Technology of Education Journal
Year:2012 | Volume:6 | Issue:3|Papers Count:8

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a mathematics computer game on students' mathematics achievement and motivation. By using a simple random sampling technique, forty students who study at grade seven were chosen. Twenty students considered as experimental and twenty as control groups. Students' mathematics achievement in both groups was measured using a pre-test. The results showed no statistically significant difference on the students' pre-test scores. The experimental group was taught eight one-hour sessions during two weeks using a mathematics computer game, while the control group was taught through traditional method. Both groups were also given a mathematics motivation questionnaire. After the teaching period was over a post-test was taken from both groups to measure acquired knowledge about the subjects taught. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted to analyze the data. Results clearly indicated that the mathematics computer game enhanced students' mathematics achievement, it impacts on approach motivation and mathematics attitude, but it doesn't have any effect on avoidance motivation.

One of the models that are presented in M-learning quality system field is TRA model, which focuses on detecting effective factors on mobile learning systems at Amir kabir University. A questionnaire was constructed and distributed to assess students' behavioral parameters in mobile learning. According to the results, we found a meaningful and direct relation with the purpose of mobile learning at this university and three effective factors in this model. These factors are the awareness of mobile learning, interest in mobile learning and behavioral control. Among these effective variables based on TRA model, supposing and awareness of the learner are the most important one.

In this article, the perception of the foreign language faculties towards using information technologies in teaching languages online, have been investigated in teaching four languages: English, French, German and Farsi. Meanwhile the foreign language faculties' perceptions towards the facilities provided at their work and their readiness to take part in the workshops of teaching languages online were studied descriptively. Different variables such as age, sex, educational rank and types of teaching (virtual online vs. face to face) were also considered thoroughly. Questionnaires were given to 68 language faculties, from 7 different universities. The results showed that most of the language faculties were not aware of IT based devices or strategies of teaching their courses in virtual environments, and the necessary technological infrastructure and facilities for online language teaching is totally different at their work. Results clearly showed that the majority of foreign language faculty members needed to pass supplementary courses in almost all fields related to teaching languages electronically. However, the educational rank showed some positive effect on transition towards e-teaching, the higher the educational rank or teaching section, the more tendency towards using online strategies or devices, could be observed. Therefore, the researcher concluded that a well-planned, proactive IT-based training program for foreign language faculty is an essential prerequisite for further educational development in our country.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness of technical characterization and course assessment in developing and designing virtual courses of Iranian universities from the viewpoints of students. Developing and designing virtual courses need to observe criteria in five domains, and from these the above are taken into account. This is a descriptive study and the participants are graduate and undergraduate students of engineering and human sciences of Shiraz and Khajenasir universities in the academic year of 1386-87. A questionnaire was used to gather data. The results identified that, in the two research domains (technical characterization, and course assessment) The T which was seen was larger than the critical level (p≤0.05). In general, all of the means was higher than value means (3) the mean of technical characterization domain 3.58, and the mean of course assessment was 3.02. Therefore, students believe that more attention should be paid to the above criteria.

Many discussions are available about the benefits and drawbacks of PowerPoint software in literature, however, there is no comprehensive research about the optimum percentage of time of the classes for teaching with this software. This paper represents the best methods and percentages of utilizing PowerPoint software in classes. For this purpose, eight different classes of a university course were chosen, and each two classes were taught with a specific training method. In other words, four teaching methods containing four different amounts of times used for teaching with PowerPoint presentations were selected. This experimental study took four semesters. The percentages of times used for teaching with PowerPoint software were 0%, 25%, 40% and 100% respectively. The statistical analyses on coefficient errors indicate that the suitable percentages of teaching with PowerPoint are from 37% to 52% of class time.

Nowadays universities use adequate facilities and professional lecturers to train skilled students, but if students do not pay attention in class all this effort is in vain. This research has attempted to study the sleepiness of pupils in class and has tried to find out if it is related to the teaching method and instructor's appearance. In order to do so, two hypotheses are posed and answered through a survey. A questionnaire was designed and completed by 352 students. The results show that 27.8% of students are sleepy in class. During lecturing 72% of students, in memorizing and repetition 48% and in question and answer 9.4% of students feel sleepy. The changes in the voice of the lecturer stops 36.6% of the students from sleeping and 69.4% of students reported that the experience of the teacher prevents them from sleeping. The appearance of the lecturer stops sleepiness by 39.5%.

In recent decades, the need for interdisciplinary research in architectural education has become more evident. Meanwhile, designers implement objective and subjective interpretations for solving architectural problems. Therefore, the recognition of the conscious and unconscious mind of the architect and users is becoming a prominent criterion in reading architecture. One of the teaching methods in Italy is the method of the Moratoria School of Architecture. This method is based on historical-evolutionary typology, which is formed in order to regenerate the historical chain reconstruction of the object, which is, a part of the unconscious mind of the architect. The advantages of this approach are the research process, education and design in order to achieve basic types in the regional, city, contextual, architectural scale that provides the option of following the method in other schools of architecture. Describing the Moratoria school, the paper employs the descriptive-analytical method to criticize the basis of intellectual thoughts and curriculum. The findings of this study can be used in type recognition in the residential complex studio in schools of architecture.