dropped significantly in teaching online and has become one of the challenges of virtual teaching. For this reason, having social and communication skills, among other skills, is one of the competencies needed by instructors to teach online courses in higher education. Therefore, one of the necessities of online teaching is developing interaction strategies to promote online class interactions. Based on this, the aim of the current research was to identify various methods and tools to create effective interaction between the instructors and students in virtual university classes.Methods: This research was based on the qualitative approach of digital ethnography. Research data was collected using observation. The research community included the university virtual classes, which were selected using criteria-based purposeful sampling of virtual classes in the educational science department. To this end, 16 lessons related to 12 instructors (89 sessions and a total of 120 hours) were observed. In the data collection process, the researcher's role was as a non-participant observer. In addition to being descriptively recorded, the observation data or field notes were also reflected upon (the observer's perception of the situation and people).Findings: The research findings related to various methods and tools for creating interaction were categorized into four sections, including interaction at the beginning of class, during the class, at the end of class, and outside the class. Class preparation, follow-up homework, diagnostic assessment and knowledge review were the most frequently used methods of interaction at the beginning of the class. Regarding interaction during the class, question and answer (questioning), presentation-based learning, providing feedback, using students' opinions, using motivators, managing participation, and role-playing were the most frequently used methods and techniques. Summarizing and planning, evaluation and feedback were included in the end-of-class interaction section, and in relation to out-of-class interaction, providing additional training, sending assignments, discussions, and scientific-research collaborations were the most frequently used methods. The methods and techniques that were mentioned entailed using chat tools, microphone, webcam, screen sharing, status pod, slide, Word file, video, image, survey or poll, WhatsApp, Moodle (including test plugin, assignment, forum, and file).Conclusion: Based on the findings, we cannot expect to improve the quality and quantity of students' learning just by creating interaction. Rather, the effective interactions require compliance with principles and techniques such as the use of reflective questions along with descriptive ones, and awareness and overcoming obstacles to creating effective interactions. Also, the use of various tools and technologies does not necessarily lead to the effectiveness of interactions, but how to use them at the right time is more important. Another noteworthy point is that interactions outside the class (such as Feedback on assignments) are very important along with the interaction inside the virtual class. In addition, sharing experience and knowledge among professors and participating in knowledge-enhancing courses can help them become familiar with the methods and tools for creating interaction in the virtual classroom. Also, it is necessary to create opportunities for professors to practice the methods they have learned and to help them make teaching and interactions more effective by trial and error and receiving feedback.
Original Research Paper
Electronic learning- virtual
L.S. Hamidian Divkolaei; S. M. Bagheri
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Today, turning to virtual education in schools and universities along with face-to-face training is inevitable. Virtual education has received much attention in recent years in Iran. This becomes even more important and valuable when it comes to teaching practical courses. ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Today, turning to virtual education in schools and universities along with face-to-face training is inevitable. Virtual education has received much attention in recent years in Iran. This becomes even more important and valuable when it comes to teaching practical courses. Architecture, as a field in which many of its courses are considered practical, would encounter serious challenges in students' learning if the important points in virtual education are not considered. One of the issues that may be overlooked in the field of virtual education is the discussion of learning differences among students. Learning style is a characteristic that determines how students learn and how they prefer to learn, and the teacher also learns to identify and guide the needs of individual students. Failure to pay attention to the differences in students’ learning styles, especially in virtual education, where the teacher does not have much visual and face-to-face communication with students, will sometimes lead to a complete lack of transfer of concepts in education. Traditional classroom-based learning, on the other hand, typically leads to a consistent learning process that does not fit the learners’ different needs, while in targeted web-based learning programs, learning can be implemented properly. The cognition of the differences in learning process among students is one of the important factors in developing and improving education. Examining the different styles of students in learning, can be helpful to improve the quality of education and transfer better learning to students, especially in virtual education.Methods: In this article, we try to know the four divisions of students' learning style, and their performance in different courses of architecture. The present study was conducted on 48 architectural students in their first semester (who has started their studies with virtual education) from different degrees) bachelor and associate degree) in architecture and interior design. Architecture students face different attitudes in various academic years. Because of the impact that cognitive changes have on students' learning styles, it was decided to consider the statistical population among the freshmen in order to reduce the impact of changes in students’ learning styles, so that students' initial learning style is identified. SPSS 23 software was used to analyze the data.Findings: The results showed that the majority of architecture students in the bachelor and associate degree, from the selected community, used the adaptive learning style and the students of the interior design group had convergent learning styles. Studies also showed no significant relationship between degree and students' field of study with their performance. Also, the results of studies demonstrated that students with divergent learning style in the theoretical courses of bachelor’s degree in architecture field, had the best performance (with an average of 20), whereas students with convergent learning style in theoretical-practical courses of bachelor’s degree in architecture earned the lowest performance (with an average of 8.25). According to the results of the studies, it seemed that only in the bachelor’s degree students and in the theoretical-practical course (architectural design 2), there was a significant relationship (sig <0.05).Conclusion: It is suggested that educators be aware of different learning styles at the beginning of each training course in order to consider a specific category for each group of people with a common learning style. By identifying their learning style, learners can use the flexible structure that e-learning allows to achieve the desired learning outcome.
Original Research Paper
E-Lerning
T. Ashrafzade; J. Mesrabadi; B. Yargholi; S. Sheikhalizadeh
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Over the last few decades, electronic learning has been the focus of many studies and many researchers have examined the effect of electronic learning on academic performance, which yielded different results that highlighted a demand for a combination of research in this area. ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Over the last few decades, electronic learning has been the focus of many studies and many researchers have examined the effect of electronic learning on academic performance, which yielded different results that highlighted a demand for a combination of research in this area. The aim of this research is a meta-analysis of the effect of electronic learning on academic performance.Methods: The present study was conducted using meta-analysis method. The corpus of the present study included all valid research published which was available in computer databases that examined the effectiveness of electronic learning on academic performance. The intended data were available in related studies between 1996-2022. For gathering data, Mesrabadi research proposal checklist (2011) was used. Using the purposive sampling method and extensive search based on the specified keywords and applying entry and exit criteria, 243 studies were selected as a sample and were entered into the meta-analysis process. Sensitivity analysis, fixed and random effects models, and heterogeneity analysis with CMA software were used for data analysis. From selected studies as a sample, in total, 311 effect sizes were extracted which 17 extreme effect sizes were eliminated in sensitivity analysis and the next analyzes were performed on 294 effect sizes. The value of “fail-safe N” statistic was obtained in 1911, which indicated that after entering this number of non-significant studies, the combined effect size would be non-significant.Findings: The findings indicated that the mean of the total effect of the studies was 0.726 for the fixed effects model and 1.009 for the random effects model; both of them were statistically significant (p<0.001) which indicated a positive and significant relationship between electronic learning and academic performance. As the effect sizes were heterogeneous, gender, type of sample, type of electronic learning, type of course, age, and type of research method were examined as the mediating variables. The results indicated that the effect size of electronic learning on academic performance is higher among the females compared to that of the males, and in preschool students more than others, in mobile-based instruction more than other types, in teaching methods courses more than other courses, and in experimental research more than correlation research. Also, the results of the research showed that the age of the subjects had a very small contribution to explaining the heterogeneity. The results showed that electronic learning had a significant effect on academic performance and based on Cohen's criterion, the effect size of this relationship was found to be high (ES=1/009).Conclusion: Supplying programs to educate the effect of electronic learning on academic performance is a necessity that needs to be considered more than before. Considering the obtained results and the quantity and quality of existing research studies, it is suggested that the studies of these two fields be carried out at a higher level in observance of the rules of academic paper writing and conducting research. Also, to achieve a reliable result in the first stage, parametric statistics in their design and strong statistical methods with appropriate sample and appropriate sampling methods in accordance with the population should be used.
Original Research Paper
Educational Technology - Public education
Z. Gholamzadeh; A. Khamseh
Abstract
Background and Objectives: With the emergence of Industry 4.0 at the beginning of the 21st century and the introduction of technologies related to it such as Internet of Things, virtual reality, augmented reality, big data, automatic robots, etc., many developments took place, the results of which also ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: With the emergence of Industry 4.0 at the beginning of the 21st century and the introduction of technologies related to it such as Internet of Things, virtual reality, augmented reality, big data, automatic robots, etc., many developments took place, the results of which also affected the field of education and gave birth to a concept called education 4.0. Students affected by this concept in the near future should acquire the capacity to learn and develop skills in the real and virtual world and technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and cyber-physical technologies and their integration with the classroom become doubly important in these conditions, so that today many schools in the world use this technology to achieve the goals of education 4.0. They consider them essential in their educational programs. Therefore, knowing, choosing appropriate technology and using it in schools can facilitate the path of education and training of students in the field of learning. Since many of the technologies of Industry 4.0 are emerging and are in the stage of increasing growth, it is important to pay attention to the technology transfer process and its first stage, i.e., the selection and acquisition phase. Therefore, the purpose of the current research is to investigate the background of the studies and introduce some of these technologies, explain some of their applications, and identify the factors affecting the selection of the appropriate technology for the acquisition of priority technology in the studied school.Methods: The study adopted a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative) and at first by searching documents, books and articles, with mata-synthesis method, 13 factors affecting the choice of Industry 4.0 technologies to be used in the school were extracted. The participants of this research included the girls in an educational complex located in Tehran and the time of the research was the academic year of 1400-1401. Also, according to the upcoming requirements in the short-term period of 5 years, as well as by reviewing the articles and opinions of system experts, 5 technologies from the industry 4.0 (Internet of Things, digital twin, virtual reality, augmented reality and automatic robots) were selected and then, using the Fuzzy TOPSIS method, the expert opinion of seven experts, who were selected in a purposeful way for this research, was elicited regarding the priority of choosing selected technologies through the decision matrix questionnaire.Findings: The results of Fuzzy TOPSIS calculations showed that augmented reality technology with a number of 6.836 had the smallest distance from the positive ideal, and by calculating the similarity index and with a final score of 0.522, it had a higher priority among the selected technologies. Moreover, virtual reality technology with a number of 7.654 was the second the option was far from the ideal, and ranked as the second one with a final score of 0.473. Also, Internet of Things technology was ranked as the third one with a final score of 0.459.Conclusion: According to the findings and based on the thirteen main factors affecting the choice of technology, the use of augmented reality in the classroom environment and its integration with education in the studied school can lead to productivity in the use of this technology and the context it provided for the development of learning capacities in students according to the requirements of education 4.0.
Original Research Paper
Electronic learning- virtual
F. Mirzaei; M. Heydari
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Academic achievement of students is a function of various factors. In this study, the virtual education indicators (teachers' support for students, the quality of lessons as well as the use of up-to-date technologies) have been introduced as related concepts. The aim of this ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Academic achievement of students is a function of various factors. In this study, the virtual education indicators (teachers' support for students, the quality of lessons as well as the use of up-to-date technologies) have been introduced as related concepts. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' virtual education indicators and academic achievement indicators.Methods:The research method was a descriptive-correlation type. The statistical population of this study included all the male students of the final year of primary school in Abadeh, numbering 56 schools. To determine the desired sample using the non-random quota sampling method from among 65 schools, 10 schools were considered and from each school, a class with 15 students was determined and a total of 150 participants were selected as the quotas of 10 classes. The participants were considered to answer the proposed questions. Finally, the data were analyzed. The tools used to measure the relationship between variables were two questionnaires of teachers 'virtual education indicators (including three dimensions) and a questionnaire of students' achievement indicators (including two dimensions). In order to analyze the findings of this study in the descriptive statistics section, tables and graphical output of the frequency of SPSS software version 27 were used and to analyze the data via inferential statistics, structural equation modeling criteria, obtained from Smart PLS software version 3, were used to evaluate the model fit.Findings: The results showed that there was a significant relationship between teachers' support, the quality of lessons and the use of up-to-date technologies with the rate of student learning and students' attendance (P<0.001).Conclusion: It seems that increasing teachers' mental readiness and better understanding of the conditions of virtual education among teachers, providing infrastructure improvements, can lead to an increase in the quality of teaching lessons, as well as the maximum and useful use of technology tools in the virtual environment among students.
Original Research Paper
Educational Technology - Smart Organization
N. Heidari Shorshjani; F. Nasiri; S. Ghanbari
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Undoubtedly, one of the crucial factors in achieving the goals of education is loyal and committed human resources. In this regard, one of the factors that make the members of the organization dedicate themselves to the organization and remain loyal is the leadership style ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Undoubtedly, one of the crucial factors in achieving the goals of education is loyal and committed human resources. In this regard, one of the factors that make the members of the organization dedicate themselves to the organization and remain loyal is the leadership style of the managers. Among the leadership styles, the intelligent leadership style has a great influence on teachers' organizational loyalty. This style provides the basis for cooperation, consultation and modeling among teachers and causes them to have a stronger bond with the organization. In this study, the mediating role of organizational knowledge-creation in the relationship between intelligent leadership and organizational loyalty of teachers in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province was investigated.Methods: The method was descriptive, a type of correlation study and especially a structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all teachers of the second grade of high schools in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province including a total number of 2687, who were selected as a sample via proportional stratified random sampling based on the Cochran formula. To collect data, the researcher-made intelligent leadership questionnaires were used based on Sidanmanlaka's model (2008) including four dimensions of spiritual, emotional, rational and collective leadership as in 22 items on a five-point Likert scale. The researcher-made questionnaire of organizational knowledge-creation was designed based on the model of Nonoka and Takeuchi (2006) enjoying four dimensions of socialization, internalization, externalization, and combination as in 15 items on a five-point Likert scale. Moreover, the organizational loyalty questionnaire of Wells et al. (2011), having two dimensions of attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty including 7 items with a five-point Likert scale, was used. Cronbach's alpha tests and second-order exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to determine the reliability and validity of the questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha of intelligent leadership (95%), organizational knowledge-creation with alpha (90%) and organizational loyalty (94%) were obtained and, the statistical methods used in this research included descriptive and inferential statistics as well as structural equation modeling by the help of SPSS v 21, AMOS v 26 software.Findings: The correlation coefficients between intelligent leadership and organizational loyalty (45%), intelligent leadership and organizational knowledge-creation (48%), and knowledge-creation and organizational loyalty (86%) were obtained. There was a positive and significant relationship between intelligent leadership, organizational loyalty and organizational knowledge-creation at the level of 0.001. Moreover, the effect of smart leadership on teachers' organizational loyalty through organizational knowledge-creation with total effect and coefficient of (45%) with indirect effect and coefficient of (39%) was significant at p=0.001.Conclusion: The results indicated that as the intelligent leadership increases, organizational loyalty increases. In addition, the mediating effect of organizational knowledge-creation causes an increase in organizational loyalty. Considering the effect of intelligent leadership on organizational loyalty through the mediation of organizational knowledge-creation in teachers, it is recommended that the authorities of education organization in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province hold training workshops for teachers to familiarize them with four dimensions of rational, emotional, spiritual and collective leadership and, provide conditions for group and collaborative decision-making by establishing and enhancing interaction and cooperation among teachers.
Original Research Paper
Emerging educational technologies
Z. Rashidi; M.R. Nili Ahmadabadi; E. Zaraii Zavaraki; A. Delavar
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Teachers are considered as one of the most important and vital elements of virtual in-service training, and supporting them is one of the basic elements in the virtual training system. Supporting teachers in the virtual learning environment is one of the key factors in the ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Teachers are considered as one of the most important and vital elements of virtual in-service training, and supporting them is one of the basic elements in the virtual training system. Supporting teachers in the virtual learning environment is one of the key factors in the success and development of the virtual training system that if it is not continuously provided, it will lead to a waste of capital and a lack of motivation to stay in the virtual learning environment. Support for teachers has different areas, among which we can mention instructional support. In virtual in-service teachers training, instructional support has priority over other different areas of support and is more important. Instructional support is one of the main components affecting the effectiveness of virtual training. Dynamic computer-based scaffolding is one form of instructional support that supports learners in a personalized way. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of dynamic computer-based scaffolding on the effectiveness of virtual in-service teacher training.Methods: This research was conducted in a quasi-experimental way using a pretest-posttest design with an experimental and a control group. The statistical population of this research consisted of elementary school teachers in the academic year of 1401-1402 who applied to participate in virtual in-service training. A total of 30 elementary school teachers were selected as a sample to participate in the research, who were randomly divided into two groups of 15 people, experimental and control. The tool used in this research was a researcher-made questionnaire for the evaluation of virtual in-service teacher training based on Roderick Sims’s developed model. This model has 11 components including educational objectives, content, design and user interface, interaction, evaluation, support services, outcomes quality, organization, management, educational technology and information and communication technology ethics. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts. Also, the reliability of the questionnaire was obtained as Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.82. The experimental group received dynamic computer-based scaffolding during the virtual in-service training, but the virtual in-service training was presented to the control group in the usual way. Descriptive statistics indices (mean and standard deviation) were used for data analysis, and covariance analysis was used in the inferential statistics section.Findings: The results of the research showed that training through dynamic computer-based scaffolding was of significant impact on the effectiveness of virtual in-service teacher training. Also, dynamic computer-based scaffolding in each of the components of the effectiveness of virtual in-service teacher training, including organization and management, educational technology, educational objectives, content, design and user interface, information and communication technology ethics, interaction with the user interface, evaluation, support services and quality of outcomes had a significant effect.Conclusion: In virtual in-service training, dynamic computer-based scaffolding can provide the help and guidance needed by teachers and lead to mastery in learning and helps teachers to play an active role in training. Regardless of this, the use of web-based tools and technologies is emphasized in the studies as long as they can facilitate the performance of learners in learning, and have an effect on the effectiveness of education. Therefore, considering the benefits of dynamic computer-based scaffolding, it is suggested that those involved in virtual in-service teacher training include the design and development of dynamic computer-based scaffolding in their work agenda.
Original Research Paper
Educational Technology
M. Jahanifar; M. Hormozi Nejad
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Computer modelling helps a lot in learning comprehensive scientific concepts, including the causal mechanisms of phenomena, which is challenging for novice learners. Despite the many studies that have been published to show the effectiveness of using computers in the classroom, ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Computer modelling helps a lot in learning comprehensive scientific concepts, including the causal mechanisms of phenomena, which is challenging for novice learners. Despite the many studies that have been published to show the effectiveness of using computers in the classroom, fewer studies have investigated the use of computer modelling and its effects on students' thinking. The causal structure of many natural and physics phenomena, the emphasis of science education standards on systems thinking development, and its improvement in students, the key role of causal reasoning in a better understanding of science, the increasing use of computer technologies in the physics classroom, the rapid development of computer software and Internet systems for modelling and simulating the real world in order to help physics teaching and learning, and to solve the shortcomings of paper modelling with the help of computers, prompted researchers to investigate the effectiveness of using computer modelling in the physics classroom to see how it would improve the students’ causal reasoning. Investigating the effectiveness of computer modelling on students' understanding of causal links and reasoning in physics phenomena is the main goal of this research.Methods: A sample of 80 secondary high school students in the 11th grade was selected and participated in a semi-experimental design, consisting of two classes of 20 students (using computer modelling) and two classes of 20 students (using conceptual modelling on paper). The students' scores of the causal reasoning were collected in pre-test and post-test; to remove the pre-test effect (mental retention of answers), analysis of covariance was used. In this analysis, the effect of the pre-test scores on the post-test scores was first predicted with the help of simple linear regression, and after removing this effect, the difference between the post-test mean values of causal reasoning between the groups was explored with the analysis of variance. In this research, the mean difference was investigated both for the type of modelling (computer and paper) and for gender; therefore, due to having two independent variables, the analysis of covariance was two-way. With this analysis, the effect of the interaction between the gender variable and the teaching method was also measured.Findings: Compared to paper modelling, computer modelling was effective in increasing students' ability to present coherent causal expressions and better explanations of scientific evidence and ideas, and enriched their systems thinking. Recognizing the reasoning elements, gathering evidence and expressing their reasons in order to end reasoning, as well as the coherence of reasoning, were more difficult for students who were trained with paper modelling than for those who were trained with the help of computer modelling. The findings showed that the connection among the pieces of evidence was one of the most difficult parts of physics reasoning. In fact, the student's ability to integrate the pieces of evidence in order to conclude the argument and express the result was less than their other reasoning abilities. However, computer modelling could improve this ability better than paper modellingConclusion: This quasi-experimental design helped us to reach important conclusions about the differences in causal reasoning between two different groups. Using computer tools can handle the learning of relatively complex cognitive skills such as causal reasoning. Computer simulation and conceptual models that are produced with computers can help to explain more causal links and more coherence of reasoning in physics classrooms. Therefore, we recommend curriculum designers and physics teachers use more computer simulation and modelling in order to strengthen system thinking in physics classrooms, and scientific explanations with the help of causal reasoning.
Original Research Paper
Information literacy
F. Fazli nejad; S. Salimi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The only remaining solution for the continuation of the activity of students during the Covid-19 pandemic was to move towards online education. The role of technology literacy, especially information and communication technology, is fundamental for the realization of online ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: The only remaining solution for the continuation of the activity of students during the Covid-19 pandemic was to move towards online education. The role of technology literacy, especially information and communication technology, is fundamental for the realization of online education for teachers. Modern societies employ information and communication technology as a tool to transform educational systems, support the development of the economy in agriculture, strengthen health and education, and establish a close connection between communities, teachers, and students. Various technological and social developments have affected all aspects of human life. On the one hand, the role of knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies, and personal characteristics that were very prominent in the past centuries has become ineffective.On the other hand, the role of many new sciences has been highlighted. Most of these changes have been caused by new technologies, especially information and communication. The potential of using information and communication technology in different areas of human life has a prominent role in human well-being and the prosperity of society. Improving the literacy of information and communication technologies is one of the main priorities of social, economic, and educational policies in many countries. Nowadays, having information and communication technology literacy can be very effective in enhancing the professional development of teachers. As a result, this research aimed to evaluate the relationship between information and communication technology literacy and teachers' professional development.Methods: The current descriptive study adopted a correlational design. The statistical population under study included 615 elementary school teachers of Khorramshahr in 2021-2022. Using the stratified random sampling method and based on the Krejcie and Morgan’s table, 235 teachers from the community were selected for the final study. The questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The information and communication technology literacy questionnaire by Katz and McLean (2007) was used. It had 63 items and seven dimensions including describing (4 items), realizing (6 items), evaluating (4 items), managing (7 items), combining (9 items), creating (17 items), and communicating (16 items). Also, Nova professional development questionnaire (2008) was prepared having six dimensions. The dimensions in this questionnaire included educational items (5 items), teamwork (5 items), organizational skills (6 items), professional path development (6 items), interpersonal relationship development (4 items), and communication (4 items). The content validity and reliability of both questionnaires were confirmed based via Cronbach's alpha. Also, inferential statistics (Pearson's correlation coefficient test, stepwise regression, and t-test) were applied using SPSS 21 software.Findings: The results showed a significant relationship between information and communication technology literacy and professional development. Also, skills such as communicating, creating, combining, and evaluating were dimensions capable of predicting the professional development of teachers. Finally, the findings proved that the current status of teachers' information and communication technology literacy and professional development was favorable.Conclusion: This study recommends that education planners and policymakers consider the fields of improving teachers' information and communication technology literacy and put them at the center of in-service programs and training. It is also recommended to design and implement information and communication technology literacy courses for teacher training programs.
Original Research Paper
Educational Technology - Augmented Reality
M. Yousefei; H. Zangeneh
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Students' negative attitude toward teaching and learning, especially in elementary school, is a fundamental problem for parents and teachers, affecting the future of the individuals and society. One of the reasons for this attitude is the use of conventional methods. These ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Students' negative attitude toward teaching and learning, especially in elementary school, is a fundamental problem for parents and teachers, affecting the future of the individuals and society. One of the reasons for this attitude is the use of conventional methods. These types of classes hinder students' dynamism and make them tired and unmotivated. But today, technology can be used to enrich our classrooms. Virtual reality is a technology that has helped to change students' attitudes and made classroom environments more dynamic. In fact, it can be defined as the simulation of a situation, and the attitude consists of a person's beliefs, feelings, and behavior. In the early period, the first attitudes are achieved in a person, and this attitude plays an important role in the motivation and behavior of a person. On the other hand, technologies play an essential role in human life today, and it is necessary to use them in different areas of life with correct and purposeful planning. One of these critical fields is education. Regarding education and training, the choice of media is a fundamental issue. The selection of media should be made according to factors such as the characteristics of the learner in order to be effective. If the media are not selected and designed correctly, they will cause financial losses and waste of time. So how to design the media, which is the virtual reality here, is very important in influencing the attitude. On the other hand, according to Howland's message learning theory, the three factors of source, message, and audience characteristics are among the factors that should be taken into account to change the attitude. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to review the studies conducted in the field of using virtual reality in terms of attitude in the elementary course was in line with the answers to these questions: a) What factors play a role in choosing virtual reality technology for use in elementary classes in terms of students' attitudes? b) How is the design of virtual reality content to improve the attitude of elementary school students? And c) How are the educational activities in the classes based on virtual reality to improve the attitude of elementary school students?Methods: The study was conducted in a systematic review from August to November 2022. The search was carried out in the Wiley, Scopus, Springer link, and Web of Science databases with the keywords Virtual reality, Attitude, and Primary students, along with the relevant word groups. The criteria for the entry and acceptance of the research included these items: related to virtual reality and the use of this technology in teaching and learning, in relation to primary school students, in relation to attitude, research in English or Farsi, and field articles. Finally, according to the inclusion criteria, the data from 12 cases were extracted, described, analyzed, and inferred from 233 studies.Findings: According to the research questions, data were extracted, such as research countries, subjects, educational level, explanations of virtual reality, and activities from the cases (articles) that have been chosen for analysis. After analyzing and combining their findings, more studies have been taken in countries like Taiwan, China, and Korea and in fifth and sixth grades. Subjects have worked on science, social studies, English language, and physical education. In fact, according to these findings, the use of virtual reality in the fifth and sixth grades of elementary school and subjects such as sciences had the most significant impact on the students' attitudes. Also, after combining and putting together the data related to virtual reality content and features such as sense of presence, content, repetition, practice, problem-solving, animation mode, use of real images, and educational factor. These findings show that these elements in virtual reality may play a role in students' attitudes. The activities performed in the classes included viewing the content, examining and exploring the content, doing homework, working in groups, listening to the teacher's instructions, and questioning and answering. These characteristics and elements were gathered from putting together the information of previous research, but only mean the existence of all these factors in some of the studies.Conclusion: From the explanation and conclusion of the findings, it can be said that: 1) an important criterion in the use, selection, and application of technologies, including virtual reality, is to pay attention to the characteristics of learners, including their age and 2) the characteristics of the subject that must be paid attention to. When the learner is in the abstract stage, this technology can improve learning and attitude. In fact, from their findings and analysis, it was concluded that age is an important factor in paying attention to attitude, and the use of virtual reality when the learners are in the abstract stage is effective. Also, the use of virtual reality in subjects such as sciences, which has features such as spatial and temporal limitations and abstract content, can be effective. Designers of virtual reality content should design it in such a way that is possible to check and explore the content, interact, repeat the content, and practice and solve the problem. Based on the finding related to inferences of classroom activities, it can be concluded that teachers must group students before viewing virtual reality and add additional explanations after viewing it. In fact, the group is an essential factor that affects learners' attitudes. Also, they must provide tasks and assignments per the objectives and content and allow them to ask questions and answers. Finally, according to these factors, virtual reality technology can be used to create, change or improve the attitude of elementary school students.
Original Research Paper
Educational Technology - Blended Learning
A. Hossiny; M.R. Yousefzadeh; F. Seraji
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The mission of the education system is to transform students into citizens of the information society, according to technological developments that can use the facilities and platforms created in education to guide and direct daily activities and solve different problems appropriately. ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: The mission of the education system is to transform students into citizens of the information society, according to technological developments that can use the facilities and platforms created in education to guide and direct daily activities and solve different problems appropriately. The Iranian educational system has emphasized the use of new technologies, the National Information and Communication Network in education, by preparing the "Fundamental Transformation Document of Education". Along with the expansion of ICT integration in schools, the matter of evaluating ICT integration in primary schools is important to ensure and improve the quality of teaching and learning, to determine the contexts and requirements of integration in the curriculum for implementation and enforcement. Evaluation criteria help all experts, managers and teachers to always be aware of the results of their work and know how much educational goals and goals of the organization have been achieved. This awareness leads to the integration of ICT in the curriculum in the desired way. The purpose of this study was to determine the holistic framework for evaluation of ICT integration in elementary school curriculum.Methods This research was conducted by a combined exploratory method in two stages. The qualitative research method was phenomenological. In the first stage, in order to determine the evaluation criteria, the semi-structured interview was conducted using purposive sampling, and in the next stage, a questionnaire was used to confirm the evaluation criteria by available sampling method. The participants in qualitative phase were selected based on criteria-based sampling method and the rule of theoretical saturation and hence included teachers and principals of smart schools. The statistical sample in the quantitative part included experts in the field of e-learning. Participants in the qualitative section included six principals and nine teachers and in the quantitative section, the participants included ten e-learning experts. In order to analyze the collected data in the qualitative part, the collage method (open, axial and selective coding) and in the quantitative part, CVR was used.Findings: The findings of the research in the qualitative part indicated that the evaluation framework of ICT integration included 14 criteria in different sections such as: supportive (3 criteria), electronic content (2 criteria), teacher's teaching activities (2 criteria), materials and learning resources (2 criteria), learning activities (2 criteria) and student group activities (2 criteria). In the quantitative part, the CVR percentage of all six evaluation components was higher than the table number (0.62). Electronic content components and support with the highest percentage and qualification of students were confirmed with the lowest percentage of agreement among the evaluation criteria.Conclusion: In order to increase the quality of integration in evaluation, special attention should be paid to the interaction and transaction of all evaluation components. The emphasis on separate evaluation of the dimensions of integration is the incomplete implementation of integrated evaluation in the curriculum. It is suggested that evaluators have a comprehensive and holistic view of all evaluation criteria in the field of Organizational and Educational Areas in evaluating the integration of ICT in the curriculum.
Original Research Paper
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 ...
Read More
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.
Original Research Paper
Game-based Education
M. Ahmadi; S. F. Noorani; S. Hosseini
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Environmental crises are threats to all creatures and the balance of nature, and their root is human activity. Therefore, the current change in human behavior will be able to solve environmental problems. The purpose of environmental education is increasing people's sensitivity ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Environmental crises are threats to all creatures and the balance of nature, and their root is human activity. Therefore, the current change in human behavior will be able to solve environmental problems. The purpose of environmental education is increasing people's sensitivity to events and changes in the physical, biological, social, economic, social, and political environment and their effects on the environment so that the ability to recognize environmental issues can acquire the necessary skills in devising methods and tools to protect the environment and solve its problems. Currently, gamification is one of the techniques that can be used to increase students' environmental literacy. Gamification is a new method that has been translated into ‘playmaking’ in some sources and means the use of playful elements and thoughts in areas that are not the nature of the game. Gamification has been one of the topics discussed in recent years, which can be used to increase efficiency and user interaction. Properly applied gamification in educational environments will lead to better learning of students. This study investigated the impact of gamification on the promotion of environmental literacy of the first-year elementary school students in TehranMethods: The research was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design along with the experimental group. The statistical population included all male students whose age ranged between 6-7 years, who were studying in the district 15 of Tehran in the academic year of 2021-2022. With multi-stage cluster random sampling method, 60 participants were included in the sample and 30 people were randomly assigned to the experimental group; They have received part of the concepts of environmental literacy through gamification-based education for 12 sessions. The questionnaire was devised by the researcher and its formal and content validity was confirmed by the experts. Also, its reliability was reported using Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.86, indicating acceptable reliability. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS 24 software.Findings: The results of the data showed that gamification had a significant and positive effect on promoting environmental literacy (F = 1.57, 70.6 and P = 0.001). Also, gamification made a significant impact in promoting environmental literacy (water consumption management (F = 1.57, P = 0.001), electricity consumption management (F = 1.57, P = 0.001), gas consumption management (F = 0.001, 04 F1.57/58 and P=0.001), waste management (F1.57, 40.8 and P=0.001), forest preservation (F1.57, 337.63 and P=0.001), animal protection (F1.51.06) ,57 and P=0.001) among the students of the first year of elementary school.Conclusion: Taking into account the effective role of gamification in improving environmental literacy (water consumption management, electricity consumption management, gas consumption management, waste management, forest conservation and animal conservation), it can be concluded that the use of gamification in education is a new approach that has caused a wide transformation in the education system and increased the hope of the effectiveness of learning environmental concepts and related literacy among the students.
Original Research Paper
Educational Technology - Artificial Intelligence
Vi. Gohari; M. Keramati Nojedeh sadat; F. Ramezaivishki
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Education is one of the main parts of knowledge and science production in which teachers contribute to the scientific and cultural progress of any country. Inefficiency in education and training can lead to challenges and widespread problems of social, cultural, scientific, ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Education is one of the main parts of knowledge and science production in which teachers contribute to the scientific and cultural progress of any country. Inefficiency in education and training can lead to challenges and widespread problems of social, cultural, scientific, political, religious dimensions in society. Therefore, it seems necessary to assess the competence of student teachers in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes especially before entering the professional field of teaching. In this research, the competency of student teachers before entering education and training was evaluated using artificial intelligence neural network as a precise computing tool.Methods: In the present study, the research method is applied and quantitative. The statistical population consisted of students of Farhangian University, and the sample included 91 teacher students who were selected via cluster sampling in 2015-2016 in the field of Biology Education of Shahid Beheshti Higher Education Center of Farhangian University. A corpus of 500 data (80% training and 20% test) was formed based on the scores of general, educational, specialized educational, theoretical, research, internship, and total average courses. The findings were assessed using the feedforward neural network method. According to the investigations carried out on the layers and the number of neurons on the data of the algorithm, a three-layer neural network was designed with two hidden layers with a number of 300 neurons and an output layer with a number of 1 neuron.Findings: The results of the examination of professional competence are based on the scores of student teachers and the extraction of new data of the seven dimensions of theoretic- specialization, education- specialization, education- practice, general, internship, research, and total average, which show the highest average with a score of 19.8 in the educational courses and the lowest average with a score of 16.67 was in theory-specialized courses. The analysis of the findings according to the educational data of the graduates and the labeling of experts showed the level of competence as 17.77.Conclusion: These results indicate that curriculum planners should pay more attention to specialized-theory courses because teachers must have the appropriate and sufficient knowledge and scientific level to present scientific materials to students in addition to learning educational lessons. Besides, it is suggested to evaluate the competence coefficient in other studies by using special questionnaires based on students' attitudes toward the teaching profession. On the other hand, the student's handwriting can be examined and studied as another indicator. Also, the neural network model of artificial intelligence should be used to determine the competence of student teachers in other fields of basic sciences and humanities.
