Journal of Iranian Higher Education
Year:2010 | Volume:2 | Issue:3|Papers Count:8

Agricultural colleges are centers for training human resources in agricultural sector. The aim of this study is to analyze factors influencing academic achievement of agriculture students. As a descriptive and correlation research design, data were collected by a questionnaire. A sample of 98 junior and senior students in agricultural colleges of Tehran University was randomly selected. Content and face validity of the instrument determined by opinions of faculty members and its reliability determined by Cronbach’s alpha. Findings showed that base on students’ viewpoint, interest to educational major, library equipments, and motivation were the most important variables influencing academic achievement. Also, factor analysis showed that attitude, equipment, teacher, education, and human relations are affecting factors respectively which could totally cover about 70 percent of variables. Based on the findings some recommendations were given to improve students’ academic achievement.

The outcome of strategic planning for universities is designing a system for appraisal within performance management framework. This article introduces a managerial design for employees’ appraisal at universities in brief. The research is conducted on the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2006-7. Research goal is developmental. The necessity for re-designing is easily tangible based on primary organizational investigations and hence it is the first reason for the importance of this study. The research method, for the first stage of study, is “Evaluation Research”. Recognizing the existing qualities of the appraisal was the aim of conducting this method for the first stage. It created a value judgment about the appraisal system in order to distinguish its points of strength and weakness. It was focused on the experts and top managers’ consensus above the characteristics of new system in second and last stage. Presenting wide debates on appraisal is ignored here deliberately because of its emphasizing on the way it followed for re-designing the system. This may plays a role as a pattern for other educational organizations and more especially universities which look for re-designing an effective appraisal system. The achieved goals and managerial implications in this study have a good potentiality to be taken under account by others.

Like other organizations, universities have confronted new challenges and uncertainties and are forced to have significant changes to adapt themselves to the environment which serves their survival. One of the major things to face with these environmental challenges is the application of the learning organization concept at universities. This paper therefore, aims to evaluate the Azad University branches based on the characteristics of the learning organization. Included all the universities’ branches in two provinces of Guilan and Mazandaran, 385 participants from faculty members, presidents and the vice-presidents were selected randomly. Data were gathered by a researcher-made questionnaire with 77 questions using a five-point Likert Scale. The factor analysis and t test were used for data analysis. The findings showed that in studied cases, 17 key characteristics of learning organization were observed. In evaluation of the existing demographic differences of the samples (gender, academic qualification, and organizational position), the results accounted for degrees of differences in different aspects.

Rapid e-learning is a new approach for developing e-content. It reduces time and cost of e-learning by changing the process and tools. As there are few studies that compare rapid e-learning with traditional e-learning, this semi-experimental study was carried out to compare learning, course’s satisfaction and time used and people associated to content development between these two approaches. It was done on 100 Tehran University of Medical Science’s (TUMS) office workers. The study samples were divided into two 50 staff groups by blocking randomization. The traditional e-learning content development was based on ADDIE waterfall instructional model by Macromedia flash. The rapid e-learning content development was based on parallel process of analysis, design and development by Adobe Presenter. This software like other rapid e-learning tools develops a lot of procedures automatically. Data were collected by pre test, post test, final examination, self- report of learning questionnaire and questionnaire of course’s satisfaction. The last two questionnaires were based on Likert Scale. In a pilot study, the questionnaires were validated by 10 specialists. The reliability of the questionnaires was measured by Cronbach’s alpha analysis. There were no significant differences in pre test, post test, final examination score and self report of learning between the two groups. The differences between satisfaction of content, satisfaction of delivery method, satisfaction of program and total satisfaction were not different in two groups. The time used for developing the course by traditional and rapid e-learning approach was 141 and 24 working days, respectively. The staff learning and satisfaction were not different in these two e-learning approaches but the time needed for content development in rapid e-learning approach was much less, comparing to the other approach. Therefore it’s recommended to use rapid e-learning in electronic staff in-service training.

Organization development (OD) can create the required ability in university for responding effectively to environmental demands and enable it to be effective too. It is evident that this contingent effort must be made based on right and exact diagnosis and efficient direction, in the systemic model proportionate to the university’s situation. However a basic question is proposed now: What are the conditions, characteristics or key components of successful OD efforts and are there some common aspects in this respect? In order to find a proper answer, a multiple case study was designed and implemented. In this research, the five successful OD experiences in some universities was studied and analyzed. Consequently, four main dimensions of OD efforts which form the system of OD function success in university were recognized. They were Direction, Main Approaches, Developmental Actions, and Special Stipulations. Also the common key components of studied efforts were recognized within the framework of those four dimensions.

Workforce diversity is a new asset for organizations which has been resulted from the increasing globalization. Workforce diversity presents different mental models to organizations; if managed well will produce new ideas, knowledge creation and innovation. This article reports the findings of a research project which examines how workforce diversity’s management relates to the knowledge creation process in higher education system. Data were collected from a questionnaire. Using stratified random sampling, 132 faculties were selected and asked to answer the questions. The findings indicate that workforce diversity has a positive impact on knowledge creation in higher education system. Additionally, knowledge creation can be enhanced by an effective management in these institutions.

This paper aims to review the impact of self-alienation on the faculties’ scientific prestige at the Yazd University. The research reported here has been done based on the Seeman's theory on the dimensions of social alienation. Alienation is defined in terms of Melvin Seeman's (1959) five basic variants of alienation: powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, social isolation, and self-estrangement. Using a descriptive research model, data were collected by a questionnaire. 135 faculties were selected via systematic sampling. The findings show that although there was no meaningful relation between variables of meaninglessness, and professional characteristics with scientific prestige, but a positive correlation has been observed between powerlessness, isolation, formlessness, social alienation with scientific prestige. Additionally a negative correlation has been confirmed between alienation and life satisfaction with scientific prestige. Finally results of multiple regression showed that two variables of social status and social alienation are explained faculties’ scientific Prestige respectively.