Technology of Education Journal
Year:2010 | Volume:4 | Issue:3|Papers Count:11

Information technologies have reshaped the interactions and creation of knowledge, and affected significantly the processes of acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in the society. The universities and educational institutions, as the main sources of production and communication of science, are to be gradually modified. There, the subject on which the managers and higher education authoritians should seriously concentrate is establishing the virtual universities and realizing e-learning there. This realization requires fulfilling the condition of different aspects, systemically called e-readiness.Tarbiat Modares University is of the ones who attempted, in recent years, to present master programs in different faculties via electronic media. in the first part of the paper, it is attempted to present an appropriate model for assessing its e-learning readiness based on the comparative studies as well as national experts’ views. Then a comprehensive analysis of e-Learning readiness experienced in Tabrbiat Modares University is presented here. It is noticeable that the proposed model is based on the specifications and localized features of the country and has the adaptability for application in assessment of e- learning readiness in other universities.

This paper suggests a conceptual framework for evaluation of e-learning programs. Through an extensive literature review, nine most critical e-learning evaluation questions are addressed and seven approaches of e-learning evaluation are identified: Case Studies, Comparisons with Traditional Learning, Tools & Instruments for Evaluation of E-Learning, and Return on Investment, Benchmarking Models, Product Evaluation, and Performance Evaluation. Through a comprehensive review of all models and frameworks of e-learning which were examined and tested by authorities and/or higher education institutions, their general factors based on three criteria: a)frequency of citation, b)frequency of application, and c)availability of information, were inferred from the identified models. As a result, a basic evaluation framework including eight categories of factors (institutional, management, technological, pedagogical, ethical, interface design, resource support and evaluation) based on Khan’s (2001) model were adapted in the inferred framework of e-learning evaluation. The validity of the "inferred model" for Iranian universities were approved by 30 Iranian IT and e-learning experts. The most relevant criteria and indicators of all factors were defined and introduced for further application of framework by Iranian institutions of higher education.

Main purpose of this research is to comparative study of point of views of faculty members and administers Isfahan University about major barriers of faculty participation in e-learning courses. Second purpose of this research is to study probably relations between these barriers hn order to suggest some advises for rising level of faculty collaboration on this field. Type of this research is qualitive-quantitive. At the beginning of research, researcher designed a conceptual model based on literature and classified deterrents on three groups include personal, attitudinal and contextual inhibitors. Then, a researcher-made inventory provided based on this model and distributed on a sample include 50 faculty members of educational groups which present virtual courses in this university. Method of sampling was census. Friedman analysis Result indicated between the barriers, contextual inhibitors have the most inhibition against faculty participation. In qualitive part of research, researchers performed some semi-structured interview with five administers who were supervisor of holding courses.  Analysis of this part was done by coding and categorization of interviews. Result of comparative study indicated being of contextual inhibitors reinforce effect of personal and attitudinal inhibitors.

In recent years, a significant population of children in Iran is caused a special attention towards the problem of educational spaces for children. Unfortunately in Iran, most schools and child care spaces are established in non-educational biuldings (such as houses). Emphasizing on the advantages of environmental features that influence the human mind and his behavior, this study is seeking to achieve designing patterns for 3-6 years old children educational spaces. The Survey Research Method is used in this research. Based on the integration of related theories, the patterns are derived from the creativity model. The conclusion displays the patterns of children educational spaces for promoting their motivation and creativity, such as: the variability of space and its components, the interaction between indoor and outdoor spaces, diversity and game-making of the natural stimulus elements such as light, water and plants.

Nowadays, the concern about the future of architecture education has been growing. It seems that the existing models of teaching and practicing architecture may not be appropriate to address the challenges of tomorrow. Not only has there been little consideration of the future of architecture but even less about the inclusion of the futures thinking within the architectural curriculum. While thinking about future is so important, particularly for current students who lives and works the future. This paper presents arguments for the necessity of futures thinking within the architectural curriculum of tomorrow. In this regard, attention to future is investigated from modernism till now to gain the right view to past, today and future problems; specially criticized view to today problem in order to prepare the future. Concerns about today architecture and their solutions have been considered to find out the basis of future architecture education. In fact in this way not only has history of architecture taught but also future of architecture is considered. This article shaped based on a developing research. This kind of research is similar to applied researches. The goal of this research is the planning and codification of the problems about quality of architecture education in the future. So, firstly in this paper the condition and situation of today architecture education has studied and then (secondly) according to developing research results, the conclusion for solving the available problems has extracted. The aim of this research is to determine how available situation would improve or is there any method or model to improve this situation or not. Generally, it can be said that the aim of this article is in the area of improving the situations, methods, equipments and structures of architecture education in future in Iran .In order to data gathering in this article, the researcher used a combined method: analyzing the documents and references and using questionnaire method. In this method the results extracted from comparative literature about each part and quantitative data analyzing via evaluating the questionnaires by descriptive and inferential methods.

The aim of this study is to review the impact of e-learning program on the dictation skills of third grade primary school students based on educational design principles.This study is fullfield in the form of quasi – experiment. Statistical society included 62 femail students of shahid mahdavi third base elementary school of region one of Thehran city education. Sampeling in this study is done using random sampeling method samples divided to two equal control and experimental groups and the experimental group learned dictation lesson in three months using web based e-Learning program that was designed by the reasercher and approved by the 16 relevant specialists in the ministry of education and universities. Control group were instructed using Traditional classroom method.Analysis of obtained data using statistical T test of independent groups showed that there is a significiant realationship between the use of E-learning program of dictation and academic progress of third grade students of primery school in dictation lesson. Similary , there is a significant difference between academic progress of students who learned dictation using  web based program and students who learned dictation using traditional method.In addition, the findings showed that there is a significant difference between pre-requisite capabilities in dictation lesson including visual, Auditory and movement skills in the end test of experimental and control group showed significiant differences between dictation and pre-requisite elements.

Population growth is among the most important priorities of every society if it is to achieve health and development. Proper education, by means of creating a change in individual’s attitudes and thought patterns, is considered a fundamental step in achieving the goals of family planning. In order to succeed suitable educational methods should be chosen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of active learning method on engineering students in a population and planning course. This was a quasi-experimental study with two groups in a pre-test post-test design. Convenient sampling was used to choose 48 students from Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University.  These participants were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. After the pretest, the control and experimental groups received training using the traditional and active learning method respectively for 17 sessions during 4 months. Then the post-test was administered. The achievement test consisted of two parts. One part evaluated the student’s knowledge and the second part measured meaningful learning in the population and planning course. In order to analyze the results the SPSS was used to run t-tests and ANOVA. The results showed both educational methods were useful in enhancing students’ knowledge and meaningful learning. But there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in meaningful learning. Considering the statistically significant effect of active learning method on students’ meaningful learning, it is recommended that the active learning method be used for courses that require deep learning that will contribute to the health and development of society.